After a couple days of hiatus, I have lots of pent-up ideas to share about life in France - some very random, and others related to the progress on our apartment. Let's start with the randoms, shall we? There are so many downright strange things about daily life in France that I'm sure that given long enough, I could probably write an entire book on the subject. Here's an assortment from my last 48 hours.
1. Rollerblades. They're popular here. I have probably seen 30 people on rollerblades since this weekend, which is more than I saw in 5 years in Portland! The funniest part about it is that some of these rollerbladers have been in the supermarket. Not shoppers, but employees: at first I thought it was a fluke, but then I visited a different grocery store chain in a different mall and saw the same thing. The front-end staff (the ones coordinating the check-out lines) wear rollerblades to they can zip back and forth, re-stocking baskets, making change, talking on their walkie talkies, etc. It's awesome! I'm sure the smaller grocery stores don't require rollerbladers at the entrance, but at the larger grocery stores it seems to be a trend. I shall research this further (because my current n=2) and get back to you!
2. Grocery stores in general. Where should I start? First, the meat department. Meat here confuses me. I don't recognize most of the cuts, which is hard enough - but the type of meat is what's most surprising. In addition to beef, veal, lamb, pork, chicken, and the typical american standards, there are large sections devoted to rabbit, duck, and horse. No thanks on the horse - but I guess it's convenient to be able to get duck or rabbit without placing a special order. Second, when you check out, the cashiers give you these tiny "stamps" (for those of you who remember the Subway club card, remember the little stamps you got?). I asked what they were good for, and the cashier told me they were good for "scissors or knives". I'm not exactly sure how these stamps help you obtain scissors or knives, since the amount they give you appears to be random, and there's no card to stick them on. I guess I'll find out eventually. Last but not least, the "prepared salads" refrigerated case. It's huge. And filled with really odd food combinations: tabbouleh with raisins and "oriental chicken"; carrots with celery, ham, egg, and mayo; tuna with mashed potatoes (yes, really). I was starving yesterday and grabbed what seemed to be fairly normal (pasta salad), but when I got home and took a closer look, I found pasta with mayo and surimi - the fake "krab" used in some sushi. HUGE, thumb-sized pieces of surimi. Fishy pasta salad - no thanks.
3. The morning weather report. The news channel that plays during breakfast at the hotel delivers the weather report to a soundtrack. Yesterday's selection was Rick Astley's "Never gonna give you up" (circa 1987).
4. Elevator floors: this isn't so much weird as genius. The USA should adopt this policy as well, instead of labeling floors as Lobby or Mezzanine. The ground floor is "0". Floors going up are labled with positive integers (1, 2, 3). Floors going down (basement) are labeled with negative integers (-1, -2, -3). So simple!
5. Coed Bathrooms. My workplace is HUGE - not a mom and pop type of operation. Hundreds of employees work there... and the bathrooms are coed. I don't mind, really - but when you've grown up in a world where public bathrooms are never ever ever ever open to members of the opposite sex, it's startling to open the door to your stall and see a dude washing his hands. Granted, the individual stalls have doors and walls that extend floor-to-ceiling (nice touch), but it's still a coed bathroom.
6. Doctor's visits. As part of my employment, I have to go to the company doctor for regular checkups. I had my first visit today, which included both a physical exam and height, weight, etc. For my weight, the doctor instructed me to step behind a partition, strip down to my underwear, and step on the scale. He was very clear that my weight was very private - I could just call the number out to him and I could even lie if I wanted to. I assumed he told me to just call out the number because I had stripped down to my underwear - but no. He then asked me to hop up onto the exam table to do my physical exam - still in my underwear (no robe). Take-home message? Your weight is very, very private - but your selection of undergarments is not. Oh, and before I can set foot in the company gym, even after an exam and complete medical and family history, I need to have an EKG done. You can never be too careful, I suppose. Good thing I carry a copy of my EKG in my purse (thanks, previous job!).
That's enough random French-ness for one day. On to the apartment!
Our dossier was accepted by the owner, so we can now sign papers for our 660 square foot apartment! It's actually awesome - small, but with 2 sunny bedrooms, a basement storage room/wine cellar (yes, really), and a garage for bikes and strollers. Walking, it's 10 minutes from the train, and 15 minutes from the grocery store. It has no kitchen appliances, but it has excellent tiled walls (pink and brown) in the bathroom and kitchen, respectively. We take possession on December 15, but since I'll be out of town for a work meeting that week we'll move in the next weekend. It will likely still be 4 weeks before any of our stuff arrives, so we'll be spending Christmas on our air mattresses. I guess it's a good excuse to spend Christmas wandering around Paris.
