Indian expat in Paris. I document what I learn — French, life in France, fitness, video making, and the pursuit of an unforgettable biryani — so you don't have to figure it out alone
They let you smile on the ID
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Last weekend I sat the test civique — the French citizenship exam. And the first thing I noticed at the centre was that they let you smile on the ID photo. Small thing. But after years of stone-faced passport photos, this is refreshing. I scored 39/40. The passing mark is 32, and I'm super proud of this! A lot of the credit goes to Anki. I've been using spaced repetition for years to learn things, and this was the clearest proof yet that it works. If you're preparing for anything that requires memorizing a lot of information in a short time, Anki is the answer. Doing it any other way is just making it harder on yourself. So what happened to the 1/40? «Quel numéro d'urgence permet d'appeler les secours?» There's a distinction in France between the number for the police and the number for an ambulance. I'd read about it. It just never stuck — because in August 2016, when I broke my leg in Lille, I dialed 911 from a phone with no SIM card. Seven minutes later, two guys were in my bedroom carrying me out to an ambulance. 911 worked. So that's what my brain registered under "emergency number in France." Moving on. I wanted to strike while the iron was hot and also book my driving licence exam. But that requires a NEPH number, which only gets generated once the ANTS platform registers my change of address. I've been waiting four months. The file is still pending. Expat life in France — the best patience coach there is. In the meantime, I've eaten spicy biryani three nights out of seven since the exam. A reasonable way to celebrate, I think. I'll be sharing more of the paperwork journey here as I go through it — the citizenship process, the driving licence, whatever France decides to throw at me next; and building my hopes and dreams. Take care of yourselves. Josh PS: If there's an absurd anecdote from your French admin reply and tell me ! — I collect these |
Keep Learning — it changes everything
Indian expat in Paris. I document what I learn — French, life in France, fitness, video making, and the pursuit of an unforgettable biryani — so you don't have to figure it out alone
It's been one month since I revived my investment in learning Dutch, and it's certainly humbling. Many of you reached out to me with one question: "Why Dutch?!" What I hear behind that question is, "How do you have the energy to learn a new language when you don't even need it?" Since I've failed at this half a dozen times, I know it sounds heroic to get into the arena again. But the most valuable thing to address at the get-go before learning a language is the 'why'. I was super efficient...
Dear Reader, A couple of years ago, people started telling me my French was unusually good. So I started sharing what I did and it resonated. But I've been avoiding a question ever since: was that the method — or was it just me? There's only one way to find out - I'm learning Dutch. If I get to conversational fluency in a language I have zero cultural pressure to speak, no survival instinct pushing me forward, no debt to payback and no job to hunt for — then the method gets the credit. Not...
Hey there, I've hesitated to talk about this online, but here goes. Last year I hit one of those classic France curveballs: I applied to renew my work permit… and the prefecture never replied. Fast forward a few months, and I was leaving Paris with just one suitcase, unsure if I can come back to my apartment I'm paying for. Not fun — but here’s the upside: it taught me that in France, knowing the language isn't enough. As a foreigner, knowledge = power. If I’d known the system better, I...