Forever pedestrian?

Warning : long post and lots of whinings to follow

The topic speaks for itself, you may have guessed that it is about driving.  This is my most shameful secret ever : I don't have my driver's license.  I must be a rare case.  I tried to get my driver's license in Québec, when I was 18 years old.  Most of you know that in North America we can get a driver's license at 16 yrs old, without spending a fortune on driving courses, since we are allowed to drive with our parents and most cars come with automatic transmissions.  I've learned to drive with my father but gave up quickly.  My "lessons" were mostly yelling and nausea (from my father).  As for my mother, she refused to assist me with my driving.  I failed miserably the driving exam because of the lack of pratice.

 I got by just fine without driving, as the public transportation in Outaouais and Ottawa were efficient and not too expensive.  When I moved to Ottawa, my father urged me to get my driver's license before leaving the country.  Thing that I completly disregarded.  When I left Canada, I thought naively that I can get it in France.  I didn't take the matter seriously and thought that driving with a manual transmission shouldn't be a big deal or that they teach automatic transmission too over there.

Years went by and I was still not interested in having a driver's license.  I thought that I would be returning in Canada and get it there.   2 years, 3 years, I still live in France...and I really feared the manual transmission.

Last year, I finally decided to kick myself in the ass and do something about it before I get really old.  When I finally went in the driving school in my village, I was mad.  Not only it is costly but they only teach with a manual transmission.  I reluctlantly signed the cheque and swallowed my anger.  I opted for the "quickest way", driving courses with the driving school.  The other option was to drive with my husband for a year, but I thought it was too long.

They asked 800 euros for the theoric exam and administration fees, which also included exams fees and 40 euros per hour for a lesson. The Préfecture demands that a candidate must drive at least 20 hours before trying for the pratical driving exam.  But the catch is that nobody is completly ready with so little hours of driving.  The driving school charges 40 euros to evaluate how many hours of driving you must do in order to be really for the exam.  The average is 30 hours, but the guy who evaluated me said that I needed at least 45 hours.  For the theoric test, it took me a few months to get it.  Got it the first time but spent hours studying for it.  The multiple choice exam is not too hard but the ones we do in the driving school are ridiculously hard.  The questions are tricky and twisted.  That was my only preview of what must be the school system in France.  We had to say outloud our marks in front of everybody.

Then I got to drive.  My driving courses were a pain.  My instructor was a 50 something yrs old man.  He was talking 80% of the time (while I was driving) on the "driving school radio" (with his colleagues and boss).  He was doing his schedule the rest of the time.  And when he was done with the radio talking, he would yell at me like I was a kid, while using "vous" and being formal by calling me Mrs. T.  I thought that being treated like crap and being yelled at is a bad moment to endure and that I have to tough it out and wipe my tears.  I thought that maybe this is how they do it in France.  After 30 hours of driving, I haven't made any parking maneuver and started to worry.  I felt like I was ripped off because the old instructor was "old school".  I did a research on the net and learners must run away from barking driving instructors who treat their students like dogs in training.

Luckily, I had a new instructor because the old man had to teach truck driver's students and was overbooked.  I wanted to complaint to the boss about the yelling and the lack of progression after the numerous hours, but I didn't have to.  They hired a young person who was freshly out of driving instructor's school.  She was really helpful and we got along really great but I felt like I had to learn all over again because the old man wasn't at all efficient.

After 55 hours of driving, she had to let me pass the exam.  I can sense that she wasn't really convinced that I could pass the test but gave me a date for the exam.  Yesterday was D-day.  Naively, I thought that I could pass it.  I practiced so much.  Most of every French person I know passed the test 2-3 times.  What  was I thinking, that I could be better than them.  The examiner seemed friendly.  He arrived 30 minutes late, started to "bise" my instructor.  I found that odd since they've never met and thought it was inappropriate. We got in the car, the 3 of us.  He said you may begin.  Then he started to talk to my instructor like he was an old lost friend.  In 30 minutes (the duration of the exam), I got to learn that he used to be an instructor in a driving school for years and passed the "fonctionnaire" exam.  He worked as an examiner 3 years in Paris, got divorced, remarried with a driving school owner and so on.  Then asked about my instructor's life.  With all this nonsense-crazy talking, he managed to yell at me and insulted me and said that I couldn't control the clutch and the gear.  He also braked abruptly while I was already slowing down. My instructor said that when the examiner brakes, you're cooked.  Even if you drive ok the rest of the exam, you're done.  The guy who passed the exam before me, only got to drive 15 minutes.  Even if he did a big fault, he should have had let him drive so he can experience the rest of the test.  I almost cried when I finished.  I knew I failed it.  I admit I didn't do great but his behaviour was innapropriate, talking about his personal life and "examine" my driving skills at the same time.

