The Circle

I have so many things to write I really don't even know where to start.  When I left the hotel on Monday to go to the University everyone asked me which University of Savoie because there are three?  I kept saying the one here in Chambery, but that didn't seem to make a dent.  Anyway the sweet lady at the desk told me to take a certain bus and I thanked her and off I went.  I found the bus station, which is not far from my hotel.  I got on the bus, paid my 1euro 20 and off we went.  The bus headed north and out of town, past corn fields and up the mountain.  I thought I will really have to plan ahead because it was about a 20 minute bus ride.  When I got there I looked for a building that might be the be where they were doing registrations.  I went up the stairs and found some professors - it is funny when I ask if anyone speaks English people scatter.  It is like they are afraid to try - that is what I found in DRC as well.  One gentleman smiled and assured me that I was at the wrong campus but that he was glad I had found it anyway.

So back on the bus and back into the center of Chambery.  I asked again and was told to take bus 2 that it would take me to University of Savoie, Jacob-Bellecombette.  When I arrived at this campus they ladies told me that I was at the wrong campus as well, that there were two more campus sites and I needed to go down the hill.  So I smiled and walked down the hill to the business school.  The name had been changed last year to the IAE Savoie, Mont-Blanc.  We visited for a few minutes and then she told me that I needed to go to another building downtown because I was an international exchange student - I said "are you kidding me?"  I had started at 8:30 that morning and it was 2:00 in the afternoon.  She called and made sure Margarete would be there and since she was they sent me off with "directions".  Needless to say I took a wrong turn and ended up almost completely out of town so I caught a bus and went back downtown and started from there.  When I met with Margarete it was her first day in a new job she was sweet but she was almost as clueless as I was!  I spent all day and accomplished nothing - amazing!

Tomorrow I will have been here for two weeks.  I have managed to get enrolled at IAE, however, their English Business courses are not taught until next semester soooooo that caused another problem.  I am over 24 which in France causes a lot of issues as far as things are concerned with college students.  People look at me so funny when I tell them I am a University student.  The women I have been working with are sweet but many of them are new in their positions this year and we are all learning together.  Since I am a non-traditional student that makes everything much more challenging.  MSSU loves and invites non-trad students - I was blessed to be there my first two years and I can say without a doubt I miss you guys tremendously!

The second issue is that I can to a country without knowing a single person here.  I knew that I did not want to stay in a dorm with several young college students, many of whom were away from home for the first time!  So I walked around looking for "for rent" signs in the yard like they do in the states.  However, here they put the signs in the windows of the actual apartment for rent and you must call an "immobiler" realestate agent who will schedule you an appointment.  The most popular way is to go on line and look at pictures and choose the one you want to see and contact the immobiler that way.  However, what I did not know here is that you cannot rent an apartment without establishing a checking account here in the country first, that you must have someone who will be a guarantee for you (so you don't skip town without paying your rent) and a local phone number.  The really neat part about that is you can't get a bank account without a local address and a local phone number.  You also can't get a cell phone plan without a local bank account and a local address.  You can see how the circle is created.  And now you know why I posted this morning that the circle had been broken!!!  I had been praying for the person who would break the circle and I met her yesterday.

Yesterday was like a mass group orientation for the exchange students who did not go to the first meeting last week.  I sat through another group meeting that was completely in French and they went over papers that I had already filled out - the meeting was 2 hours long!  At the end I talked to Marie-lne who has been helping me try to find an apartment when the representative from the bank asked me if I had set up an account yet.  Well I answered her by simply saying "no" and the rep from the University pulled me over to talk to her.  When I explained what I had run into she said that it was true that she could not help me until I got a local address.  At that point I had just had enough - I asked her how I was supposed to do that since the endless circle needed to be broken.  The University rep went and talked with Marie-lne and discovered that what I was saying was true.  It was then by putting our heads together that the bank rep broke the circle.   God gave us a creative idea and this morning I opened a bank account with a hotel address - unheard of here.  Thank you God!!

This is just a small sample of what it has been like for the first two weeks.  I am completely dependant on public transportation or walking.  For all of you who know me - I usually drive so this has been a real stretch.  However, even in that God has been good.  In DRC I had a driver or walked or had the option of public transport.  So He has prepared me gradually.  I have not been around so much cigarette smoke in years!!!  For a country who is obsessed with recycling and natural foods - many people smoke and drink Coke - makes me smile.  Also the majority of people don't say "excuse me" they will bump into you, walk in front of you or even take something off the rack in front of you and never say a word.  Many people won't look at you when walking down the street.  So you know that I am walking looking directly at them and smiling while saying "bonjour".  Some will look up and stare, others will ignore me, but some will smile back and respond "bonjour".  It is so much fun!!

The prophetic words I had all those years about pack and don't unpack your bags seems to be coming true.  The last one was "pack light" and for DRC that was definitely the case.  I left with five suitcases for six weeks and left most of the contents and the largest suitecase there.  I have had to buys some long pants and long sleeve tops because all I arrived here with was the summer clothing I had taken to DRC.  It is so hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that I have lived outside the United States for almost two months now!  In many ways I have been so busy the time has really flown by. 

Tomorrow morning I am meeting a couple of ladies and we will go look at a studio apartment.  It is furnished and the rent is cheaper than most of what I have looked at.  I have lived the last seven weeks with just a bed, my suitcases and a bathroom.  This has two rooms, a washing machine, a couch, maybe a refrigerator and a two burner counter top stove!  Waahoo  The great part is I won't have to try and sell furniture when it is time for me to leave France.  

God is so good and has blessed me beyond words.  People have said to me that I am living an adventure and I guess I am.  I know that traveling and helping people has always been a dream of mine and I guess I beginning to live my dream.  I also know that I know my heavenly Father - my Dad - in ways that I would not have known Him had we not been on this journey together for the past three years!  For you who have walked with me and prayed for me - look where we have come in three years!!!! God knows I haven't done it all perfect or even done some things right, but I am moving forward and I will do what He created me to do!!!  We will see what the next chapter holds in store - love and blessings