Resistance is Futile.
Ah man, the last 2 weeks have been so jammed packed with everything and nothing at all. Does that make any sense? But the best and biggest news is: In September, with any luck, I will be spending the entire month studying French at La Sorbonne!
Yes, after 3 years of passive-aggressive (but mostly aggressive) refusal to continue my French language studies, I’ve decided to go all the way and assimiliate. And what better way to get froggy than to take an intensive 25 hour per week French language and culture class at the Mecca of French language and culture?
Also, what sucks about living in Paris for a month? Nothing, that's what! I'm looking forward to using the time to get to know Paris a bit better so that when FrenchBoy and I visit on weekends we can spend more time having fun and less time lost and wandering around in circles cursing the fact that there are no easily located street signs in this godforsaken country.
The only down side to all this is that FrenchBoy won't be coming with me. He'll only be visiting on weekends, so I'll be home alone like Macaulay Culkin. Also, I’m still in the process of looking for a short-term apartment rental and it will most likely cost la peau des fesses.* If any of you reading this have suggestions on agencies that can get me a short term studio, lord knows I’m open to them. Just last week I thought I'd found a perfect place through an agency that had a good website and a listing of amazing apartments---only to have the owner of said apartment "decline" to rent that month because he himself wanted to use it.
Sidebar: WTF? Can someone please explain to me the point of having your over-priced hipster apartment listed as available on an apartment rental website when in fact you have no damn intention of renting said over-priced hipster apartment? Dude, whatever.
In the meantime, I’m busy dusting off all my French language study books and preparing to be assimilated.
*coûter la peau des fesses – A fairly vulgar French expression which translates to "to cost the skin of my ass". Equivalent to the English expression: "cost an arm and a leg."
8 comments:
i just remembered another friend who used to keep an apartment in Paris (kick ass location right next to centre pompidou) that she rented out when not there. im checking with christoph to see if she still has it.
We used Paris Attitude to find a rental. It was pretty reasonable for a week's stay, but the agency does charge a fee.
Wow - assimilation? Will you be your charming, funny self after?
I'm frightened. Someone..quick...hold my hand!
Well, I'm jealous, but looking forward to the pictures.
I've used parisstay.com, parisattitude.com and fusac.fr to rent short-stay apartments. Here's the ad category page for fusac, in case you get confused on their home page (easy to do): http://fusac.fr/en/annonces_categories.php
Avoid Craig's list unless you can tell the real stuff from the scams.
It became obvious to me that even though an apartment shows up as available on one of the agency sites, that doesn't mean that the owner has communicated to the agency that they have already rented it out themselves. So, what I did was pick two or three that I liked, then waited for the agency to confirm that they were available, then make my decision.
Can't wait to hear if the Sorbonne solution is a good one. I'm trying to figure out where to go to get off my butt and really learn French.
You'll come back all snooty and skinny and smartly dressed, is that it? Will you be addicted to coffee and cigarettes?
No, I think that it's great that you've made this commitment to get integrated. You will appreciate it. What fun to spend a month in Gay Pareee!
La Sorbonne--sounds fun! I kicked my French study into high gear picking up Pimsleur and thinking about Rosetta Stone. So far I like the Pimsleur. Good luck with classes!
Thank you for making me feel much, much better about my own French studies refusaldom.
P.S. If you're still looking for rentals... pricey but really nice places in the Marais (my parents stayed at the rue St Gilles appt in January):
http://www.topstayinlemarais.com
And this more budget-friendly place in the 11th comes highly recommended from a good friend who stays in Paris about twice a year:
http://www.slowtrav.com/cl/detail.asp?l=1208
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