me, myself and I to register

Yes, another blog.

Not much happened last week, although I tried to connect with the French system of registering some important matters, which is a journey on itself.

Or, maybe a few storms ago, starting with the 'C' and now being the 'L' since today around Paris. (The 'K' is not mentioned)

Or, maybe the corona? Oh no! not bothering that. The world is getting crazy. People are afraid of it.

I will not trivialize it as a 'normal flu', but people around the world, the elderly and the weak, die from it every year. In large numbers, normal flu affects everyone's life. But you hear nothing about it. Not in the news, not in the (digital) newspapers. No companies being closed for it. No activities that are canceled. No vacations that are not booked for it. Corona is the most dangerous, I think, in the mind of man: A person often suffers the most By the suffering he fears But that never shows up. That way he has more to wear Then God gives to bear

("Qui craint de souffrir, il souffre déjà de ce qu'il craint")

So, no storm, no corona. What is next in a blog?

Okay, I will tell about my journey through the land of paper.

Before we emigrated to France, we looked for it. What is important to take with you, and what we have to arrange as soon as we get to France. We have (fortunately) already removed a number of things from that list. Of course there are a few 'hiccups'. For some authorities in France it is important that you have a copy of your birth certificate. Oops. That was not on our list to take with you. Well, you can easily request one. However? Yes of course. If you were born in a small town somewhere high in Groningen (like Erik). Just an email. Et voila. With a good week you have the copy at home. But I, I was born in the great big and very modern Rotterdam, a world city. Well. No. Unfortunately, digital is not possible from abroad. An email address cannot be found on the site of the municipality of Rotterdam to request it by email. There is, however, a form to submit an idea online. I'll just do that then. Twice. I did get an answer by email. That I can NOT request online, or by email. Or by telephone. No, must be by post. Because I live abroad. Come on! In this time of being frugal with the forests, being frugal with the environment, everything is going digital nowadays, isn't it? (even in France) Anyway, I just sent a letter. But haven't got anything yet.

Because I am now pretty much in the flow of digitally arranging various matters, I try to register the gite (holiday home) and set up my micro enterprise (one-man business) in France. A challenge to do this digitally, which has recently become possible via a general site that includes the various French Chamber of Commerce. That way your application / registration will arrive at the right one, and considering that there are quite a few in France, (depending on what kind of company you want to start up) it seems logical to do that. Fortunately: there is a possibility to put the site in English. Unfortunately: that only concerns the first sentence. The rest is in French. Then use the translation app. I manage to fill everything in properly (I think). Then I have to deliver various documents digitally. No problem, I have them all. (no birth certificate needed) Apart from 1 document, I wondered what they mean by it. When searching via the internet, it appears to be a 'personal statement' that you can write yourself, stating that you are not a criminal and that you have always behaved properly. How handy. An example is even on the internet. I didn't tell my criminal past, haha! Just kidding. Then everything was sent digitally to the right department, and I received a good message by email. Even with a contact person. (which I think is even a Dutch or Belgian person, to recognize by his name) So, if there is also a 'hiccup' in this, then I can sit down with someone in person. I am waiting again ... (and hope to be registered soon).

One of the nice things about living in France is the 'vide-greniers' or the junk and antique markets and fairs. Via Dutch people who regularly go to France (but do not yet live here) I got the tip to get a book from the bookstore, which lists all flea markets and 'vide-greniers' in the entire Normandy region throughout the year. Now we have to arrange that the weather gets better, dry is nice. It's raining a lot here and I have the feeling that the whole of Normandy has now become 1 mud pool. On the other hand: as soon as the wind has subsided and the clouds have left with all that water, the temperature becomes very pleasant. Next weekend there is a large market in Lisieux. We are definitely going there. I love that kind of market and we still have to find a few things that we want to use in the bathroom of the gite.

If I browse the book like this, there will be more and more markets like that from spring on. Oh, you can't make me happier!

So, should you miss me in the near future, you will know where you can find me (I will drag Erik along) Do you want to come along? Then sign up, you have to come 700 km this way first, haha! No worries: of course I write a blog about the 'vide-greniers' ...