France is a Catholic country; about 85 percent to be exact. But from the sounds of the church bells, you'd think it was 100 percent. Those cute bells sounds that Katherine has made each of you listen to while talking on the phone are definitely alluring and quite different from the DC street sounds....except on Sunday.
Today, Sunday June 7th, at 10am, those cute bells sounds took on monstrous proportions; as if some maniacal Quasimodo on crystal meth was swinging on the bell chain to make sure that nobody would miss mass this morning. The problem is, the French seem to have that Adam Smith attitude towards religion. I can just see some guy waking up to the church bells and saying "It's time to go to church mon cheri." To which, mon cheri replies, "Let's just do it one more time". "But them we will be late for church my dear." "Please". "Okay, but let me call my wife to tell her that we will be a bit late."
It's the same way in business. We joined a sports club. We signed all the papers and paid for the first month by credit card. But now we needed to give them a Euro bank account so that they could debit their monthly bill. "We don't have a bank account." "Okay, we'll give you 7 days to get one and in the meantime you can use our club".....so we're off to get a bank account.
Now, we enter our bank and ask to open an account. "Do you have an appointment?" "No, are you busy?" "No." "So can we open an account?" "Not without an appointment." "Okay, can we make an appointment for Now." "No." "When can we have an appointment?" "Tomorrow at 3." "With whom?" "With me." So to make a long story short, we show up at 3 the next day and open our account but........
This bank is a bank for current and former teachers. Thanks for telling us that yesterday. But wait, I was a university professor. Katherine was head of the university chemistry library. "Is that okay; can we open an account?" "Yes, but do you have any proof?" "What kind of proof, we're retired? Maybe we can get a letter from the University College London to verify our previous employment?" "Okay, bring that in." "But we won't be back in the UK for weeks." "No problem, just bring it in when you come back." "And we can have our bank account today." "Absolutely."
Now, back at the sports club, "Here's our bank account." "Great but you also need to give us a check for 2 months membership that we won't ever cash unless you stiff us." "But we don't have a checking account." So it's back to our bank who tells us that they are only a credit union and don't give checking accounts. Great so we go back to the sports club and they say, "Here are your permanent membership cards and I will ask the manager what we can do about you not having any check to give us."
So as of today, we do not have a checking account, we have not given anybody a check with 2 months membership, and it looks like we will never get any documentation that we ever taught at a university but we do have a bank account and a sports club membership.
My point about this rant is that the French believe in religion, documentation, procedures, sound business practices, etc. but in the end, if it gets in the way, laissez faire. And, uh oh, it must be time for the noon mass, Quasimodo is swinging from the bell rope again.....
Today, Sunday June 7th, at 10am, those cute bells sounds took on monstrous proportions; as if some maniacal Quasimodo on crystal meth was swinging on the bell chain to make sure that nobody would miss mass this morning. The problem is, the French seem to have that Adam Smith attitude towards religion. I can just see some guy waking up to the church bells and saying "It's time to go to church mon cheri." To which, mon cheri replies, "Let's just do it one more time". "But them we will be late for church my dear." "Please". "Okay, but let me call my wife to tell her that we will be a bit late."
It's the same way in business. We joined a sports club. We signed all the papers and paid for the first month by credit card. But now we needed to give them a Euro bank account so that they could debit their monthly bill. "We don't have a bank account." "Okay, we'll give you 7 days to get one and in the meantime you can use our club".....so we're off to get a bank account.
Now, we enter our bank and ask to open an account. "Do you have an appointment?" "No, are you busy?" "No." "So can we open an account?" "Not without an appointment." "Okay, can we make an appointment for Now." "No." "When can we have an appointment?" "Tomorrow at 3." "With whom?" "With me." So to make a long story short, we show up at 3 the next day and open our account but........
This bank is a bank for current and former teachers. Thanks for telling us that yesterday. But wait, I was a university professor. Katherine was head of the university chemistry library. "Is that okay; can we open an account?" "Yes, but do you have any proof?" "What kind of proof, we're retired? Maybe we can get a letter from the University College London to verify our previous employment?" "Okay, bring that in." "But we won't be back in the UK for weeks." "No problem, just bring it in when you come back." "And we can have our bank account today." "Absolutely."
Now, back at the sports club, "Here's our bank account." "Great but you also need to give us a check for 2 months membership that we won't ever cash unless you stiff us." "But we don't have a checking account." So it's back to our bank who tells us that they are only a credit union and don't give checking accounts. Great so we go back to the sports club and they say, "Here are your permanent membership cards and I will ask the manager what we can do about you not having any check to give us."
So as of today, we do not have a checking account, we have not given anybody a check with 2 months membership, and it looks like we will never get any documentation that we ever taught at a university but we do have a bank account and a sports club membership.
My point about this rant is that the French believe in religion, documentation, procedures, sound business practices, etc. but in the end, if it gets in the way, laissez faire. And, uh oh, it must be time for the noon mass, Quasimodo is swinging from the bell rope again.....
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