Every day now I'm expecting the very last paper (or so I think) I need to complete my already thick folder of legal papers required for the naturalization process, then I can finally go back to the prefecture to submit it to the all merciful State.
It is a paper from my bank (une attestation bancaire) where they should cross their hearts that I have the money I say I have in my accounts to prove my revenue. A bank statement will not do (which I can easily download from my online bank account), the nice civil servant told me last week, so I asked the bank by phone on Friday (I know, I know!...) to find a way so I can get this attestation bancaire ASAP, as the naturalizations applications can only be submitted on Tuesdays and Tuesdays alone (from 8:45am to 3:45pm). And, if possible, to get it before Tuesday, s'il vous plaît! (today, that is)
The bank clerk seemed extremely willing to help and explained that no, I cannot go directly to their office to get the paper I need, they absolutely have to send it to me by regular mail, so they can make sure I didn't delegate my personal Dr. Hide instead of me to get it, thus potentially releasing into the world the information about my extensive fortune (I wish!) and thus violating my precious privacy. Now, after waiting three days for that paper to arrive and it isn't here (unlike the day of Tuesday), I have mixed feelings whether I should praise my bank for being over-cautious with my data or I should be fuming with anger.
I don't know why I now suddenly have an inclination to go with the second option, but in the end I manage to make up an explanation for the snail mail being a snail: it's les vacances! Two weeks of Toussaint vacation (wrapped around the All Saints' Day of 1st of November) means that a lot of personnel are, yes, on vacation!!! Either my bank didn't have enough people on hand to process customers' request so they dissuaded me to go to their office (even though they seemed never to have heard of ID papers), or La Poste didn't have enough people to distribute the mail in time. Luckily I always have the holidays in France to blame for things not being ready in time, now I can get back to my usual life trying to wait calmly for the next Tuesday to come. By that time I'll have some more scanning/copying to do to keep me busy, as new papers are being produced at the end of every month.
Off to bake some macaroons, Halloween specials.
Happy Halloween, everyone!
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