Pouvoir d'achat

This is no doubt a popular topic in France lately. We have been promised by our leader that policies will be implemented in order to give us back in terms of improved purchasing power. The French people have been, for a long time, silent about the issue…. high taxes, expensive retirement packages and a stagnant economy. It's strange for me to witness this as I have known them as people who are outspoken. I understood later that money is a taboo subject. People are not "hard up" about concepts such as value-for-money, savings, economy, etc. Money matters are handled discreetly and nonchalantly. It is grave to be seen or being presumed to be a miser even though you may not be one. It becomes a pitfall for many who, unconsciously, are losing out what could have been saved or economised.

My point is, don't count on the government to improve your purchasing power. There are many little actions that you can take everyday in order to make the best out of your hard-earned money. Here are some things we can do without looking like an avare.

• Buy products under house label/brand. They are cheaper and give you loyalty points which are convertible into cash vouchers.
• Do your major shopping twice a year – at the summer and winter sales
• Buy imperishable products in bulk – it's cheaper in terms of cost per unit
• Buy perishable products in amounts according to immediate consumption – to avoid wastage
• Buy whole chicken and whole rabbit – it's cheaper to buy an entire animal. Chop it up and freeze the rest
• If perishable products can be frozen, buy them in bulk and freeze the rest
• Don't buy CD and DVD just after release. If you wait for a little while, Virgin and FNAC stores slash the price from 12,99€ to 6,99€
• Get loyalty cards – registration is free of charge. Most cards give permanent discounts on non-sale purchases.
• Choose a credit card that gives you additional perks – discounts, invitation to private sales, mileage, telephone bill reduction, etc.
• Buy your own principal residence. Since you are paying a significant amount as rent, why not pay the money to own it. It's yours at the end of the day and the best part is there is an END of payment!

Exotic food in France

I find it quite surprising to have found some tetra-pak Ribena drinks under the exotic section in Carrefour. I discovered only recently that my husband (and perhaps 99% of the French people) didn’t even know about this famous drink in England and in most (or probably all) of the Commonwealth countries. I have always known this drink, since young. Everyone in Malaysia and Singapore knows what it is. Children love it. The drink is made of blackcurrant juice. It is tasty, full of vitamins and refreshing.

Actually, the funniest part is that it is classified as “exotic”, and under the same section, I found myself even more surprised and tickled! I found baked beans! Just like Ribena, baked beans became part of the life of Malaysians and Singaporeans and they use baked beans frequently in their local home-cooked meals. For information, baked beans are available in the “Chinese mixed rice” stalls hawker centres.

France must have been, at one moment, been rather enclosed. Foodstuff from across the Channel is rather unknown here. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that the English cuisine does not appeal at all to the French (and to most of us), hence the French people ignored the options all together. But it’s a real pity to have not known Ribena......

MUSEE DU QUAY BRANLY

We like to go to the museum from time to time and we are very lucky to live near Paris, as it offers plenty of choices.
Lately, we went to one of the biggest museums, recently-opened in Paris, Musée du Quai Branly, located near the Eiffel Tower, by the river Seine.
The museum was inaugurated 2 years ago, and it’s dedicated to the ancient civilization.

The first interesting thing with this museum is its architecture.
When you first arrived, you will notice a cultivated wall (where plants literally grew from the wall) at the corner of the building.
You will then enter into a rather savage garden (where the access is free-of-charge) to find some bench to rest and a café with a terrace, and by crossing here you will reach the museum entrance.

It also offers a gastronomic restaurant, “les ombres”, on the top floor, with an open-air area and a great view over the river and the tower. We took the opportunity to spend a day at the museum to have a good lunch there. The place is nice, the service is friendly, the food is quite original and the price is reasonable if you choose the set menu.

The museum has a very important and interesting permanent collection, classified by Continent. The visit is like a world tour. You start normally by Oceania, continued by Asia, from South-East to Middle-East, then arriving in Africa, from North to South, and finishing by the Americas, from South to North.
You have also access to the temporary exhibitions. When we were there, we had a chance to check out these exhibitions: “Batak of Sumatra”, “Ivories in Africa” and “Elena Izcue”, a Peruvian artist.

We spent the entire day at the museum and, even though we were quite tired by the time we get home, we were very pleased as it was interesting and diversified.
It’s a very nice place and we strongly recommend it.

Foire de Paris

It's something that the Parisians do it, either every year or not at all. After my first encounter yesterday, I understand why. This yearly exposition is very popular actually because of the variety. It caters for almost everybody, from the young to the old and to any culture. At the "foire", you"ll find furnitures, multimedias, ethnic food, rare jewelleries, jacuzzi pool, etc. The most interesting part I find is the World Culture section, where you can find things that you don't normally get in France. For example, Indian saris, pre-Colombian jewelleries, traditional Chinese furnitures, spices from the far east, Afrikan masks and many more.

