My arrival in Hagondange put many of my worries at ease. The principle of my school met me at the train station and drove me from Metz (a larger city in the region, 15km away) to Hagondange. M. Albrech doesn't speak much English and my French is still quite rusty, but we managed to have a pleasant conversation none the less. Metz is absolutely beautiful and Hagondange has its bits of charm.
Lorraine is much different than the south of France. There are buildings that are old, but much of the architecture was destroyed during the war and had to be rebuilt. It is an interesting mix of several different styles. Everything is very green still, despite the lower temperatures, because of all the rain the region gets. Just in the past few days have the leaves on the tree outside my bedroom window started to change colors.
When we arrived in Hagondange about 20 minutes after our departure from Metz, I was introduced to all the teachers and faculty at the school. The school building has three floors, all very rectangular, and is that great pink color from the 1970s. There are four English teachers, all very nice, one a little crazy. The other faculty members are also very nice, but I don't interact with them as much, just a casual bonjour in the hall.
After meeting everyone and forgetting their names, I was shown the apartment that is mine for the next seven months. I really can't complain because I am staying for free, minus the cost of food and a monthly rotation of sweeping the hall steps. I was excited to see how spacious it is. There are two bedrooms, although the second one is completely empty. The furniture was purchased around the same time the buildings were built, but it works. There are just a few oddities about the apartment that I find rather humerous.
I have the most random collection of dishes. I have a complete set of eight wine glasses but only one bowl. I have an abundance of forks but hardly any knives. I do have several rather knives that would only be used to cut some serious meat, but I do not have an oven in which to cook such meat. Also the shower is a bit problematic. I was happy to have an actual shower that I can stand in, unlike when I studied in Aix, but it is rather leaky. The shower door does not extend the full length of the tub, so water can escape through the last two feet of unprotected space. Also there is a gap about an inch wide between the bottom of the shower door and and the tub's rim, which water always leaks from. After my first shower I was practically swimming in the bathroom! I found some duct tape in the apartment and went to work closing the space. It has helped quite a bit.
Despite the oddities and the incredibly small bed, I was happy to settle into a place that I could call home.
Lorraine is much different than the south of France. There are buildings that are old, but much of the architecture was destroyed during the war and had to be rebuilt. It is an interesting mix of several different styles. Everything is very green still, despite the lower temperatures, because of all the rain the region gets. Just in the past few days have the leaves on the tree outside my bedroom window started to change colors.
When we arrived in Hagondange about 20 minutes after our departure from Metz, I was introduced to all the teachers and faculty at the school. The school building has three floors, all very rectangular, and is that great pink color from the 1970s. There are four English teachers, all very nice, one a little crazy. The other faculty members are also very nice, but I don't interact with them as much, just a casual bonjour in the hall.
After meeting everyone and forgetting their names, I was shown the apartment that is mine for the next seven months. I really can't complain because I am staying for free, minus the cost of food and a monthly rotation of sweeping the hall steps. I was excited to see how spacious it is. There are two bedrooms, although the second one is completely empty. The furniture was purchased around the same time the buildings were built, but it works. There are just a few oddities about the apartment that I find rather humerous.
I have the most random collection of dishes. I have a complete set of eight wine glasses but only one bowl. I have an abundance of forks but hardly any knives. I do have several rather knives that would only be used to cut some serious meat, but I do not have an oven in which to cook such meat. Also the shower is a bit problematic. I was happy to have an actual shower that I can stand in, unlike when I studied in Aix, but it is rather leaky. The shower door does not extend the full length of the tub, so water can escape through the last two feet of unprotected space. Also there is a gap about an inch wide between the bottom of the shower door and and the tub's rim, which water always leaks from. After my first shower I was practically swimming in the bathroom! I found some duct tape in the apartment and went to work closing the space. It has helped quite a bit.
Despite the oddities and the incredibly small bed, I was happy to settle into a place that I could call home.
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