A moving tip

I rely very heavily on the internet for my job, so it was hors de question for me to go without for any time period. Because of this, I was considering flat-out opening up a new line with my operator (SFR) to avoid the standard 2-3 week internet outage during the transfer.

I was just about to do it when I noticed that SFR has a new option for people moving house. You can now keep your current account open, and at the same time, start the process of opening an account at the new place. They recommend giving a minimum of 2 weeks notice (though more is better).

This meant that I was able to keep the internet on at my place until it was up and running and the new one, without any outages. I was so glad I'd done it that way too, because it took France Telecom a week to send a technician out and then SFR another week to transfer our account, so I really would have been out a minimum of 2 weeks. But instead, my internet was cut off the very same day it was turned on at the new place. Nickel.

I'm not sure if France Telecom does this too, but a quick search online shows that Free & Bouygues also offer a similar service, so it's something to keep in mind if you'll be moving in the near future!

Okay, things are getting even weirder....not only did my brother get a job at my bank, but now he is moving into my old apartment complex. He's never even been there, nor did I mention it to him - he just randomly ended up applying for a studio there and was accepted. How's that for bizarre?

In other exciting news, I finally have internet!! And I didn't even realize it - I wasn't expecting it to be hooked up for another ten days at the earliest, so I hadn't even bothered hooking the equipment up. I can't believe it - France Telecom hooked up my phone line in less than 24hrs and my internet was turned on in just a few days. Has hell frozen over without me realizing it? I also found an English girl down the street who was selling her TV, so once I get that hooked up to the internet, I will have a multitude of channels to watch too. Living sans TV hasn't been as bad as I thought it would, but it'll be nice to have it back, if only for some background noise since I don't have a radio yet either.

Also, if you haven't checked it out yet, head on over to CNN and take a look at their "Eye on France" series. They don't reveal anything earth-shattering about France, but they do cover most of the major recent news items here (including Tecktonik, though I wouldn't really call that news, LOL).