Well, all of my prior bitching was for nothing. My prayers have been answered, and the volcano eruption that stopped flights throughout Europe did not adversely affect the arrival of my livret de famille - the last piece of documentation needed to process my French long-stay visa. Yes!
I got the livret a week ago today (I think - time is sort of running all together these days), while I was sitting in my driveway overseeing my yard sale with my dad and friend Chris. I was so excited when I saw the envelope, I'm sure that Dad and Chris thought something really exciting must be in it ... when they saw the thin passport-like book with the plain writing on the front, it surely was a disappointment for them. For me? Sheerest bliss. Here was the last piece of the puzzle that I needed.
So next, I go to the French consulate's website, which, though it has all necessary information on it somewhere ... that "somewhere" is not always so easy to find. At any rate, I managed to find the area where one signs up for an appointment to submit visa paperwork ... and I made the appointment ... and, oh crap! No printer! It won't confirm the appointment unless I print the confirmation page! At that point, it was Saturday night, I was hungry and tired, and so I gave up for the day and reconciled myself to having to re-book for a much later date and time by the time I got logged on again on Sunday. Again, surprise! Went to my parents' on Sunday and re-requested the appointment - got the same day and time, and this time confirmed it and printed the confirmation page. Victory! So on this Monday, May 3, I will be meeting with some representative at the French consulate regarding my long-term stay visa application. Phew.
I am actually really nervous about it - they all seem to look at you like a bug (or maybe a talking animail - a rat, or a pig, perhaps) if you don't speak French easily and readily - but Patrick told me not to get all fussed. He says they all speak English fluently, and if I simply say to them I'd rather speak in Engligh, to be sure I fully understand everything that is needed, that will be fine. Still, I wish my French were more fluent and I could just aspirate my R's with the best of them. I hardly think that my random vocabulary (consisting mostly of words for food or ballet positions) and avoidance of anything requiring me to use the past tense is what anyone would consider as "fluency". Believe me, Consulate Staff - you'd rather speak to me in rough, unmelodious English than listen to me butcher your mother tongue. And so that's the route I will take.
Wish me luck - Monday morning comes soon, and if all goes well, my visa will be issued within 10 days. As I have already purchased my plane ticket for Thursday the 20th, I certainly hope that is the case!
I got the livret a week ago today (I think - time is sort of running all together these days), while I was sitting in my driveway overseeing my yard sale with my dad and friend Chris. I was so excited when I saw the envelope, I'm sure that Dad and Chris thought something really exciting must be in it ... when they saw the thin passport-like book with the plain writing on the front, it surely was a disappointment for them. For me? Sheerest bliss. Here was the last piece of the puzzle that I needed.
So next, I go to the French consulate's website, which, though it has all necessary information on it somewhere ... that "somewhere" is not always so easy to find. At any rate, I managed to find the area where one signs up for an appointment to submit visa paperwork ... and I made the appointment ... and, oh crap! No printer! It won't confirm the appointment unless I print the confirmation page! At that point, it was Saturday night, I was hungry and tired, and so I gave up for the day and reconciled myself to having to re-book for a much later date and time by the time I got logged on again on Sunday. Again, surprise! Went to my parents' on Sunday and re-requested the appointment - got the same day and time, and this time confirmed it and printed the confirmation page. Victory! So on this Monday, May 3, I will be meeting with some representative at the French consulate regarding my long-term stay visa application. Phew.
I am actually really nervous about it - they all seem to look at you like a bug (or maybe a talking animail - a rat, or a pig, perhaps) if you don't speak French easily and readily - but Patrick told me not to get all fussed. He says they all speak English fluently, and if I simply say to them I'd rather speak in Engligh, to be sure I fully understand everything that is needed, that will be fine. Still, I wish my French were more fluent and I could just aspirate my R's with the best of them. I hardly think that my random vocabulary (consisting mostly of words for food or ballet positions) and avoidance of anything requiring me to use the past tense is what anyone would consider as "fluency". Believe me, Consulate Staff - you'd rather speak to me in rough, unmelodious English than listen to me butcher your mother tongue. And so that's the route I will take.
Wish me luck - Monday morning comes soon, and if all goes well, my visa will be issued within 10 days. As I have already purchased my plane ticket for Thursday the 20th, I certainly hope that is the case!
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