Vive le Sud

Continuing my never-ending saga of French administration:

This one is even better.

The real South is just way better. While I lived in Montpellier, I had to apply for a carte de sejour (residency card) twice. Once while I was still a student and the second time after I was married. Both went easily (for France). The student one is more of a rubber stamp - you prove you're a student and that you entered France legally and they give you another year in their wonderful country. The marriage one is a bit more difficult, but just because you have to prove that you are "married." This I did in 3 or 4, 3 hour trips to the prefecture (governmental offices).

Anyway, now I'm in Bordeaux, and while it's still the "South," it has a more "up class" view of itself. (The word bourgeois actually refers to the residents of the city of Bordeaux). I was supposed to change my residency to here when I moved, but I kind of...umm...didn't because waiting in line for 4 hours for a stupid change of address didn't appeal to me. Anyway, it's time to renew my residency for one more year in France. I ran around trying to get all the documents that I need, according to a private-party website - the French government refuses to publish this on any "official" website - the only way to get the pertinent information is to wait in line (at least 1 hour). Anyway, I thought I had all my ducks in a row, went down this morning to get my stuff done. I arrive at the window and the woman asks if my spouse is with me. I thought of being sarcastic and saying, "of course, don't you see her standing right next to me," but figured I didn't want to piss off the people who control my right to stay here.

I told her no, why? She told me that it was obligatory that my spouse is with me to sign an "attestation of honor that we still live together and are married." This must be done in front of an "Agent of the State" at the prefecture. No way around it. I asked if this was something new, because Montpellier didn't make both of us miss a morning of work to do this junk. She told me no, it's always been that way and if it was done differently "c'était de fraude, monsieur." She also told me that I have to pay €55 for one more year. It was never like this in Montpellier. I thought maybe that between the first request for a married residency permit and the second it was different, but looking at the paper she gave me, it's always been this way. Montpellier is just a cooler place to live.

Anyway, now Julie has to find time to miss work for an entire morning so she can swear before an "Agent of the State" that we're still married and that we aren't in this just so I can get my French nationality. I am curious to see what happens when I apply for nationality ('cause I think it's easier that way - I do it once and then there's no more "foreigner" lines for me). They'll probably come to our house to ensure that we sleep together - who knows maybe they need to install cameras for a month so we can prove that we are actually living and sleeping together. Man, I hate this bureaucracy. For the record, I think it is as bad in the US.