Two days ago, my Manager contacted me just to let me know I will travel :) That short was the description he gave me. There was no day, purpose or anything beyond. Well, he asked if I had a credit card, passport, visa, and if I had some technical skills. Anyway, the next day he promptly asked me to get a date for requesting the visa, it had the effect of me running home to get my passport number, and then back to call the embassy. In the meantime I had more than enough time to let my imagination guide me through all the possibilities about this trip. Snow. That was my main expected joy, being able to watch, smell and touch it. (Hagen was the killer of that dream...) Of course I could also go buy some clothes, it seems so popular a choice, jeje. And then it's the idea of taking vacations there =) How about touristing Canada or New York? There is a very thin chance of being possible, but it doesn't matter, roadtrips have this nice aura that makes me glad just to think about it.
Today, again, I got to work around twelve o'clock, which is sorta nice change. I went for my driver license. Procrastination, it's the word. That's why I didn't get it before, I just got used to not having one. It's a very dumb thing to do, basically because it is so easy to get it. It was a small adventure, with main activity being to drive. I'm serious I drove more time than what I spent in the office handwriting my personal info. The thing is that I didn't know how to get to that building, well not by a "short" way. The other time I went there, with Monge, I went through the center of the city, which is a hell to drive through. And I knew there was an easier way (there's also that idea of mine which likes to know more roads, more ways to achieve the same...)
My father pointed me the general route, which was absolutely useless because that avenue is being build some sort of tunnel. The good thing is that I think I have a good orientation sense, I trust my intuition and I don't have a problem with asking for help =) I did about 40 minutes. Mental note, please please buy some more music CD's, Mexican politics suck... But all in all it was a good view. The hard part was as usual, where to park Lucy. 5 blocks in the middle of nowhere I got a spot. It was 8:30 and I thought licenses were only made in the morning so I was in a rush. The good news is that they are open 'till 14:30, the bad is that I forgot to bring my birth certificate. I had two choices, go home and get it; or get your CURP. The second choice can be very very easy, if one know where to get an Internet access, jeje. Unfortunately, it isn't so easy. Maybe it's because I'm in a third-world country, maybe it's I don't know that part of the city or just plain knowledge that those cibercafes usually open after 10:00. So I opted for the brave rescue of my birthright (Every Mexican has the right to have one ;) It served to acknowledge the quick way told by my father. In 30 min I went and returned. Of course I took more time, just to find another spot to park Lucy. The process of adjuring that card, is easy. Just drive a little, take a theory exam, another one this time about your sight, smile for the photo, press your fingers, sign. I forgot the pay-thing but it's trivial. I found the place quite clean and honest. The people behind the desk were nice with me. (The truth is I was a bit nervous) Most were smiling.
It was fun to have the "practical" test without me knowing about it. I entered the space to have the test, without knowing when will it start (even though I received in plain and simple Spanish "The test starts when you enter the space for the test"). I just drive up to where there was a guy I wanted to ask him "where should I park my car 'till the test starts?" When I reached him, He told me, before letting me ask him, park it there (pointing to the space reserved for the test). There I immediatetly knew the test was happening now. He also was kind enough to tell me what I did wrong up to that point in the unknown-to-me test. It was the easiest parking I ever done. Another guy asked me some more general info (just to ensure I was me, the one asking for the document). I drove out of the space, baffled, without any way to know if I did good or not. I swear I never saw a railroad or any other special sign. I just drove around a circle and parked in reverse with just 3 movements.
The theory test was another issue. I saw the questions before in their website. I knew I didn't knew a thing about that law. How many meters can one retrocede? My guess is 20, my source is a newspaper article... So I had this heuristic, the safest answer is the one. It got me an 8, so maybe I got the attitude at least. (BTW, the last questions were just plain stupid).
I went out of that governmental building with a new ID card, which will be so useful in US :) Yet, the brightest moment wasn't having it, or passing the process, it was just a butterfly, a yellow winged one, which was waiting for me at the gate. It fly away when I reached it. I smiled =) Can't describe how that event is so simple, yet powerful in my guts.
Today, again, I got to work around twelve o'clock, which is sorta nice change. I went for my driver license. Procrastination, it's the word. That's why I didn't get it before, I just got used to not having one. It's a very dumb thing to do, basically because it is so easy to get it. It was a small adventure, with main activity being to drive. I'm serious I drove more time than what I spent in the office handwriting my personal info. The thing is that I didn't know how to get to that building, well not by a "short" way. The other time I went there, with Monge, I went through the center of the city, which is a hell to drive through. And I knew there was an easier way (there's also that idea of mine which likes to know more roads, more ways to achieve the same...)
My father pointed me the general route, which was absolutely useless because that avenue is being build some sort of tunnel. The good thing is that I think I have a good orientation sense, I trust my intuition and I don't have a problem with asking for help =) I did about 40 minutes. Mental note, please please buy some more music CD's, Mexican politics suck... But all in all it was a good view. The hard part was as usual, where to park Lucy. 5 blocks in the middle of nowhere I got a spot. It was 8:30 and I thought licenses were only made in the morning so I was in a rush. The good news is that they are open 'till 14:30, the bad is that I forgot to bring my birth certificate. I had two choices, go home and get it; or get your CURP. The second choice can be very very easy, if one know where to get an Internet access, jeje. Unfortunately, it isn't so easy. Maybe it's because I'm in a third-world country, maybe it's I don't know that part of the city or just plain knowledge that those cibercafes usually open after 10:00. So I opted for the brave rescue of my birthright (Every Mexican has the right to have one ;) It served to acknowledge the quick way told by my father. In 30 min I went and returned. Of course I took more time, just to find another spot to park Lucy. The process of adjuring that card, is easy. Just drive a little, take a theory exam, another one this time about your sight, smile for the photo, press your fingers, sign. I forgot the pay-thing but it's trivial. I found the place quite clean and honest. The people behind the desk were nice with me. (The truth is I was a bit nervous) Most were smiling.
It was fun to have the "practical" test without me knowing about it. I entered the space to have the test, without knowing when will it start (even though I received in plain and simple Spanish "The test starts when you enter the space for the test"). I just drive up to where there was a guy I wanted to ask him "where should I park my car 'till the test starts?" When I reached him, He told me, before letting me ask him, park it there (pointing to the space reserved for the test). There I immediatetly knew the test was happening now. He also was kind enough to tell me what I did wrong up to that point in the unknown-to-me test. It was the easiest parking I ever done. Another guy asked me some more general info (just to ensure I was me, the one asking for the document). I drove out of the space, baffled, without any way to know if I did good or not. I swear I never saw a railroad or any other special sign. I just drove around a circle and parked in reverse with just 3 movements.
The theory test was another issue. I saw the questions before in their website. I knew I didn't knew a thing about that law. How many meters can one retrocede? My guess is 20, my source is a newspaper article... So I had this heuristic, the safest answer is the one. It got me an 8, so maybe I got the attitude at least. (BTW, the last questions were just plain stupid).
I went out of that governmental building with a new ID card, which will be so useful in US :) Yet, the brightest moment wasn't having it, or passing the process, it was just a butterfly, a yellow winged one, which was waiting for me at the gate. It fly away when I reached it. I smiled =) Can't describe how that event is so simple, yet powerful in my guts.
posted by Guillermo at 4:24 PM
3 comments
