the computer says no....

here

Who´s familiar with this Little Britain sketch? You cross your fingers and hope this is only fiction and that in real life civil servants are nice and helpful people. Well not with the Social Security Administration (SSA) here in Atlanta. My adventures with them have been surreal! So for those who complain about Portuguese civil servants, trust me they are truly nice compared to the ones over here. 

I'm sorry this is such a long post but if you have the patience keep reading!

NOTE: Pedro received his SS card 2 weeks after our arrival. I'm still waiting for mine. 

SOCIAL SECURITY, THE PROCESS:  

1. The day after our arrival in Atlanta we went to a local SSA office to fill out the application for a Social Security Number. This was my first application. 

NOTE: the documents riquired are: passport with I-94 (Alien number) and because I have an L2 Visa, a copy of my marrigae certificate, which is written in portuguese (this will be interesting latter on!). 

2. In my first application they got my address wrong. So after waiting 2-3 weeks I went back, only to be told that they didn't know where the application was and how I applied so quickly for a SS number (because you have to wait at least 2 weeks before applying). To sum it up I had to fill out a second application.

3. I waited one month after which I returned to the SSA office. The nice man here told me that I had been attributed a SS number and wondered why I didn't receive a letter of notification. After a couple of minutes of searching his computer, he tells me he doesn't understand what was going on with my application and goes talk to his manager. He returns and tells me that something was wrong with the verification with Homeland Security (because I'm an "alien" the process goes through Homeland Security). Anyways, I would need to fill out my third application!

4. If you managed to read it up to this point, this is when it gets nasty. After one month I finally receive a letter saying that they weren't able to give me a number because Homeland Security was unable to verify my "legal alien status" but this did not mean I was ineligible for a SS card. The letter also stated that if I wanted someone at SSA could review my application. 

5. So I went to the SSA office once again to better understand what was going on. I had the most surreal treatment! The lady basically says: NO! No to all my questions. Refusing to review my application because she needed my marriage certificate (which I didn't have on me that day because they have 3 copies of it on file!) She says, and I quote "I am the one that works here!"; "I can't do nothing!"; "I can't search for your application!". I kept telling her that my application is on file, look for it! She says NO. Simply no. Come back tomorrow! 

6. I was furious! I exited the building, waited a couple of minutes, talked to Pedro on the phone and went back into the building, got another number and waited for my turn. This time I was attended by another "nice lady" that sat right beside the bitch that had served me just 15 minutes before. I asked her the same questions: can you review my application? can you tell me what was wrong? Not as bitchy as the first one, but without ever being nice, she gets up, goes to a file cabinet and gets out my application, reviews it and says: Homeland Security stamped your passport wrong with my first entry, instead of stamping L2 visa, they stamped L1 visa. Since I went to Toronto I got the proper L2 visa stamp but they still hadn't updated my status in the system. I would have to do a fourth application! 

7. The next day I go back to SSA office, with my passport and Portuguese marriage certificate (that had been accepted the other 3 times). I'm served by the same "nice" lady that had accepted my second application. She looks at my marriage certificate and hands it back to me saying she "can't read it"! I couldn't believe it! When I tried to explain, she interrupts me and says "DON'T TALK!"! Can you believe it! Don't talk! I laughed and ignored her and said that a couple of months ago I was sitting in the same chair and she accepted that same document, so she would have to accept! She literally snarls, gets up and goes check other applications with foreign documents. To her surprise and my pleasure, it's SSA responsibility to accept and translate foreign documents because there is no federal law that says English is the official language in the US! She snarls the whole way through the application and I sit there and smile in her face. 

8. Now I'm waiting for my SS card to come. If it'll ever come. And when it does, I will write a personal letter to the general manager of SSA in Georgia and to the office manager in Atlanta complaining about unprofessional behavior and explaining why courtesy and kindness should be universal principles in civil servants. They often forget that their paycheck comes from the people they serve. 

This post will serve as a draft. 

Thanks for reading.

frankly, my dear, i don't give a damn

Last night I spent 4 hours watching Gone with the Wind. The movie portraits the Old South during the Civil War and the reconstruction that followed. It takes place in Atlanta and though it's a bias white american's perspective, it helps visualize that historical period. I especially enjoyed the overly romantic dialogues and the way Scarlet raises her eyebrow when she turns on her manipulative character. Very close to the end, when Rhett finally gives up on Scarlet, he says that magnificent phrase: "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn". It was worth waiting the whole 4 hours to get to that part. 

2 months, 3 days

It's been 2 months and 3 days since we moved to Atlanta and we are still slowing finding our way.

We've meet really nice people, been to couchsurfing meetups, visited different neighborhoods and festivals, attended social events, become members at an amazing indoor climbing gym, bought a really cool car that we've been fixing up, and did a whole bunch of other things. 

I'm still waiting for employment authorization to come through, so legally I can't work. But as a good housewife that I am, I've been baking and decorating!

Recently I also applied for a tour guide volunteer position at the Atlanta Preservation Center and so I'm reading up on the whole 160 years of Atlanta history. This way I can feel a bit more connected to this new place we call home. 

Next step: look for more volunteer positions and buy a sewing machine! 

driver's license

We've been in Atlanta for 20 days and settled in our one bedroom apartment. But no car yet, and it's really hard to get around without one. Nothing is at a walking distance which makes me miss small sized Portugal.  This weekend we rented a hideous car to go car shopping and for Pedro to get his driver's test done. 

