To fully explain my day, a short backstory is necessary. I am in the process of getting my "carte de sejours", which is basically a long stay visa which says I am studying in France and not going to leach off of french social benefits. I have been in the process of attaining this magical passport stamp for quite some time, and the last step in my journey is a doctors appointment which will approve me healthy and able. However, I moved apartments over the holidays and my address change got lost in the hubub, meaning that the governement had no way of notifying me of the appointment. Long story short - I am going to Prague on thursday, and the only documentation of my status in France is an expired temporary visa. Not the best. So, I decided to call my father - his suggestion, which seemed like a good one, was to go to the Canadian embassy and plead my cause. Which begins my day:
10.00 - ride metro to the 8th arroundissement to the embassy (with high hopes may i add)
10.45 - after getting a little lost at the biggest roundabout in Paris, find the embassy, go through a series of security devices and xray machines and get my number.
11.30 - told by an not so welcoming embassy personal that Canada can't help me, I need french immigration servies
12.00 - realize that in my flustered state i rode the metro 4 stops in the wrong direction.
13.00 - waiting in line at the French Immigration office back in the 11th arroundissement
13.20 - told that I have no reason to be here and should be at the Police Precinct in the first
13.40 - on the metro to the 1rst arroundissement, notice that the what i thought was friendly homeless men squished next to me is holding a KNIFE. Hop off metro and get into a different car (strangely enough my reason for moving was not my own safety but the thought that if the guy made a pass at my bag I would lose all documents and be 10 steps behind in the terrible cat and mouse game that is french bureacracy)
14.10 - go through many a security check point to be let into the visa office at the precinct. Met by an even angrier women then the Canadian and told that the student visa office has branched out - to the 18th.
14.20 - short crying jag by the river.
14.35 - back on the metro, this time to the very last stop up north.
15.00 - lost in the 18th.
15.30 - Go through metal detectors, find the right door, grab a number.
16.00 - for the first time, finally get to sit down face to face with someone in a cubicle. Start to tear up in gratitude.
16.30 - am giving the magical doctors appointment, on a Thursday, the day before i leave for prague. This may have been partially dear to to the fact that i was a) soaking wet form the rain b) on the verge of tears c) the most gracious (and pathetic) person in the world
17.00 - In bed with a jar of nutella.
Today I went to 4 different offices, rode the metro 7 times (and transfered 4 times), went through 3 xray machines, got whistled at 2 times, and ate 1 pick-me-up pain of chocolate.
Lesson learned - persist, persist, persist. And French bureaucracy is a terrible unavoidable thing.