February 21st Thursday

We didn’t have much scheduled for this day because we didn’t have class. We got up kind of late around 11:00 or 12:00. I had some cereal and yogurt for breakfast.

Renée had talked about going to Eurodisney today but she slept in later than she’d planned. We all stayed around the apartment for a little bit to get showered and dressed.

Then in the afternoon, we went to an office at 13 rue de l’Université. There was supposedly an office there that would help Sciences Po students with the carte de séjour process. We didn’t quite know what to expect but ended up faced with a pleasant woman named Veronique Lebrun. I had forgotten my folder of documents at home so we’d have to go back, but she told us what we’d need just so we’d know. We needed to get an envelope of a certain size with a return slip.

We went back to the apartment so that I could grab my documents. Then we ran to the post office so that we could buy the envelope, stamps, and notice of receipt. I also purchased €75 for my cell phone. When I purchase €75 it gives me €25 extra for a total of €100.

With our documents and envelopes in hand, we went back to the office before it closed. We had to fill out a form and get it all arranged. The situation turned out to be very pleasant. There was no ridiculous line to wait in. The woman was nice and very helpful. She even went into another office to make copies for us when we realized that one of the forms was different. I couldn’t believe our program had no idea that this service was available for all foreign students of Sciences Po. This was so much easier than the hell that is the prefecture office. France is crazy sometimes.

We had successfully submitted our forms for the carte de séjour!! We had to go through a different avenue but it was a point for us against French bureaucracy. We decided to go to the BHV store for a few things and to look for lunch in the area. We waited in the hectic line for the Brioche Dorée. I thought it was way too late for a lunch crowd until I realized we’d waited until the dinner crowd. It was 6:00pm. No wonder I felt so hungry! I was getting shaky from not eating.

I ordered a tuna baguette sandwich along with a peach tea and a raspberry tart. The sandwich was good and the tuna was a fun change of pace. The tart was very good if a little difficult to eat without a fork. We ate sitting on the edge of a fountain by the Hôtel de Ville.

We went into BHV to look for various items that some of us needed. Renée was looking for some superglue to glue her boot together. I ended up buying two boxes of Oreos and a cheap Sarah Brightman CD.

We made our way back home. I typed up an email about the experience at the office for the carte de séjour as well as the list of things we needed. Amanda, a TAM student, was wondering if she could go through the process too. Meanwhile Renée did laundry in our machine.

I had some yogurt to snack on while I talked to people online. I got to talk to Megan and be excited about my tickets to see her in Scotland. I also got to talk to my parents on Skype and my brother and Tom online. I also wrote a letter to Maura to say thank you for the wonderful necklace that she’d sent to me. It had arrived somewhere around the 18th of February. It was a very cute Eiffel tower on a long chain with some other sparkles dangling off. I really like it so it was fun writing a letter of thanks to her.

We managed to get to bed at around 2:00am.