Visa issues and other formalities

One of the unfortunate side effects to spending a year abroad are the administrative steps that need to be carried out before arriving. My visa plans are even more complicated due to some serious time constraints caused by my trips to Berlin and more urgently, to Israel.

In order to get a student visa for spending a year in Paris, the application process consists of two steps: first, you need to apply through the Campus France website; then, you have to go in person to the local consulate in order to get the physical visa. That doesn't seem too difficult, until you realize that each one has subparts (as in any good French system). So, let me detail that:

1) Campus France application

a) First, you need to open an account with your passport information. In my case, this was a bit complicated since my passport number was already on file. Though they had cancelled my old account (as I had successfully gotten the visa), I had to contact them and wait for a response before proceeding. That whole process took a week or so, because the French aren't particularly fast in that respect.

b) Filling out the application involves uploading proof of one's degrees, acceptance to a French institution, etc. You need to write about your intentions, your French level, and your prior stays in France. Then you need to submit it all. That part took about a day or two, since I had to unearth diplomas and upload pictures.

c) Then, you need to mail them things. A lot of things. Even things that aren't specified on their PowerPoint list of instructions. First off, since they seem to be in the dark ages, you need to send them a paper copy of everything—of their own forms, of the $100 money order that they also request (money order? really??). I thought I had finished, but I hadn't sent the copy of their own form (aka, what I filled out in part b), so I had to do that today, and pay an additional $20 to get it overnighted. The total now, in that case, is about $135 that I've spent just on the visa. But don't worry, I'll be spending much more.

d) Now I wait for them to review my application, verify that everything is there, and then send me an email (via their own system, which I continually need to check) saying that it is okay. Then, once they've done that, I need to print out the application, the proof of payment, the confirmation email, and any other pertinent documents and bring them all to the embassy in person.

2) Visa Appointment

a) First, you need to schedule one in anticipation of your application being approved. I've scheduled mine for Monday the 23rd, in the morning, the day after I return from Israel. I'll stay in the city the night before and then print out all the documents I need there. Not only do you need documents, but you need copies of them as well. They have a huge list, which is what I will be putting together tomorrow, while juggling packing and buying a few last-second things for Israel.

b) The in-person meeting, where you give them your documents and they take your passport. That is the day I get back from Israel. You also need to give them another $60 or so.

c) Then, I apparently have to go back to the Consulate or send someone in my stead. And then, finally, I will have the visa.

All of this, by the way, doesn't include the various papers I've been mailing to the ENS today, which includes more postage money and other charges. For instance, I need a professional translation of my birth certificate ($55), several passport photos ($12), and more. So, my total costs so far are: $262. But don't worry, that won't be it. I'm sure...

Apartment Hunting

Did you know that the word "apartment" in French has two P's? Appartement. It gets confusing. Every time I am writing in English, I want to put that extra P in, yet I question whether it belongs there in French. It's a curious problem to have, especially considering it affects my native language. But then again, it is a common issue—learning languages isn't like any other subject, because it changes the way you think. When I studied abroad in Paris, the work I did to improve my French was on several levels: listening, being surrounded by French 24/7, constantly putting myself into positions in which I would be hearing it, seeing movies, attending classes; speaking, looking to speak French as much as possible, but even more, looking to develop the right habits from the listening I was doing. For instance, I noticed early on that French people do not say "um" when they are unsure of what to say next, but rather "fin" (short for "enfin" or "finally"). So, I started saying "fin" a lot, sometimes at the wrong moments, but the more I said it, the more I got used to saying it. It helped me sound more French, and also feel more French. Little things like that, building new linguistic habits, were an imperative aspect of my study abroad experience. Unfortunately, it leads to little nuisances like not knowing how to spell "apartment."

