An American in Provence

Our vacuum recently decided to permanently retire. We can't complain too much, Alain's parents gave it to us for free when we set up household eight years ago.

So after finishing up at my previous workplace on March 1st, I spent two weeks doing what I love best- sleeping in, watching The Vampire Diaries and Prison Break, naps, chocolate, shopping, and generally relaxing with a tiny bit of organizing and cleaning thrown in. As I had cleaned out my office, I had about ten boxes full of legal texts, exams, and just STUFF that accumulates in a workspace over five years- bottles of hand lotion, business cards, perfume samples, tea bags, and all the rest. Bit by bit, I had lugged everything home from work over a period of several weeks, but then just threw it in a corner, too exhausted to sort everything out.
Now I get to, yay! bring it bit by bit to the new office.

I started my new job this past Monday, and it is a huge change.
Old commute- leave at seven, walk to the car, drive about 30 minutes to Aix, park in parking garage, walk about five minutes to work. Coming home, leave work sometime after 6, drive at least 40 minutes (on a good day, an hour or even two hours if the taxis are on strike), search for a not quite legal parking spot, and hope there is no ticket awaiting in the morning. Total time- 40/60 minutes. Total cost- about 120€ per month, not counting wear on the car.

New commute- leave at about 8 or later, walk five minutes to tramway stop, take tram 4 stops, switch to subway, take subway three stops, walk about five minutes to office. Total time- about 30 minutes each way. Total cost - 20 euros per month (actually 40€, but employer is obligated to pay half of public transport use in France)

There is a gym in the office building, which I am thinking of joining (50€ per month).

Next week, I am headed up to Paris, to meet everyone since I will be working for/with both the Paris & Marseille teams.

All in all, I am hoping this new position gives me some room to grow while not being so exhausted all the time.

Our Nativity scene (one figurine for every year we have been together, which is 9 for those who are counting):
Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, all bought the first year in Marseille 2005
The three wise men, bought in 2006
A (lying down) donkey, bought in 2007
(2008, 2009, 2010 nothing, catching up for the previous years)
A camel, bought in 2011 (also lying down, so he doesn't have to "stand up the whole time" according to Alain)

And this year.....(suspense)

An angel!


Previous posts about the Foire:
http://megankay4.blogspot.fr/2005/12/foire-aux-santons.html
http://megankay4.blogspot.fr/2007/12/nativity-scene-2007.html


Every year I set out our Nativity scene, and then we head down to the Foire Aux Santons. We wander around, trying to decide first what type of figurine to add. Shepherd? Sheep? Elephant? (though I'm not really sure elephants were present at the birth of Jesus. But I can't say for sure.)

Once we have decided on the type of figurine, we try and find the one we like the best. Which entails a lot of pushing through hordes of rugrats, and going back and forth between the booths of our final choices, always at opposite ends of the fair. Feel like asking a vendor: Do you mind if I just borrow this angel, so I can compare it side-by-side with an angel by another vendor? No?

We bought some roasted chestnuts, but there didn't seem to be any hot beverages, like mulled wine or hot chocolate. Bummer.

Finally decided on this angel, which was not from the same vendor as any of the other figurines. Oh well.

Came home and set the angel in place. Alain solemnly informed me that I had it wrong: the angel is supposed to be placed right over the crib. Never heard of this before, so I am wondering if it is a French thing.

So there you have it folks.



Next year, I'm holding out for an elephant.

Oh, and this is as far as our Christmas decorating gets.

When we moved into this apartment, six years ago in November, we immediately started looking for a garage or parking space to rent. Parking is on the street, mostly free parking but some areas with meters, and most buildings have inner courtyards with several spots available.

I set aside a savings fund "for garage" and every month we put some savings into it.

We checked the online listings and local real estate offices. Nothing doing. I set up online alerts that would email me whenever a spot was listed in our area code, but they were never nearby (and of course, my email address now gets spam for new apartment building programs).

Some spots are to rent, but we decided we didn't want to rent a place for 100+ euros a month. I am able to usually find a closer spot on the street, with varying degrees of legality:
 - completely legal ( a bona fide spot)
- sorta legal (on a crosswalk) can probably get away with it for a short period of time, like overnight
- sorta illegal (a second driving lane that gets converted to parking) probably gonna get a ticket if the cops come by
- completely illegal (blocking someone's garage, gonna get towed).

I can usually find a sorta legal or sorta illegal spot, and sometimes get lucky with a completely legal spot. Certain areas of Marseille, the older areas, are worse, ranging from completely illegal to sorta illegal spots only.

