Bags, Scarves, & Doorways

Although I love the French and have been in France before, so many things about the culture here still surprise and amaze me. Like how they don't give plastic bags in many of the supermarkets, but rather customers are expected to bring their own reusable bag. Some people even bring their own carts, like the kind you see in NYC when people bring their wash to the laundry. This, in fact, is a practice they've been doing for years here in France which the US is recently just catching on to in the name of "going green". Or how every woman from young to old wear scarves around their necks. Not the itchy wool kinds you'd wear in the winter, but the paschmina-type kinds which wrap around several times to give warmth to your neck in these still-cool, breezy early Spring days. In an effort to not stand out as a tourist, I’ve been wearing one, too, and practically all day. In fact, I fell asleep with mine on last night. Alors, j'adapte. Men wear scarves, too. And how the doorways on trams and trains don't open automatically when you want to get off (like in the NYC MTA), but you have to push the button. (I almost missed my stop on the RER train from the suburb of Massy to downtown Paris because I was waiting long for the doors to open for me! Oh, la, la!)

I wonder how I'll deal with homesickness. Even though I know I'm meant to be here en France, I still can't believe that I'm actually now a resident of this country which is so beautiful and yet so peculiar in its culture in many ways. As I was walking around the 15th arrondissement this afternoon by myself, not feeling lonely, but feeling somewhat like an alien, I realized that I'm going to have to just mentally resolve someday soon in my mind that Paris is now my residence and that I'm going to have to remain determined to have a positive attitude about my new life here. (Like, I need to do this very soon.) Notice how I didn't say "Paris is my home", but simply my "residence". As a follower of Christ, I know Jesus will always be my home, because He is the only constant person in my life. This home, I need to never forget. I will always have a place in Him and with Him in heaven no matter where I move and no matter what I do.

Ce que j’ai fait aujourd’hui…What I did today....

Ce que j’ai fait aujourd’hui…

Apres avoir obtenir un compte bancaire, le prochain objectif : acheter un nouveau portable (mobile). A Issy-les-Moulineaux, il y a un magasin qui s’appelle « Orange » qui offrir les services et forfaits d’internet, tv, et mobile (l’équivalent de cela est « Verizon Wireless » ou « Optimum Online »). J’ai choisi un des modèles les moins chers : Nokia 2630, « sans engagement » (en anglais « pre-paid »). J’ai dit à le vendeur à Orange « Je voudrais essayer un plan simple au début. Si j’aurai besoin de plus de minutes par mois, je vais le changer et augmenter le service. Est-il possible de le faire ? » « Oui, madame. » J’ai acheté le Nokia et le monsieur au magasin activer mon compte avec une carte chargé de 35 Euros de crédit. Alors, maintenant, j’ai un moyen de communiquer avec mes collègues à Paris lorsque je sors. C’est sympa !

Suite mon achat à Orange, j’ai discuté les finances pour avril avec mes collègues. Le coût de vivre à Paris me fait un peu anxieux. La nourriture, les frais de logement, etc., coûtent chers. Mais, je dois souvenir la fidélité de Dieu et rester mes yeux sur Lui...Il va fournir pour tous mes besoins, même dans un pays étranger…

Ensuite, j’ai couru avec Jim d’Issy-les-Moulineaux jusqu’à le 16ème arrondissement de Paris. On est croisé, traversé le Seine par un pont. On est passé par les sièges pour des compagnies célèbres, comme TF1, Radio France, Canal +, etc. La durée de notre jog de prière était environ 50min. C’était ma première fois à courir dehors en plusieurs mois. Alors, c’était un peu difficile pour moi. Mais je me suis débrouillée et on est arrivé au Trocadero/Concord en bonne vue de la Tour Eiffel. Pendant notre jog, Jim a prié pour notre ministère et les gens de Paris. Je pense que je voudrais faire cette activité de courir à travers Paris et prier au même temps plus souvent dans le futur…

Après mon jog, j’ai visité les étals du marché dans le centre d’Issy-les-Moulineaux. Les marchés en plein air en France sont mon aspect favori de la culture française. Ça me fait tant de plaisir : les aromes, les gouts différents des multiples produits frais et artisinals qui sont trouvés à un marché dehors. C’est comme le « farmers’ market » trouvé aux Etats-Unis. Le marché d’Issy-les-Moulineaux aujourd’hui était animé, avec plein de mouvement. Des gens achètent des biens en rentrant chez eux.

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After getting my bank account, my next goal was to get a cell phone. In Issy-les-Moulineaux, there's a store called "Orange" that specializes in internet/tv/cell phone products (the equivalent in the US being Verizon or Optimum Online). I chose one of their cheapest models: Nokia 2630, pre-paid. I told the salesman there that I would like something simple at first and that if I would like to upgrade to a more monthly commitment later, I would. Is this possible? He said that would be fine. So I bought the cell phone and the gentleman activated it for me and loaded my prepaid card of 35Euros worth of talktime. Now I have a means to communicate with my teammates in Paris. That's good!

After my trip to Orange, I went back to Jim and Debbie's apartment to discuss finances and budgeting for the next month. The cost of living in Paris makes me a bit anxious. Food, housing, etc., all can cost a lot here. But, I have to remember God's faithfulness and keep my eyes on Him. He will provide for all of my needs, even while in a foreign country.

Following this time, I ran with Jim from Issy-les-Moulineaux up to the 16th arrondissement of Paris proper. We crossed the Seine river by bridge. We passed several buildings of major companies in France, like TF1, Radio France, Canal +, etc. The duration of our jog was about 50 minutes. It was my first time running in a long time so it was a bit difficult for me. But I was able to manage and we arrived at the area of the Trocedero/Concord in good view of the Eiffel Tower. During our jog, Jim prayed for our ministry and the people in Paris. I think I would like to do this with him more often - run and pray at the same time - throughout Paris in the future.

