Now, after being here over a year you would think I have been official… but no. It’s complicated. And now it’s a saga for me to share.
Jan 9, 2009- Plane landed (phew), Passport stamped. Welcome to France! Whoo hoo!
March 2009- French consulate: “I’m sorry, you need to go to Los Angeles to pick up your Visa. We can’t send it to you, like we said we could before. So please board a 16 hour flight and come stand in line for 5 minutes to receive your visa.”
April 2009- Please stand in line for 2 hours to hand in your paperwork.
July 2009- Please stand in line for 2 hours to receive your recipice. (Recipice is an in-between document until you receive your official Carte Sejour (residency card.) )
October 2009- Please stand in line for 2 hours to extend the expiration date of your recipice.
January 4 2010- Whoo hooo you have received the request for your medical exam. Please go to medical exam and then wait for your Carte Sejour (residency card).
Jan 23,2010 9:00 a.m.- Recipice about to expire AGAIN. Wait in line for two hours AGAIN to extend the expiration date.
But to my surprise they are going to give me my Carte Sejour!!! Doing the happy dance at the ease this is going to be. Should have waited because...now all they need is 300 Euros (450 dollars). Problem. I don’t have 300 euros or an ATM card because this is also the week my wallet went MIA.
Here’s the conversation:
Me: Okay so if I come back with 300 Euros you will give me my Carte Sejour.
Man: Yes of course.
Me: You promise?
Man: Yes strange girl- why wouldn’t I give it to you.
Me: You Promise? Cause I know you might change your mind.
Man: No no no, all you need is the 300 Euros.
Me: Okay, I’ll be back.
Jan 29, 2010 2:00 p.m. (a few hours later- but the key is, there is a different person!) Stand in line for 2 hours for second time in this day.
Me: I am back. I am here to turn in my 300 Euros to get my Carte Sejour.
Woman (new person!): I am sorry you need to go to the medical exam.
Me: I have already gone to the medical exam. You have the paper with the date stamp in your hand.
Woman: No…. we need a different piece of paper.
Me: But the man PROMISED me earlier today he would give it to me if I had my 300 euros. I just want my Carte Sejour.
Woman: I am sorry. Not my fault. Here is your extended reciepce.
Me: Merci…
Feb 17 2010-
Walk in- strangely there is no two hour line. In fact there is no one. Very odd. Walk down a strange hall and find all the people. Woman at the counter directs me to walk a bit further down the hallway where someone can assist me.
Wait to get a window. Smile brightly. I know it’s going to work this time. Cross my fingers, smile brightly, I give the man all my papers, the right medical form, the 300 Euros of stamps- the carte Sejour is going to be mine. I just know it.
Man- you need 300 Euros
Me: You have the 300 Euros in your hand.
Man: Baa no.
Me: Baaa yes, look.
After 5 minutes he uses his calculator and realizes that yes ,there is 300 euros of stamps in front of him. But then tells me I am at the wrong counter. I need to go back to the front. Apparently the front office is closed today. And the next day. And then I am out of the country for a week. So… time to leave once again- without my residency card.
Today! March 1, 2010- a day to mark in history.
Arrive early and break all the rules (okay just the one about not taking pictures). I Make it through the stampede line. Wait in the sitting room where it’s stuffed full of people waiting for their turn at the windows. My number gets skipped.( Obviously). So I walked to the counter and showed the woman my ticket and ensured I would get some attention. I again smile brightly, give her the 300 euros of stamps, the right medical form, and pray she will not care that I have traveled over the last year. Let alone last week.
One of the rules with having a recipice and not a Carte Sejour is you are not supposed to travel. Having traveled just last week- my still fresh stamps might make it a bit obvious. However… To my lovely French administration…. I respect that you don’t want people to travel while waiting for their residency cards. But I have waited “Officially” for 11 months. On my beautiful Carte Sejour it says my date of entry was April 4, 2009. Today is March 1, 2010! I am not on parole running from the law. (though the picture on my Carte Sejour looks like I am). So please, if you make such rules, please make it practical to follow. But thank you for not noticing today how much I have exhaustively traveled while waiting for my residency card. Cause I really do like France, and am really glad I can stay.
So hip hip hooray! Today I can officially stay!
Until August when it expires and I get to begin the process all over again!
3 comments:
where's that wonderful smile? it's missing in your picture.
maybe you should just skip that process, come home, and be my roommate!!
LOL - your picture is so funny - and the story is great - love you - mom
Looks like the DMV waiting room!
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