What is it with this country's obsession with holding rallies and going out on strike? For those of you who don't know, France probably holds the title for the country with the highest number of organised strikes per year. They are so common here that one would think that protesting was a part of the national identity. Are the conditions really that bad here, does tradition play a part in this, or are the French people simply looking for something to moan about? > continue reading

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

The last time I lived in a neighbourhood like this was in Vauxhall, England 2005. It was a bit of a rough area, and while initially troubling, I soon adapted to its ghetto-like surrounds. But here in Couronnes, France 2007, I am finding it to be more of a challenge. This interesting part of the infamous 20th arrondissement is home to a condensed and bizarre mix of Asian, Arab and African cultures. It is probably one of the most diverse and remarkable places I've ever lived in, but by the same token, it is probably one of the most unpleasant. > continue reading

Being in Mauritius I thought I might do a quick write up about the unique dialect of Creole. Creole is the dialect (officially made a language recently I think) that is spoken by the majority of the population in Mauritius. Being a multilingual country a small percentage of the population choose to only speak French (and in very rare instances English). But everyone must understand Creole to survive. It is essentially the street language of this small island. > continue reading

Unlike the token World Cup support you widely find in Australia (myself very much included), London is full of proper die-hard football fans ready to put all their emotional wealth on the line for a solitary ball bouncing around a grass pitch. Not to say that Australians don't get 100% behind our national side, we just mostly turn it on during World Cup time while the English are absolutely mad for the game every day of the year. > continue reading