Okay; we leave for PV (Puerto Vallarta) tomorrow and I still don't have any 'official' ID. Saw our facilitator yesterday morning while enjoying our koffee klatch at Mega's coffee bar; no joy - not ready yet. Maybe they didn't include yesterday as part of their 'ready in 8 days' estimate. Or perhaps they were even closed on Monday? Holidays down here tend to complicate things. Most government agencies close for the Christmas/New Year's holidays as a bloc of time.
Here's hoping that it is ready for him to pick up today and that he'll have it if/when I run into him at Starbucks later today. Here's hoping I see him at Starbucks....
Not having the Residente Permanente is not a big deal. While it's true that I don't have either form of ID that shows I'm in the country legally, I shouldn't need it for our trip tomorrow to PV. After all, we're driving, not flying and there are no national borders to cross. I'd just be more comfortable to have something in case a cop pulls us over or stops us while walking down the street. I suppose I can try my Mexican Drivers License if push comes to shove. That's an official document, eh? Works in the States; might work down here.
The passport I have in my possession has holes punched in it and is stamped 'Cancelled' inside. Probably won't do me much good, though I have it in my possession. But it has the consulate's Visa glued to one page; that might work!
Don't know if I'll see the facilitator today or not. Michael needs to be home as much as possible to do stuff; we've got haircuts scheduled late morning (that's a walk into and out from Centro); the package that's taken 3 weeks to reach us via our mail handling service has finally arrived (and I've paid the fees via Paypal) so I need to pick that up (still waiting on the packages that have been delivered to them two and one week ago); need to stop by our bank to get some spending money for PV; and we need to brush out a dog and be home when the puppy farm person stops by the house to pick them up for their vacation later today.
Oh, yeah; need to throw some things into a suitcase for the trip and make some sandwiches for the drive to the coast, too. Unlike Los Angeles, there's not a fast food franchise on every corner. We are stopping in Guadalajara to 1) see Victor's mother, 2) leave his winter things with her, and 3) grab breakfast at this great restaurant, New York, New York, before heading further south.
It'll be a busy day!
ADDENDUM [9/25/14]
Okay; so the cards were not ready before we left town for PV. Now that we're home again, we've spoken to our facilitator and he has them in his possession. We'll pick them up from him at Starbucks later today! Whew, what an ordeal. I like things neat and tidy; this has not been so!
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Friday, September 12, 2014
Wrinkles
So there were some wrinkles, of course. Our trip to our local Immigration office was not with drama. And I can't leave Mexico for a few more weeks.
INM first: So we went to the INM offices this past Monday, met up with our facilitator, Eduardo, and moved to the waiting area. There we sat for about an hour, waiting for them to call our number (#12). While waiting we counted many times that the single clerk at the window would search for a person's application packet and eventually have to walk to the office next door to find it. However, it wasn't a simple job of walking through a doorway or using a pass-through - no, she had to walk though the intake area (in the opposite direction), past her own office, and then into the office that had the paperwork (and the reverse trek with the paperwork). Not a big deal, I suppose, but when she had to do this with every customer it was tiring just to watch it happen!
So we waited about an hour for them to reach our number. While we were waiting, the person sitting next to us became ill. The room watched in horror as she bent over the empty chair next to her, retching. And she continued to slide until she was on all fours on the floor, retching as she descended. The office did call the Red Cross for assistance. We cleaned up her glasses which had fallen into the vomit so she would be able to see when she recovered and she finally was able to walk into the restroom where she waited for the Red Cross folks to check her out. She did remain to conduct her business with the INM folks; pity, as she had a lower number than ours!
A custodian person also finally showed up to mop up the mess and clean off the chairs. (It still smelled funny, so we stood the rest of the time in the intake area.)
They eventually called No. 12 and we went up to the window. Of course the clerk looked in the file drawers, searched the files on the table, and then went next door to get our paperwork packets.
After signing forms carefully (it must match the signature in our passport; I almost want to sign my new passport differently so it doesn't match - but that would be silly and probably result in travel delays...) and being fingerprinted, we were all set, having paid the fees before this trip.
However, because the office is waiting for a supply delivery, it will be next Wednesday before our cards are ready. Luckily for us, our facilitator will pick up the cards for us and we'll meet him at Starbucks to exchange cards for cash (his fee). One more thing taken care of - permanently, we hope.