It's been really fun writing this blog - at first I thought that posting regularly would become a chore, but the reality is that I really enjoy writing these dispatches from France. Hope you all are enjoying reading them as much as I'm enjoying writing them!
Cheers,
E
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
First day at work - done!
Today was my first day at work. Despite being exhausted (I haven't managed a decent night's sleep since arriving in France), the day went remarkably well. The only reason I feel compelled to post, however, is to tell you about our (company sponsored) lunch: caprese salad with prosciutto and watercress, chicken kebabs with pasta and smoked salmon mousse, mini molten chocolate cakes... and wine. Yup. At lunch. I could get used to this...
Sunday, November 27, 2011
From Bures to the Marché de Noël
At breakfast this morning I learned about the Christmas markets that are set up all over Paris during this time of year. The largest of the bunch is on the Champs Elysées - 170 temporary vendor chalets are set up along both sides of the boulevard, along with carousels, a small ice skating rink, kids' roller coasters, and a "museum" boasting 200 animated exotic animals. Needless to say I skipped the last attraction, but I did decide to head into the city to check out the market.
While L is most definitely the photographer in the family, I did bring along our small point-and-shoot camera to give all of you a sense of where I'm living now (Bures), along with a few photos from the market. Below is my temporary apartment (top floor, right side). It's incredibly well set up, with a few luxuries (electric towel-warming rack!) that I know we won't have in our apartment.
From here, it's a 10 minute walk through the woods into the village of Bures, where I catch the RER-B line into Paris.
From the Bures station, it's about 30 minutes to the center of Paris. There is an extensive metro network through the city, but from many of the city center stations it's just as easy to walk. And since walking builds up an appetite, I decided to stop along the street and get a snack: another sandwich! I know that at some point these amazing little bundles of meat and bread will lose their appeal - but until then, I remain amazed at how inexpensive and delicious they are. And they're everywhere! Today's selection came with butter and not mayonnaise, but no matter: it was still delectable. The scenery at lunch wasn't bad, either.
On to the market: today was gray and cloudy, and I have a feeling that the place feels a lot more magical after dark when all of the Christmas lights are lit, but nonetheless it was nice to walk around, people-watch, and check out the food and wares for sale at the various booths.
When L and the little one arrive, it will be fun to head back up here with them and take a carousel ride, maybe try out the skating rink, or ride the ferris wheel. I'm sure that the market will continue to get more and more crowded as Christmas approaches, but since we will not have any of our stuff by Christmas (it will still be in a container arriving via the Atlantic), it might be nice to see so much holiday kitsch.
Tomorrow also marks my first real day of work (finally!), which is both exciting and bittersweet. We waited a long time before my work permit and our visas were finalized, and it was incredible to have so many unhurried days with the little one. However, we can't both be stay at home moms, and I am looking forward to starting a challenging job with an incredible team. I figure that with only 660 square feet or so to maintain, we can't possibly spend our weekends cleaning the house, which means we should have plenty of time to explore our new city...
- E
While L is most definitely the photographer in the family, I did bring along our small point-and-shoot camera to give all of you a sense of where I'm living now (Bures), along with a few photos from the market. Below is my temporary apartment (top floor, right side). It's incredibly well set up, with a few luxuries (electric towel-warming rack!) that I know we won't have in our apartment.
 |
| Résidhome Bures sur Yvette |
From here, it's a 10 minute walk through the woods into the village of Bures, where I catch the RER-B line into Paris.
 |
| Chemin de la Fontaine Saint Matthieu |
 |
| RER-B station, Bures-sur-Yvette |
From the Bures station, it's about 30 minutes to the center of Paris. There is an extensive metro network through the city, but from many of the city center stations it's just as easy to walk. And since walking builds up an appetite, I decided to stop along the street and get a snack: another sandwich! I know that at some point these amazing little bundles of meat and bread will lose their appeal - but until then, I remain amazed at how inexpensive and delicious they are. And they're everywhere! Today's selection came with butter and not mayonnaise, but no matter: it was still delectable. The scenery at lunch wasn't bad, either.
 |
| Sandwich! Nom nom nom... |
On to the market: today was gray and cloudy, and I have a feeling that the place feels a lot more magical after dark when all of the Christmas lights are lit, but nonetheless it was nice to walk around, people-watch, and check out the food and wares for sale at the various booths.
