Our area, not showing the apartment coz it's not tidied up

Jodie waves from our petite apartment. Our house only has 2 windows. The rest belong to other people.

This is our street. Circled red is our building's front door. At the end where the trees are is a small park with the Metro Station.

Jo standing at the door prepping to go out.

This station is called 'Commerce', it is a 1 min run from our door.

Train platform, sometimes got urine smell, coz this station got no toilet.

Flowers are blooming.

Jo went shopping for cheap groceries at Monoprix and is now back at her doorstep. Its already 8pm and still so bright!

Landlords are Serrano and Dargnat.

Our surname is on the call button. So cool, 1 syllable only. The rest got the usual angmoh ones.

+65 9762 0429

Tasked Abby (our admin in Singapore) to send out emails informing clients and friends that the number will be cancelled soon. I have had that number for nearly 10 years, so doing it felt like doing a final ‘Good Bye’ to everybody I knew in Singapore… it’s funny how losing mobile number can make me feel poignant…

But anyways, just got confirmed that I’ll be back in late May for about 2-3 weeks for work. So Jo and I’ll probably be able to see some of you guys!!

Hobbit Dinner

Today, as with all the previous times, I was paralyzed in bed with time-of-the-month-cramps. By 9 in the evening, with no instant noodles and the cook still writhing in pain, we decided there had to be a way to feed ourselves. So, rather than to give in to circumstances and run to Macs, we decided that I would holler whatever instructions I could manage and Kar Wai would make his first attempt at a hobbit dinner.

I must say, I am very proud of my man :-)

Jo

1. straining the fried potatoes

2. voila! fried spring chicken with fried potatoes with fried mushrooms. so healthy.

Got the apartment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We signed the contract! Will be staying the apartment that we are in now. Our landlord has been really good to us, no need for a bank guarantee of 1 year’s rent in our account. Apparently that is the norm for most folks coz French law makes it very hard for landlords to evict wayward tenants if they don’t want to pay up rent. So somebody came up with a 1 year bank guarantee thing…

Anyways, it’s about 30m2, so small and cozy it is. If you are not too sure, it’s about the space of our old living room OR Jo mom’s living room space in Chin Swee OR Wesley Methodist music room OR about 3 Honda Civics. We are going to get internet access connected to the house soon, so no more running to Montparnasse to get emails. Woohoo! We also can change bed mattress and microwave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As in the words of our visa specialist lady, our place at Rue du Commerce is like a little village. There are lots of typical Parisian shops like the bakery, butcher, cheese shop, vegetable sellers, wine shops, clothing lines, shoe shop and supermarket all at the same place. We feel kinda like hobbits, small space but otherwise extremely jolly and well fed.

Jo & Wes from the Shire

House Hunting. Final Chapter (Hopefully)

We are staying in Paris after all!! Our visa specialist lady freaked out after she called us and found out that we wanted to move to the suburbs. Apparently the set of work permit papers have be re-submitted the prefecture of the suburbs instead of Paris. Her words were ‘In fact you have no time!’. So we are likely to stay in the current apartment, we did see an apartment in Montparnasse but they wanted a year’s rent in the bank account (apparently standard for foreigners) to show that we had enough money to pay for rent. So no go for that one. We are extremely likely to stay in the current one for the next 6 months, going to see if can get papers from landlord to be signed for house.

What a roller coaster ride.

Wes

How to make a cupcake.

And now for something off topic...

Step 1: Pour a tiny bit of Herta Vanille Cake Mix into a cup

Step 2: Put in the microwave for 3 minutes

Step 3: Voila! Take out of microwave



Step 4: Put spoon in and eat.

Funny thing is that the yummy crust is in the centre of the cake!

Wes

Still looking for house

KW and I are thinking of moving to the suburbs. Ok, before you guys go “woah! That’s where the rioting is! What are you thinking?!”, we’ve checked it out with folks who do live in the suburbs. The rioting is from the north and interestingly enough, in central paris. So areas like the south, west and east of paris is safe. And that’s where we are looking.

Yeah, sure we will lose a lot of buzz, spend a little more on transport, have fewer facilities and shopping areas near our house. But hey, we get an extra room and a proper kitchen. And we get to sleep on a real bed rather than a sofabed – all for the same price or less!

So yup, we are gonna check it out these couple of days. Call some folks in the suburbs to see if we can view some houses. From what we hear, it sounds like living in AMK or Joo Chiat versus living in Tanglin or Orchard – which works for us. I really don’t know how it’s gonna work out. We will probably know when we get to see the first few houses. If we don’t have a good feel about the suburbs, we’ll probably stay put where we are.

Jo