Some Things Never Change

Last night I was feeling a little restless, so I went for a walk around the neighborhood. About a block from my door a lady asked me for directions. Unfortunately for her, I did not know where the street she was looking for is located. This encounter reminded me of my first week of classes 2 years ago. Whilst in the metro I was asked for directions several times, I guess my host mom had taught me how to use the metro so well that I looked like a local. My other theory is that I just have a friendly face, and people think I am approachable. Either way you look at it I take it as a great complement. Being asked for directions became a common activity in my life in Spain, by the end of that semester I was really good at giving directions and helping people in the metro. It is nice to know that this fact didn't change, hopefully in the next few months I will be just as good at directions as I used to be.

Now on to the ranting portion of this blog post. Remember how I had such problems with the less than efficient way Spain conducts business? I found out why they move so slowly! The computers shut down at 2 o'clock for lunch. Care to find out how I learned this? Let me tell you about my trip to Santander Bank...

This afternoon my roommates and I went to pay September's rent. My mom suggested that I bring it in traveler's checks, which was a very good idea, until they had to be cashed and couldn't be handed over as-is. I went around the corner from the office where we were paying to a Santander Bank. I got in line at about 1:45, after fighting with the door for a good three minutes (it kept telling me to put my weapons in the boxes outside the door, and since i don't carry weapons in my purse I was very confused...). Soon after I got in the 6 or 7 person line I realized that it was moving incredibly slowly, but I figured that was OK because I was in line and they would clear the line before taking lunch. When it was finally my turn I told the teller that I wanted to exchange the travelers checks for dinero efectivo (Spanish for cash) and she just started shaking her head no.

No? What did she mean "no"? I had just seen her finish another man's transaction! The inside of my traveler's check envelope said they were a "fee-free partner"! How on Earth could she be telling me no?

When she finally interpreted my blank stare as utter confusion, she explained that at 2 o'clock the computer no longer is capable of doing those types of transactions; effectively that the computer takes a lunch break, and that I should come back tomorrow between 8:30 and 1:45. When I tried to explain that I needed the money for rent, she called the manager over and he re-explained that the bank computer could not, under any circumstances, process my request. When I gave him the same blank stare he asked if I understood him. I asked him to repeat it, not really because I hadn't processed the vocabulary, but more the concept that even though I was in the bank at 1:45 I couldn't do my transaction. I told him I understood and even thanked him for explaining it again.

Luckily, when I returned to the office it was no big deal that I couldn't pay right then. Maite told me to come back when I had the cash. She was obviously familiar with the computer's lunch break.

In other news, Maite told us that she could probably work out private English lessons with some of the students at Mosiac (the school she works at and the AU classes are now based out of) at a rate of 15 euros per hour. I hope she can find people! I would love a few extra euros, plus the school could easily be on my way home from my CEIP Rosa Luxemburgo. I've been keeping track, and it looks like the pay from the program is going to leave very little wiggle room, so a side job of some kind will be necessary.