While I got questionned with a quick question about the rearview mirrors outside of the car, I answered and he totally ignored my answer and continued with his personal discussion with my instructor.  I didn't have a coat on and it was pouring rain.  The yelling, the insults and his constant talking got the best of me.  I got distracted and failed.  I don't understand this kind of behaviour.  How can a public servant can act like terror and get away with it.  The fonctionnaires are on their own and can act like jerks without ever fear to lose their jobs.  What a constrast with the Canadian public servants who are most of the time helpful and polite.  Of course, I had to search on the net again and checked if I was the only one treated like a piece of crap.  Apparently this is common behaviour.  Terrorizing the driving candidates and testing their stress level is part of the game.  They are also protected by their union and the Interior Ministry.

The Interior ministry instructed to the examiners to only give out 57% of the driving lincense to candidates.  1,5 millions candidates try to pass the exam every year in France and only 1 out of 2 gets it.  At the same time, the Interior minister prides himself that a lot of lives are saved because of his politics on tough driving permits.  His theory : less drivers, less potential deaths on the French roads.  Getting the "papier rose", pink paper, (that's how French people like to call their driving license), is a uphill battle.  You gotta sweat it, empty your wallet to have the priviledge to drive.  A lot of middle class or poorer people are unable to drive because of this stupid mentality.  Not being able to drive is another obstacle to get out of poverty.  This is another example of lack of common sense of  this country.

I got my exam's result today by mail.  They have decided not to give the result right away, because some candidates got aggressive on the examiners.  Too bad I didn't get the courage to punch my examiner too.  (will I be deported if I did it? lol).

After speaking with my instructor, she insisted that I continue with "la conduite supervisée", which allows the candidates who failed their exam, to drive with a family member for 3 months and drive 1000 km before passing another time the driving test.  I have made a few calls at the préfecture and another driving school.  My instructor told me that the examiner said that I was made to drive with an automatic transmission and that I should try to pass another exam with this kind of car.  Why fight it, I'm not made for manual transmission.  A very few driving schools offer this service.  My best bet is to try this conduite supervisée with my automatic transmission car and have a few more lessons with a new driving school. It is a shame that I have the coolest car, a toyota hybrid, with automatic transmission and I can't drive it.  I would have to be patient again.  To be continued.

Homemade confiture, another French Tradition

The first couple of years I arrived in France, I "almost" found the country charming.  My mother in law was cooking great meals and I usually visited on August, where it was time for harvesting all the fruits and vegetables in the my in-laws' garden.  As if there are not enough fruits to pick in their garden, we would also go in the woods and gather wild berries, especially blackberries.  I enjoyed it very much, but my husband not so much.  He told me that it could take all afternoon to get buckets of blackberries with  his family when he was a kid.  Something I took for granted, having the pleasure to have organic vegetables and fruits.  Now no one is there to grow vegetables and get those wild berries, except me.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to my neighbour who had an open door event, for his non profitable organization (teach kids and adults to grow organic vegetables).  It was a Jam Trade event.  I was curious but I was thinking, "oh boy, this is so corny and I hope it's not a hippy thing with organic obsessed freaks".  It wasn't, it was interesting.  I learned how to make jams.  Something I wasn't really interested in since I don't usually enjoy sweet breakfast.  And my MIL was making her jams too sweet, ratio 1 kg of sugar for 1 kg of fruit.  I once told her that is was too sweet and she just answered it was the recipe period.  At the neighbour, they said that you can lower the sugar ratio and the jam won't turn, i.e. 2/3 sugar for 1 kg of fruits.  I brought cakes but no jams.  I left empty handed because I had no jam to trade.  But a couple of days after, the neighbour brought be one jar of rhubarb jam and a bunch of rhubarb.  That many rhubarb was overwhelming so I began to make jam too.  By doing a little research I've learned that certain fruits have natural pectine to set the jelly or jam and apple seeds are filled of pectine.  So I put an apple with the rhubarb.  What a great combination.  I thought it tasted great so I got a little carried away with jam making and haven't stopped making jams for the last couple of weeks.

Elderberries from the garden, the tree is considered a nuisance.

Blackberries

 

Blackberries are also considered nuisance since their thorns can grow wildly on fences.

