Friday, October 29, 2010

L’organization et la bureaucratie



My lovely message therapist, Robin, predicted that once I actually got to France life would slow down a bit, and hopefully my shoulders would loosen up on their own. So far the shoulders are still tight. It is not that things are stressful here, but I think my body is in need of routine. Our goal everyday has been to get at least one big thing done or make one big decision. So far we have accomplished this, but as our minds are working in overdrive thinking of what needs to be next on the list, we find ourselves exhausted by the end of the day.
Firstly as most of you know, I need organization. We are currently staying at an apartment/residence that was found for us by our long time friend, the ever resourceful Amanda. She was able to find a place for us to stay in while hunting for an apartment that not only fit the budget, but had a kitchenette, which is a must pour moi. It is great to see how she has grown her own business and how far her expertise extends. I would encourage any of you who are planning a trip to check out http://www.vividtravel.ca/.
The apartment we are currently in is like living in an Ikea display. Everything has clear clean lines and the space is used efficiently. It has allowed me to somewhat organize the chaos of our suitcases which involved stuffing socks, underwear and t-shirts into any crevice that was left over so that we could fit all of our stuff into three suitcases. I don`t think I mentioned that before, but we did manage to move across the ocean with only three suitcases! (And of course our treasured velos.) As much as I am thoroughly enjoying the location of our currently lodgings and the helpful concierge, I really would like to settle into somewhere soon so that I don`t have to ask Keith where he put the key for the hundredth time. In the mean time we continue to enjoy some great walks and excellent views. For all those who plan on visiting this is what you have to look forward to!


  
Some of our major victories on the road to getting organized and settling down here have included opening a bank account, almost buying mobiles, and meeting the lab en français. On Saturday morning, Keith`s colleague, Franck invited us over for coffee with the plan of later taking us to the bank. Franck was a fantastic host and spoke to us in French for almost forty minutes before switching to English. Amazingly I understood almost all that was being said, although I find my inability to contribute to conversation a bit frustrating. Keith is doing splendidly, and once again I will chastise my parents for not putting me in French immersion and remind all of you parents with little ones out there that language skills acquired at an early age stay with people throughout their lives. Feeling quite jubilant about my ability to understand what was happening, we drove off to the bank and the feeling of confidence began to slide. I would like to consider myself fairly financially literate, but I know that it takes me a bit more time to process the ins and outs of taxes, interest rates and account fees. When I make financial decisions in English I am constantly processing and reprocessing the options with a lot of “self talk” (go literacy skills). In French, although I understood some of the conversation, I did not necessarily have the time to process. In fact, I was usually still translating the numbers when the conversation moved on to something else. Then Keith and I were asked whether our marriage a bien-être or covenance.  I guess the former means you share everything and the latter is more like if a pre-nuptial agreement were signed. Stranger and stranger. Thank goodness Franck was there. Setting up the account took about an hour and a half without Franck, I’m sure it would have taken more like three hours.
Our appointment at the bank has continued to affirm one stereotype and contradicted another about the French. Firstly, everyone we have met and interacted with has been overly helpful and genuinely friendly. The stereotype that the French are snobs seems completely untrue. Everyone we have encountered so far has put up with our limited French and been most understanding when we slip in a couple of English words that we cannot translate. The stereotype that has been confirmed is that the paperwork and bureaucracy are never ending. We spent half of yesterday morning attempting to set up a contract for our mobiles. Again the agent was overly helpful, but she had to continually check with her boss as we pulled out document after document to attempt to show her that we were going to be permanent residence in France for the next two years. After finally going back to the apartment to get further documentation, we succeeded only to find out that the computer system will not accept our Canadian credit or debit cards. Instead we have to wait for our French bank cards before we can get the mobiles. I’m sure there must be an easier way, but for the moment we have decided simply to wait and choose our battles.
We knew that the bureaucracy was bad when we were dealing with our visa applications, but now that we are inside the system it is something truly atrocious. I feel like I have stepped inside a large mechanized clock, but can only see a couple of the cogs. Are there other cogs? Do they actually connect up? Is there really a reason why I have to write my married and maiden names four times on the same document? The morning at the mobile store was only a prelude to the afternoon`s endless stream of documents. We went for a tour of the lab and were hoping to get Keith`s contract signed. We did get a very thorough orientation of the industrial buildings which will be Keith`s second home for the next two or three years. Everything is made of cement, and although it is painted bright solid colours, the pipes and wiring running over your head in the corridors give it a most utilitarian feel. We were also introduced to two different secretaries, whose desks were both littered with papers and forms. Both spent time pulling up and printing off documents that needed to be read, signed or would have to be finished by someone else before Keith could sign them. He has to get four security cards: two of these are for buildings, one is for the cantine, and the other (you will never guess) is for the coffee machine! The latter two cards allow the university to provide food and coffee at prices proportional to your pay. This is a great idea, but when you need to go to two different secretaries with four or more forms and pieces of paper to get it, my support for the idea wanes. It is too bad I didn`t take a picture of the desks they really were priceless, but then I’m sure I’d be breaking some confidentiality code that Keith signed his life away to protect. They seem to be pretty big on the confidentiality and secrecy here.
            Currently we are madly on the hunt for an apartment, but had time to meet Keith`s “team” or lab-mates for drinks last night. Everyone seems lively and interesting, although by the end of the night my comprehension got worse and worse as I grew more tired. Hopefully this will be the beginning of many other nights with friends.

1 comment:

  1. Hi You Two!!
    Happy Birthday Carolyn!!! I will send you a VERY late birthday card once I have an address to send it to…and then you can celebrate your birthday all over again! This is a pretty big birthday but I suppose it has taken a backseat to moving to France. When we are there in April we will do something spectacular – perhaps in Cassis(?) or somewhere else equally exotic!

    It sounds like you two are starting to feel at home in Marseilles. And it seems like the city is where you are going to be living. You will be able to enjoy everything Marseilles has to offer (and it sounds like there’s much to see and do there) AND see other exotic places in really short trips out of town. The Perfect Life!!!!
    The blog is great and the photos are wonderful – makes me feel like I’m there…sort of…
    Talk to you Sunday!!! Love you!!!

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