One Month In

As of yesterday, or tomorrow depending on how you count it, I have been away for one month. (Yesterday being 4 weeks later, tomorrow being the 6th of January to the 6th of February). To be honest, it doesn't feel entirely like a milestone because it feels like much much longer. Since I've been in Lyon, 18 days now, I have accomplished a lot but not as much as I would have hoped. I am settled in a wonderful appartment; I have a French bank account,if not the code to my bank card, but one must have a lot of patience with large French establishments; I have a resume, ready to distribute; I know where to do my grocery shopping, where the library is, the post office, the best boulangerie and the market on Tuesday mornings.

There is still a lot to do. I would like to be able to use my bank card, that's for sure. The big one of course is finding work. The job situation in France is not great. Like everywhere, jobs are not plentiful and the more qualifications, degrees, certificates and training you have the better. The other important, but less tangible, goal is to build up a social life. I am lucky to have a friendly roommate [sidenote: the French term colocataire/colocatrice I find much more useful. A coloc' is literally a 'co-renter'] so I am not alone all the time. But a coloc' and some acquaintances are not friends and I will be very happy when I have friends.

To round off, a little tour. You've seen the apartment, here's a bit of my neighbourhood. To go to the Monoprix (like Safeway), I walk through this park first:

(Actually this was taking from the opposite direction). Then I walk along this street and at the end is the Monoprix!


The Tuesday markest is along the Boulevard de la Croix-Rousse. This is the street in the afternoon, without all the stalls and trucks.