When comparing our lives here in the south of France to our lives in San Francisco & New York, it's no surprise that there are many major differences, but sometimes it's the little differences that we notice.
Maybe it's just the town where we live (Pézenas, in the Hérault, Languedoc-Rousillon), but it's very common to hear people whistling as they walk down the street. I can't remember the last time I heard anyone in the U.S. whistle. Maybe it's just easier to hear when there isn't constant noise from traffic, & I'm sure the sound bounces off the old stone buildings, but I don't think that's the reason. I think it's just that whistling is a forgotten art in the U.S. (& likely elsewhere as well). Hearing someone whistling a tune as they go about their daily activities brings a smile to my face.
French kids seem to have a different approach to playing -- they actually interact with one another, run, kick a soccer ball, laugh, etc. American kids seem glued to their TV/computer/video games/electronic devices or are reliant on organized activities & have lost the art of pure play. It's quite common to see very young (3 or 4 years old) children riding a 2-wheel bike without training wheels. I can't imagine an American parent even thinking of allowing that. In fact, I'm sure they don't even make 2-wheel bikes that small in the States. It's pretty rare to see anyone -- adult or child -- wearing a helmet while riding a bike, & there are definitely no laws requiring them.
Speaking of youngsters, most American parents wean their tykes off the pacifiers (dummy or soother to you Brits) at a fairly young age -- not here. Seeing a child of around 5 or 6 with a Nuk in his mouth would be considered strange in the US, but not in France. I wonder what it does to the way their front teeth come in.
......and then there's the dog poo. Sigh...... I cannot fathom why people who are otherwise clean, sometimes fastidious, allow their pooches to leave little "gifts" whenever & wherever they please. Hasn't anyone heard of picking up after their dog? The worst was when I was leaving the house one day, & just as I was about to put my foot down I noticed (just in time!) that some pooch had left a gift for us, smack-dab at the bottom of our front step. Ugh!! If you're not going to clean up, please do not allow Fifi or Fido to poop right in someone's doorway. People around here probably think I'm rude or highly introverted because when I walk I generally look down hoping to spot every pile of poop before my foot finds it. A friend sent me this image & it's so true!
Vive la différence?
What little differences have you noticed?
This is a post from Holly:
Yesterday was a big day for me.....I picked up my titre de séjour. I learned so much about the process from other Americans who have gone through it -- mostly that no 2 people have the same experience -- & I wanted to share my experience here, in the hopes that it will help someone else.
A little background: I am a U.S. citizen, & my husband has dual U.S.-Irish -- hence EU -- citizenship. Before leaving the States I went to the French consulate in San Francisco to submit my long-stay visa application. A couple of steps into the process (fingerprinting, photo, payment), they reviewed my application & noticed that my husband has Irish citizenship & I was told that because of a recent change in the French laws, I did not need the visa. I was elated, but repeatedly asked the guy for confirmation. He must have thought I was crazy, but I wanted to be absolutely sure. He asked a colleague & confirmed, gave me a refund, & handed most of my paperwork back to me. In hindsight I realized I should have asked him for a letter (in French, of course) stating that I had applied, but they determined that I did not need the visa. Lesson learned: Get it in writing!
So, I happily went about the rest of my preparations for the move to France.
Upon arrival here I went to the mairie in Pézenas, registered my arrival & picked up the paperwork for the titre de séjour. They questioned my lack of visa, but when I told them what I had been told at the consulate, they shrugged & said OK. Here's where having a letter from the consulate would have come in handy.
When I submitted my titre application at the mairie (a very friendly, patient & helpful mairie by the way), she again commented on my lack of long-say visa, & again shrugged when I told her what I was told in SF. She said that it was up to the sous-préfecture, & we should wait to see what they say. By the way, someone had told me that the sous-préfecture in Béziers was tough & not helpful, but I did not find this to be the case.
Then, about a month later, I got a notice to appear at the mairie. When I showed up, I was told 2 things:
1) I needed to pay 110€ (in timbres fiscaux) for the visa, even though the consulate told me I didn't need it. Actually, they were letting me off easy here, as by this time, I had exceeded the 3-month legal stay for a non-EU citizen (though as the spouse of an Irish citizen, I'm sure I had a bit more leeway). I did not have to submit visa paperwork, just the payment.
2) I needed to get my fiscal/income/tax documents translated by an official translator. They did not need translations of birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc. I'm glad I didn't spend the money unnecessarily here. Note: I decided not to get any documents translated into French before my first submission. One thing I learned from others is that there is absolutely NO consistency in this requirement, so I decided to pay only for the translations I was told I needed.
A few days later I went back to the mairie with the newly translated documents & the payment. She reviewed everything & said that because I did not convert the dollar amounts into euros, she is not sure that the sous-préfecture would accept the paperwork, but suggested that she send it on anyway, as one never knows.
Then, 2 days ago, just 2 months after I started the process, I got the great news in the mail. My titre was ready! All I needed to do was bring 230€ in timbres fiscaux & my passport, show up at the sous-préfecture, & the card is mine. Yippee!!
I had read so many stories of struggles,uncooperative bureaucrats, etc., so I was prepared for a nightmare. In reality, everyone was helpful & patient, & it all went smoothly & took less time than I expected. I don't know whether having a spouse who has EU citizenship made it any easier, or whether I was just lucky, but I'm certainly not complaining.
Now, of course, I have to start working my way over other bureaucratic hurdles, but today I am breathing a big sigh of relief.
