Housing
Back from months of travels, having to pour a bucket down the toilet in lieu of a flushing system, not having to risk death by electrocution to shower, not having to avoid tap water as a protection measure against cholera seemed like extreme luxury to me. Well, well, well. I had not yet taken possession of my living quarters for the months to come. The electrical system is extremely interesting. Lamps are connected via apparent wires that need to be plugged into a wall socket. One of them just exploded in my hands the other day and wasted a fuse.

I did spend a few days in Fontainebleau to look for houses but by the time I was back home, all my prime choices were gone. Since I was going to travel, I did not want to wait for renewed choice options and thought that for a few months, it would be ok to rent through the Internet. My flatmates agreed. After all, they had selected me from the Internet already!

A note in passing: INSEAD offers NetVestibule, a restricted website for accepted students to exchange information, where strange posts such as the following one make their appearance:

"Housemate Search Warrant
Indian Fakir and French Baguette looking for exciting housemates to complete menage-a-four or menage-a-cinq INSEAD plans. Equal opportunity affirmative action requires us to look for a he and a she, preferably neither Sari nor Saucisson."


My 2-cent advice to prospective students: if you get an old house, make sure that it is properly maintained.