Yes, I did receive my California ID (and by the way I have way too much hair on it) but even if it makes me feel a bit more integrated, I still have a sword of Damocles hanging over me: we submitted our H1B visas applications last week, but the quotas (65 000/year) have already been reached, which means that applications will be picked up randomly. Apart from the obvious absurdity of this quota which prevents Silicon Valley from hiring all the talented people it would need to face the recession, I find the situation a bit crazy: it’s been now 2 years that we are planning to live here (not to say my whole life!), we’ve been through so much pressure to try to find jobs at the same time, to get our J1 visas, to settle down… and now that we have everything in place, that we both start really enjoying our work, we are told that our future depends on a… lottery!
The other suspense of the week: will I get my license?? It is way less dramatic than the visa issue, for sure! I will take the test tomorrow, and I can say that it will be a miracle if I pass: during my last lesson, I cut some yellow lines, I accelerated during a turn, I forgot to stop at a stop sign…. Nothing promising 
Apart from all that:
- We went to see a hockey game last week (pictures here): I loved the atmosphere, but I didn’t know that it was absolutely normal to let players fight during the game, so I was completely astonished to see those guys punching each other in the face while the audience was waiting for…free pizza!
- I had my housewarming party on Friday, with work colleagues (pictures here), and I realize that my Sicilian origins haven’t disappeared: I can make 3 additional housewarming parties only with the leftovers! At least we used the BBQ
- While I was having a drink with a friend in SF on Saturday, a HEC student was passing by and recognized me, at the exact moment when I was saying “it is hard to meet young French people in the Valley”… I guess she proved me wrong!
- I went to a mass on Sunday, and no wonder why US churches are full and French ones empty… It wasn’t a fancy mass at all, but it was in a latino area and people of all ages seemed totally absorbed by their faith…It is somehow reassuring to see so much hope in the eyes of so many different people. Besides it is really interesting to analyze the relationship that Americans have with religion: it can be sometimes really scary and sometimes really inspiring, even if the line is often difficult to draw. And I definitely love gospel music
Entries (RSS)
Man, that really sucks! I hope you and Remy will be ok.
Glad you’re still managing to have a good time.
At first, I did not realize that it was also hard for living in US. Cannot companies support you more for getting your visas?
I am whole with you!
On the other hand, big big s*** for your driving test!!!
Thanks for your support guys! Actually our companies are doing everything they can, like paying for immigration attorneys to fill the visa applications, but unfortunately there is nothing more to do since it is a lottery. If you want to know more about this ridiculous process, here is a great article of The Economist:
http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11016270.