 |
| Eiffel Tower shaped lollipops |
There were typical street-fair foods (cotton candy, candy apples, crepes, waffles, candy) and typical street-fair stuff to buy (scarves, jewelry, cheap toys, anything and everything with "Paris" written on it). Lots of french fries and hot dogs, but also onion soup, tartiflette (a potato, bacon, and cheese casserole), roasted chestnuts, and even raw oyster bars set up among the booths (don't worry, Mom, I steered clear of the raw oysters). My favorite booths held incredible wheels of cheese, cured meats and sausages, and other salty delights - although at this point I was still full from my sandwich and chose only to partake of the free samples. I did, however, give in and try the vin chaud (hot wine). Spiced with cinnamon and orange slices, it was absolutely delicious!
 |
| Raw oysters with fresh lemon served at the open-air market |
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| More meat and cheese! Nom nom nom! |
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| My vin chaud. Yep, the tree has been sprayed with fake snow for dramatic effect. |
When L and the little one arrive, it will be fun to head back up here with them and take a carousel ride, maybe try out the skating rink, or ride the ferris wheel. I'm sure that the market will continue to get more and more crowded as Christmas approaches, but since we will not have any of our stuff by Christmas (it will still be in a container arriving via the Atlantic), it might be nice to see so much holiday kitsch.
Tomorrow also marks my first real day of work (finally!), which is both exciting and bittersweet. We waited a long time before my work permit and our visas were finalized, and it was incredible to have so many unhurried days with the little one. However, we can't both be stay at home moms, and I am looking forward to starting a challenging job with an incredible team. I figure that with only 660 square feet or so to maintain, we can't possibly spend our weekends cleaning the house, which means we should have plenty of time to explore our new city...
- E
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Temporary Wheels!
Yesterday was eventful: visited some apartments, set up a bank account, and picked up my rental car, which my company has so graciously provided for 4 weeks as we get settled. The car is a Renault Twingo, manual transmission, and tiny and zippy enough to race through the narrow streets that lead to my temporary apartment in Bures-sur-Yvette. Driving here feels much more like a sport than a leisure activity: sharp turns, roundabouts, narrow streets and single-lane bridges abound. Fortunately, my boss had enough foresight to also provide me with a GPS unit; without it, I truly would not be able to find my way out of Bures.
First things first: apartment hunting! I've been told that the rental market is tight right now, and that's no joke. Out of 6 appointments booked on Tuesday, 3 apartments were rented by Thursday, which left 3 more to see. Another one was rented Friday morning, when I had a Friday afternoon appointment. Thus, I only got to visit 2 of the original 6 apartments. I may be able to visit two more on Monday evening, but at last check on the realtor's website, they aren't listed, so I'm not quite sure if they are still available. The good news, though, is that we may have found a place. The first apartment I visited on Friday was a surprisingly nice find. It's small by American standards (660 square feet), but seems about average for 3-room units in this area, which range from ~500 to ~750 square feet. Sunny windows, wood floors, and floor-to-ceiling kitschy pink tile in the bathroom. The real bonus, though, is that it comes with both a cave (basement storage room) and a box extérieur (garage). Holy storage, batman! And no lugging a stroller or bikes up and down the stairs!
The way apartment rentals work here is that if you like a place, you submit a dossier to the listing realtor. Your dossier includes bank and employment information, as in France there are strict limits on how much you can spend on rent (most places use 33% of your take-home income; some will allow 38%). Our dossier has both some strong points (I work for a well-known and respected large company), and some weak points (I am new to France, no rental history, and am a new hire). We should hear back by Monday whether we were accepted as renters. There were several other dossiers submitted by other interested parties, so I honestly don't know what our chances are. We'll just have to wait and see.
Whether we end up with this apartment or some other one, there is one inconvenience: the vast majority of apartments here come with unequipped kitchens. No fridge, no stove, no other appliances, and, in this case, no countertops. There is a nice double sink and lots of cabinets for storage, but that's it. On one hand, this means that we have a little freedom to organize the small kitchen in a way that suits us. However, the prospect of immediately having to purchase major appliances is also a little daunting.
Now, on to the car. Having wheels means that I can run some errands, which is a great relief because there are no grocery stores in Bures. There is a fantastic bakery (more on this later), a butcher, and a fruit stand, but when your grocery list also includes an iron, hangers, and deodorant, there's just nowhere to go. France has their own version of Fred Meyer (for Pacific NW peeps; Super Target for the rest of you) - a superstore (or hypermarché) called Cora. It's completely overwhelming, even for an American. Cora has everything - major appliances and small appliances, TV and electronics, housewares, auto parts, a home improvement section, a massive clothing store, jewelry, a lingerie section that might make Hugh Hefner blush, a full grocery store, a travel agency, and many other departments that I missed altogether. They have a huge selection of wine, fresh fruit and vegetables, and even a fishmonger. Their fish section (which sits right in the middle of the store) consists of massive ice-covered tables with fillets, steaks, and whole fish on display. In the middle of the table, a massive shark head and shark tail were artistically displayed so that the head appeared to be breaking through the ice, about to leap dolphin-style through the air. The shark also had a lemon in its mouth. In the middle of the superstore. Right across from the pineapples.
