The Police

A big topic in French politics is the large number of illegal immigrants, or les sans papiers. This issue was being hotly debated the first few weeks after my arrival. Firstly, because a lot of children were not being let back into school if they didn't have papers. And also because the French government, in September, was instructing all of the sans papiers to pay a visit to their local prefecture to try and apply for papers. Some got them, others didn't.

Keep your passport
In France, you can be stopped at any time by a police officer and asked for identity papers. French citizens have cards that they carry with them. By law you should have an official piece of identity with you at all times. So until you get your carte de séjour, try to always have your passport on you.

What happens if you don't have it?
If you are unable to provide the police with ID, you can face immediate arrest and detention until you are able to either provide your papers or have somebody come and vouch for you. I don't think it needs specifying which people and from which ethnic group are said to be asked the most often for their papers, and if you don't fit visually, it is unlikely that anything will happen to you. I just felt it worth mentioning that the police do have such a right. Read more...

Signing up For Classes

la fac (for la faculté) is how university is referred to here. French students will ask you questions such as: il fait combien de temps que tu es à la fac? (How long have you been at university?) Qu'est-ce que tu étudie à la fac? (What are you studying at university?)

The poli sci stream at Lyon 3 is in international relations, with a strong focus on war studies. The university curriculum for French poli sci students at Lyon 3 is relatively rigid,the course selection for majors is planned out for each year, and their only option is in choosing a minor - which also has a planned out curriculum and is closely related in subject matter.


As an exchange student (in Europe, exchange students are called ERASMUS students) you can pick and choose your courses however you want from various departments. You can choose courses from different years and from different faculties - note: for students on a full year exchange, you can take any number of courses so long as they meet the minimum credit and language requirements to qualify for the DEUF.

Courses
Poli sci courses are separated into lectures (cours magistraux or CMs) and tutorials (travaux dirigés or TDs). You can take CMs without taking the TD but you can't take a TD without taking the CM. You are required to take at least one TD per semester for the DEUF. You will be given a little booklet of all the courses that you are allowed to take.

Exams
Exams in the polic sci department usually take place in January and June. I was told in the orientation session that most of the time exchange students are given oral exams however, for TDs, you are required to take the written exam with French students. Your final grade is split between your TD and CM grades. The exam schedule is usually posted in December and you can expect to receive your grades around March or April.

There are various types of exams. Sometimes you will have a three-hour written exam, other times it can be 1,5 hours for short answers, and sometimes it is a 1-hour QCM(questions à choix multiples) which is a multiple choice exam. Oral exams take place with the professor and usually last about 10-20 minutes. You are given a topic or question and about 10 minutes to prepare (make notes on a sheet of paper to help guide you) and you will either be expected to talk or be interrogated by the professor.

Tutorials
At Lyon 3, political science is part of the law faculty and all exchange students in law have an optional tutorial session* once a week for the first few weeks. Your tutor is there to answer all of your questions and to help you with your choice of courses. You have until about mid-October to finalise your course choices. Much like everything else here, signing up for courses is also archaic: you fill out a piece of paper by hand and then somebody in the administration manually enters the information into a system (a computer, I think).

*Lyon 3 students also have optional tutorial sessions which you can also attend. The times, dates and locations are usually posted on the boards for the corresponding years, located in the pasage area right outside of the administrative building for the Law faculty. Read more...

Getting your Carte de séjour

The official population of France is estimated at 60 million. Can you imagine 60 million people in a country smaller than Québec? I couldn't either.

Note: If you have the time, get your medical check-up done with one of the doctor's approved by the French consulate in your city before leaving for France. In which case, you may not need to pay the 55 euros for the A.N.A.E.M stamp and the whole application process may be sped up.

Who needs a carte de séjour?

1) Any individual from a non-EU or European Economic Zone member country staying in France for more than three months.
2) All students (non-EU, non-EEZ) who plan to seek the CAF housing allowance.
3) All non-EU/non-EEZ students who are staying for one semester need confirmation from the French embassy/consulate in their country that they will be getting the carte de séjour in
order to be eligible for the housing allowance. If you see the comment: dispense de carte de
séjour on your temporary visa, this means that you are not eligible.

What is the carte de séjour?

It is a residence permit legally required by any non-EU, non-EEZ citizen staying in France for more than 3 months. With a carte de séjour you are permitted to work 20 hours/wk (Note: I think that this is different from country to country, so make sure to inquire with the prefecture before you go job hunting).

What do I do first?

