Oh-là-là-là-là

No, this isn't a christmas carol. You may have heard how cliché it is for French to exclaim "Oh là là!" to something surprising, fantastic, in a good way. Well, now I'm going to teach you the same expression in the negative way, you just add another 2 la-la's behind. And you say it like you're fed up, and it does a crescendo to forte (or even fortissimo).

Today was one of those days you'll like to say that the whole day.

I guess I owe you guys a piece of news, well, actually I got a job, in Paris, in the Hediard restaurant at the Place de la Madeleine. That's the good news. So, my student visa is expiring in Feb, and I've to renew it 2 months before anyway, it was good timing that the work contract came through, and that I change my status from a student to an employee.

Nothing is ever that easy in France! Apparently I've to be a student for 1 year before I can change it to an employee status!!! And this was not written on any of the sites (even governmental sites!) that I researched on! But I don't take it that the guy was lying to me. It was most probably some kinda assumptions that students here stay for 1 year, or it was written in some archaic books that no one bothers to put it on the current websites.

In any case, I've to find a solution. Go back to school? Extend my student visa status and then change to an 'employee' a few months later? Work till my student visa expires in Feb and then come back to SG to do a work visa? Subject to approval??? The simplest way is that I have one foot here already, and mustn't move.

I just went to view a studio this evening, it's asking for lower rent, in the 3e, which is quite a steal. Listen to this, it's 6th floor, without lift, though the corridor (I said CORRIDOR) windows have a beautiful view of Eiffel and Sacre Coeur. The state of the studio, though, is deplorable!! The toilet is en suite, luckily, but a mere corner of the room, just that! Not even a blind to seperate it from the studio. The sofa bed looks like it had some loving from the 60's.

To top it off, today is the day, I'm supposed to fly back to SG, using up the return portion of my mileage ticket. Since Oct, I've been told countless times that it's a 6months ticket and it has to date from 1 June 09 (when I made the booking), I put a ficticious date to it, cos' it's one of the last days I can (presumably) travel on. Which of course, now, I can't fly, due to work. I called up to tell them that sorry, i can't fly, got slapped with a no-show fee (yes, I could have called earlier, but knowing that I'll never be able to fly this return anyway, i just didn't bother. at least I called to tell them I wasn't coming!). Then suddenly through all the muddle, came the realisation from the agent that apparently, it's a 1 yr ticket, and it's dated from the day I fly, which was sept 09!! of course I could have chosen to fly back to SG from now till sept 2010!!!!! that was just plain bullshit! how can you trust any deal done over the phone from now on??!! Of course I gladly took up the new expiration of sept 2010, got him to reverse on my last orders (refund my airport charges at least if they cannot put back my miles), put in a new date of aug 2010 (ideally when the famous French holidays begin). To him, it seems to go through, but will confirm with an email soon.

Can we all say "Oh là là là là!!"???