ANZAC DAY AT CAFE OZ: Lest We Forget

Karl, Maria, Nicki and Gernot get the party started early...... Ok, not Gernot... he's having a power nap in preparation.















He's back! And in fine form....



















Quick - I think Julie's about to faint she's having so much fun!














Fabian, Aurelia and Karl dancin' up a storm















Alli and Manu discuss the finer points of Hip Hop















While Dancin' Gernot and Katerina continue their collaboration.....



















Thanks for coming everyone!
xx

FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: ROYAL & SARKOZY IN GRAND FINAL

The nation has spoken. The results from yesterday's first round presidential elections show France is polarised between the left and the right in its political opinions. Sarkozy won the round with 31% while Royal came in second with 26% of the vote. Interestingly, this election had the highest participation rate ever (voting is not compulsory) of 84% indicating how important this election is to France. Bayrou came in third with 18% of votes, while Le Pen scored his worst score ever 0f 10.5%, and is considering stepping down.... I think most people are praying he does.

Royal will need Bayrou's supporters to swing her way if she has a chance to win. The other question is whether France is ready to vote in a female President. On the other hand, Sarkozy is likely to get most of Le Pens votes and probably a large majority of Bayrou's - giving him the pole position for the second (and final round).

To me it seems that France probably needs Sarkozy's tough economic outlook to pull France out of the doldrums, however most French are scared of his approach since France is a really socialist nation . Hearing Sarkozy's campaign, I am reminded of John Howard, and while I may not agree with everything, to me, he sounds like just what the French need..... although he does have some crazy ideas about other things.

We will reconvene in 2 weeks for the big one!

FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: ROUND 1

OK so the French Presidential elections are on Sunday. These elections are a particularly big deal because Chirac is retiring and its gonna be a new person from a new generation. Its basically between 4 people: Nicholas Sarkozy, Segolene Royal, Jean-Marie Le Pen and Jean-Francois Bayrou.

This weekend people vote (its like the semi-finals), and the first 2 candidates make it to the final, and in 2 weeks the country will vote again and choose a President.

Interestingly, you can only vote for 1 person. That's it. Just one name. There is no preference voting like in Australia. The way it works is kinda hilarious too.... You get sent in the mail the posters of all the 11 candidates, stating their promises etc. You also get 11 pieces of plain white paper with the candidate's name written on it. On Sunday you go (if you can be bothered - voting is not compulsory) to the voting booth and put the piece of paper with the person's name whom you are voting for into the ballot. Apparently someone then announces "Allison Marty has voted". Amy likened it to the voting in Survivor.....

Here you can see the posters and the papers of the 4 main candidates....















How old school is that!!!???!!!

People are mostly saying its between Sergelene Royal and Nicholas Sarkoky, although it is probably going to be a fairly open election. Sarkozy is a cop, and is promising to clean the poorer suburbs of "scum"...... Most French people I have spoken to are seriously scared if he gets in power - he is much more liberal than France is used to (seriously this country is very socialist)... and he has nasty immigration ideas (sounds like someone we know) which of course do appeal to many voters..... I think if he gains power there will be some serious demonstrating (in the way only the Frenchies know best).




















Sergelene is the other major contender, if she gets power she will be the first French female President. She is a member of the Parti Socialiste, and many people I know think she is the lesser of two evils. Le Pen is the really scary one, he is quite racist, however he is 78..... although in the last election finals it was him and Chirac....

So the nation waits with baited breath........

A HOT PARISIAN WEEKEND BY PHOTOS.....

FRIDAY NIGHT

At the bar(s) around Bastille with Amy and Gernot
















SATURDAY

My Street just outside my building- looking for new glasses for Nicki:





























In the Jardin Reuilly with Nicki, Ed and Tina..... man glasses shopping is hard work!















My chauffeur - Guillaume & his scooter















At Daniel & Julies house




















Daniel shows off his new projector - you can see it perfectly from the street too... Nice work!















SUNDAY

At the "incredible India" festival with Amy. Unfortunately not so incredible.... However Amy did get a new pet - Raj.




















Although this guy did manage to have 10 glasses of coloured water balancing on his head while dressed as a woman....




















Look! I can do it too!




















Picnic on the Pont des Arts with Daniel, Julie, Amy & Co....















Daniel plays the guitar for us while we sing out of tune and scare away the tourists...




















Off to the Bois de Vincennes with Guillaume, Lucie & Co..... 27 degrees!

CONCERT REVIEW: ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION

On Thursday night Gernot, Guillaume and I went and saw the Asian Dub Foundation. We were there pretty much by accident as I decided on a whim that we should go and see them, not really knowing anything about them. They are a British band, but have been most popular in France (I didn't know this at the time) so the concert was sold out.