Here, nos Estates, to get your license you just do a simple computer exam in one day and bring your own car and do a driving test the next! All this for 30$. Simple! So, after today I no longer have to drive these HUGE cars and Pedro is getting a kick at finally being able to drive in Atlanta after losing his portuguese driver's license.

As for me, I'm just thankful I don't have to drive these HUGE cars anymore! I'll be getting my license as soon as my social security number arrives. Meanwhile, we're having fun discussing the somewhat ridiculous traffic signs we see along the roads... but that's whole other post! 

FYI: we're looking for small sized, european styled cars, of course!

no time

... between being a pirate, preparing classes and moving back north, I have no time to blog. sorry.
oh and happy new year!

a slice of heaven

Slice of Heaven is an association that Pedro and I are members of.

It's current project is to help out Insurupe, a small village in Mozambique. They focus on ways to help the village become self sufficient through sustainable actions. So the first thing they are doing is digging a well so that villagers won't have to walk miles for fresh drinking water. 

More than half the money needed has already been raised but we need your help for the other half. By buying a t-shirt, like the one Pedro is wearing in this promotional stop-motion. Each t-shirt cost 10€ and they come in different colors.
Please spread the word and email me if your interested in helping.

PS: #61 - make a stop-motion: check!

shop local

I wanted wrist warmers. Sandra's are beautiful but I wanted to buy local. 

So I discovered Lisbon based Ana Amorim who is behind the shop wearaddiction and her lovely mustard yellow wrist warmers.

And now they are mine. 

oupas!

I've been meaning to share this recent creative discovery: Oupas Design, 3 very creative designers and their cat, that work mostly with cardboard. This stopmotion is one of my favorite! It's "school of imagination" and you can find more of their work here.

use less

we all have them: useless objects we collect and cherish.

I was never so persistent to the point of sticking to one single object, so I'm not a true collector, maybe just a gatherer.

Merrell Urban Side

After winning last year's Merrel Urban Side competition, our team was back and guess who won yet again...

This year MUS was quite different, with smaller competitions in several other cites and the finale in Lisbon. Pedro had participated in 3 different cities and taken along each team member with him. But this year, the teams were only of 3 members which meant I became formally known as the back-office gal, since my running and ball aiming skills weren't as good as the male members of the team. In the end I was glad to be back office cause they ran a lot!! Poor guys!! And I spent the afternoon anxiously waiting for their phone calls to google this and google that, try to make this and find that, while they ran up and down Lisbon.

 

First prize: to participate in the Merrell Oyster Racing Series in the States!! (Yes, the United States!)

fox in socks

Over at Planeta Tangerina I found this video narrating Fox in Socks, I couldn't help but sharing! 

rural inconveniences

I have mixed feelings about this: is this supposed to be educational?
It's like taking kids to the zoo to see wild birds in cages. This is one of the busiest streets of Lisbon, cut-off to traffic and where now carrots and cabbages grows under the a tight guard.
"Look sweety, that's what a tomato looks like..."

Picnic da Estrela

To all Lisbon residents: 

Tomorrow instead of heading home after work, bring something to eat and a blanket and join us for an after work picnic at the Jardim da Estrela. Bring a friend, a stranger, a neighbor, your dog, cat and fish... and break the routine with a different end to your day! 

More info here. 

florescent yellow

These are my favorite summer shoes: florescent yellow DKNY sandals. This is my second summer using them and they're becoming a bit (a lot) worn out! It seems futile of me but I've grown attached to these sandals...

museums are dead, long live the streets

 

Downtown Lisbon this afternoon.

Costume Items

Most of the things I do are usually for friends and family, in fact, this is what got me started in the first place. I now decided to open up and take in requests, in case anyone is interested in my work... here's the info you need!

Saturday night

I was supposed to go out Saturday night, but during a quick stop at a super market I realized the Food Bank's campaign was this weekend and I had  forgotten to sign up as a volunteer, like in former years. So I asked if they were in need of volunteers and ended up helping out till the store closed! It felt good.

*2309 tons!!

on my way to the hospital today

... and tomorrow I'm taking my camera for a long walk and accomplishing item #11 on my list...  :)

dinner and a song

Dinner

Monday evening was the kickoff of Alfama-te a 10 and I was invited to have dinner in a household patio in Alfama with  10 interesting strangers! It was a delightful way to start the week! Highly recommended to anyone who wants to discover hidden streets of Alfama and meet new and interesting people. And what better way to do this than around an amazing dinner table... so, sign up!

Song
The singer/songwriter is Luisa Sobral and surprisingly she was one of the 10 "strangers" at dinner. She has just launched her first album The Cherry on my Cake and has an amazing and sweet voice. Here's a sneak peak:

The coincidence

Introduction:
Beta and I met on our first year of university. Back then we were flat-mates. Fast forward 10 years and history repeats itself: we are flat-mates again.

The context:
I recently shared with Beta my interest in reading Eça de Queirós and since she's a huge fan of this Portuguese author, she promptly said she would let me borrow on of her favorite titles: A Relíquia. So, this weekend she went up north and brought back with her the novel for me to read.

The coincidence:
It was I who had given her the book A Relíquia for her birthday in 2001!!