Wednesday 4 February 2015

My Weekend in Paris

I was so happy to be back, even though the city felt both strange and familiar to me...

The number one thing I noticed, which I did not and will never miss is French inefficiency. I went back this weekend mainly to see friends, but also to do one or two administrative things. Can anyone guess how many I managed to get done? Zero, yep you heard me right, zero, zéro, null, odo rabata...!!! It was such a waste of time, energy, effort and emotions!

See before I moved to Brussels, I went to my French bank TWICE to tell them about the move, and to change my details as well as my assigned branch/agency. So imagine my surprise when I arrived in Paris on Saturday morning and rushed straight to the bank only to be told I couldn't close my account because it was still being held at the other branch! I mean, knowing that French banks only open between 11-1 on Saturdays, and not at all on Mondays, I had planned my journey (leaving my house at 6am!) to get there in time. Of course by the time the good lady took her time to "check" things thoroughly and finally got round to telling me this, it was already 12.15, too late to get to the other branch before they closed. I was furious, and I swear I just wanted to break down and cry! Still, I remembered that shouting in situations like this (in Paris at least), never changes anything, so I respected myself and jejely left without killing anyone. Luckily I am scheduled to go back in March for my sister's graduation. Hopefully, I'll be able to sort stuff out then.

The second thing I wanted to do was to get a "certificate of work" from my previous job. The thing is, when one moves within the EU, one needs this certificate to be able to register with the social security system in the new country. Without this registration, access to services is impossible and one is obliged to pay out of pocket each time you need/use anything e.g. medical care. This can become very expensive, very quickly, and as I am currently not covered, I basically spend my days praying not to fall seriously ill. I have written the French, but they keep saying they've sent it (to all the wrong addresses!), so I'll again have to physically go there to try and sort things out. Another couple of things added to my already long list of things to do when I go back in March. God help me!

Now, on to the much longer list of things I really enjoyed and  now desperately miss: MY FRIENDS, the beauty of Paris, the ambiance, the food, the beautifully presented delicious desserts, that feeling of being chez moi, sitting on/meeting friends on the steps of Opéra Garnier, lunch by myself at my favourite restaurant, free water in restaurants, good Nigerian food...!!!
Yummy frozen yoghurt
I took this dessert along, to dinner with friends
 
 Some pounded yam with real efo riro and egusi, and some palm juice

I honestly can't wait to go back in about 4weeks.

17 comments:

  1. Look who had fun. It's the shacking of the palm wine that's getting to me. I'm feeling very deprived right now, not to mention jealous. Glad you had fun.

    I've had the roughest fortnight where it was like the universe was deliberately setting me up with the most infuriating people and situations.
    Sadly, I'm not like you who managed the French situations quite calmly. I am so deficient in patience, I despair sometimes. And so, I did a lot of yelling and screaming. I was almost always in a mood, and I chewed basically everyone's head off. Oyinbo will diagnose me hormonal, hehehe. But I apologised, at least to a few people. Proud of you, by the way. Proud of your maturity.
    I hope you get it sorted soonest. Please let me know how to send the book across.

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    1. Hey hey,
      I'm sorry to hear about your week! And no, I'm not usually this calm, it's just because I tried the ranting with the French and noticed that apart from raising my BP, nothing changed....
      Hope the hormone surge hasgone back to normal sha lol.

      And yay for me winning the book. Seems like this year is my year of great free things.

      Gros gros bisous

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  2. Replies
    1. Also thank you! (I can hear my mum telling me she raised me better lol!)

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  3. It looks like a wonderful time. I love your photos, thank you so much for sharing. :)

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    1. It was Linda! And thanks for the compliments.

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  4. It looks like a wonderful time. I love your photos, thank you so much for sharing. :)

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  5. I have Paris on my To-Do list and i'm hoping to cross it off sooner than later. So you're learning German #JealousMuch. I've been on French since forever and i'm not fluent yet. I need a speaking partner to correct and all *deep sigh*

    Toinlicious

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    1. I hope you get to do it soon too. Paris is a great place to be a tourist, not so much for living in/finding your way as an immigrant though as you can see...

      Yes o, I had to increase my brideprice, lol! Jokes aside though, do look for someone because that's the only way you'll ever really make progress. Good luck with French, it is a fun language to learn!