Clearly, it's easy to get totally overwhelmed in a place like this, so I spent a good 30 minutes wandering around and getting my bearings. I'm glad I took my time watching the other shoppers, too, or I may have missed out on an important difference between US and and French grocery stores. Here, after you bag your fresh produce, you must get each bag weighed and affixed with a price label before heading to the checkout. Fortunately, I caught on to this before loading my purchases onto the conveyor belt.
Groceries successfully purchased! I headed back to the apartment and then walked into Bures (10 minutes through the woods) and went into the local bakery. The baguettes looked enticing, but I was pretty hungry and ordered a ham sandwich (€3,70) instead. Freshly made, it was heavenly in its simplicity: a fresh baguette, sliced open, with 2 thin slices of ham, a little lettuce and tomato, and the BEST homemade mayonnaise I have ever tasted. Creamy, and thick, with a little Dijon to brighten the flavor, I swooned over this stuff. I plan on being a regular customer for as long as I stay in this temporary apartment, for sure.
I also got to Skype with L and the little one last night. At first, the little guy wasn't quite sure what to think of mommy being in the computer screen, but after a few minutes we exchanged waves, high fives, and fist-pounds. So much fun. I can't wait for them to be here in a week and a half! Between now and then, though, there's lots to do: work starts on Monday, and the apartment rental is far from finalized. Here's hoping to a productive week.
- E
First things first: apartment hunting! I've been told that the rental market is tight right now, and that's no joke. Out of 6 appointments booked on Tuesday, 3 apartments were rented by Thursday, which left 3 more to see. Another one was rented Friday morning, when I had a Friday afternoon appointment. Thus, I only got to visit 2 of the original 6 apartments. I may be able to visit two more on Monday evening, but at last check on the realtor's website, they aren't listed, so I'm not quite sure if they are still available. The good news, though, is that we may have found a place. The first apartment I visited on Friday was a surprisingly nice find. It's small by American standards (660 square feet), but seems about average for 3-room units in this area, which range from ~500 to ~750 square feet. Sunny windows, wood floors, and floor-to-ceiling kitschy pink tile in the bathroom. The real bonus, though, is that it comes with both a cave (basement storage room) and a box extérieur (garage). Holy storage, batman! And no lugging a stroller or bikes up and down the stairs!
The way apartment rentals work here is that if you like a place, you submit a dossier to the listing realtor. Your dossier includes bank and employment information, as in France there are strict limits on how much you can spend on rent (most places use 33% of your take-home income; some will allow 38%). Our dossier has both some strong points (I work for a well-known and respected large company), and some weak points (I am new to France, no rental history, and am a new hire). We should hear back by Monday whether we were accepted as renters. There were several other dossiers submitted by other interested parties, so I honestly don't know what our chances are. We'll just have to wait and see.
Whether we end up with this apartment or some other one, there is one inconvenience: the vast majority of apartments here come with unequipped kitchens. No fridge, no stove, no other appliances, and, in this case, no countertops. There is a nice double sink and lots of cabinets for storage, but that's it. On one hand, this means that we have a little freedom to organize the small kitchen in a way that suits us. However, the prospect of immediately having to purchase major appliances is also a little daunting.
Now, on to the car. Having wheels means that I can run some errands, which is a great relief because there are no grocery stores in Bures. There is a fantastic bakery (more on this later), a butcher, and a fruit stand, but when your grocery list also includes an iron, hangers, and deodorant, there's just nowhere to go. France has their own version of Fred Meyer (for Pacific NW peeps; Super Target for the rest of you) - a superstore (or hypermarché) called Cora. It's completely overwhelming, even for an American. Cora has everything - major appliances and small appliances, TV and electronics, housewares, auto parts, a home improvement section, a massive clothing store, jewelry, a lingerie section that might make Hugh Hefner blush, a full grocery store, a travel agency, and many other departments that I missed altogether. They have a huge selection of wine, fresh fruit and vegetables, and even a fishmonger. Their fish section (which sits right in the middle of the store) consists of massive ice-covered tables with fillets, steaks, and whole fish on display. In the middle of the table, a massive shark head and shark tail were artistically displayed so that the head appeared to be breaking through the ice, about to leap dolphin-style through the air. The shark also had a lemon in its mouth. In the middle of the superstore. Right across from the pineapples.