I also understand why some Parisians have never been to the exposition. The CROWD! You need to queue to get the tickets to go in and the car parks are usually full by the late morning. It's always crowded during the weekends and public holidays.

Big City Life

One of our favourite channels these days is the Voyage channel. We stumbled upon a programme called "Big City Life" yesterday and we found it very interesting. I think it is a weekly programme on the channel and each episode presents the life of 3 habitants of a city. Yesterday's episode was on the life in Stockholm. An interesting part, I found is that, at the end of the presentation by each "citadine", he/she is asked by the producer to recommend an address (of a restaurant, bar, shop, etc) to be discovered in the neighbourhood in which he/she lives in.

I find that question interesting and I started thinking on applying that question in the cities that I have lived in.

I know some places of charm and rather undiscovered.

In Singapore:

• Axis Lounge at The Oriental Hotel - where you get a great view of the Esplanade, Fullerton Hotel and the Central Business District, quiet, lounge music



• Azhang Restaurant at Mohammad Sultan Road - where you'll be warmly welcomed by the restaurant owners



• Chez La Mamie (it used to be at Ann Siang Hill but they have moved) - where you can get authentic French food

In Kuala Lumpur:

• Citron Café - its premise is a converted colonial bungalow, with an enormous private garden. food is good and original. quiet place but you'll be surprised to find yourself in the heart of the city. view of the twin towers from the terrace.



• The Curve - where it makes shopping with husband and children a manageable thing to do. spacious, mid-range brands for you, comfy cafés for husbands and a pet supermarketfor the children.



• Sky Bar at the Traders' Hotel - fantastic view of the twin towers at night

In Paris:

• Too many to list.... to start with, most of the cafés, shops and roads that I find most charming are in the 6th and 7th arrondissement.

Vlaminck Exposition

We went to the Musée du Luxembourg a couple of weeks ago to see the Vlaminck exposition. It is still running and will end in July. For those who enjoy the works of Cézanne and Van Gogh, I would recommend you to see Vlaminck's paintings as well. The style is essentially expressionist.

The exposition features the artist's masterpieces from 1900 to 1915 (a relatively short period). You will see that his early paintings are very colourful and projects a strong sense of "fauvisme".

Fauvism is the first of the major avant-garde movements in the European 20th century art; it is characterised by paintings that used intensely vivid, non-naturalistic and exuberant colours. The description fits perfectly with Vlaminck's paintings.

RESTAURANT - MONTPELLIER AND AREA

During our Easter week-end, we discovered some nice restaurant in Montpellier and around that we want to share with you.
As it’s more helpful for our friends in France, I will write the review in French (anyway, Meng Sun said that this kind of review is my job on this blog!).

MONTPELLIER

- L’acolyte: 1, rue des trésoriers de France - 04 67 66 03 43
Ce petit restaurant de charme, à deux pas de la Place de la Comédie, présente une carte originale, à base de produits frais, pour un prix raisonnable. Bonne carte des vins, que l’on peut commander au verre. Ambiance romantique, particulièrement dans la salle du haut. Accueil très chaleureux. Une très bonne adresse (ma préférée !). http://www.acolyte-restaurant.com/

- Roule ma poule : 20, Rue Candolle – 04 67 60 36 15
Petit resto sympa, un peu à l’écart sur une jolie petite place avec terrasse. Clientèle jeune et étudiante, carte intéressante, vins au verre, service sympathique. Un bon moment.

- Le vieux four : 59, Rue de l'Aiguillerie - 08 26 10 10 86
Ouvert uniquement le soir, un petit resto de caractère, l’un des plus vieux de Montpellier,
à la déco originale, très fréquenté. Il est donc conseillé de réserver, surtout le week-end. La carte est variée et assez originale la aussi. Les vins peuvent se commander au verre la aussi. Un endroit très agréable. http://www.levieuxfour.fr/

- Le Thé des Muses : 14 rue collège - 04 67 63 10 22‎
Petit salon de thé bien agréable pour reprendre ses forces autour d’une bonne pâtisserie maison, d’inspiration autrichienne, suisse ou allemande et d’un des nombreux thés disponibles. Les décors sont délicieusement « kitsch » et le patron très amical.


NIMES

- Dolce Italia : 1, Rue Corneille - 04 66 21 03 03
Restau italien assez « trendy » sur une petite place proche de la Maison Carrée. Carte assez large et inventive, décor sympa, un lieu agréable pour déjeuner.