Week Deux

Today we visited the 3rd house. I thought it was nice, big courtyard, large windows. It’s still a studio but I guess I could live with it. After we left the apartment, Kar Wai was shocked I even considered the place. So I guess it’s more house hunting ahead.

It’s been raining lots here so the streets have been very wet. But the sun comes out once in a while so that is nice. Once the weather improves, we plan to start shooting the music video to Paul’s music. As for the state of our spoken French, we’re trying to train ourselves not to look at the cashier displays at supermarket check-outs but to listen to the amount the cashiers are asking for. It’s tough, but I think we are starting to get the hang of it.

Tonight, while channel surfing, we came across a Hong Kong movie with Anita Yuen and Leslie Cheung in it – UN-DUBBED! So we stopped everything we were doing and sat down to enjoy, finally, a non-french movie. Then it was back to Space Cowboys, in French, of course. But it was a treat, nonetheless.

Jo

House Hunting

We’ve been to view 2 houses so far. One is near Alesia, south of Central Paris. When we got there, honestly, the house is nice, new and it’s got a big kitchen which is a major plus point for me. Downside is that the living room is tiny and the area is super quiet, not the peaceful kind of quiet, but the nothing-is-happening kind of quiet. I can live with it but it’s a no-no for Kar Wai.

Then the next day, we saw one at Dupleix, in the 15th arr. This one has got a more even division of space for each room and a lively area outside. For Kar Wai, it’s something he can live with. Sigh, but not for me. It’s the kind of house that is put together for whoever wants to stay - no love - just couple of pieces of furniture and appliances thrown together and viola. Take it or you can leave it for the next desperate tenant. It’s just a no-no for me.

So we are back to square one. Made a couple of calls, houses rented out already, etc. But we will continue trying. Worse case, we will continue staying in the 30 square metre studio that we are staying at (the landlord we have now is just great and easy-going). But that would mean we gotta leave 16 DHL boxes of our stuff in Singapore coz this house is just too small to take anything else! Now, that would be an interesting turn of events indeed….

Jo

PS: Spring is here! today is 21degrees, hot sia - kw

Week 1

We have been here for almost a week. Spring is coming and the days are brightening up. We had great sunshine and birds chirping outside our window when we woke up this morning…something we got everyday in Singapore but never really appreciated until we came here.

It seems easier to settle down this time round. Maybe it’s because we are back at the same apartment so familiarity is on our side. We have started house hunting, hoping to find a 2 piece (1 bedroom and 1 living room) apartment in the 14th or 15th. First house viewing scheduled this Sat at 11:15am. Wish us luck!

Our appointment with the Prefecture is on the 10th of April. So we gotta find a house by then and show proof of rental contract. We will also be meeting someone next week to talk about a shoot to get things rolling. So things are looking up (Janis, we can see the light already!!!! Haha)

As for the protest, we’ve only seen a trainload of students shouting from across the platform in the metro so far. Feels more like a NUS rag-and-flag ra-ra type of protest more than anything else. Of course we haven’t been on site to where they are gathering to protest so we probably haven’t seen the true extent of things. But most people here don’t seem too bothered and the students look like they are having fun more than anything else…so life goes on. Not to worry, Paris is not under siege like how the news puts it.

Other than that, we are doing well. Eating lots and sleeping lots as usual after a mad 3 months back home in Singapore.

Jo

Flying MAS at 920pm

Hey guys,

We will be hitting the airport at 7plus with Jo's family. This will be our last post in Singapore for a long while at least. Donno when we will post again as the apartment we took doesn't have net access, it's the same one in the Sep/Oct/Nov stay. Take care all those in Singapore. The riots in Paris are ok, don't affect us. Thanks for writing Tow Yong and Lennard.

Might be back in late May for a shoot, till then see how. :-)

Update!:

We're at KLIA now. They gots Internet WIFI! W00T! We updates blog! So hip!

Anyways, this trip quite funny. I don't feel anything, not excited nor anxious. Just zero. Interesting, when the plane took off from Changi just now, only thing I did was imagining what people were going to do tomorrow; Dan's going to school, Kat going to work, my mom waking up and making breakfast... like we're leaving our lives behind and starting a new one. Always dreamt about this when we were young but never thinking that it was going to happen...

ok got to go, boarding time now.

Wes