This might seem like a non sequitur, but it's something I've been encountering a lot lately, as I've been looking for an apartment in Paris. Being a pensionnaire étrangère at the ENS comes with several perks, one of which is a room in the building (or perhaps across the street). The location, as I think I've already mentioned, is ideal. Situated nicely in the middle of the Latin Quarter, it is walking distance to the Panthéon (my favorite site in Paris), the Luxembourg gardens (an excellent place to study), my Lebanese sandwich place, Berthillon ice cream, etc. Here is a map:

I've always wanted to live in this area, as I spend most of my time there anyway. In fact, as a student at the ENS, I will be spending more time in the Latin Quarter than ever (when I studied abroad four years ago, I only took one class in the Latin Quarter, the others were at the Sorbonne—Clignancourt site or Paris 8—Saint Denis). But, I've been informed by several people that the living arrangements at the ENS are far from ideal. It turns out that the laundry facilities are insufficient, that the rooms are filthy, that there are bugs, that students can be rude and even immature, that the co-ed bathrooms are not only disgusting, but that some perverted students sometimes try to take pictures of girls while they shower, and even more. The horror stories go on and on, and while I love the idea of having a free place to live in a wonderful neighborhood, I think I'd rather pay a little extra and be able to sleep at night and on the weekends. I'd pay a lot extra to be able to take a shower and not worry about someone taking a picture.

So, lately I have been spending a lot of time looking for apartments. Since I wasn't quite sure what I wanted, I was looking for studio apartments (in that area, could cost up to 100 euros/month, in others, maybe a little less) as well as two-bedroom apartments and people to share with, and finally for "colocations." What is a colocation? It's essentially finding a flatmate, someone who is looking for a new roommate. The nice thing is, the apartments you'd find this way are generally furnished and all you need to do is move in. Additionally, having a roommate gives you someone to spend time with (if you find a good one) in the best case scenario, or at least someone to let you in if you forget your key (though, that's not generally an issue in France, since you need to lock the door when you leave). I found an excellent site for colocations on a site called appartager.com, which I have to admit, is a clever name. You see, "appartement" means "apartment," but is generally abbreviated in normal speech as "appart." On the other hand, "à partager" means "to share. For instance, "j'ai un appart à partager" means "I have an apartment to share." The website, therefore, is a play on words: appart/à partager. 

I currently have two options, one of which I am leaning towards more than the other. The nice thing is, they are the same price and both walking distance to the ENS. The first would be living with a family. It has its perks. For one, this seems to be an incredibly intelligent and interesting family: the father is a researcher at the ENS and also a professor of the classes préparatoires; their younger daughter is a senior in high school studying art history and also a flautist like me; their current boarder (they are looking for a second one) is studying English in the classes préparatoires; and they apparently speak Italian as well. The only problem is that they are as of yet unsure of whether or not they will be able to take another boarder, since their older daughter might not move out. They have asked me to email them in a week to see if they know yet, given they are extremely interested. The other option (which I'm leaning towards for various reasons) is a two-bedroom apartment in the same area, shared with a 22 year old French student, in journalism. Her name is Louise and when I talked to her on Skype, she seemed like an ideal roommate—in all honesty, she had me when she told me she wants her flatmate to agree to clean the apartment with her every Sunday. She prefers to have an anglophone roommate to have a language exchange—one day speaking English, another speaking French, that sort of thing. The apartment also has an extra bed, because she says that we're both free to invite people to come visit (though, she said if they stay for more than 5 days, she likes them to contribute to the rent or groceries in some way, which I think is more than reasonable). The only problem was that Louise wanted someone in July, and I wasn't planning on getting to Paris until late August or early September, but it turns out she found someone to move in for July/August, meaning I can come in September! It is so much easier this way than finding a tiny studio apartment that would cost me a fortune: this way, I spend 700 euros/month, have a lovely flatmate who likes to keep things clean, will be spitting distance from the ENS, and will have the freedom and comfort that I'd want while still being able to be social and speak French all the time. 

So, there you have it. Yet another aspect of preparing to spend a year in Paris. Next post will be about the visa procedures, which are just a joy, let me tell you...