Administrative Troubles and Attitude Adjustments

French administration has been stereotyped to be...well, "less than IDEAL."
And though I joke about stereotypes ALL THE TIME, I USUALLY mean no harm by them, believing stereotypes to be misleading, if not FALSE; however...in this case, regarding French administration, I think the stereotype does not address quite well enough HOW BAD things really are.

I'm no economist, but I do think France's socialist ROOTS (here I should mention that they are no longer "socialist" by nature), have had a strong effect on peoples' attitudes towards 1) service, 2) quality and meaning of "work and "efficienty" 3) PERSONAL DUTY and 4) social HEIRARCHY.

Communication is poor, mainly because you have to network through (minimally) 5 different persons before tracking down the person with whom you need to speak (who is most often on absence for x or y reasons,) and not to mention how poor the INTERNET quality is...perhaps it's just my bad luck...but I haven't had such poor quality connectivity since I was in 8th grade, "dialing up" to use AOL! (No wonder why people don't get to 'checking their emails' in timely fashion...)

When you go inside stores, people are in NO HURRY to help you. You have to HUNT down the alleged 'workers,' hoping not to disturb them from one of their many seemingly-heated/involved discussions or phone conversations - taking place during working-hours (often over their frequent* cigarette breaks.) Overhearing their whispers, you may get the gist of the average person's conversation concerning: adultery, sex, being underpaid, or one hating one's life...depression is not only rampant, but very "spoken of" here (despite the fact that psychological aid & psychiatrical counseling is looked upon as a joke.)

Therefore, if you DARE ask HELP from a help-desk, you'd think you were speaking a completely different language with the kinds of responses you get: rolling eyes, sighs, weird stares...forget SMILES! WTF is that?!??!! SMILING!?!?!? THAT'S "so AMERICAN!"

Don't even TRY to mess with someone near lunch-break. As if 2 hours was not sufficient to enjoy lunch, at quarter-to noon, the workers get antsy...a kind of anxiety that heightens all the more around 5 or 6 pm upon "closing time..." Rituals.

PAPER WORK and PAPER work seems to do the trick to 'hold off the masses' for the most part though, since if someone doesn't want to "deal" with you - you're handed a stack of papers. And not only is there NO SPACE for you to complete the paper-work on-spot, but you are EXPECTED to fill it out at home, to make copies of EVERY personal document you own, and then to MAIL IT directly (photo attached) to x or y address - allegedly to their "offices" (which again, buys them more time).

"Bread crumbs and paper trails..." my 2 most memorable 'traces' of France:

As I explained at the beginning of this blog, I first encountered administrative troubles first at th Biblitheque Nationale, alongside my facing weeks of trouble tracking down/receiving news/contractual-PAPERWORK (this time very necessary and useful paperwork to confirm my JOB) from the Academic "rectorat" (or the Federal department of education). Without any "confirmation of my "status" I could not get my social-security card, nor my health-insurance...which both required proof of 3 month's salary - but the majority of French workers were "ON VACATION" and couldn't be bothered for 2 1/2 months to get in touch with helpless desperate souls. If I fell ill, I'd be screwed...

At least this is what I was thinking, due to the absence of any sort of explanation. ANY kind of information was obtained with much effort and with much difficulty. I waited in line at the social-security offices TWICE, and was oft pushed away with paper-work and minimal explanation, thus leaving me questioning...."what NEXT?" No one was there to answer my questions...let alone from my 2 bosses, who pointed to the other for answers. "Ask X, your question pertains to things outside of our working capacities"...and then no..."Ask Y, that's not our job...ask X again."

In addition, it took 3-weeks waiting to receive my measily little bank atm-card (due to the Federal banking system) which made it very difficult to access my account on off-banking hours (which are basically ALL THE TIME!!!!!!!!)

6 1/2 months went by before I FINALLY got my social security card (that is, after sending in for a THIRD time, copies of my address, passport, and proof of salary...I suppose they LOST my records at one point!)

Along with the other problems I had with administration at the time, I suppose I was looking for trouble when I decided to apply for lodging-aid through "family services." My cousin had told me that my desperate financial situation (and very lowly single woman's salary) called for/granted me 25%-40% aid in lodgment costs; but it took 2 1/2 months for them to actually "read my paper work" and to REJECT ME.

When I finally moved in to my apartment, GETTING internet looked like it'd be another hurdle to hop over. My building apparently had no phone-lines (this is, after I called NUMEROUS services to find out if there were any records of phone bills at this address), so hiring a technician to INSTALL a line would have not only been expensive, but very timely...(a 2-month waiting line!!!!)

After getting a phone-line installed, ONLY then would I have been able to reserve an internet cable box (which were ordered from FAR FAR AWAY..(?)..which could have taken up to 1 month to be delivered...) BAHHH!! I just grit my teeth and paid for a 3-G (a usb option) to avoid the trouble...

Luckily, my cell phone had been out on loan by the woman for whom I was/am still doing babysitting, Mrs. K...

The cell phone however, doesn't make things easy to make international calls. That is, I've learned the HARD way that international-calling is 1) expensive as HELL and 2) not very evident/easily accomplished.

You'd think things like this would be straightforward, but I've come to learn that most things are NOT very straight-forward here. On the international-calling cards, there are numbers to call from a public-pay phone, as well as to call from your cell phone.

After 10 mins, my cell ran out of minutes, though I had paid over 30 euros...and when I tried the public telephone, I found that you could NOT use international calling cards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO WHERE. Collect-calls only.

I dialed the operator, and got HUNG UP ON when I asked her ANY question. "There's nothing I can do for you. Goodbye." NO APOLOGIES. That too, is "VERY AMERICAN!!!"

In fact, apologies are looked upon as "weak" I'm told. After all; administration here is based upon ordering and rank (a social heirarchy) - so one cannot admit to being wrong to someone else as long as that other person is "lower in rank than him or her" let alone to someone outside of his/her social network. It's completely pig-headed and rotten...that is...if you ask me...!

But what keeps me laughing are the EXTREMELY formal "cordial" customs; addressing strangers politely as "Madame" "Monsieur" only to follow with the most ridiculous of statements...

Letters and emails are finely written WHEN they're written - using the most "soutenu" (classy) French, and are closed with a fancy closing sentiment..."Very respectfully" or "Cordially yours..." or "I beg you to grant me the honor..." It's pretty hilarious, if you want my opinion.

Social "rules" exist where you'd never otherwise see them: don't get chummy with collegues or classmates, or else you'll be stabbed in the back...which was one "rule" I had been clued into a couple months after working, and TRYING to get chummy with collegues. The French are ALWAYS looking out for their own backs, knowing very damn well the next person will use ANY opportunity to make them look bad (only to make themselves look all the better.) ANY WAY TO MOVE UP IN THE WORLD; A DOG-EAT-DOG WORLD.

It's sad...if I'm to give honest feedback here.