one more week of vacation...

The picture is the view from my window


These last two weeks back have been very busy. I had a long list of things to get done before school started and have not been able to get to very many of them. Things just take longer here. For example on Tuesday of last week I went to the gym to pay my inscription, unfortunatly I had run out of checks and thought I could use my card. Turns out cards have a limit. So they told me I needed to go to the bank that very day and get a checkbook. So I went to the closest bank, they told me I had to go to the bank where the account was opened. I could not remember where that was they told me it was in Sabana Grande. So I jump on a bus that take s me to the subway that takes me to Sabana grande an hour later I am in Saban Grande. As it turns out there are 5 or more Banesco banks in Sabana Grande. I could remember what the bank looked like so I start by stopping at the first bank not it, go to the next one nope. At the third one I finally think to ask someone how I would know which branch I opned my account at they said they could not help me. So finally I went on to the next bank and it was it! I get up to the teller. She tells me they can not give me a checkbook becuase I don't have a Venezuelan identy card. Finally after talking to the manager she gives me a new checkbook. I get on the subway for an hour jouney home. Five hours later I make it back to the gym to pay for my membership and that is what I mean when I say things are more complicated in Venezuela.


I recently moved to the opposite side of town from work. So I will have an hour to hour and a half commute on public transportation everday. I don't know if you have been the videos of the trains in Japan where they hire men to push people in the train well the subway here is almost as full as those trains during rush hour. So pray that I make it to work in one piece and on time every day.