You need to make an appointment to see somebody at the préfecture. Somebody at Lyon 3 can do this for you. You can go on your own, without an appointment, to the prefecture to apply for your carte de séjour, but it's better to have one if you're the kind that hates waiting.

What do I bring with me?

- Passport + a photocopy of the main page with your picture, your personal info, and expiration date + a photocopy of the page with the visa.
- Birth Certificate (original and a photocopy) IMPORTANT: make sure it is the long one with your parents' names on it. You don't need to have it translated unless it is in a language that is completely unrecognisable to a French person, like Chinese or Japanese.
- Justificatif de domicile (originals and photocopies): A lease agreement, or an attestation
d'hébergement along with a copy of either an EDF (Électricité de France) bill, a rent receipt
(this is usually mailed directly to the tenant each month), or a phone bill for a landline. Note:
Whatever bill/receipt you bring cannot be more than three months old.
- Proof of sufficient funds (original and photocopy): whatever you presented at the French
consulate before you came should be fine.
- A.N.A.E.M (formerly O.M.I) stamp: Costs 55 euros and can be bought at any tabac. This is for the mandatory medical checkup for foreigners. You are probably exempt if you had your checkup in Canada.
- Student card (original and photocopy)
- 3 ID photographs


Directions to the Prefecture

To get to the general area of the prefecture and its surrounding administrative buildings:
- Take the Tram T2 from the métro station Guillotière (the blue line) in the direction of
IUT-Feyssine;
- get off at the stop Liberté;
- start walking in the same direction of the tram.
- Despite what the papers from school and the website said, the location of the prefecture's
office where I applied for my carte de séjour was on rue Molière.

When do you receive your actual carte de séjour?

I've been told that the whole process takes about 2-3 months from the date of your official rendez-vous, so book an appointment ASAP.

The process:
- The agent at the prefecture takes your documents and gives you a Récipissé de demande (a
receipt that the application has been filed) for your card, and will tell you to wait until you
receive an appointment date for your medical checkup in the mail (provided that you didn't
do this prior to arrival).
- After your checkup, you go back to the prefecture and drop off the sheet the doctor gives you.
- Wait a few weeks and then go back to the prefecture, and go directly into the room for
"étudiant étranger sans rendez-vous".
- Take a number from the ticket dispensary and, if all goes well, they should have your card for
you.


UPDATE: What can happen if you travel outside of France without your carte?
[see also: Schengen zone].
Sometimes you get asked for your card when you cross "borders" and sometimes you don't. I've heard of people being waved through when they say their application is processing. However, the other day I overheard an American telling someone about how her friend and his four travelling companions were put in a German holding cell because they didn't have their cards. Eventually they were released after they were able to contact their respective embassies, and not deported.

I don't think it's worth mentioning which citizens from which country get waived through, and which receive stricter treatment. In any case, the issue of undeclared migrants makes the platform of political parties, and is reported in the news in almost every Western and Central European country, so if you think that there is a chance that you might be targeted, it's less of a hassle to just wait until you have your card before you do any travelling.
Read more...

Opening a Bank Account

You can open a bank account as soon as you have the necessary documents. You don't need your carte de séjour.

DOCUMENT CHECKLIST FOR A BANK ACCOUNT

• Passport
• Lease agreement with your name or attestation d'hébergement. If you choose the latter, you should include a copy of your roomate's ID just to be safe and include one: EDF bill or phone bill for a landline or rent receipt (not more than three months old)
  
Note: not all banks accept the rent receipt so it is probably better if you can get one of the other pieces of accepted documentation.
• OR
if you have an EDF bill or a bill for a landline with your name on it.
• Student card
• (Bank statement showing activity for three months in Canadian bank account.
I don't think that all banks require this one).

Read more...

Le justificatif de domicile or Proving you live somewhere

The French expression for homeless is the acronym SDF which stands for sans domicile fixe (trans. "of no fixed address"). You can use it like an adjective i.e. "je suis SDF.

In order to get most things of an official nature done i.e. opening a bank account, applying for your carte de séjour (a residence permit required of any foreigner staying in France for more than 163 days), getting a public library card (which, by the way, is not free) you need to prove that you live somewhere, or have what is referred to as: un justificatif de domicile. This is relatively easy if you are living in student residence or with a family and have a copy of a lease with your name written on it.

If you are subletting, this requires different paperwork. The trick of mailing a blank piece of paper to yourself or bringing any mail that has your address and name on it does not work in France.