      Oh and thanks for visiting!

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  6. Oh that's frustrating, not being able to sort out your bank and certificate of work tasks, however kudos to you for handling the situation with grace.

    Oh to be able to visit Paris often!

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    1. Thanks Jummy. And I know how lucky we are here in Europe that everything is so nearby!

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  7. Aside the administrative drama, its obvious dass du zu viel Spaß gemacht! So nett denke ich und eigentlich gut oder? Wenn du so viel bei der Arbeit machen und leben im allgemeinen ist es wirklich gut zu ein bisschen Urlaub! Life is sehr kurz ! Glad u had fun! Hahaha palm juice. Für ein moment dachte ich : huh? Was bedeutet Palmsaft? Und dann BAM habe ich das Bild bessere als erstmal gesehen. Also, Palm Wein meinte sie! Silly Mädchen!
    The egusi sieht sehr gut aus!!! Vielleicht dieses Wochenende könnten wir egusi und yam essen zum Mittagessen...hmmmm oder mit Reis. Wir gucken...

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    1. Hey Clara,

      Schönen Tag wünsch ich dir erstmal <3

      Ich finde diese „Administration” Sache ist nicht anders als hier in den Staaten. Manchmal ist es zu schwierig und manchmal ist es einfach. Egal ob man nach einer neuen Stadt oder einem neuen Staat umzieht. Kann immer schief laufen.

      Schön, dass du so viel Spaß in Paris hattest und gutes Essen genossen hast. Du machst richtig neidisch weißt du?! ;)

      Jetzt hab ich viertel vor 10 Uhr morgens und noch nicht gefrühstückt. Jetzt dass ich diese leckeren Bilder gesehn habe möchte ich einen chocolate-y Nachtisch zum frühstück hehe.

      Gruß und Kuss,


      La Deutsche Diva - The Denglisch Blog

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    2. I meant palm juice Jen Jen. They had no palm wine and offered us this instead and we decided to take it because we thought it'd be the same. Not at all! It had the smell and a bit of the taste but that was all sadly. And yes I had so much fun. Come join me in being a nurse and you can have lots of time off too, depending on how you plan your hours off course ;)

      Shahidah, the administartion in France is the worst of them all. It is even know around Europe! The Brits are strict, but efficient and I miss that so much. Oh and palm wine is fermented palm tree sap, oh so yummy! Palm juice is the baby version i.e. no fermentation. If you make it to Europe where I am soon, I promise to take you to a Nigerian restaurant. You're one of us now lol!

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  8. Awwwgghhh Egbon pele oh! It is sad that you were unable to get the documentations wahala cleared on time.. anyhow sha, E ma worry sho gbo? Oluwa pass them, and they cant hold my Egbon and potential inlaw down **Wears Mr Nigeria Smile. #TeamTai+Dur.. I really do wish you took my Eiffel picture tower oh!... Hopefully yeah Bubba, if i can do Ojukokoro enough and get enough money before I turn 27, i wanna propose on the top of the Eiffel tower to whatever lady will be holding my mumu button that time, and who will be the reason to be useless then,... **Shines teeth.. You know ehn Bubba, it thrills me how you live this your #Ajala lifestyle so effortlessly oh! like its merely going trekking from V.I to Festac.. Dear Heavens, i declare that in this year 2015, my international passport must be disvirgined by fire by force oh ni oruko Jesuuuuu. :) In other news, ye haf start oh! All the oppression and longer throat ye haf been causing on Instagram all this while egbon, you haf carry it to blogsville ba?! kai that Yogurt is toasting my taste buds baje baje shaaa.. :) Nice one Clara toh sure, it was a thrilling read! Turn up Turn up ladies and gentlemen, with Egbon Clara toh sure, its never a dull moment... and the crowd goes. Yeeeaaaahh mehn! Oooossssshhhheeey! :)

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    1. Lol! I'm feeling better about it at the mo. My fav aburo, I didn't worry to much because I knew I'd be back in the first weekend of March. I promise solemnly that i will take your eiffel tower pics then...pinky promise. And amen to proposing on the tower...isn't not our own lovable woman wrapper?

      Triple amen to the disvirgination of your passport, although I feel slightly sinful saying that in a prayer lol!

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