paris tips

hmm so there's a few things i noticed when in paris that conventional FAQ sites din mention (i should know cos i read up b4 i went). some points to take note of:

1. somehow the french dun like to use english (even if they know it), so to prevent wasting too much time asking abt stuff, just practice a few common phrases in french b4 gg over (toilet, food, hotel, etc) and even so, it is best to just point to a written french phrase on a notebook of yours (bring one)

2. even ordering mcdonald's a chore, and they dun have menus on the counter nor numbers u can use (a la auntie style) to order ur fave extra value meals so either u do the notebook thing again or u utilise a laser pointer to 'red dot' the item u want on the menu near the ceiling (no ur fat finger doesn't work as well; u might as well be pointing at a dozen items)

3. the subway system's odd in that the doors dun open automatically when the train stops at the station. u either press a green button or lift a handle to make a door at ur specific carriage open. presumably to save on the heating ba. but most SGians would likely overshoot their station on their 1st attempt at the subway due to this oversight. heh. yeah nearly fell victim to it too. 

4. pickpockets! there's like umpteen notices at tourist attractions highlighting the fact, and one would do well to take precautions. better safe than sorry. i put both my HP and wallet in my front jeans pockets and my hands were perpetually stuck in my pants (nope no hanky panky) to ensure no one got the better of me. 

5. and yeah. the temperature. on the 1st day it was a nice 12deg. towards the end it was gg past the zero point scale. and i think it was one of the few times i had to utilise a beanie and a shawl cos i was practically freezing. and i thought switzerland was bad. hmm but it's mostly due to the wind ba. always felt 0deg w/o wind was roughly equivalent to10deg with wind.  

6. the food. numerical value's similar to that of SG. which means everything costs twice as much. and no, the portion's not like that of the US. infact i think it may even be slightly smaller. make-a-sandwich's an economical option if one does not have access to a stove to make pizza or pasta. 

hmm will add to this list as the memories come back. too long le. tsk to procrastination.