Then on to the US Consulate's office in San Miguel. (And we are lucky to have a local Consulate's office so we don't need to trek into Mexico City repeatedly.) In the meanwhile, I can't leave Mexico - or enter another country - because I applied for a new passport. The timing was a little tricky. When we travel to the Scandinavian countries next May, my passport must be valid for an additional 6 months or the cruise line will not allow me to travel. It expires next June. So between now and then I needed to renew my passport.
Our current travel plans are: fly to the US for a cruise in November; the US for a Disneyland wedding of friends in December; Cabo San Lucas for a family vacation in January; the US for a visit to New Orleans with different friends; and the aforementioned Scandinavian cruise: 29 days aboard a ship as we sail from Florida to Copenhagen via NYC, Canada, Iceland, and Oslo; then Northern European capitals in Estonia, Russia, Finland & Sweden; and finally the western Norwegian fjords before we fly back to Mexico via Iceland & Chicago. All but the trip to Cabo will require a valid passport (Cabo still being in Mexico, I just need my Permanente card for ID).
So I decided to try and renew it before the November cruise - there was no really good time except around the year-end holidays, and Mexican government offices close for a few weeks then. The Consulate clerk told me that it should only take three to four weeks presently, and I've allowed 6 weeks, so we should be A-OK. A quick bus ride to the Consulate's office, service at the counter (the clerk dealt speedily with all the people ahead of me in line) and I already had the new passport pictures with me and the application filled out, and then a walk into downtown to prepay the DHL delivery charges. When Michael did his last year, the Consulate/Embassy used a different firm that had offices just across the street from our neighborhood.
Now I wait with my old passport which has been punched full of holes through the machine-readable numbers and stamped 'CANCELLED.' [Hope there's no emergencies NOB or I'll find out what getting an Emergency Passport entails.]
So not going anywhere until DHL calls to tell me that my new passport has arrived and I go into downtown to pick it up. Michael renewed his last year when we weren't traveling as often - the end of 2014 and 2015 is a crazy time for us! Guess I should have tried to match up my next renewal with his date. They didn't seem to care that I was renewing it 9 months in advance; what would they care about 21 months in advance?
And that's all the news that's fit to print. There should be general rejoicing next week when we get our Residente Permanente cards!!!
INM first: So we went to the INM offices this past Monday, met up with our facilitator, Eduardo, and moved to the waiting area. There we sat for about an hour, waiting for them to call our number (#12). While waiting we counted many times that the single clerk at the window would search for a person's application packet and eventually have to walk to the office next door to find it. However, it wasn't a simple job of walking through a doorway or using a pass-through - no, she had to walk though the intake area (in the opposite direction), past her own office, and then into the office that had the paperwork (and the reverse trek with the paperwork). Not a big deal, I suppose, but when she had to do this with every customer it was tiring just to watch it happen!
So we waited about an hour for them to reach our number. While we were waiting, the person sitting next to us became ill. The room watched in horror as she bent over the empty chair next to her, retching. And she continued to slide until she was on all fours on the floor, retching as she descended. The office did call the Red Cross for assistance. We cleaned up her glasses which had fallen into the vomit so she would be able to see when she recovered and she finally was able to walk into the restroom where she waited for the Red Cross folks to check her out. She did remain to conduct her business with the INM folks; pity, as she had a lower number than ours!
A custodian person also finally showed up to mop up the mess and clean off the chairs. (It still smelled funny, so we stood the rest of the time in the intake area.)
They eventually called No. 12 and we went up to the window. Of course the clerk looked in the file drawers, searched the files on the table, and then went next door to get our paperwork packets.
After signing forms carefully (it must match the signature in our passport; I almost want to sign my new passport differently so it doesn't match - but that would be silly and probably result in travel delays...) and being fingerprinted, we were all set, having paid the fees before this trip.
However, because the office is waiting for a supply delivery, it will be next Wednesday before our cards are ready. Luckily for us, our facilitator will pick up the cards for us and we'll meet him at Starbucks to exchange cards for cash (his fee). One more thing taken care of - permanently, we hope.
Then on to the US Consulate's office in San Miguel. (And we are lucky to have a local Consulate's office so we don't need to trek into Mexico City repeatedly.) In the meanwhile, I can't leave Mexico - or enter another country - because I applied for a new passport. The timing was a little tricky. When we travel to the Scandinavian countries next May, my passport must be valid for an additional 6 months or the cruise line will not allow me to travel. It expires next June. So between now and then I needed to renew my passport.
