Indian Samurai इंडियन सामुराई

You are Indian and marrying a Frenchie?? Congratulations!!

And get ready for some fun with the administration! It is not too difficult but a bit time consuming, especially for the French thing.

Both French and Indian authorities ask for the couple a ‘one month reflection time’ (called “publication des bans” in French and “intent of marrying” in India). So start the process a little early ;)

First things first, you need to take an appointment with the consulate to check that you are a real couple and also give them some documents.

From the Indian spouse:

1. Birth certificate issued within 3 month with the verification by the Home Ministry of the birth state and the apostille (this is THE difficult part we found)
2. Passport
3. Proof of residence
4. Attestation of celibacy or “Affidavit” if it is not mentioned in the birth certificate. You can get this from an Indian Public Notary – we were not asked for it.

From the French spouse:

1. Certificat de naissance de l’époux français
2. Certificat d’inscription au consulat / carte consulaire de l’époux français
3. Passeport (ou preuve d’identité)
4. Justificatif de domicile
5. Liste des documents signée
6. Contact de la mairie de la localité française où les bans vont être publiés
7. Facture d’électricité des parents (dans la localité française où les bans vont être publiés)

 Then the consulate sends the papers to France and if all goes well, after a month or so they deliver an attestation of celibacy of the French spouse and you can go to the Indian court.

For the Indian marriage court you need:

1. 2-3 “forms” that can be picked up at the court (Khar Telephonic Exchange if you live in Bandra/Khar)
2. Passport of each spouse – notarised
3. Resident permit of the French spouse – notarised
4. Proof of residence of each spouse – notarised
5. Identity pictures
6. Attestation of celibacy of the French spouse given by the consulate – we were not asked for it.

Then they give you a date, at least one month later, and you have to come with 3 witnesses, carrying their passport, a copy and 3 identity pictures. They deliver a marriage certificate and if you pay you can get certified copies. It is strongly recommended to make a fuss and to not leave the place with at least 3 copies…

Once this is all done, you need to go to the consulate and give them:

1. The original (they give it back afterwards) marriage certificate attested by Mantralaya, Mumbai (Home Department) and with the apostille – for all that you can use an agent that will charge 3,850 Rs and get everything done within a week
2. Demande de transcription
3. Attestation de filiation

We are still struggling to get the Birth Certificate but we got married in India and all that. We are just waiting for this last certificate to submit all the above mentioned papers to the consulate and finish it off!

And as a bonus, this is what the apostille looks like!

Signs You’re French At Heart

“Whether you’ve lived there, studied there, or recently watched the Family Guy episode where Lois goes to Paris. Let’s face it, we all want to be Français.” 

1.     You drink entirely too much red wine because its “cheaper than water.”

2.     You’ve watched Jules et Jim and/or 400 Coups in its entirety on youtube.

3.     You’re over cupcakes, and have been ever since you tasted a macaron.

4.     Your César-watching parties are attended primarily by you and your cat Pierre.

5.     You still regularly reference the French Revolution when discussing politics.

6.     Drinking coffee on the go is personally offensive.

7.     You pronounce “Le Pain Quotidien” the RIGHT way and your friends are really fucking annoyed every time.

8.     Verb conjugations get stuck in your head instead of Miley Cyrus songs.

9.     You give unsolicited advice to French tourists you overhear on the subway just so you can break out your best Fraccent.

10.   You knew Vincent Cassel way before he finger banged Natalie Portman on Black Swan.

11.   Macaroni and Brie sounds like a good idea.

12.   Netflix suggests “Mind Bending, Depressing, Existential Foreign Films” to you on a nightly basis.

13.   Biking is best in high heels and dress.

14.   You WILL NOT choose between Lea Seydoux and Melanie Laurent.

15.   Les Miserables was a book first, then a musical, THEN a movie.

16.   You watch your favorite TV shows with French subtitles, just for funsies.

17.   July 4th is significant because it means only 10 more days until Bastille Day!

18.   Your attempt at a classic bob haircut just made you look like an aging Bon Jovi.

19.   A cigarette counts as lunch, RIGHT?!

20.   You pretend that eyesore cell phone tower was left over from the 1889 World’s Fair.

21.   Low carb, shmow carb.

Source: http://www.buzzfeed.com/sarahdunn/signs-youre-french-at-heart

Being stuck in traffic in India leaves you a lot of time to think… So the other day I was wondering whether they could be a link with the way people drive and who they are.  

