One of the most interesting parts of my business trip to Ireland was the actual travelling (although being stuck on a plane with a bunch of retired people on an organized trip is not exactly the moth thrilling way to travel).
When I was putting my bags together, I left myself the typical post-it list of last minute things on the front door : contact lenses, tickets, passport. Jérôme told me I didn't need my passport since I was travelling within Europe and now had my French ID card. But something in me made me take my passport. The need to take my passport was stronger than me. An ID card just didn't do it. It must be the American in me - since we don't have ID cards, the only actual form of American picture ID I have is my passport (I doubt my first NJ driver's licence counts -I still carry it around as back up since my current NJ licence doesn't have a picture). I had this same feeling during the French elections: I am so used to a two-party system, one round system that I couldn't even consider voting for one of the little guys, even in the first round.
So, we made a deal : I would take my new French passport with me, but would go through customs with my ID card.
And it worked! to my dismay. Damn, I worked so hard to get my French passport and no one even looked at it or questioned its authenticity! What does a new French citizen have to do to get someone to notice their new passport?
Monday, 28 May 2007
My virgin passport
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Travel back to the US with it - they'll notice. But of course, you would use your American one.
Even so, I find the American interrogation when I go back into the country more than a little bit uncomfortable. I frequently feel like I've committed a crime, just for leaving and going to, ick, FRANCE, and they're not sure if they should let me back in...
I agree wcs. American customs is terrible. One of the other reasons to get a French passport was to be able to choose which one I wanted and to(try to) avoid long lines and annoyances at customs.
Post a Comment