Our current travel plans are: fly to the US for a cruise in November; the US for a Disneyland wedding of friends in December; Cabo San Lucas for a family vacation in January; the US for a visit to New Orleans with different friends; and the aforementioned Scandinavian cruise: 29 days aboard a ship as we sail from Florida to Copenhagen via NYC, Canada, Iceland, and Oslo; then Northern European capitals in Estonia, Russia, Finland & Sweden; and finally the western Norwegian fjords before we fly back to Mexico via Iceland & Chicago. All but the trip to Cabo will require a valid passport (Cabo still being in Mexico, I just need my Permanente card for ID).
So I decided to try and renew it before the November cruise - there was no really good time except around the year-end holidays, and Mexican government offices close for a few weeks then. The Consulate clerk told me that it should only take three to four weeks presently, and I've allowed 6 weeks, so we should be A-OK. A quick bus ride to the Consulate's office, service at the counter (the clerk dealt speedily with all the people ahead of me in line) and I already had the new passport pictures with me and the application filled out, and then a walk into downtown to prepay the DHL delivery charges. When Michael did his last year, the Consulate/Embassy used a different firm that had offices just across the street from our neighborhood.
Now I wait with my old passport which has been punched full of holes through the machine-readable numbers and stamped 'CANCELLED.' [Hope there's no emergencies NOB or I'll find out what getting an Emergency Passport entails.]
So not going anywhere until DHL calls to tell me that my new passport has arrived and I go into downtown to pick it up. Michael renewed his last year when we weren't traveling as often - the end of 2014 and 2015 is a crazy time for us! Guess I should have tried to match up my next renewal with his date. They didn't seem to care that I was renewing it 9 months in advance; what would they care about 21 months in advance?
And that's all the news that's fit to print. There should be general rejoicing next week when we get our Residente Permanente cards!!!
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Permanent(e) at last!
Yes, we're nearly there! But first, a bit of history:
When we moved to Mexico four years ago, it was for the long run, not just a place to go for a while. So as soon as we could, we filed for an FM2 Inmigrante visa. Skipping the lesser FM3 visa allowed us to move forward at a speed about 4 years faster.
Then the law changed. They lumped both the FM3 and the FM2 into a Residente Temporal. (Why did we pay more for the FM2, you might ask...?)
Finally, we qualified to apply for the Permanente Residente, but the law had changed yet again and unless we could file our paperwork in person on the day before our Temporal expired, we were out of luck. And we couldn't - we'd be floating around the Caribbean on that date and a facilitator couldn't stand in for us.
And since the laws had changed again (and our Temporal visas would have expired), we would need to 1) apply for a visa at a Mexican consulate in a country to which we were entitled to travel; 2) get permission to remain in Mexico for no more than 30 days on our tourist visa; if granted 180 days, we would be out of luck as the standard-length FMM would be considered an abandonment of our intention to become a permanent resident; 3) apply for a 'real' visa card within 5 days of landing in our home town and all within 30 days of arrival in the country.
Now to our current situation.
To obtain the Mexican Visa that was pasted into our passport, we had to jump through some particular hoops: proof of solvency, proof of marriage, have a valid passport good for an additional 6 months, passport pictures, and pay the fee for the visa (the least of our worries). So we got the special passport pictures (Mexican) and took them with us, made copies of everything (Mexico is big on copies, but one needs to provide them with the original documents), and have proof of solvency (another technicality that caused concern).
Solvency if provable if you present 12 months of bank statements with an ending balance of $3,500 (plus a lesser fee for any additional people) - we weren't sure that each month would have quite enough money in the bank; OR an ending balance of $450,000 US; OR a property deed for a Mexican house worth a minimum of $450,000 US; OR, if retired, a social security benefit letter for a minimum of $3,500 US/month + the extra people fees. With my SSAN letter and government pension, I could qualify under that option ($3,500/month plus $1,500 for Michael as we were legally married). So we brought our SSAN letter and a year's worth of Direct Deposit statements from my retirement association. (They don't issue a letter each year as does SSA.)
We thought we were good to go. Michael even called the Visa Department of the Orlando Consulate to verify that we actually had an appointment for that Monday at 8 AM. Yes, good to go; fine.
So we go off and cruise for a week with Facebook friends, then return to WDW for a few days of additional vacation.
On Monday morning we call a Lyft taxi and trundle off to the Consulate from WDW Animal Kingdom Lodge, arriving just at 8 AM. The guard whisks us into the waiting room and delivers us to the window for Permanente visas. And then the fun began.
