nothing is sacred

So everybody was warning me and complaining about FRENCH BUREAUCRACY before I even came to France.
But seriously, I thought, how bureaucratic can one country be ?

Even after filling out a long stay visa application, getting passport photographs done, completing an OFII form (some kind of French immigration organisation), and making copies and bringing originals of my passport, French university acceptance letter, UTS exchange letter, bank statements, accommodation arrangements, police certificates, and return tickets to France ….and not to mention filling out a checklist stating that you’ve done all those things, no way did I think the French would be so enormously bureaucratic !

Even after arriving in Paris and spending an entire day lining up to get a piece of paper that would let me check into my lodging, even though I left halfway through the 5-hour wait to drop Phil off at the station, only to come back & find out my name STILL hadn’t been called, did I think the French would be so bureaucratic.

Even after arriving 5 minutes before closing time at my housing building only to be told I couldn’t check in because it was too late, which meant I would have no place to sleep that night, did I think the French would be so bureaucratic.

Even after trying to enrol in my subjects at uni only to be told that I had to do it manually with a piece of paper, with separate signatures for each class, did I think the French would be bureaucratic.

Even after having to run around to different corridors to find out the timetabling schedule, and going on a treasure hunt through the French university because there was absolutely nothing online, did I think the French would be so bureaucratic.

Because hey, even though the entire country shuts down on Sundays, for 2 hours during lunch, sometimes on Mondays, and promptly at closing time, they must be doing something right to be in the top 5 economic powers of the world, right ?

But even after filling out all the paperwork and paying $xxx sums of money to get a visa to come here, I find out that the visa I get is only valid for three months after the date of my arrival in France – and if you don’t validate your visa within these first three months, you become a clandestin, a sans papiers, or an illegal immigrant.

Long story short:
- I send off another piece of paper to another invisible organisation
- I get a reply with an appointment telling me to go to a place called Cité Universitaire ….to do who-knows-what
- I arrive at this appointment and wait for an hour, only to get another appointment for another place
- I end up 2 hours late for this second appointment because I was too busy eating at Michelin star restaurant – I get denied (my fault, yes I know) and told to come back “whenever I want”
- I come back “whenever I want” – and get told there’s no way I can come back “whenever I want” – because it doesn’t work like that in France ! I am told that I will be sent another appointment by email the same day
- I receive no such email.
- I come back a few days later, and ask for another appointment, only to be given one immediately.
- The receptionist who gives me the appointment calls someone to confirm it, and is then told to cancel my appointment because I was told to wait for an email.
- My appointment is cancelled. I am told to wait for an email.
- I go on holidays (several weeks after my 90-day Schengen allowance).
- 1 week later, still no email.
- 2 weeks later, still no email.
- 3 weeks later, still no email.
- I come back to Paris, and go back to the place after uni 5 minutes before closing time to ask for another appointment.
- The door is already locked.
- I go back the next day, and for some reason, am given the appointment immediately for the NEXT DAY.

…and this was meant to be the “short” version.

At this point, I only had 2 weeks before I was to leave France, and 1 month before I was to leave the continent.

BUT…. I finally got my resident’s permit

Now wasn’t that worth all the time, money and effort, and the 55€ postage stamp I had to pay for ?