I never knew how annoying jumping hoops could actually be! As I entered the States it seemed like I was still part of Canada somehow, but oh no...they have methods that threw me for a loop!I tried to purchase a car all this week. The Lord was fantastic and had perfect timing all throughout, but it was a struggle for me to get through the red tape, set up (I believe) just to cause you frustration...I compare it to spitting on a bride so she doesn't feel too happy. It's just not nice! First I was told that I needed a social security number to even think of purchasing a car. So I tried to get one and went to a few buildings for that. Then I was told that I could never ever have one (literally). So I said, um...ok, so now what? They told me that I now needed a paper that SAID I could never ever have one so that everyone else would know that, and then I could buy a car. Yah. That's what they said. So I stood in a line for a very long time so I could receive (with joy) a paper that said 'You are Denied!'. After that I thought, Yay! I can buy a car! ...silly Canadian...cars are for Americans! I had an I-20, an I-94, and a bunch of other papers from the American government saying I exist, but I did not have something extremely important. "Proofs of Residency" have been the bane of my existence this week! :P I live with a lovely lady and her two children. There was no written contract, we just worked out the details. She left for Europe with her kids shortly after I arrived. Soo....she's not there to confirm that I am living at that address! I was told by the car dealership that I needed a Pennsylvania Driver's License or a Pennsylvania ID Card to get the car...but it needs all the crazy government papers PLUS two proofs of residency....like a lease agreement (nope), or the person you live with (nope), or utility bills in your name (nope). Ugh.So I racked my brains on what was considered official that they might accept. Eastern University! What a novel idea! If the university said I lived here, then everyone might accept it! So I started another race of office hopping at the university. I was finally sent to a lady who said that though it was not considered good practice she would make a letter saying I had changed my address. (Apparently identity fraud is big down there and Smith seems to be the main name people use...go figure). She made two! I was also in touch with the main International students liaison head at the university, Kathy. She whipped out so many papers at us it was hard to believe it (she was the one that told us about the denial papers). She even made a letter explaining the situation of the proofs of residency, she said that letter was foolproof, everyone accepted it.Then I met Chuck. Chuck didn't accept that letter. Chuck figured that utility bills would come in the first week of living in a home. Chuck was the first line of fire in a bureaucratic nightmare and he had a powertrip all over my letter at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)! So I decided to not see Chuck again. It was a nice decision. Chuck did give me some information though. He told me that (PennDOT) charged $12 for an ID Card and that they didn't accept cash, debit, or credit. Riiight. Chuck also told me that I needed to go to a Post Office and have them change my address. So I did that. I went to the Berwyn Post Office (because I live in Berwyn) and asked if I could change my address. The post office was a block away from my house. They said I needed to go to Paoli Post Office. ?! Then they said I could pay the PennDOT fee with a money order. So I asked for a money order. They didn't accept credit or debit. ?! I had to get cash! ...by this time I felt like I was on candid camera. Well, without any options Dom and I tested an ATM at the bank to see if it would accept one of our cards - I truly believed the machine would eat them...at that point in time, I truly believed it! But it didn't and we got our cash and got our money order...and never did we go to the Paoli Post Office!
Instead, we tested our luck with another PennDOT place an hour or so out of our way to another area and waited in a line for a very long time, just to be told that the ticket I held was the wrong one, and I'd have to get another. Dom, who was definitely understanding this system better than I was, had thought of that and HAD another ticket! HA! So there! So....we waited again cause his ticket was not for a while. Then we had some glorious moments. Americans helped us! Other people in line that had taken multiple tickets started giving us their extras so we didn't have to wait as long. We got up to the first lady! She wasn't Chuck! I was relieved! She thought the letters were nice! I thought SHE was nice! She thought the 'You are Denied' paper was fantastic...yep, I thought she was fantastic too! Then she said, you're not registered in the system...gah. But this nice lady kept working on that computer which gave me a sense of hope. Maybe it would be alright! But at the same time I was thinking...hurry up nice lady...our last extra ticket to the next 'beyond long' line is about to be called and we aren't there to get there!! ...it got called, and Dom rushed to stand there, just as our nice lady said...'You are set to go!'...and I went! And I got my ID Card!
THEN I could buy a car. And I did!
After one year of dating Dom and I have had some exciting times! We've checked out the badlands, held snakes, climbed bridges, killed ticks, worked on a reserve, had international thanksgivings, saw Muse, met new friends, said goodbye to other friends, hiked some mountains, geocached a bit, became the only avid frisbee golf champs of Red Deer, skated some, worked some, ate some, biked some, moved a couple times, went to an ABUNDANCE of weddings, saw Niagara, chased sunsets, played music, flew to different provinces, crossed Canada, and worshipped God wholeheartedly! (there's so much more, but this is what I could think of in two minutes)
