I just called France. It took me probably five attempts to get the string of numbers right, but I finally talked to someone at the rectorat de Dijon. It was the crackliest, most muffled of connections, but there was definitely a French man on the other side. What he said to me was punctuated with “Je vous entends très très mal” (I can’t hear you very well) even though I was practically shouting into the phone, but I’m pretty sure he promised to fax or e-mail me my arrêté “dès que je l’aurai” (as soon as I have it). He did also mention on the phone that he had received my e-mail–the implication being that I should not have called–even though he did not deign to respond to my e-mail, which was entirely composed of questions. But now I’ve talked to him. So that constitutes success, I suppose.

Just in brief defense of French people, I should mention that some of them do actually respond to e-mail. My other recent communication left me feeling much more certain than this recent phone call. I e-mailed a woman who works for the académie, who was described to me by a friend and former assistant as “a mother figure,” and introduced myself. I asked if she could help us find an apartment, and she wrote back right away to say oui. She even said “Je prends note du jour de votre arrivée” (I am taking note of the date of your arrival), so maybe we can have a ride from the train station. That would be fantastic.

Posted in France, French by rachel