Moving and EDIGE (june 8th)
The move goes smoothly enough, the new place is awesome with the expection of the
absence of a double bed (see pictures). Mme Valeska apolo- gises for the first studio, and is redeemed in my eyes. We're tired enough that
we pack into the single bed (hurray, no more sleeping on the floor!) and pass out. Our bedroom is in the second story, which I find is a
great relief for me; something about people being able to just walk up to my window and look in bothers me, I think.
I don't get up as early as I wanted to (EDIGE apparently only hands out cheques before 1am) but at noon I jump up and run to EDIGE. I just
barely make it there before 1am, but don't see any signs of cheques being unavailable later on. After a half-hour wait, a very smily lady
tells me about my insurance, etc, and even helps me get my cash w/out a passport (silly me, came w/out a passport, at least I can my citi-
zenship card on me). So much cash is scarrrry to walk around with, but does make me feel more comfortable: I immediately buy some food and
check out two stores right by the subway.
This area is quite different from the ones we've been walking around; "real paris" I guess - poorer, less dressy, cheaper stores (one w/
racks of rlly cheap clothes that you can't, however, neither try on nor exchange, another store sells 20-euro shoes) ... but it's still
quite big and pretty in terms of streets and buildings! There's a lil boulevard in the middle of the avenue where I eat the not-so-good
sandwich to the sounds of screaming of a lil asian boy. On the way hope, I choose a better subway route (so many lines, so many options!).
On the way I learn to operate subway car doors that have to be opened manually - I like this idea, why waste opening/closing them
needlessly.
Back home, James is just waking up, and is very happy to hear I bought toilet paper (comes in every colour of the rainbow incl. funny
patterns but I go for normal white; the pink one we had at the studio irritated me). We have a whole half a day, and I want to go shopping,
but James looks pretty worried about not getting much work done, so first we look for internet access. After a snack, J stays home to start
working on his thesis, and I go out shopping: La Samaritaine described by the Lonely Planet that I was looking fwd to so much for some
reason doesn't exist anymore; a series of store clerks/bodyguards point me to a store where I can find electrical stuff. It turns out to be
a huge store w/ "everything for the home". I get a lil radio clock (alarm + some music) and an epilator (Braun again). On the way home, I
see a series of flower and pet shops along Seine ... rabbits look so cute, it's a miracle I go home w/out one given that they only cost
30-40 euros! But hungry James is waiting, so I hurry home. After dinner I discover that the epilator is a great machine, and J discovers
that the radio-clock's manual is a comedy (see his log).
Early wake-up tomorrow (but it's fri! just three days of work this week, I dunna how ppl survive five!), so off to sleep shortly after 11pm.