Clearly, it's easy to get totally overwhelmed in a place like this, so I spent a good 30 minutes wandering around and getting my bearings. I'm glad I took my time watching the other shoppers, too, or I may have missed out on an important difference between US and and French grocery stores. Here, after you bag your fresh produce, you must get each bag weighed and affixed with a price label before heading to the checkout. Fortunately, I caught on to this before loading my purchases onto the conveyor belt.
Groceries successfully purchased! I headed back to the apartment and then walked into Bures (10 minutes through the woods) and went into the local bakery. The baguettes looked enticing, but I was pretty hungry and ordered a ham sandwich (€3,70) instead. Freshly made, it was heavenly in its simplicity: a fresh baguette, sliced open, with 2 thin slices of ham, a little lettuce and tomato, and the BEST homemade mayonnaise I have ever tasted. Creamy, and thick, with a little Dijon to brighten the flavor, I swooned over this stuff. I plan on being a regular customer for as long as I stay in this temporary apartment, for sure.
I also got to Skype with L and the little one last night. At first, the little guy wasn't quite sure what to think of mommy being in the computer screen, but after a few minutes we exchanged waves, high fives, and fist-pounds. So much fun. I can't wait for them to be here in a week and a half! Between now and then, though, there's lots to do: work starts on Monday, and the apartment rental is far from finalized. Here's hoping to a productive week.
- E
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving!
24 hours and ~140 pounds of luggage later, I'm sitting in my hotel in Bures-sur-Yvette waiting for my Thanksgiving feast (Chinese takeout) to be delivered. While I am not able to celebrate with L and the little one, who are still in Portland, I certainly have a lot to be grateful for over the past 24 hours:
- Our friends A & C who volunteered (really, insisted) to take me to the airport at 4:00am so that the little one could keep sleeping
- Easy, on-time flights from Portland to Vancouver to Montreal
- Family supper (with my parents, brother, and sister in law) at the airport in Montreal: ribs, beer, and chicken wings!
- Excellent flight from Montreal to Paris. My seatmates were nonexistent, so I had an entire row to myself to stretch out, lie down, and even nap a little.
Travel up to this point was easy-peasy. From the airport in Paris, I took the train (RER-B) south to the town where my hotel was located. I had used google maps before leaving to map out a walking route from the train station to my hotel: google said it should take me ~10 minutes. Even with luggage to haul, that seemed manageable. Unfortunately, the walking path was rocky, pitted, and half-paved... not great for dragging suitcases! I somehow managed to veer off course and my 10 minute walk turned into a 45 minute sweatfest, at the end of which I found myself on the corner of a street I didn't recognize, with no phone service, no map, and no one around. This brings me to another thing I am thankful for: the kindness of strangers. A guy stopped to ask me if I needed help with my bags, helped me find my hotel, and dragged my suitcases all the way to the hotel's lobby. Turns out he's an assistant professor at the local university, spent some time doing a postdoc in the USA, and is married to an english-speaker. I am so grateful to him for making today a little easier!
On the docket for tomorrow: open a bank account, visit 3 apartments, and hopefully pick up the keys to my rental car. Meanwhile, I will enjoy my Chinese take-out feast, watch the French news, unpack my suitcases and try to fall asleep at a reasonable hour.
- E
- Our friends A & C who volunteered (really, insisted) to take me to the airport at 4:00am so that the little one could keep sleeping
- Easy, on-time flights from Portland to Vancouver to Montreal
- Family supper (with my parents, brother, and sister in law) at the airport in Montreal: ribs, beer, and chicken wings!
- Excellent flight from Montreal to Paris. My seatmates were nonexistent, so I had an entire row to myself to stretch out, lie down, and even nap a little.
Travel up to this point was easy-peasy. From the airport in Paris, I took the train (RER-B) south to the town where my hotel was located. I had used google maps before leaving to map out a walking route from the train station to my hotel: google said it should take me ~10 minutes. Even with luggage to haul, that seemed manageable. Unfortunately, the walking path was rocky, pitted, and half-paved... not great for dragging suitcases! I somehow managed to veer off course and my 10 minute walk turned into a 45 minute sweatfest, at the end of which I found myself on the corner of a street I didn't recognize, with no phone service, no map, and no one around. This brings me to another thing I am thankful for: the kindness of strangers. A guy stopped to ask me if I needed help with my bags, helped me find my hotel, and dragged my suitcases all the way to the hotel's lobby. Turns out he's an assistant professor at the local university, spent some time doing a postdoc in the USA, and is married to an english-speaker. I am so grateful to him for making today a little easier!
