It worked out well today because my Mom is still here, which meant the bigger boys didn't have to endure a day of what could have been endless lines. I say could have been. My goodness, we hit the jackpot! We took the baby with us because here in Costa Rica babies do a great job of getting you to the front of the line. Today we were escorted ahead of everyone! And we were done in an hour! An HOUR folks!! Back in Novemeber we were told we would have to wait in line starting at 3:30 or 4:00 AM to get an appointment. Not today! ¡Gracias a Dios!
Someone shared this video with me a couple of weeks ago and it cracked me up. While it's in Spanish, there are English subtitles and while it takes place in Spain, I am going out on a limb here to say that it applies to pretty much everywhere in the world, hehehe. Watch and laugh along with me.
So, here's to all of you, in your daily grind against the machine. May we all one day get one step ahead of the system!
Come on, you gotta great bureaucracy story...let's here it!
Haha! Yes! Loved the video! El Salvador is a total nightmare, but we've finally gotten the system down to a science more or less! Just last week I had my purse stolen right off my chair in a coffee shop and let me tell you that you do not want that to happen to you! I had to get a police report so that I could go to immigration and have my card replaced and the police kept saying, "I need to see your card to report it stolen." Um....what???? I finally got him the number and filed the police report but it was a two day process...arg!!!
ReplyDeleteoh Daniell ARG is right!! Ha!
DeleteThere's a Russian comedy video about the passport office that we've watched so many times we almost have it memorized. When the bureaucrat asks if he has his photo, he starts pulling them out "Here's 3x4, 4x7, 10x15, with corners, without corners, in the corner, poster size, full length, with my dog...." And the other line from we repeat is "Oh, we tell you about that on the eighth visit!" Anyway, no subtitles, but here it is:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD7jLUqjIQY
And babies get you to the front of the line in Costa Rica, eh? Same here!
Yes, babies get you far ahead in Costa Rica! I got spoiled and then thought Americans were so rude when we went back with our furlough and no one gave me a seat or moved me to the front of line with my baby.
DeleteLove the video! I'm going to show it my husband because he is always super prepared with every document for all our immigration appointments!
ReplyDeleteGreat bureaucracy stories? Well, there was the time that we found out just before leaving Costa Rica that a new law was passed and we would need the government's permission to take OUR child out of the country... we went to immigration to get the paperwork taken care of and found it was the last day it was open before Christmas, so about half the country was there... also seeking the same permiso we were. We were there all day. Sometime in the afternoon, I tripped and fell in front of a huge crowd of people, ripped my pants, and split open my knee (in a place with no soap or paper in the bathrooms). And, it was my birthday. =)
Or, there was the time we waited to get the doctor's physical done until we were already at the driver's license place and had to use the creeeepy doctor nearby, who way, way overcharged us and refused to do my exam unless my husband left the room and closed the door!
There are more stories; maybe I should write a follow-up post! =)
Oh, that does remind me of a story. When I was deported from Russia, I was supposed to leave on the court papers from that (instead of on a visa). My husband had a valid visa. However, all of our children needed exit visas... and children aren't allowed to apply for visas without their parents applying at the same time. We went around and around locally, and then finally someone on the regional level said that it was ridiculous; of course we needed to take our children with us! And he took care of it himself.
DeleteSarah, I am just now reading this and oh.my.word! We stayed at Migration for just the morning to get our cedulas and goodness, what a place! We have to go back still to get the permiso for the boys...ugggg...And Phyllis! Good grief! Glad someone with some common sense was able to help you!
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