i have finally got the call - my papers are ready and i can go to SD to pick up my cedula/residence. i have to bring, however, additional 1000 pesos - new charge for releasing my residence the same day (apparently).
so i took a day off work, swallowed some dramamine and off i went.
in SD my abugado picked me up and drove me to the meeting point with puerto rican girl smugglers, or at least something you would have expected from the lowlives hideout that from any government agency. narrow street with overflowing rubbish bins behind ferreterias and some repuestos garages leads to cement and wood warehouse that looks nothing like any official building and everything like a background from steven segal movies.
the "office" itself consist of two tiny rooms, no bigger than my wardrobe with entrances blocked by two desks between which one has to squeeze (natural selection, dominicans do not want all those "canadian fatties" to get cedulas ). then one has to wait their turn in a usual chaos. snap - the fat woman takes you passport and fills up two sheets of paper, snap - another fat woman (how do they get into the room?) with a tooth braces (betty la fea) takes your pictures, misspells your names, takes a scan of your fingers and gives you few more sheets of paper, snap - thin woman put a few stamps and gives you... a piece of paper.
at this point it turned out they run out of plastic and do cedulas will be released today. yes, i have to came back another day. yes, all this travelling, doping with drugs - for nothing.
i get the residence although honest to god i have no idea what i paid 1000 pesos for since i have to go back to SD anyways. worse still, what was supposed to take "half an hour" took 4 and i misses the chance to see chirimoyas again. after i was finally released from the talons of bureaucracy i found myself waiting for metro to POP over a sandwich when minovio called inquiring about cheesecake. he then ordered me to go to la cuchara de madera and get it as "it's closed, you walk straight and then turn right behind the car place and right again". armed with those vague guidelines from minovio i challenged myself to a little cheesecake adventure and finally SUCESS! i maneged to find the place , get the goodies and go back unharmed!
so - now i have a box of dulces from the best shop in DR and i have to back to stock on some more.
oh, and get a cedula, of course.....
i admit, i got seriously upset yesterday and even called minovio with lots of f-words in the conversation but today my nerves have calmed considerably. in uk i could complain and get my expenses back, in DR i'll moan and whine and then try to see the bright side (in that case, the prospect of more cheesecake and chirimoya).
so i took a day off work, swallowed some dramamine and off i went.
in SD my abugado picked me up and drove me to the meeting point with puerto rican girl smugglers, or at least something you would have expected from the lowlives hideout that from any government agency. narrow street with overflowing rubbish bins behind ferreterias and some repuestos garages leads to cement and wood warehouse that looks nothing like any official building and everything like a background from steven segal movies.
the "office" itself consist of two tiny rooms, no bigger than my wardrobe with entrances blocked by two desks between which one has to squeeze (natural selection, dominicans do not want all those "canadian fatties" to get cedulas ). then one has to wait their turn in a usual chaos. snap - the fat woman takes you passport and fills up two sheets of paper, snap - another fat woman (how do they get into the room?) with a tooth braces (betty la fea) takes your pictures, misspells your names, takes a scan of your fingers and gives you few more sheets of paper, snap - thin woman put a few stamps and gives you... a piece of paper.
at this point it turned out they run out of plastic and do cedulas will be released today. yes, i have to came back another day. yes, all this travelling, doping with drugs - for nothing.
i get the residence although honest to god i have no idea what i paid 1000 pesos for since i have to go back to SD anyways. worse still, what was supposed to take "half an hour" took 4 and i misses the chance to see chirimoyas again. after i was finally released from the talons of bureaucracy i found myself waiting for metro to POP over a sandwich when minovio called inquiring about cheesecake. he then ordered me to go to la cuchara de madera and get it as "it's closed, you walk straight and then turn right behind the car place and right again". armed with those vague guidelines from minovio i challenged myself to a little cheesecake adventure and finally SUCESS! i maneged to find the place , get the goodies and go back unharmed!
so - now i have a box of dulces from the best shop in DR and i have to back to stock on some more.
oh, and get a cedula, of course.....
i admit, i got seriously upset yesterday and even called minovio with lots of f-words in the conversation but today my nerves have calmed considerably. in uk i could complain and get my expenses back, in DR i'll moan and whine and then try to see the bright side (in that case, the prospect of more cheesecake and chirimoya).