Digicode

Interphone
n. – things that let people in your apartment
Most buildings here are structured relatively the same way for entering. There’s generally a large main entrance door, which requires a code. After that, you may have several other doors before you’re actually “in” the building, either ones that require more codes or keys. Once in your apartment, there is often an intercom system so if you’re somewhere that requires a key to get past the second stage, this is a way to let people in from there.

While the codes are provided for security, they’re in fact given out to almost everyone because that’s the easiest way to let them in. So I wonder sometimes how effective that really is after all. They’re supposed to change the codes once a year, but I think the one in our present building hasn’t been changed in a decade or more. I have to think about it for a moment to remember the numbers when giving the code to someone else, but it’s easy to remember when I enter it myself since it makes the sign of a cross.

We have an intercom now, but not at the new place so once we’ve given out all the codes, the only warning we’ll have that someone’s arrived is when they knock on the door. I like having an intercom because it gives you that two minute warning that’s often needed. I’m rarely just standing in front of the door ready to greet guests, but usually running around doing something else. We have two codes to remember that are equally random so I’m going to have to carry them with me everywhere I go, again not the best security system, but it’s not as if we’re moving to an unsafe neighborhood.

This is good thing because lighting in buildings is not automatic as it is in the US. It’s great on one hand because it saves energy. I have come to the conclusion that what’s saved in lighting in the residential buildings is applied to lighting up the spectacular monuments around the city and especially the lovely hourly twinkling of lights around the top of the Eiffel Tower every night.

Sometimes, the hallways lights will go on automatically, which is nice, but you can’t always count on that so it’s good to be prepared to look for the light switch as soon as possible upon entering so you don’t get caught in the dark. The lights will go off automatically so again, you must be sure to look for additional switches as you make your way toward the elevators or front doors because if you dawdle you could get stuck.

This is particularly dangerous if you’ve chosen to take the stairs as we often do here on the way down to save the trouble of waiting for an ever so slow lift. There is more room on the stairs as many elevators here are barely small enough to fit one person let alone two or more. I hope we don’t have to take the stairs too much at our new place since we’ll be on the 7th floor. The lift seems to work well and while not so large, it has a gate allowing you to see out which helps with the feeling of claustrophobia.

So once we get past the lights and the lift, we can settle in once more to our new home. And for family and friends who want to visit, we’ll be sure to give out the codes.