This morning, I woke up early to make copies of a few important documents at the post office (they have photocopiers at every post office), and then went to renew my TCL metro pass in Lyon (which only took 20 minutes this time around, it took me 45 minutes the last time!). Since I was done a little early, I got myself an apple pastry and waited for the Brits who were meeting me at the train station office at 11:30. Hannah, Caroline, and I bought our train tickets to Colmar... I also got Lindsey's tickets and Helen is meeting us in Colmar taking a different train. We are going the first weekend of December because it is supposed to have excellent Christmas decorations and Christmas markets.. much like in Strasbourg, which I'm also going to with my friend Amy. (In case you're interested in learning more about Colmar before my trip... although I'm sure to post something about it after I go... http://www.colmar.fr/ this website is in French, but for those non-French speakers, you can watch the photos change at the top of the site to get an idea of what it looks like... it's pretty cute I have to say... or you can go to this website that shows the Christmas markets, which is why we are going http://www.noel-colmar.com/index.php?lang=en).
After buying tickets and a quick catch up with Hannah and Caroline, I headed off to find the prefecture for renewing my carte de sejour (or some sort of visa I need to continue working here after mine expires in January). Of course when I got there I had no idea where to go. They have little signs directing you different places, and the first floor was a mad house, so I thought maybe going upstairs might be easier to find an answer for where I needed to go. Of course, they sent me back downstairs. I waited in line to speak to someone, but realized I was in a line for drivers licenses. There was a man who seemed to know what was going on talking to another guy... so I waited until they were done to ask if he could tell me where I needed to be.
Well, obviously, I was there much too late to wait in line. (I was there 3 hours before closing, mind you.) He (I'm pretty sure "he" was a guy that was told to stand at the front and direct people to where they needed to go) told me I'd need to get here first thing in the morning if I wanted to get in. They open at 9am, but have people waiting in a long line before then. I have to work tomorrow, so I asked if I could come back Friday and he said sure, but there will be beaucoup de monde ce jour (there will be a million people here). Apparently, Wednesdays and Fridays are the worst days to come... and oh great, my days off are... Wednesdays and Fridays. But, then again, I do have nothing to do on those days, so I guess spending my day in a line isn't really that big a deal, just annoying.
I got all the information I needed from the guy and he told me "Courage!" which basically means "hang in there!" Someone else listening in was like, "psh, you're American, you won't have any trouble." I really hope so... I'd really like to have to wait in this line only once...
I came home real quick because I forgot my map of Saint-Priest, which is where the Social Security office is located (well the one closest to me). This was a much more pleasant experience, for the most part. When I got to the office (right across the street from my laundromat), I got a ticket, waited for a while, was called up... told to go to the back, waited a while, was called up... and then the lady was like.... wait what? You get free benefits for being an assistant? I don't even know what I need from you. So she basically made a copy of every document I came with (my birth certificate, my contract, my medical forms, my passport, my visa, etc. etc.) She stapled it all together and said, ok I guess we'll let you know if we need anything else! And then I left... and realized I had left an original document with her instead of a copy. And of course, for my carte de sejour, I MUST have all original copies. So I waited in line some more and poked my head in after a while to say... I left the original, can we swap? The lady was like, haha, oh yes, you might want that. (Side note: this nice woman is like the 10th French person to tell me, "Ah, America is the dream for us French," after she learned that I was from les Etats-Unis.... how funny that everyone thinks the French hate Americans).
After getting back my original document, I went to the grocery store. I realized that I had been passing a huge grocery store right by my apartment for weeks now and not even noticing it. It's sort of behind a construction site, so that's why... but in any event... it was pretty nice. And I got quenelles to make for dinner, they were delicious.
Welp, I better get ready for my first day back to school after the vacation. Oddly enough, I'm still doing Halloween with 2 of my classes, numbers 1-10 with another.
Hope you're having a good week! Miss you all!
Reste cool:)
I can't speak for everyone, but I think *some Americans feel a dislike from the Parisians? then the French in general.
ReplyDeleteyes, I'll give you that one. after just 2 days in Paris, I was like- phew, I love this city, but man are the people so much nicer everywhere else in France!
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