Subletting - L'attestation d'hébergement

One way to legalise an out-of-the-ordinary living situation is by having your roommate (or the official tenant) fill out an “Attestation d’hébergement” - a declaration that s/he is indeed housing you during your stay - which you will need for your application for the carte de séjour. A blank form can be picked up from the reception at the prefecture’s information centre located a few blocks away from the actual prefecture at: 14 bis Quai Général Sarrail.

Directions to the Prefecture centre d'information:

• Take the Tram T2 from the metro station Guillotière (the blue line) in the direction of IUT-Feyssine,
• get off at the stop Liberté,
• start walking in the same direction as the tram,
• at rue Vauban, turn left (toward the Quai)
• turn right onto the Quai Général Sarrail.

Read more...

Emergency Contact Numbers

I promise, I'll stop writing about making phone calls in/from France after this one. It's just been the bane of my financial existence since I stepped foot in this country, so I think I'm exorcising a bit.


The following are some contact numbers that I thought might be handy, centralised:

NATIONAL EMERGENCY NUMBERS IN FRANCE
Ambulance - dial 15
Police - dial 17
Fire - dial 18
Calling from a mobile for all emergencies - dial 112
Taken from Expatica click on the link for other tips and useful phrases to use in cases of emergency.

Here is a link to some other useful numbers local in Lyon: in French and in English (there's even a Cannabis helpline!)

CANADIAN CONSULATE IN LYON
21, rue Bourgelat
69002 Lyon
Tel.: 04.72.77.64.07
Fax: 04.72.77.65.09
Monday to Friday: 9:30-12:30
E-mail: consulatcanadalyon@wanadoo.fr
Link to Canadian embassy in France
Map with directions

EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS - financial
Before you leave, ask your bank if they have an international toll-free number (these numbers have one extra digit to the traditional). All the banks usually tell you to call one of their locals collect, but collect calling in France (faire un appel en PCV) is convoluted (surprise) and dialing 'zero' does not get you the operator*.

In case you lose your credit card or have a credit emergency while abroad, click on the following links to look up the toll free number in, what appears to be, any country in the world:
Mastercard
Visa
What's the sense in paying for long distance calls that have to be made?
Note: The operators for Mastercard and Visa internationals can transfer your call to your main issuer in Canada**.


* In any case, this is, apparently, how you make a collect call in France:
dial 0800 99 00 + the code of the country you are trying to reach. (I haven't tried making a collect call yet).

**As an aside, maybe you'd like to try and see how many times your call can be transferred to save you an extra call to your bank. Some agents at the call centres will tell you that they're "not equipped" to transfer calls. Acknowledging that all banks may differ in their operations, when I worked at a credit card call centre, the only thing that the phones weren't equipped with was a will. Read more...

Long Distance Calling

Making calls in France is expensive and long distance calls are no exception. And the rates for landlines and mobiles vary drastically. FYI: If you buy a card for local calling, DO NOT let anyone sell you the France telecom télécarte, 7,50€ for 50 minutes, total garbage.

Anyhow, if you don't have semi regular access to a computer (thus being able to sign up for Skype or whatever internet provider is offering the best rates), the cheapest way to make long distance phone calls is by using the "Callback" feature of a long distance phone card at a phone booth. Dial the toll-free "callback" number from any phone booth. Hang up when you hear a busy tone and wait for the screen to flash and say "DECROCHEZ", then follow the prompts.
Note: sometimes you might need to enter 00, which is the international dialling code in France to numbers outside.

Most phone cards are about 7,50€ and the amount of calling time can vary quite drastically. So far, the best one I found is: Call Box - Europe/USA - 7,50€ for "150 unités" which I bought from a store right across from the Casino outside the metro Guillotière. Each time I've hung up and made a new call, it tells me that I have 200 something minutes for the call.

Alternatively, in the 7e arrondissements, you will notice that there are many dodgy-looking shops that offer phone services. What these are are little in-store phone booths where you can make calls at, I'm told, even better rates. My friend swears by them, plus you get some privacy, a relatively quiet atmosphere and a little stool to sit on.

If somebody wants to call you from Canada:
This website timeanddate.com can convert a local number into the digits somebody would dial from wherever they find themselves in the world.
For example, according to timeanddate.com, if the President of Afghanistan wanted to take advantage of the good rates offered by the Centre International de Séjour de Paris (tel: 01 44 75 60 06), he would dial: 00 (international dialing code for numbers outside of Kabul) 33 (France's country code) 1 (omit the zero on the area code) 44 75 60 06 (actual phone number).

