The last I checked, they claimed my paperwork hadn't arrived and after going to correos de chile and seeing the high-tech, classified mail system they have that I paid for (come on, have you ever heard of COMPUTERS???!!!!), they wrote in pen a confirmation that it had been delivered. My logical question was, "is there a more official document I can bring to extranjería to show that it was delivered". The response I got, "No, no. This is the official time. If you want a copy you'll have to go to Plaza de Armas and see if they'll let you have a copy, but I don't think they will". So, I'm thinking "alright, where the hell in Plaza de Armas do I go?" And the nice, but dense man tells me that I'll know it when I see it. I was late to meet my cuñi so I just left it at that.
So, back to this morning. I call and the woman actually finds me in the system this time and says that I was missing a piece of paper in the envelope and that they had sent it back. Even though the woman at my institute supposedly put my envelope together the way it should have been and just handed it to me to send, That's an OK answer for me. The woman at my institute is relatively friendly and everyone makes mistakes. I don't even mind using the mail that takes at least a week when I could drop it off by hand in 10 minutes. I think I've always been pretty patient with Chilean bureaucracy as long as the last person I'm sent to actually gives me a useful answer (it's normally an address on the other side of the city). The people at extranjería have been surprisingly helpful and friendly to me, but my problem is that I really need to get that visa in the mail ASAP, If for nothing else than not to give the new guy at Ekono a heart attack when I use my passport number and not my carnet number when I pay with a credit card. But seriously, I need you visa, I want you visa, so hurry up!
On a totally different note, yesterday was election day. And the craziest thing about it to me is that men and women vote in different colegios. That just seems way too old-fashioned even for Chile, but as my suegra said (and I couldn't help but laugh), laws are just too hard to change here so most of Pinochet's legacy is the same because it's next to impossible to change. That to me just sums up most Chileans and their views on politics, but that's another post in general.
But my point in mentioning elections was to talk about my Sunday. My suegra actually warned me not to go out. Or rather said it would be better if we didn't go out. I'm still not sure why, but I have a feeling it had nothing to do with elections and everything to do with the fact that she wanted us to go to her house for the day, but we already had plans. And it seems like everyone else had those same plans: Parque Forrestal. I. and I had a picnic there and let Olive run crazy for a few hours while half of Santiago walked by. I have never seen the park this crowded and we are there almost every weekend. There were more shows and people selling things than ever. I love to watch all of the circus talent there. There were a group of people climbing and swinging off two rope-type thingies that seem to be all the rage (when I saw Justin Timberlake in concert, Pink opened for him and was swinging all around the stage on them). Even though it was incredibly crowded, we still had a really nice, quiet place to eat the yummy potato salad I made, sneak-drink a bottle of wine, and play cards. And now it's back to work...
P.S. I've been thinking about my group post and am having a hard time narrowing down my post so it may not be until tomorrow or later tonight...
4 comments:
When I got my visa, when I went in to get the "real" visa, I had to wait for 3.5 hours and get there to find out that I too, was missing a piece of paper. I used my contract from the norteamericano to prove financial independence (sustento económico) and that wasn't enough. You need a notarized copy of your contract, so the presidente of the norteamericano was supposed to run down to the notaria with me and sign it there. Yeah, like that would EVER happen. Being married, the other option was to get my husband to sign a notarized contract making me his financial responsibility. Just in case this was the piece you were missing, I thought I'd tell you this since no one bothered to tell me until I waited in that horrible line.
I had it out with the guy at visas and he luckily let me cut in line when I got back with my papel de sustento economico, but I had to pull my husband out of work and rush to a notaria before they closed at the extranjería.
After my husband got his visa at the embassy, I went on for about 3 days about how much better gringos are at this stuff than chilenos. My chilean visa process was so frustrating it made me WANT to not have a visa and get thrown out of the country.
There's also a website where you can check on your visa status, FYI. It's the extranjería website... I found that to be helpful. Especially because you can see your status there and go as soon as it's approved without waiting to the piece of paper in the mail which takes about 3-4 extra weeks. This were things I found out when it was too late, along with the fact that your RUT never changes and that the RUT I had while studying abroad would be the same I'd always have. If I had known that it would have prevented tons of waiting and confusion with my chilean health insurance.
hey i got your message about the movie the other night, no problem! girls night this weekend hopefully!
Good luck with the visa. I hate red tape and idiocy offends me. I might never get a visa. *sigh*
Tag, you're it! http://mandymoves.blogspot.com/2008/11/significant-other-brag-tag.html, if you want to participate!
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