Anyway, the years passed, I got used to searching for parking and knew the best places to look for a spot, where I probably wouldn't get a ticket. I got a ticket about once every three months, which at 35€ a ticket is a better deal than 100+ € a month for a parking spot (and further away).
Our garage savings fund got re-entitled "house" and we resigned ourselves to our parking fate. Alain of course has no problem, he parks his motorcycle on the sidewalk, but he too would like a covered space, with limited access.

And then, suddenly, one of the talkative elderly people that live in this area (they like to talk to Alain, sometimes they keep him for half an hour while I'm waiting with dinner, but that is another story), informed Alain that one of their neighbors was selling his garage in the inner courtyard of their building. The garage is 10 meters square, just enough for the car, not a car + motorcycle, and the person was asking 23,000€ for it. It seems a lot, but it is sadly the going price in this area.

The elderly person told Alain that they would give him the name and the number of the guy selling it.

Alain and I talked it over and decided that though it would put us back about a year in our plans to buy a house, that it was worth it. This area might well become more congested, the city might decide to put up more parking meters, etc. We could always rent the parking space with the apartment when we decide to buy a house and rent this apartment. Plus, it would be an added bonus for anyone wanting to rent.

Anyway, we waited and waited for the name and the number. When we finally got the number, I called the guy, and it was sold. Argh!!!!

So, there you have it. I am a bit frustrated that we lost out on it, but also glad we didn't have to make the decision. It would have cost us about 25,000 in total, including the lawyer's fee, plus our taxes would go up (a few hundred euros a year).

Back to searching for parking spots after a long day of work.

After the exciting near-miss of a parking spot to buy a few weeks ago, last week 'we' (I actually, as I am the only one bothered by the parking dilema Mr. parking his beloved moto wherever he darn well pleases) found another posting for a garage for sale 21,000€. I called and asked where it was, closer than the previous but still several blocks away and for that amount of money, well I want it to be in spitting/IKEA box-hauling distance. As we can usually find (mostly not too illegal) parking closer than that, with the occasional 35€ fine, we decided to pass.

This Sunday, after I went for my 'run' (slow limp around the track a few times) I noticed that the new parking garage seemed to be open. I blame the shoes. No really, I just bought them and need to break them in. Mr. is convinced that they are not actually running shoes. Hmm. Anyway, back to my story.

I limped over (a post-run mess but the attendant didn't seem to mind) and inquired about options. This parking garage took about a year to build and is where a basketball court used to be. (Yay for taking away alternative recreational opportunities from inner city kids for the purposes of money!)

He said that monthly subscriptions were available, 85€ a month for cars, 45€ for motorcycles. This price is not too bad, considering how a year ago we had the opportunity for a spot for 100€ a month about the same distance. There are also long-term rents, 9,300€ for 11 years, which works out to about 75€ a month. There is also an "amodiation" which is 21,000€ for 75 years, plus annual fees of 250€, which works out to about 44€ IF the annual fees don't increase.

At these prices, we might as well buy the garage which would be 'ours' forever (or the next five years until we get the heck out of Dodge, whichever comes first).

If the parking garage offered night parking for a euro, it would be worth it- wouldn't have to turn and turn for a parking spot, plus a bit more guarantee that the car wouldn't get hit in the night. Oh, and my parking skills wouldn't be quite so sorely tested. Our poor newish car (180,000 km) already has Marseille dings, mostly my fault.

Bleh. Anyway, still keeping my fingers crossed.

"Somethings comin' don't know when, but it's soon..." (sing it with me now...)

Ever since moving here, we have been on the lookout for a garage or parking spot for sale. It is a bit easier to find parking in this neighbor than others, but it is still impossible after say 8 pm. Several weekend mornings, when I would much rather NOT be getting up at 7 am to move the car, have had to get up and move the car. Sigh.

Anyway, the problem here is that there just aren't any for sale. Those that have a parking spot/garage hold on to it zealously.

I have email alerts set up on several different websites for parking/garage in this arrondisement.
I usually get about one a month and click on it eagerly, only to be disappointed in that it is a kilometer or so away, or for a 200 m2 space for 200K +.
Last night I received one, Blvd (ours) 14,400€. Hallelujah!

I started calling the agency this morning at 9. As these puppies are rare, you have to jump on the opportunity.
Not open yet. 9:30. Still not open.
10. Finally someone answers!
I eagerly ask where exactly the parking spot is.
(These agencies could filter out about 90% of the calls by just giving more precise information as to where it is located, say, narrowed down to a block instead of just "on blvd X")
He explained where it is, which is unfortunately a bit further than is useful for us. For that price, I want something within about 50 m because we can usually find a parking spot that is only semi-illegal (crosswalks, sidewalks, etc) and for the occasional 35€ ticket it works out to be worth it.