After our jog, I visited the outdoor market in Issy-les-Moulineaux. The open-air markets in France are one of my favorite parts of the culture. It is such a delight - all the smells in the air, the taste of the different fresh foods and products. It's similar to what you could find in a farmers' market in the US. The market today in Issy-les-Moulineaux today was very animated and full of activity and movement. Of people buying things on their way home from work...above is a picture of a Rotisserie Chicken vendor whose roasted chicken would make any mouth water. Underneath the spits of chicken are potatoes and garlic also being roasted, the drippings of the chicken falling on them. Miam-miam!

Bank account ok!

My appointment with Monsieur Aslan at the bank went well! I had never spent so much time in one bank before just to open an account. I was there for more than an hour and a half! M. Aslan was pleasant and very eager to help out, however. He was just doing his job. Here are just SOME of the questions he had to ask me when filling out my application for "un compte" (an account):

*Are you married? Or have you ever been married?
*Do you have any children?
*Do you have any outstanding loans or debts in the US?
*What is your level of education?
*What is your date of birth?
*City of birth?
*How will you receive your salary from the States?
*Will you be paying taxes here?
*What kind of check card do you want? Une carte bleue ou une carte gold? (and then spent time explaining the difference between them)
*Would you like purchases from your card to be debited from your account immediately or at the end of the month?

I'm so glad my teammate, Jim, accompanied me because I struggled in understanding M. Aslan completely because he spoke soooo fast, typical of Parisian French. Jim and I couldn't help but chuckle about the interview afterwards. Here are some questions we were tempted to add to it and ask our banker friend, Aslan:

*What is your favorite color?
*Do you prefer the Mets or Yankees?
*Do you like long walks on beaches?
*What's your sign?
*Do you like the cinema?
*What do you think of the present economic crisis?

and so forth, and so forth... :)

After the interview, Mr. Aslan printed out all the fine print details of my account, conditions and terms. I then had to sign my life away, and write my signature on the bottom of some of the pages. Very cordial, he told me I could call him anytime if I had any questions or problems with my account.

Why do I go into much detail about this miniscule trip to a bank? Because from a simple errand, I got a huge glimpse into a facet of French culture which reminds me of why our cultures clash. Whereas in the States where people may be more profit-driven and results-driven, when it comes to day-to-day things, it's all about the process and doing things right here in France. This is why there's so much bureaucracy and administrative challenges to just living here. Did you know that in this same bank there were three different ATM machines, each one for different types of transactions? (If I want to deposit cash, that's the machine labled "versements". If I want to deposit checks, that's another machine. If I want to check the status and balance of my account, that's still another machine...) And that when you make a cash deposit, you have to write down the number of bills of a denomination you are depositing, along with the total of each denomination.

This little trip to the bank reminded me of the reality that many things in France can just take longer to get done. Coming from a place where speed and convenience is everything, this is just a part of the culture here I need to accept and expect.

At the end of our very long time together, Monsieur Aslan asked if we had any other questions. Eager to go back to the apartment for supper, I kept quiet. But Jim said yes, but not related to banking.

"Is your last name Turkish?"
-"It is, but I am not Turkish, but Armenian. My last name means "lion" and is a derivative of the last name "Aslanian".

(Me) "Do you know about the character from The Chronicles of Narnia?"
-"Yes, but I don't receive any royalties from having that name!".

My first days in France: opening a bank account

Agrandir le plan

It's been a while since I've last updated my blog, but after 19 months of preparations, I've finally arrived in Paris. Technically, I am staying with my teammates, Jim & Debbie along with their kids, for the first few days in their apartment located in a suburb just outside of Paris called Issy-les-Moulineaux. It is just south of the 15th arrondissement where my team and I will be looking for housing and doing most of our ministry.
It has been a good past two days already. There are just a few things we're trying to accomplish for me this week: open up a bank account here and get a new cell phone.
Opening up a bank account here in France is not easy if you are a foreigner. What most banks look for and ask for immediately is if you have your "carte de sejour", which is a residency card. Other times they could ask for your visa, passport and proof of housing or letter of sponsorship from an employer in France. The tricky thing is, though, it can take months before you even get your carte de sejour, and then sometimes you can't get your carte de sejour unless you first have a bank account. So it can be like a Catch-22.
Earlier today Jim and I went to his bank because he had inquired there a few weeks ago to ask if I could open up an account there without the carte de sejour. The person he spoke with then said yes. But when we went there this morning, another person he spoke with said that this would not be possible and that I would not be able to open up an account without the carte de sejour. So the tune changed.
So we went to another local bank that Jim had visited before my arrival. The employee who spoke with us told us that it would be ok if I only have my visa and passport along with a letter of sponsorship from France Mission, and if I came back with Jim and he showed proof of housing and a utility bill he has paid. We made an appointment and I will be returning shortly for it. Oh, and the last name of this gentleman who gave us this info and with whom I'll be meeting in half an hour? -ASLAN. Yup, just like Aslan from Narnia, I saw from his business card. Ha! God has a sense of humour...

Missing my family already

One of the things I miss most, and will continue to miss most, is just being able to give and receive hugs from my family. We are a soft bunch, both personality-wise and physically! :) I think I'll be able to handle the frustrations and challenges of acclimating to a different culture here in France, but what I'm not sure I'll be able to handle well is not being able to hold and embrace my parents and sisters regularly.