Learning a second language is one effort, learning another culture is almost its own effort as well. I know how to bank in Canada...here, not so much. The telephone system won't accept the number of digits we have in our ids...and there's not really a way around that-we've spent hours trying. We now make do with cash, and taking bank cheques for our rent payments (with service fees, of course). We've done the math though, and 10 hours of unsuccessful effort costs more in frustration, time from work, etc... than those service fees--call it the "oh well" charge.
Before we left on vacation, I tried to be diligent, got two months worth of cheque to pay, so that our landlords wouldn't be left wondering. That cheque and all paperwork supporting its existence is gone. Also, funny aside, they wouldn't accept the cheque at the rental agency without the bill, which hadn't been issued yet, so this took me two trips. I suspect it's held somewhere "to be safe"...anyway, it's cost hours of searching for the receipts or the cheques from three months ago. In the meantime, we've been contacted and slightly harassed for being in arrears (that I'm 95% sure the company created...but I'm not 100%, because I'm completely aware that everyone is fallible-including me, I'm certain of it!!!). On top of that, they won't accept payment for this month, until the last two are cleared up. I have never, never encountered a business operation that turns money out the door, not once, but twice. Yeah...twice.
How many trips I've made to the bank, the rental agency, and a friend for help with understanding the process, I've lost track of-mostly on purpose, because that helps me be less frustrated with the processes...to just do what needs doing, when it needs getting done... Today, I know though, I'm on three. I have had to go to a notary to swear and have his legalizing signature on my statement that the cheque is lost. I took that to the bank. They found it strange...but acceptable. The lady was really helpful, as always- it's more about process than people!
They issued a stop payment order for the cheque. It took four people 45 minutes. They also had to craft a public notice for the newspaper to make it public that the cheque is no longer valid. An ad in the paper. This would have been 20 minutes in Canada, and cost about $20... there's an order entered into the system that invalidates the cheque, some computer something, I imagine...and done.
So this is just a little slice of what needs doing sometimes...but-I have loyalty grocery cards now. Everything is a process.
Visas--the way they have been processed this time has meant three separate trips to the immigration office, because the paper work is time-sensitive once issued, and they're not processing it at the same time. Three trips to the small, hot, no-electronics allowed (so no reading a kindle while we wait), "Kids, pack snack and a book and mentally prepare yourselves to wait." sort of place.
Then, in 14-20 days, we can call back and see if they're done and ready to give us our cards for identification.
Processes.
Cheers and chao!
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