Sigh. Pass.

I gave him our name, phone number, and where we were looking for. Price range?
Well, I don't know, what is the going rate for firstborns lately?

Last week I realized that yet another part of our car was broken (oh the joys of parking in Marseille).
Monday morning it was the left-side mirror that got broken off, then Friday it was one of the back lights.
On Saturday, we made a trip to the junkyard to see what we could find. I had never been to one before, so didn't really know what to expect. There actually weren't many cars sitting there, and they were mostly still intact. Alain joked "We had better be careful, we might come back and find that someone has mistaken our car for one of the junkyard cars."
We went in and told them what we needed, and as luck had it, there was another Fiat Bravo with the same lights. Got the right-rear light set for 45€. Felt strange, like we were cannablizing another poor car.
We went over to Alain's parents, and Alain and his dad fixed it up. Also needed to fix the reservoir for the windshield wiper liquid (it leaks and so is completely empty about a day after filling it up) and glue back a strip on the left side.
Not sure it is actually worth it to buy a less-old considerably better-shape car as it will still be parked in Marseille and we still don't have a garage....

The World's Happiest Dog lives in our building during the summers.
It is true.
This dog, a yellow labish sort of gal, makes me smile every time I see her.

Apparently, she belongs to my neighbor's son, who has a restaurant on the beach here in Marseille. I call her "Bonjour" to myself, but I don't think that is her name. I call her this because once I asked her owner what his name is, and he said "Bonjour". During the off-season, Bonjour lives with him on the beach, but I guess during the tourist season there is just way too much excitement (kids! frisbees! kites! ice cream cones! doggy brain overload!) that she is sent to stay with his dad.

I usually only see her when she is being taken out for her walk, but you can tell that every furry fiber on her body is just vibrating with excitement, and that she is thinking something pretty much along the lines of "Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy.............." And that's about it.

Sometimes I feel like asking my neighbor if I can keep her for a few days. It would be nice to have someone around who thinks I am the world's greatest human being just for giving her some water to drink. Strangely, Alain doesn't seem to think that.

It must be nice to be a dog. Don't have to worry about passing an International Law Class in French, that's for sure.

I think I've about had it with this city.
It was good, especially the first year I was here, to live in a big city where I could get around easily, go to my French courses, meet other foreigners, go to the US Consulate, Prefecture, (on a bi-weekly basis) doctor's appointments, etc. easily.
But now? Over it.

The problem? Alain really likes Marseille.
He thinks it is great to be able to go to museums, movies, the beach, and all the rest. Me too. The only thing wrong with that is- we never do any of that stuff! I guess partly because our life the past three years has been:
Apartment Work Apartment Work Apartment, that we haven't gotten out much, but basically right now pretty much all this city is for me is:
1) hard to find parking
2) traffic jams coming home from work, and
3) dirty.
For the past few years, City Hall has invested a lot of money trying to improve Marseille and Marseille's image- hiring more street cleaners, putting up signs with things like "I am proud of my city- I keep it clean." Yeah right. After all this campaigning and probably hundreds of thousands of euros spent, the most I can say is slightly less dog poop and a smidge less trash. Woohoo.

People toss candy wrappers out their car windows, drop their soda cans as they are walking down the street, and don't even get me started on cigarette butts. Even INSIDE our building we have people who drop their cigarettes in the entranceway and on the stairs. Who cares? It's not chez eux. The cleaning lady (who comes once a week or less) will clean it up.
No wonder tourists avoid it like the plague and prefer to go visit cities like Aix, Avignon, Arles. Even the cruise ships that stop here, the visitors seem to either make a beeline for a day in Paris or else go visit the countryside.

When you ask someone who loves Marseille exactly why they love Marseille, you will most likely get an answer along these lines: "The sea!" "The Calanques!" "The islands!" In short, the things that the Marseillais themselves have nothing to do with.
Marseille has been elected the European Capital of Culture for the year 2013. This should be interesting folks.
The thing is, that the city could be really nice if it would just be a whole lot cleaner- there are nice neighborhoods, nice restaurants and stores, lively markets, museums, an opera, and all the rest. It is also true that there are some very nice areas- places we couldn't afford after a century of saving. But in general, it pretty much averages out to cesspool.
Perhaps I will feel a bit differently once we are able to start enjoying life a bit more.