As the elderberries have not enough pectines, I threw in cores and seeds of an apple

 

Dump the sugar and let it rest until the fruits explode and yield their juice

 

Boil the fruits

 

 Messy job when you want to make jelly.

Sterilizing the lids and jars.

 

Elderberry, blackberry and apple jellies.

 

For the wild berries in the wood, I was told to boil them before eating.  Animal germs can be found on them (bacteria).  I usually pick the berries above my waist. 

Making jelly is not really cheap, but you can control the amount of sugar and no chemical is in it. 

If someone in France gives you a homemade jam, consider this as a real gift, because it takes great effort to make one jar.

Élections municipales

A lot of topics are surfacing during municipal elections, even if the elections will only take place next spring. For now, the Socialist Government has decided to stop making any decisions until next year.  Because even municipal elections are governed by Socialists or UMP parties.  For instance, in Lille, the capital of North of France, Martine Aubry is still the mayor, and she is a socialist member.  There's a lot of polemics around the city, such as Roms (gypsies) camping right in the middle of the city.  And Martine Aubry has to relocate them.  French ministers are making harsh comments about this nomadic population.  Even Bruxelles had to stepped in and warned France to apply Europeans rules for this population.   According  to the media, France has only 20,000 Roms, compared to Germany who has 100 000 roms population.  This is a touchy topic because Roms are protected by European laws.  The cities are required to have "camping" sites for them, but some chose not to camp in those areas.  Since violence is one of the concerns for municipalities, Roms are the targets for the politicians.  The Interior Minister made hard comments on the Rom situation and François Hollande, has not yet commented on this touchy topic.  He really wants to win the municipal elections!

Another topic that concerns municipalities, is Sunday shopping.  Last Sunday, 14 hardware stores outside Paris have opened on Sunday, and greeted their clients with croissants and coffees.  The prefecture has forbidden those stores to open on Sunday but they decided to go against it.  The government has no authority.  They were fined 120 000 euros per day.  I've learned that it was the Unions who filed  complaints against those hardware stores and part of the fine money will go directly to the Unions.

Those stores say that Sunday sales represent 20% of their weekly sales.  In Europe, the majority of countries choose to not open businesses on Sundays.  In France, some exceptions are tolerated : food stores open Sunday until 1pm, gardening centres are opened, restaurants, movie theatres, etc.  Politicians try to minimize the fact the already 8 millions French people work during Sunday, by choice or not, policemen, hospital staff, etc.  Wether it is a right or left wing government, Sunday Shopping has always been a touchy subject.  Out of tradition and because the working unions are against it, Sunday should remain a day to rest.  In comparison, in Canada, we are free to shop on Sunday since the late 80's.  It was a drugmart that took the governement to court and won in 1985.  Sunday was the day of rest for Christians, but it can no longer be a tradition in Canada.

In my opinion, I find insulting that the government wants to have Sunday closed and doesn't take any consideration that a lot of people already work that day.  Of course, who really wants to work on Sundays.  But some do, like students for instance.  The government should allow any store to open whenever they want.  There are also a little extra on the paycheck for those who work on Sunday, depending on the work contract.  French people are more concerned about the economic crisis and are mad that the government is not willing to change.

Also, a few stores on the Champs Élysée are opened until 9 pm, and Unions have made complaints and want the stores to close at 8 pm.  Of couse, employees are not happy about this.  It seems that those who represent employees don't have the same interests and goals.

French people have been perceived as "lazy" workers because of the law of 35 hours/week (implemented by Martine Aubry) and their many holidays. The reality is that they want to work just like any other country, but the government and the Unions are not willing to budge and make labour laws more flexible.  France is its own enemy.


http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e8ea1880-29c6-11e3-bbb8-00144feab7de.html#axzz2gkVEO5Ga

Still Struggling - Losing weight part 2

I can be redundant, I have probably already blogged about this many times, but my weight is my struggle. 

About a couple years ago, we (husband and I) decided to do something about our health.  (We gained a lot of weight after we got married).  We've been hitting the gym 3 times a week for the last two years, almost religiously.  The weight is not coming off quickly, but it doesn't matter.  Working out has become a need, since we lead stressful lives.  Of course, the goal is to lose weight, and exercising is not enough, eating less is the key.  I have not lost a lot of weight since I have started, only 3 kg (6,6 lbs).  I would have to lose 20 lbs to reach my "college weight".   At my University, I had access to free gym and free swimming pool (included in the tuition fees of course), and I just went to the gym without any goals, except that it was free and my friends were going too.  Sometimes, I even jogged along the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, between classes.  I never thought I was athletic back then.  I thought it was just fun. 

