Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Residency: The Second First Renewal

Finally, we headed back this morning to the National Police to pick up our new residency cards. Our last renewed cards were good for two years (until July 2014), but then we moved and changed provinces (from Sevilla to Málaga) and had to obtain new cards with our current address. We submitted the paperwork early April and returned in May to pick up the cards, having been told they would be ready in 30 days. Not so. The official document said 45 days. The English guy at the information desk was so unbelievably unpleasant (downright nasty) that we dreaded returning for more abuse.

MOOSE (AT THE BACK WINDOW): "WHERE ARE YOU GOING SO EARLY? CAN I COME?
CAN YOU AT LEAST OPEN THE TERRACE DOOR?"

San Geraldo waited in one line (for foreigners) while I waited to confirm with the ogre that we were doing the right thing. He was gruff and unpleasant, but not vicious, and I managed to keep my cool, smile, and pretend I liked him. He told me, or at least I was able to understand from the stabbing of his finger at the piece of paper in my hand that 9-11 a.m. was appointments only. We did not and could not have an appointment to pick up our cards, so we had to return after 11. It was 9:30. We walked the few blocks to the beach and sat down at a cafe for our morning coffees. We had an hour and a half to kill. What else could we possibly do to fill the time except to order some pastries? I'm just calling it my fourth birthday dessert.

THE VIEW WHILE WE KILLED SOME TIME. NOTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT.
THE VIEW WHILE WE KILLED SOME MORE TIME.
SAN GERALDO HATES WALNUTS. I LOVE THEM. I INDULGED. IT IS MY BIRTHDAY WEEK.

At 10:50, we walked back up the street to the police station. We waited about 5 minutes and were called to a table by a man in uniform. We gave him our paperwork and old cards; he scanned our fingerprints and gave us our new cards. We think we know how it works now. The process isn't problematic except that no one tells you how it's done. The only resource for that is the ogre at the front desk. In nine months, we'll start again. Maybe the ogre will have retired. Anyway, I won't think about that now.

ON THE WAY HOME. THE OGRE, LONG FORGOTTEN.

17 comments:

  1. So.......the birthday week. Next year you can have a birthday month! It's a very sweet experience.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kristi:
      I learned this from San Geraldo. He's been having a birthday month for as long as I've known him.

      Delete
  2. If only you'd taken Moose with you, el ogro (yes, I looked it up) would surely have melted. No? Well tough titty for him and all like him. What an advertisement he is, giving his nation a bad name.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Raybeard:
      I have a feeling el ogro is not an animal lover (anyway, I think Moose at least would run the other way). Also, the guy isn't even Spanish. He's English. Really unfortunate when an Englishman is giving Spain a bad name!

      Delete
  3. Have you been talking to Celie and Will? They milk their birthdays for almost a month, birthday shopping, family party, friends party, party with east coast friends and family when we go back.......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cindy:
      Maybe Celie and Will are related to Jerry. I learned this from him!

      Delete
  4. Job well done! It is such a shame that the ogre has the job of dealing with people :( I can only wonder if he is just constantly hit with having to deal with (other) people who make no attempt to learn the language??
    I'm constantly impressed with your calm and kind attitude in dealing with these difficulties!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Judeet:
      The ogre is English and, although he speaks Spanish, he doesn't even pronounce Fuengirola correctly. He's not even nice to his co-workers. (And don't raise me to sainthood just yet. I don't lose my cool during the process, because that won't help my case. But I sometimes do vent quite a bit after the fact.)

      Delete
    2. No kidding!? He's ENGLISH? Well, that is really something, then!

      Delete
  5. I LOVE the way you kill time, my friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Knatolee:
      I followed this with a 5-mile walk this afternoon. I think I finally hit the sugar limit.

      Delete
  6. Now that you have this experience under your belt it should go easier next time---right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stephen:
      Unless of course they change the rules in the meantime, which they seem to do regularly. We've been to this office three times in the past three months. The information line always formed in one direction. Today, I was yelled at because I was queuing incorrectly. They had changed the direction!

      Delete
  7. Are those bougainvillas hanging from the trees? They are so colorful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ms. Sparrow:
      Yep, those magenta-ish flowers are bougainvillea. But they're not hanging from the trees. They're growing from the planters on the pavement. Those multiple trunks belong to the bougainvilleas!

      Delete
  8. Replies
    1. Spo:
      Officially, it was Sunday (http://mitchellismoving.blogspot.com.es/2013/06/feliz-cumpleanos-mi-and-all-that-jazz.html). But the celebration began Friday with our niece, and family and it continues through the week.

      Delete

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