Meetup is a great website. If you don’t know it, it is a site that allows you to create a group based around a particular love or passion. Want to play bridge? Or go hiking? How about practicing your English … Continue reading
My 35th.
“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.“ -Thornton Wilder I was born at 4:04am Singapore time on March 28th, 1979, nearly two weeks past my original due date. … Continue reading
Long Term Stay Visitor Visa, Part 2
Note from the editor: In light of new guidance on remote working in France as shared by the official French tax office in June 2025, we have also officially changed our stance on remote working for a US company while … Continue reading
The UGC Pass Illimité or “Netflix Live”
In an earlier post I made reference to the fact that something had finally forced me to get a French bank account, after two months of holding out. And it’s related to my being a cinephile: the movies. Many movies … Continue reading
Lifestyle Design: My Own Case Study
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
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