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Practical Guides


To the new filipino comers and newly installed filipinos in Paris, finding the "taste of home" can be very hard and gruelling task to do. So before you submerge yourself into the unavoidable emotion of homesickness and depression, I provide here the most practical information on where to find things and how.

Pinoy Balita, keep updated
MAD Pinoy! is a Filipino news-journal published in Paris. It features articles on what's going on in the Filipino Community in France, Embassy Corner, Philippine news, balitang OFW, employment, tagalog literature, and more. You can get a copy at 3 rue Mesnil 75016 Paris, M° Victor Hugo, or you can conveniently have it through delivery.
Visit the site here.

If you have access to the internet and interested to watch Philippine shows, you can enjoy this via ABS-CBN by paying affordable fees. There are also many online Philippine News. In fact, I believe all major Philippine newspapers have their own websites.

Calling Philippines without the Enormous Bill
Phone card! Phone card! Phone card! is the ultimate solution to get rid of your phonebill headache!
You can find a whole range of cheap phonecards virtually everywhere. Depending on the shop, you can pay up to 15 euros to call Philippines for an hour or an hour and thirty minutes.
Or you can buy it in Marché Manille located at 3 rue Mesnil, 75016 Paris, Metro Victor Hugo.
RJET International, a newly filipino-owned Telecommunication services is also selling phonecards at a competitive price. The office is situated at 21 rue Chaudron 75010 Paris, Metro Louis Blanc or Stalingrad.

Warning!!!
Another thing, it happens once in a while that your card does not have a PIN Code when you scratch the back of it. And many shops don't refund nor they exchange it for another one. What I usually do to be sure, is scratch the back of the card in front of them, so that if there are any problems, at least I can complain right away.

Free Texting
If you have a pc at home with internet connection, you are lucky. You are even luckier if your families in the Philippines or anywhere in the globe have their own internet access, then you don't need to worry much about contacting them.

My family has limited access to the internet but since practically every member of the household has her/his own cellular phone, I text them from my pc to their celfons through Chikka. Register in Chikka's website to send texts to your friends and families in the Philippines, US and other places from you PC to their cellular phones.
Check out chikka's site for more information.

I've been using chikka for more than four years now and it's a absolutely practical and efficient. When I was staying in HongKong for a few days, I headed to an internet cafe, located in Kowloon Road. I was lucky because the person minding the shop was a Filipina, and there was already chikka installed in their pc. I didn't bother using my email to send message to my family. Instead I used chikka and right away my family replied. It works like magic. Thanks to the chikka family...

Buying Philippine and other Asian Goods
Marché Manille, located at 3 rue Mesnil, 75016 Paris specializes in Philippine products. And there's another Filipino store located on the same street. I still have tp inquire about the store's name.

Obviously, Chinatown is also where you can find the food and groceries you are looking for! Rice, kangkong, pechay, bagoong, bulad (that is if your french companion can stand the stench when you cook them) are available. They have huge range of asian goods you can add to your filipino taste. Tang Frères is the biggest asian commercial shop where you can almost find what you are looking for. Haven't brought with you your rice cooker, then head to this place! Alors, bon appetit ;-)

Sending Money to Philippines
The filipino banks in Paris have closed down. There are filipino individuals who are doing money-transfer business but I don't have firsthand experience using them so I can't make any further comment on that. However, french banks, laposte and western union are just a few who can transfer your money safely, with a cost of course!

Sending Package / Door to Door Delivery
MANZEN is a Filipino-owned company that specializes in door to door delivery. It has been serving the Filipino community in France for eight years. For inquiries call: Michael : 06 12 34 16 48 or George : 06 12 58 69 41.
(Note: Phone numbers may have changed, but I'm not sure).

English Library and English Bookstore
The American Library in Paris is located at 10, rue du General-Camou 75007 Paris. You can reach it by Metro: Ecole Militaire and Alma-Marceau.

:: Bookstores::
> Brentano's is located at 37 av. de Opéra 75002, M° Pyramides.

> WH Smith can be found at 248 Rue de Rivoli 75001, M° Concorde or Tuileries.

> Australian Bookshop is situated at 33 Quai des Grands Augustins 75006, M° Saint Michel.

> Village Voice is located at 6 rue Princesse 75006, M° Mabillon.

> The British Council is situated at 9-11 rue de Constantine 75007.

> Librairie Eyrolles is located at 61 Bd Saint Germain - 75005 Paris. They specialize in Computer books.

 

Last update: 17 May 2005
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