Numéros

n. – numbers
I finally have my carte-sejour. It’s been seven months since I arrived in France and in only a few months I will have to begin the process of renewing it, but it was finally ready for pick up today.

Yesterday, I called to check if it was ready because that seemed like a reasonable thing to do. I was asked for my number so I gave them my cell phone number. I got chided because they wanted the case number, which I didn’t have with me so I called again this morning from the apartment.

I like to give out my cell number because I’ve memorized how to say it. The French like to divide their numbers in units of two so while we will spell out each number individually, albeit grouped into area code, first three and then last four, here it will start with 06 (for cell numbers) or 01 for landlines (in Paris). The remaining numbers are also grouped together in two's so 7 2 becomes seventy-two. I use this as an example because once you hit the 70’s, things get complicated. Instead of having a word for seventy, the word is actually “soixante-dix.” “Soixante” means 60 and “dix” means 10. So for 70, the following increments are no longer 1, 2, 3, 4, but 11,12, 13, 14 if you see what I mean. Then there’s 80 which is actually “quatre-vingt” – “quatre” meaning four and “vingt” meaning 20. 90 is “quatre-vingt-dix,” following the same pattern as 60 into 70. By the time I get to 90, I’m usually confused so it took me a moment to decide whether to call a number on my dossier (96) quatre-vingt-six, which would have been wrong since it means 86, or quatre-vingt-seize, which was correct – 96 or four times 20 plus 16.

I was chided again for not knowing the difference and finally blurted out the right number after which I could hear the woman muttering something about Americans as she put the phone down. Anyway, the card was ready so I was happy and I felt even better after calling my husband to complain about the numbering system in his language.

Another problem I have is with telling time. Well, I know how obviously, but the French often use military time. I have to agree with the logic of it because there can be no confusion between am or pm, but again the use of the words am or pm can also avoid any confusion.

Since 1 pm becomes “treize” or 13, I get stuck on the three and think that’s what time it should be. Same thing as it continues, “quatorze” or 14 feels like it should be four and so on. Increments of 15 minutes can either be added or subtracted so it can be “onze heures et quart” (11 and a quarter) or “onze heures moins quart” (11 minus a quarter) or even dix heures quarante-cinq” (10:45) – am, of course.

Well, it’s almost “vingt heures et demi” (8 and a half) pm and I must get ready for guests who are arriving. “A toute a l’heure” (see you later).