First of all, they seemed to think that we were to be there on Tuesday morning, not Monday, as the consul had taken a few days off and they thought he would be in by 10:30 - or not. Or, we might need to come back the next day to get his signature. As it turns out, we were still there when he arrived!
Then they insisted that we have our bank statements, not the letters that we had brought. Well, we had them - back in Mexico. So the clerk tried to find a local branch of the library so we could walk there and print out our bank statements and copy them. (Oh, and we needed two copies in addition to the original - one for each of us.)
When she couldn't find a nearby library listed on the internet, she did let us use her computer and printer to get the needed bank statement forms and she ran all the additional copies! What had begun as a problem turned into a helpful experience. Whew!
Then we had to have an interview as to why we wanted the visa, they took our photos (in addition to the ones we brought with us), and ran a fingerprint check (want to be careful about who they are letting enter the country, I guess; we might be terrorists).
All of this takes time, as there was lots of going to a back office and conferring about our progress.
Finally, we were called up again (what could they want now!?!) and sent to the cashier to pay for our visas and off we went to call for another cab. Animal Kingdom Lodge is about 25 miles from the consulate, so we were happy to have discount codes for our rides to and from WDW.
So, armed with our Mexican Visa pasted into our passports, a couple of days later we flew home to Mexico. The plane was only partially full (good), but another, larger plane stuffed full of people had landed before ours and they were mostly foreigners (US citizens) standing in a great, long, snaking line (bad). A lot of college-age guys in suits with lots of paperwork in their hands. So we waited and chatted with the nearby folks in the same line.
The line was eventually whittled down to about two lines in length when we noticed that agents were packing up, turning off their lights, and going home! A guard came over and took those at the end of our line to the Nationals' section where there was still an agent working. And even though we were at the end of the line, she wouldn't include us in that group! Grrr....
Eventually, someone opened up the Diplomat line and we were scooped off to go through that section. At least the agent there was familiar with our pasted-in Visa so that presented no problem. We had been warned that if the agent mistakenly marked 180 days on the visa paperwork instead of 30 days, INM (Immigration) would consider it our fault, not the agent's, and we would need to go back to the foreign country and start over again. No longer could we simply walk into the local INM office and file for a visa; we had to begin in a consulate. Luckily Orlando had one so we could visit them while we were at WDW.
So we had our new Permanente visa card pictures taken the day after we arrived (Thursday), met with our facilitator (also on Thursday), he got the new paperwork on Friday and we signed it and took it to the bank for payment and he filed it on Monday - within our 5-day limit. Whew!
Now we wait for an appointment to go in and give them our fingerprints and finally to pick up the Permanente Visa the next week. Whew again! Another couple of weeks and we should be set - for life -- or until the government realizes that this jump to permanente due to the new law to the permanent status eliminates everyone's annual visits with accompanying payment of fees! So we'll expect to eventually be told that they want us to come in for some sort of interim check-up, but grumble as we might, we're used to change.
And we'll soon be legal - again. We nationalized our van last year in anticipation of the change (Permanente folks cannot drive a car with foreign license plates, you know). That should just about do it except for the annual car license renewals, emission check-ups, and that sort of thing. At least there will be one less savings account for the visa fees on the Excel spreadsheet.
When we moved to Mexico four years ago, it was for the long run, not just a place to go for a while. So as soon as we could, we filed for an FM2 Inmigrante visa. Skipping the lesser FM3 visa allowed us to move forward at a speed about 4 years faster.
Then the law changed. They lumped both the FM3 and the FM2 into a Residente Temporal. (Why did we pay more for the FM2, you might ask...?)
Finally, we qualified to apply for the Permanente Residente, but the law had changed yet again and unless we could file our paperwork in person on the day before our Temporal expired, we were out of luck. And we couldn't - we'd be floating around the Caribbean on that date and a facilitator couldn't stand in for us.
And since the laws had changed again (and our Temporal visas would have expired), we would need to 1) apply for a visa at a Mexican consulate in a country to which we were entitled to travel; 2) get permission to remain in Mexico for no more than 30 days on our tourist visa; if granted 180 days, we would be out of luck as the standard-length FMM would be considered an abandonment of our intention to become a permanent resident; 3) apply for a 'real' visa card within 5 days of landing in our home town and all within 30 days of arrival in the country.
Now to our current situation.
