More documents to gather

I thought that I had all my documents (in triplicate or even more!), but it turns out that I was mistaken.  Given what I've heard about the bureacucracy involved in getting a visa, this isn't too surprising.  So far, I know that I need a different form of identity photo than the ones I brought (though it looks like it might be available at Monoprix, which is kind of like a French version of Target) and official (judicial) French translations of my marriage license and birth certificates. More running around and more money -- and that's only what I already know I need!  Once I get to the prefecture, they may tell me I need something else...

    Saw this jam on the shelf in the supermarket today, next to fig and sour cherry.  There's been some recent discussion of the book French Kids Eat Everything (for example, the Huffington Post has an article about it), and the irony of seeing this right after reading that discussion wasn't lost on me.
    In fact, I'm not even sure it was ironic.  A nation that can offer rhubarb, fig, and sour cherry jam on its supermarket shelves is certainly a nation that has different culinary expectations for its children than the United States.  An American "Good Mother" would not be serving her children rhubarb jam!

In Lyon...with a phone?

I was congratulating myself on avoiding the Olympic mess...until I realized that my flight (and thus, my luggage) goes through Heathrow on one of the busiest baggage days of the year (think horses, boats, surfboards, etc.). 

Fortunately, my luggage arrived just fine, as did I.  After a bit of unpacking and a short nap, I walked up the hill to make some necessary purchases, such as a mobile phone.

I went to the SFR store and debated my options, but decided on just buying a prepaid phone and paying as I go.

This seems pretty uncomplicated, right?

Somehow, it tooke from 5 pm until 6:30 pm... and it's still not working.  The salesperson first rang up the wrong SIM card, then spent an hour trying to make it work so that she wouldn't have to cancel the order.  Finally, she cancelled the order, but because I was assigned one number at first and then another number with the second SIM card, there is a glitch that may take some time to process.  She recommended that I give it two hours.

I won't be surprised to be back at the store tomorrow, but on the positive side, I got a lot of language practice in that hour and a half.

No need to change my airplane ticket

The kids and I went up to the French Consulate on Tuesday, and it was a remarkably easy process.  I don't have the kids' passports yet, as they want a copy of my husband's passport and a notarized statement that he is okay with my taking the kids to France for five months.  Other than that, it all went smoothly, and I have my passport -- with visa inside! -- in hand.  Should be no problem making my July 16 flight.  (They didn't even bat an eye.  Clearly this is not all that unusual.)

Convention d'acceuil!

I have spent the past six weeks worrying about the fact that my "convention d'acceuil" (necessary for the visa, which is necessary for a vist over three months) has been stalled.  I filled out all the forms at ENS-Lyon when I was there in April and it was to go to the prefecture right away, then get sent to me.  Weeks passed with no word.  I assumed that it was stuck at the prefecture.  In fact, it seems to have been on some random desk at ENS-Lyon.

My contacts emailed it to me the day that they received it (July 4), and I have made my appointment with the French Consulate in Chicago for July 10 (the next available set of 5 appointments, as I need one for each of us).  Now I just have to hope that everything goes through okay so that I can make my July 16 flight.  (I think that might be a long shot, but I'm not changing it yet!)

So now it's just a question of filling out all the forms and getting copies of everything!  By nexgt Tuesday afternoon, I should know where I stand.

Getting Ready

There are days when I feel like all that I am accomplishing is getting together the documents necessary to spend the summer and fall in France.  Today, I realized that I need a copy of my birth certificate.  Yet one more thing to order -- the list keeps getting longer!

Loud Americans

Since returning from my brief trip to Lyon, I am reminded how loud Americans are when compared to most French people.  In particular, I see how loud and rambunctious my kids are compared to French kids.

When they go tearing through the house or yell up the stairs to one another (or just make random loud noises for no apparent reason, as they are prone to doing....), I have started telling them, "You have to knock that off, or you will get us kicked out of our apartment in Lyon!"

I'm not entirely sure I'm kidding.