Wading through the French bureaucracy
has been quite the adventure. The first day was spent hunting for
apartments. Then it was onto to visiting the school where I'll be
working. Opened a bank account. Signed a lease. Found someone to do
an official translation of my birth certificate. Bought a pass for
the bus/bike share. Tried to get a phone, but for the plan I want you
need your bank card and I'm still waiting for that. Got a library
card. Still working on paperwork for getting paid and social
security. My health care here is the bomb dot com, I am thrilled to
pieces.
I was a little nervous arriving to
visit the lycee (high school) where I'll be working this year, but
that went away quick as the secretaries and the principal were beyond
welcoming. Better still, the head English professor is American! The
school had everything completely organized even though I don't start
really until October 7th, I already had my schedule set
and a mailbox with my name on it. I have a great schedule, and once I
get fully settled in and past all of this paperwork I can hopefully
find an internship/volunteer thing while I'm here.
Going completely against my original
plan, I am living with two other American assistants. However, the
huge 3 bedroom apartment in a prime location with a killer price tag
was just more than I could turn down.
A few things I forgot about from when I
was last in France:
- All of the SDF's (sans domicile fixe – without a fixed address – homeless-ish people) with their dogs.
- Most places are closed on Sundays and Mondays.
- 3 euro bottles of wine are delicious.
- You need a bank card with a chip to do anything useful.
- Kebabs are one of the most delicious things ever.
- There's no such thing as “scoop your poop” in southern France.
As a sidenote of the assumed rudeness
of French people (mostly a northern thing I feel) I have to say I've
had more positive experiences than negative:
- My French principal gave me a personal tour and introductions to all sorts of people I really didn't need to know.
- The bus lady remembered me with a smile.
- The librarian signed me up as a student with a wink even though I said I was working.
- The agent that set us up with the apartment let us keep our luggage in his office and offered to let us use his internet and photocopier.
The worst thing so far is the
embarrassing amount of money I've spent at McDonald's so far just to
use their .. we aren't getting any at the apartment until later
next week. So hopefully I'll be able to update with some pictures
soon!
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| This is the extent of my sight-seeing thus far.. le pont! |
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