the apartment building

We are the only people on the 4th floor, and unlike most apartment buildings, ours has an elevator!! YES we are so lucky. It's so rare and absolutely taken advantage of after going to class on the 6th floor. If you aren't awake, by the time you reach the top of the stairs, you will be. 
Our apartment building is right across the street from a huge high school. The french "lycees" in the city start early, end late, and get really long breaks for lunch. These kids are talking, shouting, and screaming so much I know their entire schedule.
And then we have Opera man. Opera man is a french thirty-something who lives on the second floor. This frenchie is taking opera lessons from a woman every Tuesday and Thursday, and his teacher is actually decent. But Opera man is not. I know for a fact now that, no matter how long you practice, some skills can never be acquired. Opera man is my alarm clock. Opera man is my itunes in the afternoon. We need thicker walls.
And finally, if hell had a shower.  It would be ours.  The tiles were not "water proof" so the wall and carpet into my room was drenched one day-- but wait, we have the perfect solution!! Call extreme home makeover because this idea is brilliant. Our housing coordinator decided taping another shower curtain along the tiles would prevent water from going into them. So we stand there, shower curtains on all sides, sucking in and sticking to your legs, with a hole cut in it for the shower head. Just so classy. Oh and I'm 3 inches too tall for it. Cherry on top.

But even with all these things, I love our apartment. Our area is safe, we have plenty of room, there are 2 other apartments with american students in the building, its perfect.
God bless this mess.