Living and travelling overseas has been an interesting experiment. Since my departure from Sydney some three years ago, I have been able to experience different cultures and broaden my perceptions of the world in which we live. Though on a smaller scale, I have simply enjoyed discovering the minor differences in everyday life. Take the culture of coffee for example. Back home in Australia, we are lucky enough to drink great, Italian-grade coffee; the UK is unfortunately infested with Starbucks and a swarm of Starbuck-like chains, and on the small island of Mauritius, the stuff can hardly even be found - they prefer their vanilla tea. So, what is coffee like in France? > continue reading

A few weeks ago, after the triumphant feelings of finding work in Paris, I soon turned my intention towards accommodation. And still riding that euphoric wave I was quietly optimistic about finding a decent place to stay, with some cool flatmates no less. In the space of a few days my high had descended into an all time low. I spent countless hours surfing accommodation sites, I visited many shoe-boxed sized apartments and I even entertained the idea of living in the "banlieues de Paris". During this whole hope-crushing affair, I stumbled across Kijiji - a French version of the hugely popular free services site Gumtree (the one I used to buy my TV in London). Among the listings for unlivable filth-riddled studios and appeals from poor, desperate students, there were some rather amusing "offers". Here are a few that I came across. > continue reading