La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
I’ve heard it said that epoxy greases the wheels of bureaucracy. Our change of residence from Málaga Province to Córdoba Province is a fine example. The document we finally received last week after a 6-month wait is really nothing more than proof that we registered for the census, a legal requirement.
We went this morning to the office of the National Police with our official Córdoban residency documents. The goal was to change the address on our identity cards (NIE, Número de Identificación de Extranjero/Foreigner’s Identification Number). I had phoned beforehand. A very pleasant woman told me what website to go to and where to make the appointment. I did so. The page included the information “Change of Address.” I had the option of entering a DNI number (Documento Nacional de Identidad, for Spanish citizens) or my NIE. I chose NIE. Had I chosen DNI, which I did once, I would have been required to provide other numbers not included on my card and would therefore have been unable to go any further. I was successful and made appointments for us both.
When we arrived for our 11:12 appointment, we stopped at the second kiosk (the first didn’t work) to take a number (which indicated that we had in fact arrived for our appointment). The guard sent us to the left. We knew from our last unsuccessfull attempt a few months ago (click here), that the staff we needed worked to the right. I returned and explained to the guard and he said, “You made an appointment for a DNI. I don’t know how because I didn’t have DNI information to enter on the website. He told me we needed to make another appointment for next week and gave me a piece of paper with an entirely different website and link to “Fingerprints.” When I look under Fingerprints, the list includes: address change, new card, and replacement card. I was fuming but said “thank you.”We stopped for coffee (a madeleine for me and a tostada for San Geraldo) at La Popina, visited a bit with Joel, and came home feeling much better.
I love Córdoba. Public Health has been mostly an excellent experience. Private Health is an improvement over what we had in Málaga, which was very good. But this residency issue is a cluster f#@k. Sevilla’s bureaucracy was so bad it was comical. Maybe it’s improved in the last 14 years. But when we registered, as required, for the census, it took moments and was completed immediately. Fuengirola, a horrific bureaucracy, was the same; it was the only process that went smoothly and simply there, completed in minutes. So, why did it take 6 months and then this continued mess in Córdoba? (Answers on a postcard, please.)
I’ll be back online today to make new appointments. Maybe they’ll be the correct ones this time. I spent much of yesterday in bed with distressed digestion (I have pills for that) and a clogged left ear that had me dizzy much of the day, and what appears to be allergies making me cough and giving me a headache. My ear is clogged again today and I hope it will clear so I can go back out in the afternoon heat. It’s after 2:00 and is not looking good. I have another appointment next week when I’m going to beg for more help with the dizziness.
As for the bureaucracy, we’ll see what happens. Meanwhile, here are more shadowy photos of the bedroom (and me) and a couple of shots of what a plate with sauce looks like after SG has at it with a chunk of bread.
He oído decir que la resina epoxi engrasa la burocracia. Nuestro cambio de residencia de la provincia de Málaga a la de Córdoba es un buen ejemplo. El documento que finalmente recibimos a principios de la semana pasada, tras seis meses de espera, no es más que la prueba de que nos hemos empadronado, un requisito legal.
Esta mañana fuimos a la comisaría de la Policía Nacional con nuestros documentos oficiales de residencia cordobeses. El objetivo era cambiar el domicilio que figuraba en nuestros documentos de identidad (NIE). Había llamado antes. Una mujer muy amable me indicó a qué página web acudir y dónde pedir cita. Así lo hice. La página incluía la información “Cambio de domicilio”. Podía introducir el número del DNI (Documento Nacional de Identidad, para los españoles) o mi NIE. Elegí el NIE. Si hubiera elegido el DNI, como hice una vez, me habrían pedido otros números que no figuraban en mi documento y, por lo tanto, no habría podido seguir adelante. Tuve éxito y concerté citas para ambos.
