I Want My $2

Yesterday I got online to check my bank balance and realized that someone has been doing a little shopping on my dime. This is particularly uncool because, as you can imagine, this sort of thing isn't easy to manage from a continent away. I had to call my mother to get a landline for the bank (calling an 800-number from here is wildly expensive) and then explain the unauthorized charges. At which point I realized I'd have to kill my debit card, at which point I realized I only had 20 euros in cash, at which point I realized I was what's known in financial circles as screwed.

The bank is mailing the fraud documents and my new debit card to Mobile, where it must then be relayed up to Birmingham so that my mom can deal with it, at which point it will then be relayed over the ocean to me. I figure two weeks is an optimistic estimate.

Then this morning I remembered that I have a debit card tied to my savings account that I had the foresight to bring "because you never know." Yeah, okay, well now I know. The only problem being, I couldn't find this card. Instead of panicking, I took a walk to the post office (just over a mile) and picked up the package of books I shipped before I left. This joker weighs 20 pounds. Having no intention of being a hero, I decided to take the bus back home. Only the next bus wasn't for 45 minutes, so I decided to walk down to the next stop to kill time. And then the next stop. And then one more, but that was it because no way was I carrying that box all the way up the hill! So I waited twenty minutes and the bus never came.

I waited another ten minutes, then finally gave up and hauled the stupid 20-pound box the rest of the way home. Which meant I was in a fine mood when it came time to look for my bank card again. I turned the whole apartment upside down multiple times, went through pages of books, took the lining out of my suitcases. Then I called my mother and burst into tears because I was just tired of everything being so difficult.

After that, I had a glass of orange juice (and a chocolate mousse, I won't lie) and thought for a long time and finally, finally found the stupid card. Just in time to head downtown for my Very First Social Outing in Le Mans!

I met Patricia and Nathalie, two English teachers, for a coffee. We had a fantastic time, by which I mean they chattered happily for an hour and a half and I mostly listened. Honestly, I understood half of what they were saying, but I laughed when they did and even managed to make my own extremely lame joke at one point.

After coffee, I walked across the square to my bank, where a very nice young lady helped me open an account. She also wanted to see my pay stub, but she was so nice about it that I handed it over and let her convert the dollars to euros and plug it in her computer. I don't know why. I didn't ask. Let's all say prayers I didn't make a huge mistake with that.

She went through a lot of options on debit cards which were so confusing that I finally asked what kind she had and said I'd take the same. She had to draw diagrams to make me understand "overdraft protection," and the checkbook options required charades. I chose one at random and she nodded and said quite seriously, "Yes, women prefer that kind of checkbook." (I don't know what that means, but it's comforting that I went instinctively for the feminine choice.)

She never asked me for any money, which seems odd; I suppose she assumes that I'll be automatically depositing my paycheck. I probably should have asked about that, too, but by then I was so exhausted and overwhelmed (there are four different kinds of checkbooks, people) that I just nodded at everything she said and brought home a fat stack of papers that I'll read through later.

I also took a comfort trip to the FNAC, where I bought a book on cuisine d'étudiante (cooking for college students) and another called Sacrés Français, which is mostly about why French people are weird. I love that it was written by an American, and that he wrote it in French. (Sort of a big "screw you, frenchies!")

Then I got a brioche (with chocolate chips!) and walked home. So that's it, then. Another day in the bag. Not the best one I've had thus far, but not the worst either. I feel that there is wine in my immediate future. And then tomorrow is the weekend, the last one before school starts. Wish me luck!