Day 16: Examen de Niveau

I love tests. That is probably the reason I like learning and teaching. I particularly like assessment test, so that I can see my progress. Obedience classes for Chana has always been like that, and I wish I could have tried CKC Obedience or Rally-O. We applied for Chana's Performance Event Number to participate in CKC Obedience, but the application was rejected. The reason was that Chana could have had the paper (pedigree) if the seller was a proper breeder. We got Chana from a farm (a real farm, not a puppy mill), and we even got student's discount. It is amazing she turned out to be such a good dog! Her new thing in France though, is to raise one leg when she is doing her business. I really think we got a confused dog. I guess her argument is that there are smells on the wall rather than on the ground...

So I got to write a test today: a placement test for intensive French course at CUEF. The listening test and written test followed an oral test in an interview format. I will find out my level tonight, and my classes begin tomorrow. I am so excited, and I hope I can start from the very first level. My three years of French during my university years have absolutely vanished, and it will be good to start from abc.

Day 14-15: Le weekend

Chana has been sleeping in her crate these days, but I usually leave the door open as she is a great guard dog. The drawback is that every morning around five she decides that it is time to wake up. That's when I invite her on the bed, where she would sleep another few hours with the contra gravity pose. After that is her walk to the boulangerie. I usually leave her outside the store in sit-stay, and she does really well. The reward she gets is big. A micro tiny piece of bread before I take a bite.

Yesterday, Nathan's boss kindly delivered two boxes that my mom sent from Japan. I packed them when I was over there in May, and the contents show a rosy image I had about my life in France. Well, I am adamant that we will make it like that. The coffee I had this morning using the cup I sent from Japan definitely tasted better, for sure ;).

It is a beautiful day today, so the laundry had to be done. Instead of using the dryer, we have a clothes rack that I usually put out on the patio. I am still figuring out how much softener a load needs. So far, our towel ends up like a loofah.

Then I decided to grab my camera and got on the telepherique=les oeufs. The sun felt stronger up at La Bastille, the fortified mountain. Grenoble is surrounded by three mountain (ranges): Vercors, Belledonne, and Chartreuse, and La Bastille is at the foot of Chartreuse. On the clear day, you can see Mont Blanc from there, and I believe I saw a part of it behind the cloud today. My dad would be thrilled to have seen that, as he was always fascinated by the mountains, or beauty of nature.

Day 13 bis: Defeated

I was able to get the internet kit at Bouygues. This will become available in 3-10 days. Please keep your fingers crossed. It is €29.99 per month, and it includes the internet, phone, and TV.

The previously mentioned bundle with the mobile...was not available as Carte de Sejour is necessary to obtain a mobile in this country. Our path to Carte de Sejour is long, as we are still waiting for the receipt, then our medical check, and paying €300 per person. Someone I know is waiting for it for four months.

I deserve some ice cream. So this blog is coming from Häagen-Dazs.

Day 13: Internet, c'est indispensable!

Having limited internet at home is tough. Nathan and I purchased a USB internet modem called "Clé internet 3G+" from SFR for €69 (of which we will get €40 reimbursed). It came with 3H connection time, which we used up in a couple of days. I bought 8H connection time for €26. Using my very basic math skills, I counted 8H=480 minutes, but it is not really the case with SFR. After exhausting the 8H fairly quickly, I bought another 8H credit and I immediately checked my account. I had only 306 minutes left... Interesting.

Well, now I have the carte bancaire (bank card). It was last Thursday I opened the bank account, and I received a letter this Wednesday from the bank stating my card was ready for pickup. I was waiting for this moment, so that I can sign up for the internet!

There are three major internet providers: SFR, Orange, and Bouygues. Orange is the key brand of French Telecom, and it is more expensive compared to other two. We decided to go with a bundle with Bouygues, which gives us:

1) internet
2) TV
3) phone+free international calls
4) cell phone (2 hours outbound calling time, unlimited SMS, unlimited internet, mail, TV 3G)

for €50.80 altogether. This is a miraculous deal to me after paying so much money to Bell and Fido for a long time. It will take about 10 days for the internet to be set up, but I will at least have my cell phone to connect to the internet. This is exciting!

I do not have to taint my blood any more by coming to McDonald's to use the free internet. This is my third time and it will be my last. I will still go back to the French Coffee Shop though. It is a lovely spot to spend your afternoon.

Day 12: Tourist

The weather has been superb for the past few days here in Grenoble, and our apartment is so lovely with a lot of sunshine coming in. The patio faces south-east, but not too much sun thanks to the tall apartment next door. The question is whether we will get enough sunshine in the winter. Oh, Misato, que sera sera.

I am taking a break from cleaning the apartment for now other than the daily vacuuming with my new Dyson. I decided to take my friend's advice to hire a professional cleaner so that I only have to do a touch up. What a brilliant idea, Miranda!

Now I have so much free time, I decided to be a tourist. I took the Petit Train Touristique yesterday. It departs from Place Grenette, a pedestrian area in the city centre. The area resembles the painting "Terrasse" by Van Gogh, with a beautiful fountain which was erected in 1824. During the tour which lasted about an hour, I had the English audio guide. Oh boy, it spoke so fast! I guess it needs to be that way in order to cover what is said in French. I should have gotten a Japanese one. What was I thinking?

