House-hunting

Not the kind of property rush going on in SG right now.

Last few days have been filled with endless search online for accommodation possibilities in Paris. The more snazzy sites by agents had some nicer furnished apartments, but are also more pricey. There are some others that sound like a good deal, but they do not entertain emails - you have to be there, give a call, arrange a time to view, and make a decision 1-2 days max -there'll be others behind you. And there are others that sound too good a deal to be real. True enough, there're lots of scams out there. They send pictures of huge apartments with 1/4 of the usual price, and demand an outright money transfer to 'secure' the lease. Best of all, these pictures are not even real - all thanks to Google maps! Well... like all things online.

Am totally pissed with the fact that the original letter of acceptance from school did not arrive. I called up and asked for a new one to be sent right away, by Fedex, unfortunately under my charge. 25euros doesn't sound like too much nor too little, especially when I need it for my student visa (and I'm leaving in 5 days time!).

Next comes the uncertainty if an internship will be available at the end of my course. It'll be great to gain some exposure to a greater playing field out there. In fact, I'm happy even if it's not in Paris (re: cost of living), places like Lyon, Nice, Brittany, Basque region have interesting culinary traditions, and a quality of life not found in an intensive built-up city.

I've been feeling my way through foods with my toe. Well, not in that way. Red wine, very mild. I guess that sums up the caption : Drink better, not more! But generally, alcohol is dehydrating and should be avoided like coffee and tea. But a Harvard report said that coffee is actually beneficial to gout sufferers. Had a small portion of beef, mild to average reaction. Had some clams, average reaction. Will be sure to take less. How could I ever give up spaghetti alle vongole, or fresh briny oysters? Esp when if I'll be in France over the end of year season when oysters will be at their peak! Will be sure to carry my meds with me.