French Gift Certificates??

Today I was at my favorite little French bistro, ummmm, no, ummmm... what do they call the catering trucks that pull up to construction sites, there's got to be an English word for that!

Ours is called: La Pitchoune, which means something like"little girl" in French - please don't quote me on this - you know how dangerous that can be, right?


Anyway, with my keen powers of observation, I've noticed other people paying her with what looks like a gift certificate coupon. And she gives a very official refund back, a "Post-it", stamped with her name, and the amount still good on the coupon!

I think, "Hmmm, interesting, she must have gone around to all the offices and offered them a discount if they would buy these coupon books. Or, maybe it's the French version of the "Entertainment" book. In either case, I need to figure out how to get one!"

WRONG!!!

I just discovered that these coupon books are given to employees, by their employer, as a "perk", and it seems to be expected, or obligitory! Hmmm... I must look into this! :)

A favorite website "Chocolate and Zuccini" puts it this way: http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2005/06/le_ticket_resto.php
Yikes! I just learned that I can't eat in my office! It's prohibited under French law!? Wow!! Well, I'll just do it the French way, IGNORE that law!

Bon appetit!

Counting in French

How would YOU remember the number "four" in French???

"Quatre", pronounced: [CAT-ruh]

You guessed it: Cats have four legs!! Seriously, that's how I remember it!

Now you see why I call this language learning thing "Tarzan French"!! :)

Have a great day!

And whenever you see a cat, pray for my language study! I need all the help I can get! Thanks!

(Picture courtesy "tjflex2" on Flickr.com, to donate: www.rapsociety.com/)

French Driver's License, Take Three, Groan!!!

Well, the saga continues!!!

I just got home from a 10 day trip to Germany and Switzerland, where, by the way I kept answering everybody with "Oui" instead of "Ja" and "Merci" instead of "Danke schon". Actually, this is a good thing because it means that French is starting to reside in the front lobs of my brain, rather than buried deep in the recesses, fighting it's way out before the German and Russian that are also living there!! :)

But I digress...

Got home this morning to find the infamous "lettre" from the Prefecture, waiting in my mailbox! And guess what? I get to GO BACK TO THE PREFECTURE with ALL THE DOCUMENTS THAT I ALREADY GAVE THEM!!!!!!!!! But this time, with the photos and the self addressed, stamped envelope - which I tried to give them the first time, but they wouldn't take!!! GROAN!!

Is this not bureaucracy at it's finest???????

Plus, I also need to take a form, which was enclosed in the "lettre", which I had already printed off the Internet, filled in, and submitted on my first trip to the Prefecture, which the first lady THREW AWAY.

Can you tell I'm a bit annoyed???? Oh well, that's life in France!

By the way, I think I promised to show you a copy of my ancient German driver's license from 1986, which I've been told never expires! So, even though it doesn't look like me anymore, it's my trump card, just in case this whole adventure with exchanging my US license for a French license doesn't work out! I'm just thankful that I don't have to take the French driving test! A colleague is working on that now, studying a 150 page "Road Book", all in French, in hopes that he can pass the test on the first try!! It will be a miracle, but, miracles do happen!

French Driver's License, Take Two!

Thanks to all for asking about yesterday at the French “DMV”. It went OK, I think… but one never knows for sure. As the sign says above: Prefecture of Paris - Be Nice!!!!

I had fun anyway!! Fun? How could that be? Well…

Over the weekend I thought a lot about who I could ask to go with me. A friend from church came to mind, Arlette. She’s French, married to an American, so I thought she would be good, she would understand my predicament! And, she did! I also learned that she worked for IBM in France for many years, helping the foreigners adjusting to life in France, so she was the perfect one to ask. I’m sure I thought of her because you were praying!! Thank you!

We arrived at the Prefecture around 11:30am. No policemen were at the gate this time. Hmmm…. Interesting!

We entered the room to find 25 other people there ahead of us. Groan! We were number 08, and they were only on number 76. I sensed a long, boring wait. But, as we waited, we were close enough to the “window”, to hear a lot of interesting situations. The funniest for Arlette were the two people who asked for a listing of their “violations”. Her take on this was that if they had that many violations that they had to ask for a list, they shouldn’t be on the road! I agree! Sure put my puny little problem into perspective!

As we continued to wait, watching this very agitated French administrator gal shuffling her papers, very impatient with everything and everyone in her sphere, I said a quick prayer that by our turn, she would take her lunch break, or something. Please Lord! Sure enough, about 1pm she got up and another woman replaced her! Thank You God!! So, our turn came and we were able to calmly explain that I hadn’t understood on Friday, and would she be willing to briefly explain the process. She said THEY will write ME a letter (not the other way around!) once they “review my case”. Then I’ll have to come back with the photos and the return envelope. Oh lucky me! Another trip to the Prefecture!! I still don’t understand why she wouldn’t take those items now, to save me a trip back to the Prefecture!

I guess they just want us all to experience the “joy” of having to come to the Prefecture every day, like they do! NOT!

So, now I wait for them to send me a letter…

Thanks for praying! You’ll be the first to know when this hurdle in my French life is completed!!

PS: If for any reason this fails, I discovered that my ancient, German driver’s license might still be valid!! However, the picture is 100 years old, just makes me laugh to look at it! I’ll try to post it here sometime soon so you can get a good laugh too!