Determinate, while not really a word in English, is a word used in one of my favorite Disney movies (…I hope you know which one!) and is very applicable to life as an American in France.
While the French system can pose challenges for anyone, these hurdles become increasingly difficult for foreigners. I can attest to this specifically after my visit in August.
As you may have heard, France has been requiring a “passe sanitaire” since early August. This pass is essentially proof of Covid vaccination, with a QR code either in printed form or on a smartphone through the application Tous Anti Covid. Since August, the pass has been required to enter restaurants, museums and to do most activities that you would want to do as a visitor. When you go to these places, employees are looking to scan your code to allow entry. Without a pass, you must have a negative Covid result within 72 hours or otherwise can be denied entry.
When you are vaccinated in France, you automatically receive this code. Obviously, Americans and those coming from other countries did not have the bar code and the French government was not being very clear about what to do if you did not have it. I had been following a blog up until the day I left for France. It provided daily updates from readers about how they were dealing with the pass problems. Some people had shared that the CDC Vaccination card had worked for entry at certain places, while others said it did not.
People mentioned being able to go to a variety of pharmacies or hospitals to get the American pass converted into the French passe sanitaire. Sadly, right before the day I left for France, bloggers were explaining how these places were overwhelmed with conversions that many had stopped the service. Thanks to a friend from Hofstra, I had also known to apply for a pass through emailing the embassy, as was recommended online. Yet, still to this day I have not received a reply…
Unsure exactly what would happen, I was “determinated” to get a French pass. When my flight arrived in Paris I had a few hours before the hotel check-in. With that time, I decided to walk around and stop at several of the places I had heard would convert the pass. I went to the vaccination center outside Hôtel de Ville, Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu, and a few pharmacies. Turned away from every place, I decided to get a Covid test at a pharmacy to have three days of worry-free entry wherever I chose to go.
The rapid test took all of 5 minutes to get my results, but paying around $40 I knew this was something I did not want to do every other day. The pharmacist was very friendly and she called the Mairie de Paris to ask what I could do. She directed me to walk 30 minutes to a new location that was sure to do it.
Reaching 2.5 hours of walking at this point, I finally arrived at the location she had sent me to. If you didn’t know this, August is the month where almost everyone in France goes on vacation, so businesses can often be closed. To my luck, the center was closed. I decided to give up for the day, having my Covid test result anyways.
I had also heard of one specific pharmacy that had been converting passes easily for many Americans. On my second day in Paris, visiting numerous pharmacies with two of my good American friends, we stopped at that specific one to find that it was closed until the 17th of August.
Having no success, I spent the next week in France traveling through many towns. Fortunately, I ran into no issues using my CDC card. Yet, each day I would try to go into pharmacies (still determinated for my own pass and sense of security). In a way, I imagined that it was practice for when I actually live there and face similar challenges. Every pharmacy I visited had a new reason why they couldn’t complete my request. “The machine isn’t working… pharmacies can’t do that…apply online… come back next week…” the list went on and on. Since this wasn’t life or death, I could take the rejections lightheartedly and it became amusing to guess what excuse each location would come up with.
After visiting 26 pharmacies, I was hopeful that the location reopening on the 17th would help me out. Returning to Paris, I knew my 27th visit would be at that specific pharmacy. When I walked in, I had a good feeling… #27 would be it. Usually a slow speaker in French, I had mastered saying my 2-sentence request practically as if I was a native. When the man said he would do it, I almost felt tears forming from the success. Minutes later… I was French! Kidding, but I did walk out with my very own passe sanitaire to put in the Tous Anti Covid app.
Apparently now that France vaccination rates are so high, they are becoming more lenient on using the pass. While the struggle I went through may not have much physical use in the future, I was still glad to have succeeded in the end. Plus, I couldn’t have done it without the help of many of my friends along the way! This experience really tested my patience and willingness to not take a “no”(… or 26…) for an answer.
Être déter=to be determined
Julia's Journey in Paris 