Double Success

Finding pumpkins and getting the "Carte de Sejour" all in one morning.


The most dreaded day of the year is the day that we have to go to the Prefecture de Police to renew our "carte de sejour" which is a temporary residence permit. I prepare obsessively, yet our experience has always been difficult. There is always some subtle thing that is missing. And, if not, the "foncitionnaire" (civil servant) has the right to request just about anything they want from us. We usually leave the office exhausted and dejected.

The normal preparation and review took place during the last week. Hundreds of copies were made. Files were organized. Spreadsheets were done and then re-done. We always think we're in good shape.

Today, we were worried about the transportation strike, so we got up even earlier than usual, dressed, grabbed the huge stack of paperwork and left. No problems on the metro. No newspaper, but that's normal during a strike. We got to the office at the Prefecture. Terry got two seats (premium, since standing for an hour or more is not fun) while I waited in line several people back while a woman was arguing vigorously and rapidly in french. Trying, unsuccessfully to break a rule, I'm sure.

We waited and waited. There is one woman, guichet #5, who has consistently given us a hard time. We were hoping to get another person.

It's hot inside. It's raining outside. More and more people come in. Finally an American couple with a lawyer come in, demand that we vacate the seat next to us (our stuff was on it rather than the floor). Then, they proceeded to speak, very loudly. Then man was sitting next to me and had oozed into my seat. I pushed back a little but he just didn't fit in the assigned seat.


We waited and waited. What are they doing down there? Torturing others. Maybe they'll get it out of their systems by the time our numbers are called... We can only hope. Eventually one of our numbers is called. We both sit down opposite a woman who starts working on Terry's file. Abruptly, she looks up and tells me to go across the way to meet with her associate, the "difficult" one. Think positively, smile, I say to myself. Maybe she doesn't remember me, but I certainly remember her.

What does all this have to do with pumpkins?



We got out of there pretty quickly this year, each holding our receipt for the renewed "carte de sejour". They really didn't give us any trouble at all, didn't reject anything, didn't make us jump through any hoops, provide any explanations.

Out we went into the rain. Right opposite the "Prefecture" is the flower market at Cite. Prime shopping for pumpkins. The first market we went to had nothing. The second one had a nice big one for Euro 3. When I only had a Euro 20 note, she promptly only gave me Euro 16 in change, then insisted that it cost Euro 4 instead. Small price to pay. Then next shop had even more -- small pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn! I'm rich in "harvest" decorations and we got our "carte de sejour" renewed. Double success.