Random Questions and Answers.

OK so, I think from now on, I am gonna take a more freeform approach to this blog thing. I have been receiving some random questions here and there, so here are the answers to most of them.

Time.
Paris is 6 hours ahead of you guys in Eastern Standard time. So just take whatever time it is there and add 6. For those of you on the West Coast, add 9.

Les Toilets.
No, Biff, the toilets flush the same direction. You are thinking of the Southern Hemisphere weirdo. And the toilet paper is just fine. Better than alot of places in the States.

Work.
I work with 4 other people (3 guys and one girl). One of the guys is the creative director. His name is Patrick. The main producer is Jacques. There is another designer who seems to be doing alot of the print design work currently. And then there is one more girl who works hand in hand with Jacques. Her name is Hermine.

So far I have been working on Noel (Christmas) Designs for the Station called TF1. It is the largest TV station in France. They are also broadcast through much of Europe from what I understand.

The computer that I work on is mostly in French which is interesting. I can get around most of it though because I memorized where everything is. But the keyboard layout is also different. Here is a pic:





Drinking Age.
In France, the drinking age is only 16. And it is not common for anyone to ask for an ID unless the child is way too young. The other night at the concert, I saw someone who looked like they were about 14 drinking a pint and chatting with his mates. Very strange to see but apparently, it is very common.

Money.
Currently, the Euro has an exchange rate of about .69 to the dollar. This means that for every dollar you trade, you will receive .69 euros. For instance, when I arrived, the first thing I did after Customs was to exchange some money. I changed in $380 and received back about 264 Euros. Here is what they look like:



The cool thing is that you can use your ATM cards here in any ATM. My bank (Bank of America) even has a partner here with the biggest bank in France so that I don't get charged any fees. Also, you can use your credit cards everywhere. I haven't even been to a place that doesn't accept credit cards or debit cards. Tres facile (very easy)...

Electricity.
So, they have a different kind of outlet here as well as a different Wattage (Thanks to Keffer for clarifying this for me) Not to much to tell you about this but here is a pic of what the outlets look like:





Speaking French.
I took my first lesson for French last night. I enjoyed it very much. I will be taking about 10 hours a week (2 hours a night). Hopefully this will get me up the speed very quickly.

After last night's lesson, I am able to count from 0 - 100. I can hold a very basic conversation saying who I am, where I am from, say my birthday and explain that I am single. LoL...

Addresses.
Will you all please send me your addresses? I have some post cards and things that I want to send out asap. I would greatly appreciate it. My email is crabbey1@email.com

Cheers!