Cuando llegamos a nuestra cita de las 11:12, nos detuvimos en el primer quiosco para tomar un número (lo que indicaba que, de hecho, habíamos llegado a nuestra cita). El guardia nos envió a la izquierda. Sabíamos, por nuestro último intento fallido hace unos meses (haga clic aquí), que el personal que necesitábamos trabajaba a la derecha. Regresé y se lo expliqué al guardia, quien me dijo: “Han concertado una cita para el DNI. No sé cómo, porque no tenía la información del DNI para introducirla en la página web”. Me dijo que teníamos que concertar otra cita para la semana que viene y me dio un papel con una página web completamente diferente y un enlace a “Huellas”. Cuando miré en “Huellas”, la lista incluía: cambio de domicilio, tarjeta nueva y tarjeta de sustitución. Estaba furioso, pero le dije “gracias”. Paramos a tomar un café (una magdalena para mí y una tostada para San Geraldo) en La Popina, charlamos un rato con Joel y volvimos a casa mucho mejor.
Me encanta Córdoba. La sanidad pública ha sido, en general, una experiencia excelente. La sanidad privada es una mejora respecto a la que teníamos en Málaga, que era muy buena. Pero este asunto de la residencia es un desastre. La burocracia en Sevilla era tan mala que daba risa. Quizá haya mejorado en los últimos 14 años. Pero cuando nos empadronamos, como es obligatorio, tardamos unos minutos y se completó enseguida. Fuengirola, con una burocracia horrible, fue igual; fue el único trámite que allí fue sencillo y sin complicaciones, se completó en minutos. Entonces, ¿por qué tardó seis meses y luego sigue este lío en Córdoba? (Responde en una postal, por favor).
Hoy me conectaré de nuevo para pedir nuevas citas. Quizás esta vez sean las correctas. Pasé gran parte de ayer en cama con problemas digestivos (tengo pastillas para eso) y… Tengo el oído izquierdo tapado, lo que me ha tenido mareado casi todo el día, y lo que parecen ser alergias me hacen toser y me dan dolor de cabeza. Hoy tengo el oído tapado de nuevo y espero que se me cure para poder salir con el calor de la tarde. Son casi las 2:00 y no pinta bien. Tengo otra cita la semana que viene y voy a pedir más ayuda con el mareo.
En cuanto a la burocracia, ya veremos qué pasa. Mientras tanto, aquí tenéis más fotos sombrías del dormitorio (y de mí) y un par de fotos de cómo queda un plato con salsa después de que SG se la comiera con un trozo de pan.
Click the images to enlarge.
Haz clic en las imagines para ampliar.
I think everybody agrees that bureaucracie is the worst “form” of government
Adam
NEKORANDOM.COM
Adam:
And often the only “form” of government.
Makes the IRS look user friendly.
David:
Yes, it does. But at least the staff are pleasant.
Arghghgh, the endless maze of numbers and forms.. I hope you eventually get this resolved, before you’ve moved again. It certainly deters moving much. Sorry about your various woes.
Boud.
Boud:
No big woes, just petty annoyances and something to write about.
Have you tried the ‘epley maneuver’ to stop the dizziness? You can see how to do it on You Tube. and it works! Just ask Ron or me.
Good luck with that bureaucracy nightmare.
I heartily agree. Been there and it does work! MS Nell
MS Nell:
Thanks! It sounds interesting. I’ll give it a try.
Jim:
I’d never heard of it, so just read about it. Will give it a try today. Thanks!
I can’t even find the words to express my amazement at how ridiculous this registration process continues to be for you. Grrrrrrr!
Great photos, though, and really cool to get to see a new vista from this new-to-us window 🙂
Judy C:
Still, this doesn’t compare to our original registration for residency in Sevilla. And there, most of the staff were not pleasant. We like our windows. And easy to clean… for Merchi.
These are the times that try men’s souls. Women’s too, I imagine.
I do not like that dizziness. It must be so frustrating. And disabling too.
I believe that SG should do an in-service on how to properly get the job done on a plate of sauce.
Maria Luna
Maria Luna:
It’s even hard to find the office. They provide an address, but the entrance to the particular office is around the corner and more than half a block away. We’re not the only ones that couldn’t figure that out the first time.
I love ALL your arty photos! And one must have the patience of Job to deal with bureaucracy, alas.
