I had to do a “tramite,” “errand,” this morning regarding my Argentinean document. We leave the apartment at 7:58 am to make sure we arrive before 9:00 am. Not that the office is far away, but because, as expected, there was a long line formed before its opening.
As we wait the two and a half hours before we are attended by someone regarding out tramite, I notice that the system here is very bureaucratic. I always knew this and I know I have mentioned it before, but it is astonishing how bureaucratic these processes are. To change residency, one must have document of identification, a bill, 2 extra forms, and, not only 1, but 2 witnesses. Just imagine each time we moved apartments throughout college? Granted, I know all of my friends are responsible and would get these tramites done, but shoot. Everything, every page, every tiny little piece of paper must be signed, with a stamp, looked at by a “escribana,” (kind of like a notary…but here they are super important and official), then must be sent to Buenos Aires to go through the same process. Finally, the paperwork can be returned to Mendoza. I have been waiting almost 10 months for my flipping document…and it still hasn’t arrived. This is how bureaucratic the system is.
Finally, when we are attended by a kind, older woman, obviously slightly drained from years of the same awful, tedious job every day, and, as in all countries with official-type of errands, a job that deals with a lot of angry people, we were confronted with a very quick tramite. All the photocopies were already made, the witnesses were present, the signatures were the only things that were needed, and done! But, what made me slightly laugh is that they took my imprint of my fingers…all of them…with ink. Talk about old school.
K bye.
No comments:
Post a Comment