To obtain the Mexican Visa that was pasted into our passport, we had to jump through some particular hoops: proof of solvency, proof of marriage, have a valid passport good for an additional 6 months, passport pictures, and pay the fee for the visa (the least of our worries). So we got the special passport pictures (Mexican) and took them with us, made copies of everything (Mexico is big on copies, but one needs to provide them with the original documents), and have proof of solvency (another technicality that caused concern).
Solvency if provable if you present 12 months of bank statements with an ending balance of $3,500 (plus a lesser fee for any additional people) - we weren't sure that each month would have quite enough money in the bank; OR an ending balance of $450,000 US; OR a property deed for a Mexican house worth a minimum of $450,000 US; OR, if retired, a social security benefit letter for a minimum of $3,500 US/month + the extra people fees. With my SSAN letter and government pension, I could qualify under that option ($3,500/month plus $1,500 for Michael as we were legally married). So we brought our SSAN letter and a year's worth of Direct Deposit statements from my retirement association. (They don't issue a letter each year as does SSA.)
We thought we were good to go. Michael even called the Visa Department of the Orlando Consulate to verify that we actually had an appointment for that Monday at 8 AM. Yes, good to go; fine.
So we go off and cruise for a week with Facebook friends, then return to WDW for a few days of additional vacation.
On Monday morning we call a Lyft taxi and trundle off to the Consulate from WDW Animal Kingdom Lodge, arriving just at 8 AM. The guard whisks us into the waiting room and delivers us to the window for Permanente visas. And then the fun began.
First of all, they seemed to think that we were to be there on Tuesday morning, not Monday, as the consul had taken a few days off and they thought he would be in by 10:30 - or not. Or, we might need to come back the next day to get his signature. As it turns out, we were still there when he arrived!
Then they insisted that we have our bank statements, not the letters that we had brought. Well, we had them - back in Mexico. So the clerk tried to find a local branch of the library so we could walk there and print out our bank statements and copy them. (Oh, and we needed two copies in addition to the original - one for each of us.)
When she couldn't find a nearby library listed on the internet, she did let us use her computer and printer to get the needed bank statement forms and she ran all the additional copies! What had begun as a problem turned into a helpful experience. Whew!
Then we had to have an interview as to why we wanted the visa, they took our photos (in addition to the ones we brought with us), and ran a fingerprint check (want to be careful about who they are letting enter the country, I guess; we might be terrorists).
All of this takes time, as there was lots of going to a back office and conferring about our progress.
Finally, we were called up again (what could they want now!?!) and sent to the cashier to pay for our visas and off we went to call for another cab. Animal Kingdom Lodge is about 25 miles from the consulate, so we were happy to have discount codes for our rides to and from WDW.
So, armed with our Mexican Visa pasted into our passports, a couple of days later we flew home to Mexico. The plane was only partially full (good), but another, larger plane stuffed full of people had landed before ours and they were mostly foreigners (US citizens) standing in a great, long, snaking line (bad). A lot of college-age guys in suits with lots of paperwork in their hands. So we waited and chatted with the nearby folks in the same line.
The line was eventually whittled down to about two lines in length when we noticed that agents were packing up, turning off their lights, and going home! A guard came over and took those at the end of our line to the Nationals' section where there was still an agent working. And even though we were at the end of the line, she wouldn't include us in that group! Grrr....
Eventually, someone opened up the Diplomat line and we were scooped off to go through that section. At least the agent there was familiar with our pasted-in Visa so that presented no problem. We had been warned that if the agent mistakenly marked 180 days on the visa paperwork instead of 30 days, INM (Immigration) would consider it our fault, not the agent's, and we would need to go back to the foreign country and start over again. No longer could we simply walk into the local INM office and file for a visa; we had to begin in a consulate. Luckily Orlando had one so we could visit them while we were at WDW.
So we had our new Permanente visa card pictures taken the day after we arrived (Thursday), met with our facilitator (also on Thursday), he got the new paperwork on Friday and we signed it and took it to the bank for payment and he filed it on Monday - within our 5-day limit. Whew!
Now we wait for an appointment to go in and give them our fingerprints and finally to pick up the Permanente Visa the next week. Whew again! Another couple of weeks and we should be set - for life -- or until the government realizes that this jump to permanente due to the new law to the permanent status eliminates everyone's annual visits with accompanying payment of fees! So we'll expect to eventually be told that they want us to come in for some sort of interim check-up, but grumble as we might, we're used to change.
