2007/12/17 New York, NY
No clue
The bathroom
While collecting contracts, articles written by me, testimonies about my extraordinary abilities and other things needed to apply for a green card, a friend of mine pointed the movie “Green Card” out to me.
I don’t think it’s a great movie, although I’m only halfway, but there is at least one great scene in it.
Gérard Depardieu is a Frenchman in New York who got married for a green card.
Agents from the immigration service suspect a fake marriage and they visit the couple.
At the end of a pleasant conversation one of the agents asks Mr. Depardieu where the bathroom is.
Since Mr. Depardieu does not live in the apartment he has no clue where the bathroom is. The apartment is fairly big.
The scene doesn’t last longer than 2 minutes but it is great comedy. And I believe it reveals a fundamental truth. Not knowing where your the bathroom is i.e. not able to make yourself at home, not even in your own apartment.
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14 comments 
Beautiful apartment
I remember seeing the movie on television when I was in my very early twenties. I fell in love with the apartment. I still daydream about it but maybe I have made it even more beautiful in my dreams.Lila
I really liked the rose garden she had. That movie didn't have a happy ending though.@ Arnon
How important for you is it to obtain that greencard? Will you feel a looser iin case you don't get one? Is the american nationality so important to you? Or is it because you want the Dutch to know that there is little charm to being a dutchman. Or is it merely because of financial reasons?Mieke
After having been here for almost thirteen years I think it’s about time to switch from a visa to a green card. To answer your question: it’s important to get a green card.Some Mexicans die on their way to the US, I admit many immigrants die on their way to the EU as well. Citizenship is important for many. Who knows what citizenship would mean to you if your passport were issued by Algeria.
Your question surprised me -- do you think I would apply for a green card just as a kind of joke?
A Thai girlfriend of mine got her Belgian Citizenship this week, she is indeed very happy about it too. We celebrated with Belgian chocolates.
By the way, they only place I surely had to know of everywhere I go, is the bathroom.
If not, you can always try citizenship of Luxembourg, Lichtenstein or Monaco – not bad at all.
By the way, they only place I surely had to know of everywhere I go, is the bathroom.
If not, you can always try citizenship of Luxembourg, Lichtenstein or Monaco – not bad at all.
It would be so much nicer to get a greencard through marriage.
Maybe it's time for another fiancee.
Maybe it's time for another fiancee.
Margot
I completely dissagree, I want a green card based on my merits. I guess it's the difference between pride and well let's say a person who has no other options.FYI I could have married a long time ago for a green card.
Arnon
I'm sorry, I didn't know you would take it so seriously.Merits are less romantic than marriage, bit if that's the case I'm sure you'll get this card.
@ Arnon
No, I didn't think it"s a joke to you, but somehow if you are the owner of an european passport you are already one of the priviliged in the world. Changing it for an american one, I f.e. , would feel that I have to agree much more with american politics than I do just now. So even if I could get a green card because of my merits , I doubt if I would persue one.@Mieke, does this mean you agree to the politics of your current country (I take it that is Holland, one of America's closest allies politically speaking, I mean christ, how convenient is it that De Hoop Scheffer is in the position he is, and by the way don't forget what party he respresents...). But what I wanted to say Mieke is -and I'm sure you understand what I'm trying to say because it's so easy to say- not all Americans voted Bush. I believe only 51% of them did. In fact, if more people like Arnon were to get themselves a greencard, there will be hope for America and subsequently for Holland. One of the commentators here (Pim right?) said something along the lines of blessed is the country who has boring politicians. I beg to differ.
@ Noa
No Noa, I am a fierce belgian. Belgium followed a far more progressive course these recent years.If for one reason the political scene in Belgium would change dramatically, there would be the possibility I would want to emigrate.However sometimes I wonder if obtaining a greencard is only a matter of merits. If it is a matter of merits Arnon surely will get one. If he doesn't,who deserves one? But isn't there more at stake? I consider the majority in America to be very conservative and deeply religious. Creationism is always around the corner.How deeply do they take someone convictions into account before they grant him a greencard? Certainly a writer may be a risk and even more if he's a known atheïst. Don't forget that even nowadays a lot can't be said in theU.S. . F.E. Alan Greenspan was higly criticised because he dared to say that the war in Irak was about oil in the first place.
Mieke, Noa and others
To get a few things straight: although a green card is a path to citizenship, green card holders cannot vote in the US. I do think it’s possible to be citizen of a certain country and to disagree with the politics of the government of that country.How this disagreement will work out in practice remains to be seen, but there is a thing as civil disobedience.
Belgium is not a super power, were Belgium a super power I don’t think that Belgian politicians would behave better than their American colleagues.
Democracy should be slightly boring in order to be civilized, yes. For more on this I refer to Orson Welles’ famous diatribe in “The Third Man.”
Greencard
Odd little thing about Greencard - Andie MacDowell and Gerard D. spent a heck of a lot of time in the apartment taking polaroids, "studying" for the Greencard test, and a whole host of other madcap moments shared together.They drank coffee, and presumably, knowing Gerard D., wine.
How in the world did he never have to visit the bathroom during these many shared moments?
Elaine
You are wrong, when Gérard D has to show the bathroom to the agents of the immigration service, he has been in the apartment for not more than fifteen minutes.[ Add comment ]