On the docket for tomorrow: open a bank account, visit 3 apartments, and hopefully pick up the keys to my rental car. Meanwhile, I will enjoy my Chinese take-out feast, watch the French news, unpack my suitcases and try to fall asleep at a reasonable hour.
- E
Friday, November 18, 2011
AZERTY?
Zell; hello folks:
Oh, wait, that doesn't look right. Let's try this again: well, hello folks. I am test-driving my new French keyboard. I got sick and tired of copying/pasting the various accents and other alphabetical accoutrements required in French, and found a great deal wireless French keyboard online... super, right? Well, sort of. While I can now type accents with ease, the French thought it would be a great idea to switch only a handful of strategically-placed letters. Goodbye, QWERTY; hello, AZERTY! Other fun facts about the French keyboard: you have to hit "shift" every time you want to type a period. Really. Efficient? Not so much. I feel like I need an eighth grade typing class refresher.
In other news... we're moving right along on wrapping up loose ends on American soil. We sold our RAV-4 today (woohoo!) just 4 days after posting the ad. Our renters have been settled in our old house for almost 3 weeks now. The dog and kitty now have their international health certificates, stamped by the USDA and ready for export. We're posting our last few craigslist items, getting documents notarized for the little one to fly solo with L, and are trying to see as many friends as possible between now and Tuesday. After being in "wait and see" mode since August, it's surreal to be approaching our leave date so quickly. We were in the Alberta Arts district of Portland today (near where our home is located) and it's bizarre to think that in mere days, nothing will seem familiar.
Once I depart from PDX early next Wednesday morning, I will still have some familiar faces to see on my way to France. I have a decently long layover in Montreal on Wednesday afternoon, and will have a chance to celebrate and have dinner with my parents, my brother and his fiancée (see? the accent feature comes in handy!). Even better? My flight path goes through Canada so I may even avoid most of the Thanksgiving holiday traffic. Now if I can just get upgraded to business class...
- E
Oh, wait, that doesn't look right. Let's try this again: well, hello folks. I am test-driving my new French keyboard. I got sick and tired of copying/pasting the various accents and other alphabetical accoutrements required in French, and found a great deal wireless French keyboard online... super, right? Well, sort of. While I can now type accents with ease, the French thought it would be a great idea to switch only a handful of strategically-placed letters. Goodbye, QWERTY; hello, AZERTY! Other fun facts about the French keyboard: you have to hit "shift" every time you want to type a period. Really. Efficient? Not so much. I feel like I need an eighth grade typing class refresher.
In other news... we're moving right along on wrapping up loose ends on American soil. We sold our RAV-4 today (woohoo!) just 4 days after posting the ad. Our renters have been settled in our old house for almost 3 weeks now. The dog and kitty now have their international health certificates, stamped by the USDA and ready for export. We're posting our last few craigslist items, getting documents notarized for the little one to fly solo with L, and are trying to see as many friends as possible between now and Tuesday. After being in "wait and see" mode since August, it's surreal to be approaching our leave date so quickly. We were in the Alberta Arts district of Portland today (near where our home is located) and it's bizarre to think that in mere days, nothing will seem familiar.
Once I depart from PDX early next Wednesday morning, I will still have some familiar faces to see on my way to France. I have a decently long layover in Montreal on Wednesday afternoon, and will have a chance to celebrate and have dinner with my parents, my brother and his fiancée (see? the accent feature comes in handy!). Even better? My flight path goes through Canada so I may even avoid most of the Thanksgiving holiday traffic. Now if I can just get upgraded to business class...
- E
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Same-sex marriage in France?
L found this blog post online yesterday and while it's several months old at this point (from June of this year), I thought it was worth sharing. About a decade ago, one of my professors at Duke predicted that transgender folks would end up being the ones who win us all the right to marry. This story is just one more piece of evidence to support that prediction. Stéphanie Nicot and her partner Elise were legally married by the town's mayor because according to official records, Stéphanie was born as Stéphane. While she had undergone sex reassignment surgery, she was still listed as male in the official government registry.
http://digitaljournal.com/blog/11896
http://www.20minutes.fr/societe/736211-stephanie-elise-dit-oui
Kudos to the happy couple for using the country's laws to their advantage. While France, as of this writing, still does not allow same-sex couples to marry, they do allow a form of civil union called a pacte civil de solidarité, or PACS. As we learn more about the rights and responsibilities I will post a longer update about what a PACS means for our everyday life and beyond.
