We had a healthy and substantial breakfast (buffet) at the hotel at 7 and headed off for the Plaza de España with our wheeled carry-on bag filled with well-organized (thanks, Jerry) paperwork in quadruplicate, including another set of passport-style photos (to meet residency card requirements) — photos taken Saturday at the camera department of El Corte Inglés for the surprisingly cheap price of 9 euros for 12 photos. Another set of official photos of myself that I find hideous. So I'm glad they were really cheap. Who is that old guy? I'm seriously thinking it's time to shave off the very gray beard.
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| THE VIEW OF THE PLAZA DE ESPAÑA FROM THE NORTH COLONNADE AT 8 A.M. |
We arrived at the office at 7:38 and waited in what appeared to be a randomly forming line along the colonnade — 20+ people along the wall and another 20+ opposite them (and us) along the stone balustrade. But, when the doors opened at 8:30, everyone shuffled into their positions in the line against the wall and we were quickly processed through the doors in groups of about 10 to control the flow.
Jerry and I stepped up to the information desk and were greeted warmly. I showed our visas and passports to the man at the desk, he issued us two numbers and told us to go across the hall and wait to be called. We went across the hall but, as we entered the room to which we had been directed, a guard came racing toward us and told us we needed to sit in the large waiting room next to the information desk. I told him the man at the desk said we should wait in the room across the hall, but the guard said, no, and that our numbers would be called.
We headed back to the information desk to confirm with the man there. I told him the guard said we should wait in the large room and he said, oh. So we sat down and waited. The electronic tote had the number "9" displayed. Our numbers were 31 and 32.
About 20 seconds later, the guard came in and asked for anyone with a yellow ticket (that would be us) to come with him. People with white tickets waited to be called into another large room behind the reception desk. It was obvious the guard had things well in hand with managing the flow of people. He brought us to the room he had only a moment before kicked us out of and then told us to go to table 3 or 4, where a female and a male, respectively, bureaucrat (Thing 3 and Thing 4) sat silently waiting. We went to table 3. I said "good morning" and apologized in advance for my Spanish making my over-used and always warmly welcomed comment that my Spanish was not very good and Jerry's was "even less" very good. Thing 3 didn't smile. Her face showed no expression. Botox? No, Bureaucrat.
I told Thing 3 what we where there for. She asked where my appointment letter was. I didn't know what she was talking about. She showed me a sample and I said we didn't have one and asked how we would obtain one. She said she personally couldn't help us without an appointment letter and that we instead needed to sit down in the row of chairs against the wall and wait for the blond woman (La Rubia) at the unnumbered table to help us. We did so. While we waited, Things 1, 3, and 4 sat quietly staring at their computer terminals, not typing, not mousing, just motionless and staring. Thing 5 worked with a family. Thing 2 never arrived. A line of people sat in the chairs waiting for La Rubia. Another line stood outside in the hall waiting for the information desk. The main waiting room was now filled with people watching for their numbers to be posted. The guard stopped by and asked me why we were sitting against the wall and not with Thing 3 or Thing 4. I explained that Thing 3 told us to see La Rubia. He scratched his head, shrugged, and walked away to help someone else. He was doing his best to keep things moving.
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| FILES ON THE READY. WE ONLY PRESENTED TWO PIECES OF PAPER TODAY. |
La Rubia saw about five people before us — we shifted up in the row of chairs each time someone left. At one point, Thing 3 called out to me from her solitary position and said we should go see La Rubia now. La Rubia still had someone at the table and snapped back at Thing 3 that, no, she wasn't ready. After only about 5 minutes of waiting, she called us to her table. I gave her our passports, visas, and NIE letters from the city of Sevilla. She asked what we wanted. I told her we were there to apply for our residency cards. She said we needed to see Thing 3. Thing 3 overheard this comment and called back that we didn't have appointment letters. La Rubia said something to me about needing appointment letters to obtain our student residency cards. I smiled and said we were not students; we were retired (I said "thank you, but we're too old to be students"). I explained that we had retirement residency visas and that we did not work. She then called that information out to Thing 3. Thing 3 said, good, and that she still couldn't do anything without an appointment letter. I asked again, how do we get an appointment and letter?
Finally, La Rubia, pulled out two forms (forms we had been expecting to receive today) and told me we needed to take those to the bank, pay 15 euros and then come back on our appointed day to complete the process. I again asked, "How do we get appointments?" She took out her appointment book and copied our identification numbers into it. She then wrote our appointments on the forms we would take to the bank. We can go to any bank to make our payment. We will then return — with our receipts — to the Oficina de Extranjeros on our appointed day and time to, supposedly, complete the process.
My brain is still rattling. But, except for a quick trip to the bank in the coming days to make our two 15 euro payments, we can relax until 25 August. Maybe we'll then have the dubious pleasure of visiting again with Thing 3; maybe it will be Thing 1 or Thing 2. Or perhaps the Cat in the Hat himself will make an appearance.
WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE
At 2:30, I was met promptly at the apartment by the man from the water company. He hooked up the water meter for our apartment in the main closet in the lobby and I simply had to turn on the taps to make sure it was working. So, we've got water. Now all we need is electricity and furniture! |
| OUR MAIN BATHROOM. WATER NOW RUNS OUT OF THAT SHINY CHROME TAP. |
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