Smile!

It\’s a great feeling when everything comes together, and there are no googlies thrown into the mix!

Yesterday, I went as planned to do my shopping, paid my bills, had lunch, and returned to be met by my neighbour, I wasn\’t 100% sure what he was telling me, because, as in all cases Colombian, when they are excited, there is no point in telling them to slow down, but I had figured out that for some reason someone had undone the security chain we have across our entrance. I put it there a few months ago, after a woman used our entrance to turn in, she kept reversing, and took our gate clean off it\’s tracks, so no no one can use it.

When Marcela arrived home, I told her, and asked her to confirm what had happened, which she did…immediately. I warn you, unpset Marcela at your peril! Anyway she came back, to inform me that two local lads had been trying to steal the chain, when they were disturbed by the neighbour, at which they walked off. They would have had a job stealing it, as it is welded to one post, but they could have done some damage. At night it is padlocked shut, but during the day, I have been just hooking it onto itself, for convenience, I guess that will have to stop, when we go out.

As a result, I went through the CCTV footage and found them, so downloaded a video of the offending part, and took a couple of still photos from it.

This morning, we both headed out early in opposite directions, Marcela having made some enquiries, went up to the School, with a copy of the video on her phone, and manged to identify the two offenders, things have progressed from there, but I won\’t know how, until she gets home from work later.

In the mean time, I headed back to town, paid some bills as the Bank opened at 8am, I then went to the Townhall, with an official letter regarding the state of our road, I had it logged in, as a \’Right of Petition\’ which gives them 15 working days to respond, if they don\’t, you pursue the matter via a Judge, we\’ve done this before, they don\’t like it, because it means they can\’t just ignore you, which would be the case otherwise.

I then headed for the City (Medellin), I needed to go to Migración Colombia, which is the Government Department that deals with Foreigners, I had to submit a form, in order to obtain a form needed to apply for my Permanent Residence Visa.

I\’m not sure why it is still called \’permanent\’, it used to be that once you had this, you never needed to apply again, that visa lasted a lifetime, but shortly after I moved to Colombia, they changed that, it now has to be renewed every five years,(unless you apply for Nationality) but unlike previously, that will just be a formality. I think the change came about to raise funds, not for any other reason.

Anyway I arrived at Migración to chaos, there was a young Security Guard on the door, who was friendly enough, but had no clue on organisation, they were not giving out numbers, he told you who was the person in front of you, and you took a seat. I kept my eye on a guy in a blue striped shirt who I had been told was the person in front of me, but I then noticed people ignoring the seating arrangements, jumping the queue, so I called the Guard over and told him, this didn\’t go down well, as those people were put at the back of the queue.

The Guard then asked me for help, as he was having trouble conversing with an American, who was watching me,  for his turn…hahahaha!  This guy really didn\’t have a clue either, he is apparently living in Colombia, but left renewing his Visa too late, and was there to try and get an extension of stay, whilst he renewed his visa next week, if he doesn\’t get it, he will have to leave the country, anyway I digress, this American, was speaking spanish of a sort, at the top of his voice, I think he thought that by doing so, the Guard would understand him, it didn\’t work, so I translated for him, and both seemed happy with the result.

Finally my turn came, not after the man with the blue striped shirt though, as another couple, had sat in the wrong area, and been forgotten, but they did not take long. My form was accepted, I paid my fee, and was told to return on Monday to collect the form I need, now it does say that you can return after three days, which would have made it Friday, but I\’m in no hurry, so I said nothing, and left.

By this time it was like a sauna, walking around outside, I just may have to spend a bit more money and get the air conditioning sorted on on my Montero, it hasn\’t worked since I bought it, honestly, I don\’t like using it, I rather have the windows open, however there are times when it would be useful, like when sat in stationary traffic queues, or in areas of the City, where having your window open is asking to be robbed at gunpoint, so it could be money well spent.

I stopped off for brunch on the way home, to save me having to prepare lunch, and that brought me to just past mid-day, it\’s so hot, I think that\’s it, until  it cools off a bit later this afternoon.