- E
http://digitaljournal.com/blog/11896
http://www.20minutes.fr/societe/736211-stephanie-elise-dit-oui
Kudos to the happy couple for using the country's laws to their advantage. While France, as of this writing, still does not allow same-sex couples to marry, they do allow a form of civil union called a pacte civil de solidarité, or PACS. As we learn more about the rights and responsibilities I will post a longer update about what a PACS means for our everyday life and beyond.
- E
Monday, November 14, 2011
Visas!
Ladies and gentlemen... We have lift-off!
I am still amazed at how quick the turn-around was between submitting our documents in SF and having our visas in hand. L drove to the post office this morning to pick up our Express Mail envelopes. One more HUGE step completed. Next on the list: fancy pet paperwork! The dog and cat have vet appointments on Wednesday to fill out their international health certificates. We then need to drive to our closest USDA office (fortunately only an hour away in Salem) to have their paperwork certified. I dare say we are nearing the end of the paperwork on this side of the ocean.
My departure count-down now sits at 9 days. L and the little one will follow with the animals in 23 days, with the help of a friend who is part pet-whisperer, part baby magician, and all around awesome. Time to start looking up apartments!
-E
I am still amazed at how quick the turn-around was between submitting our documents in SF and having our visas in hand. L drove to the post office this morning to pick up our Express Mail envelopes. One more HUGE step completed. Next on the list: fancy pet paperwork! The dog and cat have vet appointments on Wednesday to fill out their international health certificates. We then need to drive to our closest USDA office (fortunately only an hour away in Salem) to have their paperwork certified. I dare say we are nearing the end of the paperwork on this side of the ocean.
My departure count-down now sits at 9 days. L and the little one will follow with the animals in 23 days, with the help of a friend who is part pet-whisperer, part baby magician, and all around awesome. Time to start looking up apartments!
-E
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Express Mail Fail
Yesterday (Saturday) we came home from running errands to find a "sorry we missed you" slip from the Postal Service, who tried to deliver BOTH of our packages. This means that visa decisions are in for all three of us. Considering our appointment was Tuesday, and Friday there was no mail, that is incredibly quick turn-around...
The bummer is that now we have to wait until the Post Office opens on Monday. Rawr. I am hoping it's good news since the decision was so quick. L is worried that we just got rejected quickly. I guess we will find out tomorrow... until then, send good vibes this way please!
- E
The bummer is that now we have to wait until the Post Office opens on Monday. Rawr. I am hoping it's good news since the decision was so quick. L is worried that we just got rejected quickly. I guess we will find out tomorrow... until then, send good vibes this way please!
- E
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Thursday, November 10, 2011
Fun with visas!
After 3 months of false starts and missed deadlines (which is a whole other post), we finally had our visa appointment at the closest consulate (San Francisco) this week. With some exceptions for small children, anyone applying for a visa to France must apply in person, so L, the little one and I took a (much needed!) 48 hour mini-vacation. We rode the cable car, visited Fisherman's Wharf, ate our way through North Beach, and enjoyed surprisingly sunny and warm-ish temperatures. Of course, the real reason for our trip was to bring all of our paperwork to the French Consulate. Given Europe's reputation for being relatively progressive on gay and lesbian issues, we were surprised to find out that France does not recognize same-sex marriage. They do have a form of civil union (called a PACS) open to French residents, but for immigration purposes, same sex couples are left with few options. To clarify, I will be in France on a work visa. For most heterosexual couples and their kids, this means (almost) automatic approval for the spouse and children (as accompanying family members). For us, on the other hand, my wife and son essentially had to apply on their own (as "Long term visitors"). As you can imagine, the difference in paperwork is substantial:
Married, heterosexual couple with kids - paperwork requested:*
- Passports
- Application forms and processing fees
- Marriage certificate
- Birth certificates for the kids
Married, lesbian couple with kids - what we provided:
- Passports
- Application forms and processing fees
- Marriage certificate (Canada)
- Registered domestic partnership certificate (State of Oregon)
- Birth certificate for the little one (note: because of Oregon's registered domestic partnership rights, both of our names were automatically put on his birth certificate at the time of his birth. If this hadn't been the case, we would have also needed a notarized letter from the donor giving permission for him to move overseas)
- Notarized letter written by L stating that she promises not to seek employment while in France
- Notarized letter written by me guaranteeing that I will provide financial support for L and the little one(s) while in France
- Copies of bank statements
- Copies of retirement account statements
- Proof of health insurance while abroad
- Proof of a residence while abroad - lease or deed (which, of course, we don't have yet, but we did provide a letter from the housing agency that I will work with upon my arrival)
- Letters from our local police department stating that neither of us have criminal records (while this wasn't listed as a required document for the SF consulate, it was a requirement for other French consulates in the USA)
As crazy as this all sounds, this is just the beginning of the bureaucracy that one must navigate in order to become a legal resident of France. Once we arrive in France, I'm told, it gets even more fun: pour yourself a nice glass of wine and check out this incredible blog, written by two gay American expats who have also made a home for themselves in Paris.