Debra:
I don’t have the patience of Job.
I will say that’s one thing that shocks me about where you’re at is how slow the bureaucracy works. And just waiting for just general everyday things like that seems like a pain.
Mistress Borghese:
I wonder what it’s like for foreigners to file for residency in the United States. Do you suppose it’s any better?
“epoxy greases the wheels of bureaucracy” What a great (and accurate) expression!
Kelly:
I loved that when I first heard it. It was apparently first coined by James Boren. I should have credited him. Maybe I still will.
No idea how things do(or obviously, don’t) work in Spain, but wonder if there are any local/state/federal representatives for your area that offer constituent services? Many moons ago, I worked as a legislative aide to a state representative. I often helped constituents navigate/solve bureaucratic issues at the local and state level or, if federal, put them in touch with the constituent services of their representative or senator in Congress. I wonder if there is something like that available to you? Just a thought.
Mary
Mary:
There are gestors here who, for a fee, can deal with much of this bureaucracy for us. I don’t know about constituent services.
Lord, bureaucracy.
Carlos had to renew his driver’s license, mainly used for ID purposes, but opted for a simple state ID card instead, which required more work since it was a “new” card.
But at the DMV a woman behind a glass partitioned motioned to us and took care of us immediately, even redoing some of the paperwork because it was not completely filled out.
We thanked her profusely and then I asked for a manager and told her about the Angel at Window One, and she brought over a supervisor and I explained again and that woman told me that the Angel at Window One was the Employee of the Month.
I said I thought she was shooting for employee of thee year and they should just give it to her.
It was the first time I’d ever left a DMV office without thinking about blowing someone’s head off.
Bob:
Wow. How wonderful that you were able to heap praise on someone at the DMV and to her superiors! I have never in my life had that kind of experience at a DMV.
Sigh. I hate dealing with useless bureaucrats!
Our friend died three-and-a-half ago, and I was named executor in his will. It took a while to sort out the paperwork and get the bulk of it sorted, but the last hurdles were a) to apply to be granted probate, and thus b) be permitted to transfer of the deeds of his property to his widower (who’s basically a waste of space, and spent all the money I got him in the first round). I finally “crossed the Rubicon” when his sister stepped in to pay for the fees.
I got probate sorted (by jumping through hoops to prove my identity and got everything witnessed by a lawyer – who I happen to work with) and submitted the forms for the Land Registry in November last year. It is now June – and I have only just received a letter to tell me I had missed a couple of bits out of the application. Oh, and by the way, I need to fill out another form to prove who I am, which needs to be signed by a doctor, dentist or a chartered accountant!
I despair… Jx
Jon:
I don’t know if you know the saga of settling my mother’s estate. Two disabled direct relatives written out of the will seemed easy until we learned the court had to appoint someone to represent each of them to ensure they understood. (They had no clue.) I was my brother’s guardian but not his “guardian of property.” I can’t at the moment remember how many years and dollars that took. Thinking about that now, this is a cakewalk. Good luck!
After reading that, I’ll complain about the BMV again.
Kirk:
Oh… the DMV!
Yes, the wheels of bureaucracy can grind very slowly… and usually, over top of us! Hang in there, Scoot.
Tundra Bunny:
In the long run, this is no big deal. We’ll get there.
Sigh. Can you take a screenshot of every step you take to prove what you’ve done, so you can advance? A portfolio of proof? Grasping for straws, Olivia.
Olivia:
It would serve no purpose. At most I would probably be told, yeah, that doesn’t work right. Oh well.
Good Lord! Your experiences with Sevilla’s bureaucracy is making ME dizzy. Hope they do right by the two of you soon or I might have to make a faceless voodoo doll, name it Sevilla’s bureaucracy and mail it to you to take your frustrations out on.
Shirley:
This is Córdoba’s bureaucracy. As for Sevilla, this process was the one and only thing that went smoothly.
A bowl of good soup with a good loaf of bread! My favorite !
Urspo:
SG loves it more for the loaf of bread.