Almost there now. We went to do our Christmas shopping in Limoges today, that is, we purchased warm items of clothing for each other. One shop sells excellent smoked haddock, so along with others things, some of that is now in the freezer. There was a general air of customers and shop assistants being happy and enjoying life. It might get a bit more frantic as the New Year approaches.
All good here, finally sorted out (I think) all the "tramites," which is red tape work associated with a change of house. Mexican red tape work is sly, subtle and might need a little bit of insider knowledge. I am neither of the 3. I am impatient, explosive and in a new city. We met, we got on ok, and a general consensus has been met between myself and the various institutions. This includes, the "wonderful" notary, getting my names on bills for me new gaff. Getting my address updated at the INM (Migration office) and changing address at the bank, driving licence and all that jive. Deep breath, and we all got along fine. Just jump through the hoops as every place needs different documents. Hopefully come Jan 2025 I can set up my own work too as lost a lot of clients from last city. Hope y'all well.
I imagine that there is a certain way of doing things over there! Hopefully you'll get some good references from previous clients to help you get going in your new adventure. Sounds like, from other posts, that you have good support from your wife and in-laws which will hopefully help. I nearly upped sticks to Texas (glad I didn't, bullets dodged!) so I have a certain admiration for you in the circumstances, more so for taking on a new language and culture. France is relatively easy I would imagine, if not without it's own idiosyncrasies but, tbh, I wouldn't really know other than Frenchie and Yorkies diaries in the Nest!
When on holiday this year I lost my wallet. No idea where as we had been out site seeing, and it could have been dropped in a number of places. I reported the loss to the local police office, but found I had to go and report it again to a second one in a different town as they didn't communicate with each other. Not expecting to see it again I started to find out what I would need to do to replace everything, and the list was horrific. Bank cards: French and English, so all accounts had to be suspended and therefore no access to any money. Carte Sejour: My most valuable card as it is used as the French use their ID cards and is accepted as a passport within Europe. Driving Licence: You cannot drive a car without carrying your permit. Health Card: You need this to reclaim money spent at the doctors, pharmacist, or hospital. It shows you are in the French health system. Access card to the recycling centre. It was found, all the money taken, then put in a post box. The postman took it to the police office, and I was able to reclaim it, but finding out what paper work would be required to replace the cards was beyond belief.
Cheers Fez, and glad you got your wallet back OFH. I don't have a car. But, yesterday got my driving licence as sometimes rent a car. So, go figure, to get my driving licence I needed, birth certificate, passport, visa, house bill, doctor's letter; saying I am fit to drive, copy of old DL (yet not expired, but from old state.) Had to upload it all online in PDFs to Gov office. Went to the office and no issues, had a theory test, 10 easy questions, took an eye test which Stevie Wonder would have passed. As I had a licence from another state, they asked me if they thought it was important if I took a driving test. I said I am confident driving. OK they said pay and we'll give you your card. The most documents I've ever been asked for. EDIT: I got it as better than taking my passport or visa around as that is a ball ache and if lost so am I.
Christmas is getting nearer, as I was reminded when a member of the town council delivered two hampers for us. A bottle of red and one of white in each box. Still decent wines, but smaller bottles in these times of austerity, along with many other items, sweet and savoury. It is nice to know that we are just as much of the community as a native born resident. All those over 60 years old receive one, and I noticed that three less were required as people had died, but I don't know how many will have reached that magical age.
My wife arrived home a little while ago from her last day at work - retiring after 20 years at the same school she started at as a supply teacher when we came here from Australia in December 2004. She had asked for little fuss on her last day, but, typically, the kids, parents and school staff ignored her request. Not a big school - about 350 children - but she has taught the majority of them in her time there. She spent her final day with the kids queuing at her classroom door to say goodbye, give her a hug and a present - and most of the parents were with them doing the same. Needless to say, she was still in tears when she got home - wondering if she had made the right decision. We both have to go back there on Monday morning though - her car wasn't big enough for all her presents, so we're taking two cars to finish the job.
I am retiring in July. I will have to go through the farewell stuff so I am going to make it very silly, rather than have the usual speeches. The secretaries say that they will get a cake with, "Happy Birthday, Maureen" written on it and claim that they picked the wrong one up from the cake shop. We will see. I will be very glad to leave.
Yup, been off work for two weeks with a bug. And that's the key, apart from the hacking my lungs up, has been the exhaustion, clumsiness, and inability to think straight for more than three minutes in the hour! Quite the doozy.
I missed the bulk of yesterday's match at Burnley because I responded to an email notification - an email telling me that both my sister in Munich and brother in Sydney are seriously ill in hospital. It's things like this that make you reassess priorities - there will always be another football match to watch/listen to but you can't magic loved family members out of nothing if they die. My only consolation is that each of them are being looked after in two of the best health systems that the world has to offer. I may be quiet on here for a while...
Mme left her phone on the plane on the way back from Greece last October. For some reason she was not on the planet and I didn't pick up on this and did not double check. Phone was not handed in so we bought a new one, got EE to block old phone and send new sim. Put new sim in phone and everything came back except her notes, odd. I read recently of a lady who had her Apple phone stolen and Apple were not interested in giving her back her photos and other stuff stored in their cloud. Appalling was to treat a customer but then if you will buy Applecrap..... I don't use my phone as a wallet and I hate the way everything these days seems to depend on your phone or app within it, it can easily be stolen or lost and I keep as much of my personal stuff off it as possible.
It is at times like this BB, that you wish that people didn't live so far away, and you could jump in the car for a quick visit. As Scully says, let us hope for a speedy recovery, and you are able to talk to them by phone as a second-best option.
