Photos as promised

I finally got around to it, and now I present you with the first installment of photos...



The Water Closet... literally a closet, some people have toilets, which are more space envasion than convienence.



My side of the room, just a desk and a coat rack...



The bed... note the ladder, it's a bunk, there are 3 beds, but nobody got a 3rd person... There are empty rooms, I can only suppose they are not suitable for living...

I know the pics are blurry, but I wanted to snap them before we got all our stuff strewn about...
So, thats my side of the room in a nutshell (no really, we live in nutshells)... The other side is pretty much the same, except the desk is under the top bunk, and there is a bigger armoire (mine is a single, Anna's is a double). There isn't much storage space, and it would be nice if the desks had drawers, but I have folding cloth boxes, and they fit perfectly under the desk and on the shelf of the coat rack... And since my top bunk is empty (falling is not my favorite pastime) I'm using the ladder as a bookshelf and nightstand. There are plenty of electric outlets, 7 in the room and one hidden under the light in the bathroom... Everyone's room is set up just a little differently and some are more well laid out than others, mine isn't the worst, but it isn't the best either. I have found the down comforter to be too heavy (so have alot of people), so my mom sent me sheets and a light blanket, I would suggest others pack some sheets if they tend to sleep hot... I found vegan yogurt at the Biocoop in Blois and am using the glass containers they came in as pencil cups (recycling becomes easier when you need hard to acquire things), if you aren't into vegan yogurt the jelly jars empty rather quickly around the Abbey (just use some up, or raid the recycling shelf in the kitchen).

Notebook paper is hard to find... What suffices is ledger paper... So, if you prefer college rule (or wide, whatever floats your boat) you might want to consider packing some, or sending it with books (seriously mail your books at least 2 weeks in advance, some books have gotten held up in customs and now 3 weeks into the semester there are people still without books). Speaking of mailing, do not, I repeat do not mail medicines (including over the counter and homeopathic). France does not allow import of medicines and they will be siezed at the border. Also don't pack them in your checked bag, or in unmarked containers. One girl had her entire supply of medicine siezed at the airport...

So I'm writting this post as a basic guide of initial need to know info... Be on the lookout for more valuable (I hope they are valuable) tips and info!