What's the most frustrating is that after all of this documentation, L and the little one's visas are still not guaranteed. As the visa officer put it, all of the proof of our relationship above does not equal a marriage certificate (even though we got married in Canada, it's not recognized by the French government as legitimate). All of this means that even though we already have our plane tickets (yup, another requirement - your confirmed itinerary must be included at the time of application), we still don't have approved visas in-hand. We'll be checking the mail religiously for the next two weeks, every day hoping to see the Express Mail envelopes that will contain our passports and, ideally, our visas.
- E
*Common Sense Disclaimer: Immigration is a tricky subject. This is in no way meant to represent official requirements to obtain a visitor's visa - rather, this reflects our experience with a single consulate.
Married, heterosexual couple with kids - paperwork requested:*
- Passports
- Application forms and processing fees
- Marriage certificate
- Birth certificates for the kids
Married, lesbian couple with kids - what we provided:
- Passports
- Application forms and processing fees
- Marriage certificate (Canada)
- Registered domestic partnership certificate (State of Oregon)
- Birth certificate for the little one (note: because of Oregon's registered domestic partnership rights, both of our names were automatically put on his birth certificate at the time of his birth. If this hadn't been the case, we would have also needed a notarized letter from the donor giving permission for him to move overseas)
- Notarized letter written by L stating that she promises not to seek employment while in France
- Notarized letter written by me guaranteeing that I will provide financial support for L and the little one(s) while in France
- Copies of bank statements
- Copies of retirement account statements
- Proof of health insurance while abroad
- Proof of a residence while abroad - lease or deed (which, of course, we don't have yet, but we did provide a letter from the housing agency that I will work with upon my arrival)
- Letters from our local police department stating that neither of us have criminal records (while this wasn't listed as a required document for the SF consulate, it was a requirement for other French consulates in the USA)
As crazy as this all sounds, this is just the beginning of the bureaucracy that one must navigate in order to become a legal resident of France. Once we arrive in France, I'm told, it gets even more fun: pour yourself a nice glass of wine and check out this incredible blog, written by two gay American expats who have also made a home for themselves in Paris.
What's the most frustrating is that after all of this documentation, L and the little one's visas are still not guaranteed. As the visa officer put it, all of the proof of our relationship above does not equal a marriage certificate (even though we got married in Canada, it's not recognized by the French government as legitimate). All of this means that even though we already have our plane tickets (yup, another requirement - your confirmed itinerary must be included at the time of application), we still don't have approved visas in-hand. We'll be checking the mail religiously for the next two weeks, every day hoping to see the Express Mail envelopes that will contain our passports and, ideally, our visas.
- E
*Common Sense Disclaimer: Immigration is a tricky subject. This is in no way meant to represent official requirements to obtain a visitor's visa - rather, this reflects our experience with a single consulate.
Welcome to Crazytown - moving a family overseas
Hi there, family, friends, and anyone else who have managed to find us online!
This is a first attempt at a blog by either myself or my wife, so bear with us as we work out the kinks. We're E and L, two lesbian moms currently in Portland, OR, in the process of moving our family to the suburbs of Paris. In our fact-finding leading up to the move, we noticed two groups barely present in the blogosphere - lesbian moms in France, and lesbian expats in general. I'm hoping that by posting here, we will be able to connect with other lesbian expat families and provide some helpful insights to others interested in making a similar move.
As of today, the countdown is 13 days until my flight leaves for Paris. L and our toddler son will follow two weeks later with the dog and cat, ideally arriving after I've found us an apartment. However, all of this is contingent on one (small) detail: our visas. Story of our life for the past 3 months. Interested? Read on!
- E
This is a first attempt at a blog by either myself or my wife, so bear with us as we work out the kinks. We're E and L, two lesbian moms currently in Portland, OR, in the process of moving our family to the suburbs of Paris. In our fact-finding leading up to the move, we noticed two groups barely present in the blogosphere - lesbian moms in France, and lesbian expats in general. I'm hoping that by posting here, we will be able to connect with other lesbian expat families and provide some helpful insights to others interested in making a similar move.
As of today, the countdown is 13 days until my flight leaves for Paris. L and our toddler son will follow two weeks later with the dog and cat, ideally arriving after I've found us an apartment. However, all of this is contingent on one (small) detail: our visas. Story of our life for the past 3 months. Interested? Read on!
- E
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