Exceptionnel Sunday, 8 April, 2007
Posted by paperdoll in people, places, poo poo, prance, pretty.trackback
Finalement, I have in my hands my carte de séjour.
The road to finally holding this residency permit in my hands has been a long and trying one. Of course, it also had to end with a are-you-kidding-me-give-it-to-me-already morning.
I give you the morning of 4 avril:
A) Take 7am bus to commissariat at edge of town. Registered. Told by policement that they do not sell the special 55-euro stamp (le timbre OMI). We have to go to the trésor publique to buy one. Fine.
B) ZY and I brave the very strong very cold winds to go to this trésor publique. About 20 minutes later, we arrive and this is, wait for it, the sign on the gate:
Fermerture Exceptionnel
4 avril (mercredi)
Murphy’s Law, darlings… Murphy’s Law. Itàs the system here in France, I hear.
C)Take bus, drop off at biggest post office near the town hall. Stamp is to post office what bread is to bakery, non? Non. Useful info attained nonetheless: tabacs sell them. Thus, with renewed hope,
D) Walk to train station, where there are 2 tabacs. Yes! They do sell them! But oh they have both run out. Ok breathe.
E) Take train to next town, Juvisy. Walk to trésor publique there and purchase the damned stamp.
F) Take train back to Savigny-sur-Orge. Catch bus to commissariat, have been passed over and so need to wait for everyone else to be done before seeing the one woman in the one-woman office and receiving with tired elation) yes it is possible to be elated in a tired manner) my carte at noon. Weeee!/pffft.
*
I am in Rome now, my carte de séjour safely in my bag. Rome has been overwhelming so far in its splendour. So far, I have been notably to the Vatican Museums, the Borghese Gallery, the Colosseum and the Palatino. I nearly cried in the Sistine Chapel looking up at the ceiling, but all the stories on Rome and the subsequent places I am going to will come properly later(:
I am on the timer now in an internet place run by Indians. All the internet places in Italy I have been to are run by Indians… it is a little odd but then not really.
The emails that have come my way, you may have to wait a little bit before a reply comes your way, but thank you for them(: Love mail.
yay! i’m so glad you went to Rome! it’s a positively stunning city. and yes, i know what you mean by the indians. they run the laundry shops too!
haha
Awww… I hope you’re having a splendid time in Rome!
bun- Yeah I remember you raving about Rome. Hey did you receive my reply in Chinese to your email in Chinese?
zaki- Thanks hon! I hear you guys are done with the exams. What are the plans now for the long vaca?
Yes we are! Squueeeee!
Erm, I’m doing one summer term. And I’m trying to find work but I feel very lazy. And catching up on movies that I didn’t catch during term time. And hanging out with friends I guess… Hee…
scream i miss europe. and my this-year’s-europe-plans fell through. BAH. nevermind. next timeeee.
Zaki- Yay you are done with the exams! And with the first year! Hurrah! And why are you doing a summer term, you hardworking person? (And I think I just answered my own question.)
w.- Love Europe. Aww they fell through? Yes there’ll be a next time!