The Four Hour Work Week has been out for many years now and in fact, the author, Tim Ferriss, has gone on to author the Four Hour Body, Four Hour Chef, etc. Of course “four hour” is not literal. It’s … Continue reading
Author: Stephen Heiner
Getting a Bank Debit Card in France
It’s actually not that hard to get a bank account in France. What’s hard is getting your debit card. To open an account, stop in at your local bank of choice (I chose Société Générale because it was and is … Continue reading
My Worst Week in Paris
This is the “Part II” to my “finding an apartment in Paris” article, though it’s really more of an appendix. Future parts will discuss what to bring with you when moving here. They say that whether you are a native … Continue reading
Finding an Apartment in Paris, Part I: Before You Get Here
Keep in mind that there is a reason the word “bureaucracy” has a French etymology. The French love their paperwork. Efficiency is not a vice, per se, but why be efficient when you can cloak yourself in the warmth of … Continue reading
The Myth of “Fluency”
Americans abroad sometimes beat ourselves up — often on behalf of our fellow countrymen — other times because of our own perceived shortcomings. One of these is the famous lie: “Well everyone in Europe speaks at least 2-3 languages fluently.” … Continue reading
Laundry in Paris: Sorted!
Sometime back my landlady had offered to do my laundry…for a fee, of course. I’ve been doing my own laundry for many years now — but usually at my own home using my own machines. I never had any mental … Continue reading
French iTunes
My mobile phone carrier here in France is SFR. One of the incentives offered on my calling plan is CanalPlay+, which is a Netflixesque service (because Netflix n’éxiste pas en France). I got a text message a few days later … Continue reading
Homelessness in Paris
Homelessness is an issue in any big city, but it’s an absolute epidemic here in Paris. The local phrase translates into English as “sleeping rough,” and from what I can tell by conversing with fellow Parisians, it’s only been on … Continue reading
Three Big Changes (A Month In to My Life in France)
This particular move features three major changes for me: a different country, a different language, and a different environment. I’ll start with the last one first. The City I was born into one of the densest cities in the modern … Continue reading
The Paris Metro: 6 Things To Keep In Mind
In any city in which there is a well-established mass-transit system there will be an enormous group of people going about their daily lives without clogging the streets with extra vehicles. This makes sense for our planet, for their pocketbooks, … Continue reading