Sunday Moldy Sunday...

Weekends in Strasbourg have been pretty darn really relaxing; especially when compared to my "previous life" back in the States which entailed super-packed weekends and minimal "free-time" for myself.

Though it was certainly an unseen/unplanned aspect of my time in Europe (that is, previously having thought I'd be sharing my experiences here with C), I've learned to be/live/pass my time ON MY OWN, and have grown particularly fond of all this time to myself! (Especially since now it is well-spent in my own quarters/my OWN space! Living alone is such a treat, I tell you!

Walking around naked, eating when (and what) I like, and exercising like a madwoman only to chow down on sweets to follow, all go unquestioned/unseen by "judging eyes."
Better yet, organizing, reconfiguring or DITCHING "my schedule" completely affects no one for the worst; I can waste my day, or live it up to its absolute fullest without being pressured by someone else to "follow the herd," to "turn in" or to "get going." And these are just some of the advantages; doing this all in EUROPE has added benefits for sure. I've done and seen more things ALONE than I EVER could have done in company...and for that, I'm quite glad things didn't work out "to plan."

When I'm alone, I dare to risk; experiences are rich, and adventure are valuable. Whether it be going to the opera dressed to the nines, tanning nude in Germany's Roman-baths, taking 10-hour bike-trips, trekking sleeplessly across international borders to create fantastic travelling-memories and ravish the random romantic affairs (see "vacation" entry), I don't think I would have had the chance to do a lot of the things I've managed to do, had I been "in company."

However, my particular situation (living alone in Alsace) has come to offer just as many disadvantages as it has advantages. Before explaining why, I will have to do some retracing:

Back in October, I gave my notice at "Rue de Bitche" - my old apartment, with less-than-ideal living conditions (see blog-post entitled Rue de Bitche for an explanation,) and between adjusting to a new job, waiting for my pay check and health insurance (see "Administrative Problems" blog posting) I was feeling the pressure to hunt down a new apartment.

Sundays were entirely dedicated to hunting...all over again (after all, I had JUST moved to France 2 months prior) and when I had no HITTERS after 4 consecutive Sundays, I resolved to hop on the first opportunity that arose:

Sometime in November, a man showing an apartment just north of Strasbourg told me he had a property that would be opening up in December (and this was after telling me the apartment I had originally COME to check out had been already taken...) "PERFECT TIMING," I thought! I would need to move into a new apartment by late December, or early January...

We checked out the other property just a tram-ride away, and I immediately decided I'd take it once I laid my eyes on it; a fairly good-looking/shapely building off the main drag, but near public transportation, ground-floor with a small garden-space, a "furnished" studio with large bathroom...too good to be true!!

Come December, though, I had to arrange to pay rent for the new place (in order to hold my spot) as well as my OLD apartment's "last month" rent - and not to mention the last sum for the month of January - ALL BEFORE taking a trip back to the States for Christmas...(which was an expensive journey in and of itself!)

It was finals time at school, and I was completely loaded with corrections to finish and hand-in; stressed and with little time to BREATHE, I managed to squeeze in 1 Sunday to make the big move before leaving on a jet plane to the States.

A collegue of mine was generous to come meet me with her car to speed up the moving process (though I didn't have MUCH stuff - just clothes and books - it was really helpful!) since I knew I'd have to settle in quickly.

Unfortunately, that SUNDAY turned out to be much more than a move...which ordinarily don't stress me out whatsoever...

My collegue and I arrived to the building to find an abandoned cat roaming around in my EMPTY (NOT "furnished" studio apartment) !!!!!! AN ABANDONED CAT!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF????????

The cat was really a KITTEN though- a male, in heat (they start young I guess?) and though he was SUPER-sweet and SCARED as hell, I had NO IDEA how to react. SURE: I felt TERRIBLE that he had been left BEHIND without water or food (who could DO such a thing? The fucking animal - and I don't mean the cat!) but the poor thing had pee-peed on the floor (and had done who knows what to the mattress that had been left behind). All I could think of was...'where do I put my stuff?' WHAT NEXT????????

A part of me wanted terribly to watch over the sweet little thing, but 1) I didn't want to get attached to the animal, since I owe my loyalties 100% to my beautiful baby that awaits me at home - MY DOG, Byndee that is- and 2) I don't like cats ALL that much... 3) I gag at the scent of kitty litter: BLECK! and 4) I'd have to leave for the States 2 days later & wouldn't be able to get anyone to watch over her in that time, let alone finding a new home for him once I moved back for real.

