I have been wearing the same clothes for the past three days. Fortunately, I thoughtfully considered the fact that there was a possibility that I might be staying in Bordeaux overnight, so I brought one extra outfit, my toothbrush, and my computer. I am sitting in McDo, using their wifi.
Over the past few days, I find myself people watching in the parks. I am not watching the normal strangers who pass by, but rather the homeless people who approach the average passerby and beg for money. Could this be my fate? I could be the crazy drunk man with the raspy voice begging for cigarettes. Oh my! I always wondered how people get to this point and I may soon find out. Ok, so it isn't that bad. I am not sleeping in the parks or beggin yet. ^^ I still haven't found an apartment. Technically, I am homeless. More homeless than I was in Grenoble when I crashed on the couch at the Fairholme house and stayed in a hotel. My money is quickly running out. I am getting very concerned and I have this great fear of checking my bank statement online.
Seriously, I am so frustrated to the point of packing up my bags and going back home or back to Asia. There is a lack of housing in the city. This is a fact. The universities ran out of student housing, so many of the apartment options that would have been available otherwise are inhabited. This leaves me staying on couches of strangers and colleagues. Yesterday, we had an orientation with all of the other assistants in my area. When the directors asked how everyone's housing situation is going, they were surprised to see so many hands fly in the air for being homeless.
My standards are lowering and my budget is getting higher. This is a problem, right? My goal this week is to find an apartment- furnished or unfurnished.
Since we know I am socially retarded at this point, I have managed to offend one of my professors who I was staying with in my attempt to not offend her. Ah yes, cultural barriers. I think it is harder to deal with this when coming from a culture that wasn't your own in the first place and then going to a completely different culture that still isn't your own. It's worse than reverse culture shock, I think. At any rate, it has been a very rough week and a half in Bordeaux. I have had some serious thoughts about why I am here.
If things don't start getting better, I will be making a few life changes to my goals. I know things are supposed to rough to make someone stronger, but seriously, I don't know how much stuff can get thrown at me in a month's time.
At any rate, my friends (old and new) have been an amazing support. Thank you!
Aside from that, if I am homeless, Bordeaux is a beautiful city to be homeless in. ^^ Many beautiful parks, the Garonne, gelato stands everywhere, and tons of people watching. Today, Chandra reminded me that "life is beautiful." So true.
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