Just got back from my visite medicale for my carte de sejour--visa to stay in France longterm aka one year. Yes, technically, if a police officer stops me in the road and asks for my papers, I could end up spending a very long time at the commisariat de police...and they could kick me out of the country. Doesn't that just make chills go down your spine? how exciting... ha.

Today was supposed to be my "work crazy hard get a lot done day"...instead, I haven't done a damn thing yet. At 9:30 a.m. my alarm went off, I realized my judgment was sorely lacking last night when...around 3 a.m. I went to bed and tried to convince myself I'd wake up early and work. At around 11:30 a.m....still semi-conscious in bed, I got a call from the Center (my school), and was told that I had my medical visit for my visa today, sometime...that they had just found out b/c the prefecture de police had forgotten to send out our dossiers (files) for our appointments. Great.

I was told to be in at the Center to get my papers by 1 p.m. and then go do my visit, etc. I guess no time for the breaklunch I was planning...and now, even tho the actual visit was about 10 min walking from my house, I had to travel 30 min to the Center for the paper, and 30 min back...

All the other students were also pissed to hell...cuz...we have that little 'ol paper due Friday.

When I got there all the other students were there. We went into a big waiting room...then were shooed into changing rooms, told to strip from the waist up and then (kinda like in a buffet line) each put into an xray room with a male xray guy...who xrayed our chests. Of course, they opened my door before the other guy had totally left. But, I was prepared, and was hidden behind the wall-door thing, as well as personally covering myself. =)

Anyway, after that little bit of violation, which cost 55E, or ~$75 (damn exchange rates)...I finally got back home.

I suppose I would have really been traumatized by the experience a year ago. But, like many things, things have changed. This summer parade of doctor visits and similar half-naked scenarios have really prepped me. Yay! (sarcasm...)