My plan for today is to go to the Musee de Grenoble, as the temperature will reach 33C. The museum is located only 5 minutes from our place, and Parc Michallon is part of Chana's daily walk either in the morning or in the afternoon.

Day 11: Espace Chien

Walking around the neighbourhood is fun. Going for a walk with Chana is no longer a chore, but it is part of my errand. Here is a shot of a happy dog, in front of Riviere Isere, which is 3 minutes away from our apartment.

You see so many dogs around here, and there must be a lot of them. They leave proofs of their existence everywhere. I had a misfortune already, and now my eyes are stuck to the ground. I guess someone thought that this needed to be changed, so they implemented sections called, "Espace Chien" in every five blocks or so. It is a designated area for doggies to do their business, and conveniently some places have bags and bins. It is convenient for people like us, but to the French, they are tilting their head saying, "What are these bags for?"

I once heard that the people from the upper caste in India are not supposed to touch anything that fell onto the ground, as the object has become untouchable. This must be it! I must be living in the caste system here in France.

I am contemplating this one really carefully...whether I should be following my motto, "When in France, do as the French do" or another motto of mine, "Be the change."

Day 6-10: Surviving

So today is Day 10, and Chana and I have survived five days without Nathan. Chana has taken Nathan's spot on our bed for the time being, or he will have to fight to have it back.

Prior to his departure, Nathan cleaned the bathroom and the laundry machine. The bathroom is now white(r) instead of blue, yellow and brown, and the laundry machine is now white(r) instead of black. I cleaned the fridge and dryer, so our basic items for daily living are in better condition. I thought cleanliness was a common value in all civilizations, but I guess it is all relative. I am just glad that I married someone who is as OCPD as I am.

As a market lover, this city is a great place to live. There are small produce vendors in various "Places" that are open from Tuesdays to Sundays. I also found a small market hall, where fresh meat, cheese, etc. are sold. Chana is welcomed into the building as well, and she has discovered the triperie!

On Sundays, all businesses were closed, except for restaurants and cafes. I found a few boulangeries that were open on Sundays and take Mondays off. I cannot wait to see this town in full operation when they are all back from their holidays. The population of the city itself is 150,000, but including the surrounding municipalities it reaches 500,000. Chana is certainly getting used to seeing more humans and cars. She is getting a hang of loose leash walking finally for the first time, and she is learning how to quietly lie down by my feet as I write this blog.

Day 2-5: Settling in

Our first few days in Grenoble were a lot of signing, even though we do not know what we are agreeing to. Thanks to Nathan's employer, we have an agent helping us go through these procedures. They found us our apartment before our arrival, which was crucial to apply for "Carte de Sejour," a resident card. They also helped us open a bank account, which we need to set up the internet. We are now waiting for the bank card to be sent by mail.

Applying for Carte de Sejour at the prefecture started by lining up at 8:30 in the morning before the building opened, but most of the people there were for their driver's license (I think). We were one of the first ones for Carte de Sejour. Things we needed were:

1) Passports and a copy of the visa page with entry stamp
2) home contract
3) convention d'accueil
4) work contract
5) Nathan's Ph.D diploma (and French translation)
6) birth certificate (and French translation)
7) marriage certificate (and French translation)
8) medical visit documents
9) ID photos (4)
10) three stamped envelops with our return address

We applied, but we did not receive anything then. We are waiting for "recepisé,"a receipt to be sent by mail. Nathan is in Klagenfurt, and hope he will be able to get back to France without paying a hefty fine (as we were told by someone).

In the meantime, I am thinking about whether I should go up to the Bastilles (the fort) taking the cable car seen in the photo above...

Day 1: Flying dog and bonjour France

(It has been a week already, but I am still without internet at home. This blog post is provided by the free wifi service by "French Coffee Shop" in Place Claveyson).

We made it. Nathan, Chana and I safely arrived in Grenoble, a beautiful little city surrounded by mountains.

Our flight from Toronto to Paris was uneventful. Chana was not sure what was going on when we left her to go through the security. Air Transat crew put a sticker on her crate which was to be filled out by the staff when she would get fed and given water. We were quite happy about this, but of course it was never filled out. Chana made it though without any issue, though we noticed her sheepskin bedding had a lot of fuzz coming off when we settled in our apartment. She might have been trying to dig an escape hole during the flight!?

Immigration at the airport was easier than anywhere in the world I have traveled to, and the officer saluted me in Japanese. When I went through the immigration in Canada on a student visa, which I experienced twice, I was taken to a special room, waited for hours for my turn. There was no such procedure this time, a simple stamp and Konnichiwa.

Clearing the custom with a dog was expected to be difficult, but again it took 30 seconds. They did not even check Chana's microchip... After the custom, Chana was out of her cage, eating at the restaurant at the station, and riding on TGV! Her hairdo is always a great attraction, and it is my mission to have it alive when I take her to her first grooming.

After 22 hours or so since we left our beloved CLEAN home in Waterloo, we arrived in our new apartment in Grenoble. I would post some photos, as soon as it is presentable :).