As the French say: c'est pratique! Read more...

Getting a Cell Phone

I swear, the first text message that I got from a French friend looked like a garbled mess, but I suppose it's as hooked-on-phonics as our "shorthand".

Some French text messaging shorthand:
Slt! = Salut
G = j'ai
V = vais
J V = j'y vais
2manD = demander(é)
2m1 = demain
ke = que (some of them are pretty obvious)

Expensive calling
Making calls in France was probably the thing I least expected to be the hardest and most expensive. The payphones don't take anything but cards, and landlines (or téléphones fixes) are expensive because you pay per call and you can't take them with you. An internet phone is probably way better in terms of rates (free internet offers a bundle package for about 30€/month that includes high-speed internet, inrternet cable TV, and a phone with free calling to landlines in several countries - Canada (mobiles also!) is on the list - but you also can't take that with you.

What you will notice soon enough is that all your new friends will ask for your cell number, and if you can't provide them with anything, you probably won't ever hear from them again. It will seem like everyone in France has a cell phone and even though it's not true, sometimes it really feels like it. That being said, while receiving calls on cell phones is free, making calls is still expensive and that is why the French prefer text messaging (or envoyer les textos/les SMS) or bipper where someone will call and hang up, either to let you know they've arrived or more annoyingly to say "hi" without actually saying it.

The most popular cell phone providers in France:

SFR, Orange and Bouygues Telecom. Virgin is also a provider and offers similar rates.
The easiest to get are the no contract, pay-as-you-go plans (sans abonnement, avec carte). You just need to show your passport, give them your address and leave right away with a phone. You buy credits at any tabac shop, bank machine or recharge with a carte bleue by phone.
(I've been told that Bouygues offers the best rates for pay-as-you-go. I have Orange and it's not bad, but I've never been a cell phone person).

Switching to a monthly plan
Even if you start out signing up for a no-contract phone, you always have the option to switch to a plan (un forfait), you just need a French bank card (carte bleue.) As for the contract, I was told by a salesperson that as long as you can provide proof that you are leaving the country and do not plan to return (i.e. a one-way plane ticket home), you can break your contract at any time, without a penalty fee.

FYI: According to French legislation, after six months, your service provider is required to provide you with the code to unlock the SIM card upon your request, free of charge. Before six months, the fee is usually about 50€. However, there are many stores in the Guillotière area offering services of déblocages for the average price of 15€.

*See the next blog for "Long Distance Calling" Read more...

Government Housing Assistance - la CAF

The CAF (caisse d'allocation familiale) is France's social assistence scheme for low-income individuals and includes the housing assistance program otherwise known as l'APL (aide personalisée au logement). L'APL is something to which all students (and low-income individuals) living in France, local or foreign have a right. There are a few restrictions on this government subsidy i.e. the size of the place, your financial situation, the spousal situation etc. but if you are living in a student residence, foyer, or renting an apartment and fit the criteria, it is more than likely that you will qualify.

Click on the link above for the application form. You might have to wait a while for the first deposit but it is retroactive.

Consult this French website for additional information: Les aides au logement Read more...

Student residences, apartments, and sharing

Student residences or French families

Living in a student residence or with a French family are far and away the easier options because the school usually arranges everything for you. You can practice your French and see "typical French lifestyle". In most student residences, you usually can't share living spaces with a French student, but you can live in residences that are mixed with foreign and French students.

There are student residences all over Lyon. Some privately managed residences resemble apartments where you have your own kitchen (usually more expensive, but more centrally located), and others managed by the CROUS (a government organisation for student services. Their main location is on rue de Madeleine, near Jean Macé station, they have free internet) that resembles student housing as we understand it in Canada. Check this site: ADELE, for a list of student residences in Lyon and their addresses.

*In France, it is also common for students and young workers to live in foyers for extended periods of time. These places are comparable to a student residence. For foyers in Lyon check this site: L'hébergement temporaire (from Lyon Campus), for a list of youth foyers in Lyon.

I found a housing website (in French) for Les services du PUL (Pôle universitaire de Lyon) that you might want to consult. This site lists a variety of housing services and types, including addresses, common for students.

Living on Your Very Own:

Finding an apartment of your own in France is virtually impossible if you are not a French citizen, are related to a French citizen, or know any French citizens. Most landlords (propriétaires) are quite cautious and quite possibly the biggest problem confronting foreigners is finding an acceptable guarantor. A lease (le bail) is usually for one year and as for the deposit, it is commonly two months of rent. The process of renting an apartment in France is also not spared from document checks.