And I have to say - they were great. Their support was a French hip-hop band whom I thought were really cool. The crowd was super-hyped (in complete contrast to the boring crowd at Lily Allen). As soon as ADF came on stage and started up their cool mix of reggae, dub, drum and bass electronica and I don't know what else, the crowd went mental. And stayed that way through the entire set. It was the most impressive crowd performance I have seen for ages, cause it wasn't just those down at the front that were dancing - everyone was moving. I think I lost about 3 kilos in sweat (gross). This was the most relaxed and excited I have ever seen the French so far - so well done ADF!

THE UNVEILING: MY NEW LOOK

SPRING IS SPRUNG

This weekend I did a number of really summer Parisian things because the weather was so perfect - 20 degrees, with clear blue skies. Spring is definitely sprung - all the trees are getting their leaves back, and everyone is going around in t-shirts. I went to the large park east of my house, Le Bois de Vincennes, and I had a picnic on the tip of Ile-de-la-Cite, the island on the Seine that Notre Damn is situated on. All these things really make me feel more like a local.

One of the coolest things I did was hang out on the Pont des Arts. This pedestrian bridge in summer is packed with Parisians eating, drinking, singing, playing music and chatting. My friend Daniel brought along his guitar and we hung out on the bridge for hours. The sun sets down the Seine and you have the most beautiful views along the river. When you are in Paris you tend to forget about the river, but it seems that as soon as the weather warms up, it becomes a focal point. I imagine that we will spend many nights in the next few months hanging out on the Pont des Arts....

LUST FOR LIFE

Mercer Human Resource Consulting has just published their 2007 Quality of Living Survey. You can find it here: http://www.mercerhr.com/referencecontent.jhtml?idContent=1128060#what

They basically list the top 50 cities which have the best quality of life, as measured in a whole bunch of ways. They also work out the most expensive cities to live in, and those with the best health and sanitation, as based on hospital services, medical supplies, infectious disease, water potability, troublesome / destructive animals /insects, waste removal and sewage and air pollution.

Zurich is ranked number 1 for quality of living. Sydney is a respectable number 9 (although has a high cost of living), and Melbourne is at 17. Paris comes in at 33 after Brisbane. In terms of quality of health and sanitation, Melbourne is ranked 43. Paris (what did you expect) didn't get a mention. Calgary in Canada was ranked the highest for quality of living in respect to sanitation and health.

The most expensive city to live in is Moscow, with Paris ranked at 15. Sydney is ranked 19th, while Melbourne doesn't make it into the top 50. Zurich, the city with the best quality of life is however, the 9th most expensive city for an expat to live in.

Although Mercer do note that "A city with a high Quality of Living index is a safe and stable one, but it may be lacking the dynamic je ne sais quoi that makes people want to live in world-renowned cities such as Paris, Tokyo, London or New York. Sometimes you need a little spice to make a city exciting. But that "spice" may also give a city a lower ranking."

DOCTOR, DOCTOR, GIVE ME A CLUE

Sorry for the lack of postings lately - I have spent the last 10 days in bed in a codeine coma because I have stuffed my back again. This means that I have also spent a lot of time at various doctors - GPs, a kine (physio), a rheumatologist and a radiologist (so far!). Going to the doctor was an interesting experience - my first doctors visit in France. Firstly, you don't make appointments. You just show up, and wait until its your turn. Also, there is no receptionist person. You just get buzzed in (GPs always have apartments - just like a house that they use) and you enter straight into the waiting room. Then somehow, everyone miraculously remembers what order they came in, so when the previous patient leaves, the next person gets up and goes into the other room, which is where the doctor is. It must be a very lonely profession, as they are holed up inside all day and only interacts with patients. And then you directly pay the doctor before you leave. It kinda makes you feel like you are doing something illicit, that is not allowed to be on public show.

The second thing about French doctors, is that they love to shower you with medication. I am taking pain killers with a lot of codeine in them (codeine's addictive) and also muscle relaxants that are from the benzodiazapiene class of drugs (also addictive). In Australia, you would be lucky to get 2 boxes of Panadeine Forte. Here, I was given a script for six boxes, and then asked if that was enough! France's health care budget is the third largest in the world, and the country has an extremely high rate of over-prescribing (they spend 1/3 of their health budget on prescriptions).

The funniest medical encounter I have had in Paris so far was with the radiologist yesterday. After waiting (yes, expect to wait a lot in France) and successfully following the French directions to get to the right room, the radiologist ushers me into a small room, garbles something in French and leaves. I didn't understand the first bit, but I did get the last part about waiting for him to come back. I figured that he was getting me a gown so I sat down to wait. A few minutes later, he opens the door and looks shocked. I had no idea why until he mimes undressing (but leaving undies on). OK, so no gown for me! So I strip down, open the door and flash the radiologist. I then have to strike various poses (only wearing my undies) while he takes all the x-rays and speaks French to me. And because I can't understand half of what he is saying, he keeps having to 'adjust' me while copping a face-full of my breasts several times! What a job....