The only indicator that I have done something right is that I have lost 3-4 sizes, I got from size 14 to 10 and I no longer have chubby arms. You can call me cheap or weird, but I rarely buy clothes in France, even after 8 years.  I just hate the clothes here.  The sizes are not the same as in Canada.  Size 12 is more like a size 14 here (44).  I always feel fat when I try on clothes.  I think French women like their clothes tight.  Last time I bought clothes was 2 years ago, when I was in Canada.  I didn't get to go last year since I was in South East Asia.  Now I just look ridiculous with those big pants and floating t-shirts.

Eating

We don't diet, but we have changed the way we eat.  As an Asian, I would eat rice at every meal, except for breakfast.  I would probably eat on the weekend a  rice porridge for breakfast if I were at my parents' house.  Now I would have rice less than once a week.  I no longer crave it.  My husband told me that we were eating too much carbs.  I have cut down on carbs, often for suppers.  I have noticed that my mother in law rarely has carbs in the evening.  We have substitued the carbs for beans, potatoes, salads, etc.  

We also try to eat less meat, sometimes 2-3 days a week.  I don't know how vegetarians and vegans do, but it is really hard to come up with balanced meals without meat.  Last week, we didn't have a lot of meat for 2 days, and when I finally eat my pork chop, I was almost shaking (of pleasure). I thought I can do without meat but I'm not vegetarian.  The same day, I saw a truck full of pigs heading for the slaughterhouse.  I felt sad because these pigs have probably never seen the sun, maybe this one time in the truck.  But this is not stopping me from having meat.  Shame shame.

In France, nothing is made to help vegetarians.  You would have to shop at a bioscoop (organic store) to find tofu or at the asian market.  In Canada, vegetarians have more choices.  In Québec, they have a restaurant chain, "le Commensal" that is strictly vegetarian. Some populations do not eat meat at all and they get by just fine.  The least I can do is try to eat less meat. 

Fun facts (wiki)
Vegetarian populations
Estimated 1 millions vegetarian in France 2% of the population
In Europe, vegetarians are found the most in Germany (8M) and Italy (6M)
India is where you find the most vegetarian population, about 40% (500 M)
Canada : 4%

The most sastifying vegetarian meals are asian (for me).  I made a pad thai, with bean sprouts and tofu, rice noodles and it was delicious.  Vegetarian curries are also good and filling.  Now, I just need to find the time to cook.  The meat will be still present in my meals but just a little less.

 Vegetarian Pad Thai

                  French classic, salade de gésiers de canard.  With my mâches from the garden and poached egg.

Some Breakthroughs?

It is still rainy in North of France.  We had rain 2 weeks in a row, luckily météo France predicts more sun for the rest of the week.  Other than that, nothing much around here on the Farm.

On another subject, I just read that the Interior Ministry has facilitated  naturalization process.  As I said on a prior post, I may want to apply for it but there are too many papers to provide:

-criminal record from your home country (not needed if you can proof that you have been living in France for more than 10 years)
- the applicant must understand/speak French and has to take a test, that is around 100 euros!
-Birth certificates for the applicant and his parents (documents must be translated in French by sworn translator, 80 euros a sheet).  Not easy to provide when in Canada, we never had to use it because we were refugees.
-and so on....

I'm still not certain wherther or not I want to be naturalized.  I have a few obstacles.  As of today, I have not yet received my criminal record from Canada.  I have sent it 2-3 months ago.  Of course, the cheque has been cashed in already.

My major concern is that I have some great difficulties to have my father's birth certificate.  I was born during the war in C.a.m.b.o.d.i.a and my father was "naturalized" Cambodian, since he was born in Vietnam and left during childhood.  (A part of Cambodia was annexed to Vietnam, and Cambodians minority are still there). My birth certificate and my mother's were not too hard to obtain, but the Cambodian authorities did not want to issue one for my father.  So, I only have a bad photocopy of an old Birth certificate for my father that was from the '70, when he was studying in France.  Of course, all the civil records have been destroyed during war.

 There are breakthroughs for the naturalization process:
-Foreigners who have studied in French from a francophone country do not have to take the French proficiency test. (still to be verified).
-documents like Birth certificates are not needed to be less than 3 months-old and we can give a photocopy

I'm not in a hurry to be French, but my life can be a little easier when traveling in Europe or for retirement pension, or voting.  I'm still here as an expat, but will I ever do the jump to be French?  I think I will need more than luck to deal with this French bureaucracy.