time for stories...

I had to do this...I had to discover this city with my own eyes. And i did that. from the very first days i arrived. Everything was new for me. A new world with people looking at me and reading on my face that i'm not from here. Maybe i have an invisible stamp on my face that says: "Made in Romania" or in other country but not this one. i'm out of the normal for them. I don't really care about this. Usually everywhere i go i'm out of normal. Except a few places on this world.
And still the city was nice. I arrived on 1st February, after a long exhausting trip for 36 hours with a bus. Too bad my country is that far,and still i wanted to come here. Was night and the "City of Lights" as it's named, really impressed me. There was light everywhere. On the streets,on the bridges that cross over Saon or Rhone, in houses,on important buildings and different modern constructions. They all made the city look like it's day and not night. I went off in the station and i knew no one. I woke up in the middle of a large town i knew almost nothing about, with the first purpose to get to my home. My new home for 5 months. Without my family or my beloved one, without anyone. I knew just a few of my kind, but they acted like part of my kind and they didn't care. They arrived two.I arrived just one and no one to help. Somehow i found my way to my new home. And when i got there i was surprised to see a high hill in front of my eyes. One that i had to climb to get to the accommodation point.
I thought that i should be able to do so. I was full of heavy luggage, and my body felt like powerless. I had the feeling i just escaped the worst fight ever,one where everyone hit me as hard as they could. My hands were shaking,my back was in a huge pain and my feet...I could barely move them. In this condition i arrived at the accommodation point. And i hoped someone will be there to help me. But that was not my lucky day. All i found was a small girl,very kind but unable to carry not even my food back bag. She looked like she was almost dead. No color on her face and lips,and very skinny. But i didn't care. All i remember now is her amazed face when i told her that i threw my luggage outside on a bank,just because i couldn't handle anymore.
I have to admit that on my way to my 3rd floor in building G i asked a boy to help me. He was kind enough so i arrived in front of my room. There all i wished for was a shower. One that would make my body feel better. But my day was getting worse. I soon found out that internet was not available for me for the next 10 days.Their own politics. Stupid mentality which i'm not going to describe now. I was stuck in my room. And the things were not getting better.
In the next day i woke up paralyzed. I could barely feel my arms,my feet, and my back felt like cracked in two. My nose was all running and my head was hurting me. I wanted to make a tea but i didn't know how the cooking machine worked. And i soon found out that it had almost no power at all. I decided to go on the pills i had from home. But i could barely feel something. I was a walking zombie with no one to help me. Because i didn't have internet my communication with my parents was limited the same for my beloved one.
I was really out of things to do. The first week all passed like that. Doing nothing but feeling pain and not only physically but also mentally... i wanted to talk to someone. To tell someone i feel bad. I was calling my mom once a day just to make her cry and worry about my condition.Same i did with my love. He was comforting me as good as he could...
Finally inthe second week the pain got weaker and weaker and i could go out. I went to discover the city i arrived in. In the first week i didn't have the guts to go on small old streets by myself. So all i did was to walk on main roads i learned by using tram and bus. Everything was getting nice. Soon i also got to classes. And i was really happy to talk to someone even if it was just the teacher. I really discovered that i can easily get homesick if there is no one for me to talk with. But in a few weeks after i arrived here my love came to visit me. And that made my mind and heart feel much better. He was here for just a few days,but he really healed my soul wounds. With him i discovered that this city of Lyon is really beautiful. I could finally see the cathedral of Fourviere,the Old Lyon, with his small streets all crowded with all kind of small shops, we took a nice walk next to the Rhon and we had the best time we could.
This city was getting more and more interesting for me. After he left i went on my own to see things. To discover the small streets in their most detailed corner and smell. I took pictures and i enjoyed it. Every small street i saw was taking me back in time. Old buildings smell everywhere,but not a bad one,more like a sweet one. It's everywhere in Old Lyon. You just have to let your mind find it. People, the original french ones,you can easily recognize... they all have the small face with specific ears and eyes. You feel like they see through you. Some of them rude. And if you talk English you can hear very fast someone saying:"Merde! Les Americains sont partout!" That was not a nice thing by the way...
But if you speak decent french and you ask their help you would be surprised of their kindness. I was surprised and not just once. And i learned that asking is not that hard. It's only natural not to know new places. But you loose nothing if you ask. And this made my life easier here. I learned to appreciate a nice person and to ask if i needed any help.
The center of the city,Bellcour, i think it's nothing compared to Old Lyon. For the simple reason that is very crowded. Only expensive and fancy stores and nothing really really nice to see. It's true that the buildings are also old,but the commercial area is taking away their beauty. The building of the Opera is a nice modern construction and also the Room of Commerce and Industry. those two i really liked...
In this city the Chinese people get to be more and more. Sometimes in the bus i see like half of the people all from Asia. And i wonder:"Am i in France? Or in China?" But this happens when the circulation is so opened these days. The globalization effect is really visible. As my mom says:"The Chinese people don't need to start a war. They just have to start walking to Europe,and they will conquer us anyway!" And i start to think she is right.
Arabians are also everywhere. You can hear in some places more Arabian than french. The spot where i change tram with sub you can see all kinds of people.They say that is the worst area of the city...and i think it's true. But i try to ignore everyone and i just mind my own business.
But all this story will have an end in less than 2 months,when i will get back home where i so want to be. In this moment there are 2 places in this world i want to be: my room,relaxing on my bed or with my love relaxing under the shower. And i'm sure that later,in my life the Lyon experience will be just another page in my journal. Another story to tell, a story that made me more mature and more responsible, that teaches me how hard is to take care of yourself and how your sickness to see your family can take over your entire mind...And the time for stories is not ending...there will be more...






Dedicated to my love :)
thank you for taking care of me. Da i ski! Zutto!