So, I had to react quickly, and decided to get in touch with animal authorities rather than waiting for my (conveniently ABSENT and "missing" landlord), which had been MIRACULOUSLY open that Sunday for a donation-drive (the most miraculous part of that day for sure!) By noon, the services scooped him up & assured me he'd be given a nice home...leaving ME a place to begin MY OWN place called "home."

Yet my collegue scolded me, insisting that I couldn't even consider moving into the apartment under such horrible conditions. "A HOME!?!?" She only laughed; for there was not even a toilet seat left behind...no light fixtures (well, except the 1 light bulb that had been left behind - along with its exposed wires hanging down from the ceiling) and not to mention the left-over cat-pee. I knew it was SICKENINGGGGGGGG.

But after letting out some tears and sobs, I told her that I'd have no choice but to accept and make the best of it all. THIS WOULD BE MY HOME. (Realistically, there was NO WAY to move out after throwing out so much money that month, and after having already bought my tickets to go home for the holidays!)

She left, and I got to my NEW place. I spent the ENTIRE day cleaning my head off, and crying that Sunday...I felt MORE ALONE than I had ever felt in my life.

But luckily - since I had still been PAYING for my old apartment - I went back to my old bed to get some shud-eye. (After all, I couldn't yet SLEEP in my new apartment since I had no way of buying anything on a SUNDAY to furnish the place, let alone get ready for WORK the next day!)

Ahhh...SUNDAYs in France: all the stores are closed. This of course is geared towards the familial-life; all the families stay inside, which is lovely in theory, but pretty shitty for a single (American) woman :-) Indeed, at the time, it seemed like double-punishment/a dummy-wammy- a SLAP in the face: I was not ONLY alone...but I was without resources.

In any case, the lack of eventfulness on Sundays brings me back to TODAY:
A random SUNDAY in MAY:

Being given the time, I managed to complete a thorough inspection of my apartment space this morning, due to certain suspicions that my APARTMENT has been causing me to fall ill all the time...

That is - ever since I returned from the States last December (and moved into my new place "officially") I have been getting NASTY colds - especially when returning home from x or y travel destination- and I mean really nasty colds!

If not for the "timing" reason, there are several other reasons to believe this is the case:

Reason 2: Since it's been so damn rainy here, I've stayed in a lot (as opposed to going running and biking) which has caused me to feel EXTREMELY TIREDDDDD and lethargic (and not in the normal "I've done nothing today" kind of lazy way...)

Reason 3: a heightened cold started this past Thursday...perhaps due to this event: Having washed by hand and put to dry in my room (well, my STUDIO, lol) an over-sized sweater last Tuesday, I chose to throw on the sweater and get to work the following Thursday. I got to school at 8am realizing the sweater was DRENCHED (and terriblyyyy smelly) due to mold, or fungus. I took it off immediately, although it was really cold outside still, and subsequently found a little rash on my arm. Unfortunately, Thursdays are long days at school, so I didn't get home until later to shower up. I scrubbed down, thinking nothing much of the mold.. until I felt worse on Friday...

This weekend, in looking around my apartment, I've realized that the walls are moldy - just COVERED in paint. Every chance I get, I open the 1 window I have (a door-window) but since it's been raining, it only adds to the moisture in my ground-floor apartment...not to mention the invitation it leaves for ants and bugs to come on in!! UGH!!!

Instead of freaking out, I'm trying to enjoy my free-time...after all, quotidien Sunday-living DOES have its high points/advantages in France :-)

While the families go to church/the temple in Alsace (it being the most religious of areas in France, whereas the rest of the country is very "liaque"/secular) and make their ways to their Sunday dinner tables over televised sports-games...I, a single woman with few friends (hehe, enjoy watching movies, listening to music (REALLY LOUD), cleaning, catching sights on the travel channel or the news on TF1 or EUROnews. These are surely Sunday delights (at least when it's permanently rainy and gray!)

Over coffee with fresh cream from Normandy, or in today's case - tea with milk and honey (to help my nasty, unending cold...arghhh...) I chow down on delicious (fresh) buttered baguettes from the bakery, chopped seasonal fruits, and sparkling water...only to look forward to the next meal :-)

Correcting papers, prepping classes, writing my blog entries, and emailing has also been really soothing during a heavy task of JOB-hunting and applying (all over again...) which I continue to do on my Sundays, ritualistically...

And if I weren't feeling so darn sick (if not due to mold, it's damn positive that it's the stagnant valley that holds pollution in Strasbourg) I'd go to the movies as well - which is seemingly a French Sunday rituel for singles...

Maybe next Sunday. Hopefully it'll be less...MOLDY.