Of course it would involve a lot of clichés but the idea is not entirely stupid, in my opinion.

Udaipur

 Nooo! I wouldn’t dare to say that just because Indians drive crazy that they are all crazy don’t get me wrong ;) Though...

But no, I was rather thinking that the only driving rule in India “always look in front. Not on the sides. Never backward” also applies to the way they drive their lives. Always looking forward rather than dwelling upon the past. It is probably partly linked to India economic development where everything (almost) is yet to be done. But I think it is also in Indians’ nature, “not thinking too much (at least this is the impression they give), future-oriented, enjoying simple moments (you should see our executives starting dancing the moment you play music in a seminar)” kind of nature. 

To go back to the Indian driving style, it is every man for himself. There is no conception of “collective well-being”, of “if I let this person go first then I won’t block the whole street for one hour”. Same thing when it comes to queuing. Indians do not wait in lines. I think it is because they don’t really care about others; they only matters. Are they individualistic? I believe they are (except when it comes to family) – and who can blame them? With a population of 1.2 billion, you have to fend for yourself!

Now you will tell me, who are you to criticise? Aren’t you French? Ah the French… Possibly the worst drivers in the world (or at least in Europe, let us be fair). I loved that website that described us as “impatient, intolerant and even aggressive maniacs with an unshakeable conviction in our own immortality [and having] little respect for traffic rules, particularly anything to do with parking (in Paris, a car is a device used to create parking spaces)” – the rest is even better, I let you read… So this is how we drive, and a bit how we are also no? Complaining a lot, impatient, undisciplined…

Follow me in Germany with this blog. At a signal. “To dare challenge [the red man’s] authority and step gingerly out into a completely empty road when he is still red, is to take great personal risk. Not of getting run over, the road is completely empty after all. Bar being struck by an invisible car, you’re safe. No, what you really risk is the scorn, the tutting and the shouts of “Halt!” from nearby Germans. Who will now consider you an irresponsible, possibly suicidal, social renegade.” Wouldn’t that vouch for the stereotype that Germans are very disciplined and love to follow the rules?

The Britishers drive rather carefully… To the point that they themselves are more frustrated by slow drivers than over speeding ones! An illustration of the British phlegm and legendary politeness?* 

Maybe I got it all wrong but I had good fun writing that post!

To conclude on a funny note, see this joke on driving styles in the world:

“One hand on steering wheel, one hand out of window. Sydney 

One hand on steering wheel, one hand on horn. Japan
One hand on steering wheel, one hand on newspaper, foot solidly on accelerator. Boston
Both hands on steering wheel, eyes shut, both feet on brake, quivering in terror. New York 
Both hands in air, gesturing, both feet on accelerator, head turned to talk to someone in back seat. Italy      

One hand on horn,             
one hand greeting,             
one ear on cell phone,      
one ear listening to loud music,      
foot on accelerator,            
eyes on female pedestrians,           
conversation with someone in next car.        

Welcome to India!!”

Sources:

Living in France: http://www.justlanded.com/english/France/Articles/Travel-Leisure/French-Drivers 

Living in Germany: http://venturevillage.eu/how-to-be-german-part-1 

* Living in the UK: http://www.thecheers.org/Entertainment/article_2222_English-Politeness-and-Manners.html ; http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8649662/Slow-drivers-cause-the-most-frustration.html 

Joke: http://www.asianjoke.com/general/driving_styles_around_the_world.htm