So, in an effort to avoid the soul-crushing frustration and anger, I imagined that I was on a quest. Going forth into strange lands, completing tasks, figuring out puzzles and enlisting allies to defeat the agents of bureaucracy before Ganondorf found the rest of the triforce and... I'm getting off track.
I won't subject you to too many details, but here are some points that really struck me as jerkish. I know they weren't being intentionally jerkish, but from my point of view that's how it seems.
There is very little communication between the various branches of government, specifically, the Ministry of Education and whoever the heck it is that deals with foreigners and paperwork. The Xunta sent me a list of documents I needed to bring to the Extrajería (these being proof of employment this year and last year, photocopies of my passport and old TIE, form "EX00" and another form saying that I'd paid the fee), but once I went to the actual office, I was told I needed like three other things (an empadronamiento or "proof of civil registry" and a photocopy of my insurance card. Yes two is like three) but I did not need the fee form. Also I needed two copies of everything, not one.
In the end it was all fine and I got everything squared away, plus the bonus of getting to know my way around the old part of Santiago while I desperately hunted out a photocopy place that was open before 10am (FYI, there is not). Now I just have to wait and hope that they send the thing to my mailbox and not the neighbors, because there seems to be some confusion as to which apartment is 2A and which is 2B. (Good job Spain, way to be on top of things.)
In other news, Santiago has been nice, if hot. The Galician course has been interesting so far, and I'll probably do a real post about it later. In the meantime, here's a picture I took walking home the other day.
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| Na Rúa San Pedro |
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