Lyonnais Life: Résidence André Allix: The Complex

Lyonnais Life: Résidence Andre Allix: The Complex

Like the last post on accommodation I have written, I have included different sections, so again, should you wish to skip ahead, you are more than welcome to do so. Sections in this post include:

• The Office
• The Laundry Room
• Other notable Things about Andre Allix

The Office

My first visit to the office wasn’t great and nor were the next few. The frustrations started on the first day. In the small reception office run at the time by a group of small middle aged women, the process of receiving the keys for the room took place, all by paper. When there are about twenty plus foreign exchange students all waiting, and going through all the obligatory procedures, this takes a good while.

After about an hour waiting tediously in the stuffy room filing out the various forms despite not completely understanding them, it was my turn to be processed. The lady wasn’t particularly helpful or willing to help when I didn’t completely comprehend what I was being asked to do. She huffed and puffed and rolled her eyes. I could understand how stressed she must have been. It baffled me how everything was done on paper rather than computer which would have easily simplified and speeded up the task of registering hundreds of students. I guess the rules and regulations must be different here.

I was given a choice of building and the floor I wished to stay on, which I thought was rather nice, though I took a guess at random as I didn’t quite know which building was where. I am quite pleased with my choice. I still had a couple of bits of paperwork that needed sorting out and handed in, which I did so later that day.

The next time I needed to go to the office, was to ask about my insurance which may have included the civil responsibility insurance which my university needed. I thought it would be a good idea to check if I had already got it, before I went and purchased more insurances from the bank.

The first time I asked, I had gone to the office at a reasonably early time. However, I was still required to wait a good half an hour, only to be told, that the woman had neither the time nor the patience to look for my file and I should come back another day.

A few days later I did so. I waited once again for my number and once again, I asked for my file. This time the secretary, a different woman than the one I asked before, complied with my request and proceeded to look for my file. It certainly took her a while, and I thought things were looking good. She had a quick look through the file, for the document I was requesting. I was then told, she couldn’t find the insurance, and that parts of my dossier where missing. I can’t quite find the words that would describe my anger and frustration at the time. I was deeply disappointed by the amount of help and service the office provided.

On the André Allix website, there is a small part about how students are able to use the fax machine at the reception desk. I had a few urgent documents I needed to send back to Roehampton confirming my arrival in Lyon. However I only had permission to use the fax machine until I stated it was for international purposes, which for some reason I’m not sure of, is not allowed.

I had to return to the office in order to pay the rent, which was a quick and easy process, though I was somewhat reluctant to return the office following the previous episodes. Though there was a change of staff and lighter, less moody heavy atmosphere to the place, thought the scars of my previous battles with the Andre Allix staff have not completely faded. I am still apprehensive over what the future holds.

The Laundry Room

The first couple of times I wanted to do my laundry were absolute nightmares. I didn’t quite know where all the laundry rooms were, and knew only of the one in block G. On the first occasion, I headed over there. The washing machine was on my right was broken, so I started loading my whites into the machine on the left. It was some time until I realised I was loading my washing into a pool of black water that had collected in the machine- I did wonder why the floor was so wet! I panicked and then proceed to load the soaked dirty washing into the dryer. It was twenty minutes before I realised I could be shrinking certain items.

After visiting the office where I had to sort out some administration work, I was told of a washing machine in the Vieux Fort. As I had awoken quite early, this luckily was free, finally my washing was clean.

On the second occasion, I was washing my coloureds. I headed to block G which is the closest to me. There was still a large puddle of water in the dingy, dark cobwebbed ridden room. The machine on the left was marked out of order this time and rightly so. The machine on the right was working, and I loaded my clothes in there after carefully inspecting it. I did not want a repeat of last time. However, once my clothes had dried, they had acquired an odd, smell of damp which was I couldn’t mask.

Since then I’ve not really had any problems doing the laundry. I tend to go early in the morning, to avoid being stuck in a long queue of people willing to use the machines. However, one morning, I woke up early as I really needed both the machines as my washing had been accumulating for some time.

The laundry room doors are on the exterior of building G, and as my neighbour said, they are never shut. At seven thirty in the morning, I got quite a surprise when I went down there. I opened the doors to find, a homeless man shaving, using the little sink and a tiny mirror, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had spend the night there.

Andre Allix’s laundry rooms are in:

• Building H
• Building G
• Building K
• Vieux Fort
• Arches d’Agrippa

Other notable things about André Allix

Socially, French halls of residence are unlike anything back in Roehampton, where each floor is equipped with a flat representative, who serves as a sort of guide, helping the newbies settle into the area. There are no group outings, and flat activities as most people tend to stay put in their rooms.

There is a large international population here, and sometimes, some groups tend to stick together which can be a bit frustrating, as you can’t quite fit in with a bunch of people who all speak a language that is neither French nor English. However as the complex is so large, you’re bound to meet others, perhaps those attending the same university as you, who are also living on the complex, so it is never too difficult to pop round to see them.

The price of the rooms here are very good, particularly in comparison to London, where I was paying more than double the rent I pay per month here. So the price is good, so I can’t complain an awful lot.

Other services available on the site are the gym, and the restaurant, neither of which I have used. There are also two pianos on site, however to gain access one must write a letter explaining your reasons to the director of the accommodation.

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