Ok, so as most of you know, my husband and I went through the interview and it was quite smooth. Now... we are going through the beginning process of paperwork for me to one day be a French citizen.
A bit of background before I jump into the story....
We are working through the French Embassy in San Francisco to obtain a "French family book"... all French people have one and once we get one, it will make other things smoother such as getting my Carte De Sejour or "greencard" once I live in France.
What we didn't know was we were supposed to file some paperwork BEFORE we got married with the French government. In order to fix this loophole, we were told we needed to meet with a Representative of the French Consulate. Well, it just so happens to be there was one here in my city.
We had an appt to meet her yesterday...I brought my passport, birth certificate and my original divorce decree. Now keep in mind I thought this was just me showing some paperwork, I had no idea I was going to be thrown over a BBQ.
We sat down and she proceeded to talk in French to my husband. I can understand some now so basically it was just small talk.
Then she told him to leave the room so she could ask me some questions.
First she asked me if I spoke French and I told her in French that I spoke and understood a little. She said "what are you doing to learn?" I said "well, I listed to French news every night and try to read it on the internet as well as listening to French lesson CD's on the way to work and back. I guess that wasn't good enough because she said in a very condescending way, "well, you really should learn to speak it" and I said in a firm way, I AM LEARNING IT.
First she asked me if when we met, how we met, where we first had our date etc. Then she asked me if I had any French friends BEFORE we had met. I answered "no"... then she asked me if I had any French ancestry to which I replied "not to my knowledge" then she asked me why my first name is French.
Ok ummm... I said because my mother named me after a famous person from the 60's.
Being a bit thrown off and perplexed, I asked her, "gee, I don't know if there is a wrong or right answer to these questions but is it bad that I didn't know any French people before"??? She said well, these questions are asked because we want to know your intentions for marrying a French person and that alot of people want to get out of America and go to Europe. This was prob a bad thing but I started to laugh a bit.. and said "oh ok, well, usually its the OTHER way around. And she said "well, you will be surprised at how many people marry a European just to get the passport and work in the Europe. I kept thinking to myself "gee, the last time I checked, America isn't a third world country"...
Then she asked me how long I was married before and when I got a divorce......then she asked me "what KIND of divorce it was" I said "uh, what KIND was it?" hoping that she would clarify.. she said "yeah, what kind was it?" I finally realized she wanted to know WHY I divorced and I said "well, he was a serial cheater and had roughly 8 girlfriends over the course of our marriage"... I was hoping this would sort of embarrass her because I was put off with the fact that she wanted to know something so personal.
She then asked if I had ever been to France before I met my husband and I said no but that I had traveled several times to Europe over the years to which she once again, asked if I had ever been there in all those times I had been to Europe. <sigh> I said no.
Then she asked my husband to come in and I left the room... It was a total of 5 minutes or so...
then she asked us to both come back...
The second I sat down she said I should start taking classes at the local university (by the way, she works there) and she said they have morning classes and I said "well, that wouldn't work for me" and she said WHY? I said "um because I WORK?!?!" and then she asked me what I do... before I could even get my first breath inhaled she laughed in my face and said "NOTHING?"
At this point, I was F-U-R-I-O-U-S. I said in a rude way "I was GOING TO SAY that I work at (name company here) and I am a (occupation here).
This woman was so arrogant and condescending that I couldn't wait to get out of there. I knew I had to keep my cool but it was getting tougher by the minute.
Then of all things she had the nerve to ask me if I ever planned on changing professions... and she didn't just matter of fact ask me.. she said it in a degrading way as if my current job isn't good enough. I said "well, I haven't really thought of it too much because at this point, we might move to France in the next couple of years. She said "oh what would you do in France?" Not really knowing the answer I sarcastically said "Gee, I don't know, be a journalist?" Actually, this is my dream job but she doesn't know that and you know what she said?
She said "well, I don't know if there are any jobs for English speaking people, I mean maybe there are but you need to know French and you need to learn it. Then she swung her hair back and said "honey, after all, you married a Frenchman!"
At this point, my ears became red and my face became the color of a lobster. It took every single piece of my restraint to NOT kick my foot up her nose. Believe me, I could have done it because my foot was only 2 feet away from her face... and trust me... I thought about it!
Finally after talking to my husband some more in French, she stamped the paper and said she would "send her report to the French consulate"
She said good bye and told me in French to "not to forget to learn French"
The second I walked out of there I told my husband she was a ^$&)@)^&#@& I can't say it here on the boards...
I told him it is that VERY reason that some Americans have the impression that French people are rude. I had never met a rude French person until meeting one in my own city! Go figure! You hear about Paris and the French, believe me, they are wonderful and friendly there.
To add insult to injury, when I got back to my car, there was a ticket on my car, soaking wet from the rain and stuck to the windshield. It was a visitors parking lot and there were NO signs that said I had to pay but when I searched around, there was one parking meter hiding in the bushes!
ARRRGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
