I should have become an official French citizen yesterday. I would have driven to the Miami Embassy with my father, and this time, after a year and a half of visiting les fonctionnaires, and after the gathering of birth certificates, and actes de mariages, and grandparents’ dental records (I exaggerate. Hardly). After the government-approved translations of all of the above, apostilles included, and, oh yeah, being clucked and lip pursed without end--BELIEVE ME, WE ARE AWARE THAT RECORDING MY BIRTH IN THE LIVRE DE FAMILLE AS A CHILD WOULD HAVE SOLVED EVERYTHING--I would have left a French citizen.
Only, I’M A DUMBASS, because when I scheduled the Embassy appointment, I didn’t notice the tiny gray print saying “Martin Luther King Day, USA” in my en français Filofax.
When I gave my father the date, he said, “You can’t have scheduled it for Monday, that’s a jour férie.”
My response was, “Mmm, Martin Luther King Day. Interesting. Well, they must only take French holidays!”
My father WHO IS NOT A DUMBASS phoned for verification.
“Oh, right, I’m not working Monday,” says our contact at the Embassy WHO IS THE BIGGEST DUMBASS OF US ALL.
We are now scheduled for Thursday.
And, in case you’re curious, the US-residing fonctionnaires take all holidays, both French and American, which, I suppose has logic, but still. This is why.
A year and a half of paperwork. Two days until I’m French. Seven days until I’m back in France. And counting.
Wow ! we have to make a party when you come back to paris ! This deserve a chocolate cake and some Cristal Champagne !!!
Posted by: Negrito | 18 January 2005 at 11:08 PM
Whew! I'm glad you specified Cristal, Negrito, because Coquette gets out of bed for nothing less.*
But, chocolate cake--NOW YOU ARE TALKING MY LANGUAGE. :)
*this was a joke.
Posted by: Coquette | 18 January 2005 at 11:16 PM
oooh a job where you can scam all French AND American holidays! I want some of that action . . .
Posted by: bluepoppy | 18 January 2005 at 11:33 PM
Of course, if you lived in the U.S. Virgin Islands (and were a government worker...please check your work ethic--and all other ethics--at the door) then you could observe U.S. holidays, Virgin Islands (both U.S. and British) holidays and even a few grab-bag Canadian ones, to boot!
Posted by: Marilyn | 19 January 2005 at 12:08 AM
Coquette, does this mean you have to give up your American citizenship?
Posted by: jingles | 19 January 2005 at 03:58 AM
Nah, they did away with that rule in the early ninties.
Posted by: Aimee | 19 January 2005 at 05:53 AM
I loved your story about the "red room" in junior high! I can still remember the anxiety attacks I would have about lunch on days when you weren't in school. I'm home in Fl for another week so give me a call and we can do Loehmann's or something!
Posted by: cortney | 19 January 2005 at 06:55 AM
Yay! I wonder if they give you a beret and one of those stripey mime shirts to commemorate the occasion. heh...
And it's not just the french embassy that takes off both holidays, the american one in France does the same thing as well. Plus, I think they also get the french "two-hour long lunch" break.
Posted by: kim | 19 January 2005 at 10:03 AM
Coquette-
This truly will be cause for celebration. I am keeping my fingers crossed for Thursday.
And I surveyed the shopping situation yesterday for you and there still appear to be many good bargains. So, don't you fret.
Posted by: Jason Stone | 19 January 2005 at 10:16 AM
Hoo-ray!! I'm so excited for you!
We did all our livret de marriage stuff at the consolate in Atlanta, and I totally can relate. My thoughts were in the neighborhood of "don't you dare fuck this up, people! I gotta plane to catch!"
Posted by: ViVi | 19 January 2005 at 11:54 AM
Yay! I am so happy for you!
When you get back, go to Gucci... great sales going on there. I came away with some amazing heels. will post more later.
Posted by: Flare | 19 January 2005 at 01:11 PM
Hope Thursday goes smoothly. I think the sales are entering the second mark down so there are some good deals to be had.
Posted by: Auntie M | 19 January 2005 at 06:07 PM
Thank you so much for all of the hoorays. I hope that everything goes according to plan. Just as Vivi put it--I gotta plane to catch!
Jingles, I will be able to keep my American citizenship too, which is awesome.
Posted by: Coquette | 19 January 2005 at 06:08 PM
That's awesome!
I've got every finger and toe crossed for you all of today :D
Posted by: Mathieu | 20 January 2005 at 05:05 PM
Congrats Coquette, by now you are a French citizen. I'm trying to get info re my children becoming French citizens. They live in France with their birth mother and step-father. They have asked me for copies of my birth certificate and U.S. naturalization papers. Are these documents required for the process of becoming French citizens? Thanks for your help,
gary
Posted by: Gary | 30 May 2005 at 03:08 AM