Week 18

It’s been a quiet week – a bit of socializing, some sniffling through a head cold and a lot of solitude. I’m choosing not to share all the deep thoughts that come with this kind of week – some of them still need processing and some are simply of the navel-gazing variety. As a result, the blog feels a bit flat or mundane. But, here it is without apology.

Lessons

As I get more confident with my language skills, I find myself stumbling when it sounds like I’m just applying a French accent to an English word. I feel like I’m making a fool of myself.

Words like these are fine: Accident, addition, capture, concentration, intelligent, normal, participation … you get the idea.

Words like these are not! Un coin (a corner not a piece of money), éventuellement (possibly not eventually) and un habit (a piece of clothing not, say, chewing your fingernails). Or pain, like my example from a few weeks ago. J’ai beaucoup de pain, but not of the hurting kind.

I am taking the approach that it’s better to just keep talking than to worry about mistakes. But sometimes I feel some of my brain cells laughing or rolling their eyes while the others are working hard to look cool and intelligent.

Challenges

I had a techical challenge this week that is solidly from the Canadian side of things.

My phone died a few weeks ago and I had to get a new one. All data transferred successfully and I was able to set up my accounts on all apps except for my Royal Bank account. Apparently the RBC app doesn’t work in France ‘right now’. It worked on my old phone, so I don’t know what the time reference means.

I tried logging in using the browser but needed to verify my identity which didn’t work because you need the app for that. I phoned RBC and, for over 45 minutes, while we tried all manners of verification. None of the answers to my security questions worked even though I knew they were right, and the text they sent to my Toronto phone number didn’t come through. I retained that number specifically for two-level authentication and it’s worked well with other accounts since I moved here.

Then I tried the option to use my passport for verification. You are instructed to take a photo of your passport, then take a photo of your face so it can be matched up. All good except that, when you take the photo of your face, it asks you to smile. Try smiling in a way that matches your passport photo! I used a grimmace.

After many tries, the passport verification worked and I was in. I reset my password and all was good. The next day, I logged in using the browser and it said that someone in France had tried to log into my account the day before. ‘Was that you?’ I selected yes and … it took me to a new verification page and back into the loop.

I phoned back on Friday and answered one of the security questions wrong. It was a long question about whether I used other financial institutions and who I sent payments to through them. I was momentarily confused, asked a follow-up question. The woman said I wasn’t allowed to ask questions and she couldn’t talk to me anymore.

I appreciate their concern for security and know I benefit from it, but there has to be a balance. I’ve now gone through some extra steps of verification but can’t add payees to my account which I need to do to pay some bills. So … I’ll try the call centre again and see if I can make more headway.

I would close the account if they didn’t hold my mortgage. C’mon RBC!

Joys

Health card progress

I submitted the paperwork for my social security number several weeks ago. Last week I was excited to receive an envelope in the mail from L’Assurance Maladie, the body that oversees health care in France. It was a bit of a disappointment that they were requesting more information, but not a surprise. I know that that’s how things often go here. This week, I pulled together the additional documents and sent them off in the mail. It’s nice to know my application didn’t disappear into a dark hole somewhere and I hope to hear back before Christmas.

Other good news on the medical front

I had an appointment with a sports medicine doctor this week. I wanted to try to sneak in a steroid shot for my knee before going to Morocco later this month. The appointment for my scan is on the 18th and I leave on the 22nd. I hoped to be able to book an appointment for the shot on the 19th.

In Fance, you need to fill the perscription ahead of the appointment. For example, I need to go to the pharmacy and buy the alcohol wipes, syringe and contrast dye for my scan. Similarly, I need to buy everything needed for the steroid shot, but I needed a prescription first. I booked the appointment with the doctor because I wanted to be prepared in case he could fit me in on the 19.

He was lovely. I didn’t know if he could speak English so I composed a bunch of phrases I thought I could use, translated them and printed them out on a sheet of paper. I find that I can’t rely on getting a signal in many buildings to be able to use the translation app. He spoke a bit of English and, together, we figured out a plan.

The long and the short of it is, I’m getting the shot before I leave and he’s set me up with a physiotherapist.

A word about cost – in Toronto, the steroid shot cost me $600 CAD. Thankfully, I had insurance coverage. In France, the same product costs less than €60.

Food for thought

I’m cooking again. I used to love preparing meals and somehow lost all desire during Covid. This week I made pureed carrot soup, walnut encrusted salmon, roasted peppers and lemon-butter cod. It’s good to be back in the kitchen.

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Some random photos from this week:

Tonight I’m joining a neighbour to attend a choral concert at the Château de  Cassan, a private historic monument just minutes from Pézenas. If it feels appropriate, I’ll take some photos and share them next week.

À bientôt .