Apartments

In France, the apartments are listed according to the number of rooms rather than bedrooms. By number of rooms, that usually means bedroom(s) plus common area.

F1/T1: is a studio, although the setup may vary. Usually a studio means that you sleep, cook, eat and watch TV in the same space.
F2/T2: Means a one-bedroom with a bedroom door that closes.
F3/T3: Means a two-bedroom.
I think they only go up to F5/T5 because after that you're probably in mansion territory and will likely have somebody who can think for you, but you get the picture.

*You can also consult this helpful website from Queen's University or this article from Expatica.com, both have explanations of the abbreviations and offer helpful descriptions of the apartment-hunting experience.

Sharing an Apartment

Sharing an apartment or doing un collocation is also common in France. Subletting is not technically legal (but it isn't either in Canada) unless you have the property owner's permission, but it is done often and unless you run into a serious case of bad luck, you won't get into trouble. There are usually ads posted up all over schools from people looking for roommates. You can also check a few websites such as appartager.com (*see my blog "Finding a Roommate in France" from July); the bulletion boards at schoo, and free papers such as ParuVendu.

The minuses of finding your own way:

1) Unless your name is on the lease or the landlord is willing to formally acknowledge that you live there, you do not have right to the CAF (Caisse d’Allocation Familiale) – which is a subsidy from the French government available to all students (and low income families and individuals). Living in student residence, you always get the CAF.
*My friend was able to access the subsidy even though her name wasn't on the lease by having the propriétaire fill out a supplementary form available online.
2) Rent is not that cheap in Lyon and I’ve been told that 300€ per month is really, really good.
3) The school, aside from being there to listen and maybe make some suggestions, cannot help you at all if you run into any problems.
Read more...

Getting Around Lyon

(Image source: APA-2006)

The TCL (Transports Commun Lyon) is very convenient and has four metro lines, two tram lines, and buses. The student price (upon presentation of student card) is about 30€/month.
Where to get a Metro card (Carte técély)?
Vieux Lyon station is where I am positive you can get a metro card, and also where you can recharge it by paying with bills. An ISIC card and maybe even your home university's student card will work.

The regular fares for tickets:
1,50€ - Ticket à l'unité - travel in one direction
2,10€ - Ticket liberté 2 heures - 2 hours free travel in any direction
4,30€ - Ticket liberté 1 jour - a day ticket
10,50€ - Will get you a booklet of 10 student tickets
and after 7pm, 2,10€ will get you a soirée ticket that is good for free travel until the end of service.

A few things to know about the TCL:
-Bus drivers make change for you.
-You can recharge your metro pass at the machines in the stations but they don't take bills, nor always cash for that matter, and only the carte bleue (French ATM card).
-You can also buy tickets from certain points de service which are usually tabac shops where you can purchase a ticket or booklets of tickets.
-The funiculaires are little trams that go uphill into Vieux Lyon.
-Works on an honour system but there are periodic ticket checks. The fine is about 35€ (if you pay on the spot which they usually force you to do) - 70€ (I've been told that this is the price if you don't pay right away).
-Will warn riders at least a few days in advance of a strike that may result in perturbations de services (trans. service disruptions). File these words away in your memory because you will probably see them often.

The Vélo'V is a communal bicycle system with stations situated all over Lyon. An annual membership costs about 5 € and allows you access to bicycles where the first hour and a half are 0,50€ and then 1€/additional hour*. A weekly membership is about 3€. You can also sign up if you have a metro card get even better discounts.
The one drawback of the Vélo'v system is that it is really only for locals (to France) because they do not accept any means of payment other than the carte bleue.

Walking everywhere is quite feasible in Lyon if you have the time or plan ahead enough. I walked from Croix-Rousse which is in the 4e arrondissements to my apartment which is in the 3e in about 90 minutes one night.

Travelling by car is usually considered the fastest way of getting around in Canada but, in my opinion, it's not worth it to have a car in Europe unless you plan to leave town a lot, or stay for a long time.
In addition to gas being insanely expensive, French driving is an art form in itself. The streets are narrow and not always well-paved. Driving in France also requires you to get used to crazy moto riders zipping all over the place. The conventions around parking are also quite different to Canada. French cars are typically half the size of American cars, and French drivers are quite adept at making their little cars fit into little spaces. My friend remarked one day that many drivers don't seem to bother with the parking brake, perhaps to lessen the impact on the bumper when the car either in front or behind is trying to get out. Read more...