And we'll soon be legal - again. We nationalized our van last year in anticipation of the change (Permanente folks cannot drive a car with foreign license plates, you know). That should just about do it except for the annual car license renewals, emission check-ups, and that sort of thing. At least there will be one less savings account for the visa fees on the Excel spreadsheet.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Farewell, Victor - well, not completely
Today one of our best friends, Victor Rivadeneyra, took the first step in his new adventure in life. After several years in San Miguel de Allende, Victor is heading to a new job in Puerto Vallarta! Victor was the person who worked out the details for our last two houses and was an intermediary with the owners (our Spanish is rather rudimentary, don'cha know).
We've been through a lot, both good and everything else, with Victor and look forward to visiting him in PV. In fact, we'll be delivering some of his things in mid-September after he returns to SMA. Should turn into a beach trip for us.... His family still has a condo here in SMA, so until that sells, I'm sure he'll visit from time-to-time.
I'm also sure we'll keep in touch with him (Facebook is great for this) and visit often. Michael loves the beach! I keep offering to move there (even found a house near Costco...), but Michael is smart enough to know that, although the altitude is much lower (sea level vs 6700 feet) and that there is an airport, the heat and humidity would probably do me in! If only there was a location that combined both a lower altitude and a reasonable combination of heat and humidity for most of the year. After all, it's only icky for part of the year! And the house had a lovely pool!
The next three weeks will go slowly, I know. Starbucks will not hold the same attraction of running into and chatting with Victor, but then we get to drive back to PV with more of his belongings when he returns to SMA to finish packing for a few days. Our trip will most likely include a stop for breakfast at New York, New York - a wonderful restaurant in Guadalajara where his mother lives - before heading on to PV.
Best of luck, Victor - and we'll see you both soon and often. [The pups love the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm!]
We've been through a lot, both good and everything else, with Victor and look forward to visiting him in PV. In fact, we'll be delivering some of his things in mid-September after he returns to SMA. Should turn into a beach trip for us.... His family still has a condo here in SMA, so until that sells, I'm sure he'll visit from time-to-time.
I'm also sure we'll keep in touch with him (Facebook is great for this) and visit often. Michael loves the beach! I keep offering to move there (even found a house near Costco...), but Michael is smart enough to know that, although the altitude is much lower (sea level vs 6700 feet) and that there is an airport, the heat and humidity would probably do me in! If only there was a location that combined both a lower altitude and a reasonable combination of heat and humidity for most of the year. After all, it's only icky for part of the year! And the house had a lovely pool!
The next three weeks will go slowly, I know. Starbucks will not hold the same attraction of running into and chatting with Victor, but then we get to drive back to PV with more of his belongings when he returns to SMA to finish packing for a few days. Our trip will most likely include a stop for breakfast at New York, New York - a wonderful restaurant in Guadalajara where his mother lives - before heading on to PV.
Best of luck, Victor - and we'll see you both soon and often. [The pups love the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm!]
Friday, August 22, 2014
WDW Vacation
We've returned home, after a cruise in the Eastern Caribbean with friends and some time at WDW. Here are some notes:
WDW
We went to WDW after a cruise with 14 Facebook friends (most of whom we only knew via Facebook), and it's a good thing as I'd have been pooped if we'd done WDW before cruising. Hot and humid, we'll never do that again!
When we arrived at Animal Kingdom Lodge - Kidani Village, they had a room ready for us - although we had arrived hours before check-in time. A Plus. However, it was nearly at the end of the corridor, so a l-o-o-ong walk from the lobby each time we went somewhere or returned to the room. A Minus. Those who whine about the length of corridors at Boardwalk have nothing to complain about.
Seeing the giraffes and antelopes from our room each time we returned to the room or woke up in the morning was an exceptional treat - like having your own private zoo. Bus service made everywhere else in the World no more than 20 minutes away. They do keep the buses at meat-locker temps, though.
Visited Hollywood Studios (rain caused us to rethink visiting it after picking up our Tables in Wonderland card and asking Guest Services to set the order in which our multiple admission tickets were used on the new Magic Bands+. Had dinner at 'Ohana with a cousin of Michael's whom he had not seen in 40 years! Great time was had by all. The restaurant was packed as was a large waiting area, too.
Sunday, we went on a Sunrise Safari led by an animal care supervisor. Interesting to see the animals first thing in the morning when they're awake. Not as wonderful as the Wild Animal Trek we took last year, but I didn't have to traverse a ramshackle bridge, either. And breakfast was a treat at Pizzafari! No, not cold pizza, the chef had outdone himself with African dishes. We found out that we really like Pap (made of white corn meal and topped with cheese or African-spiced tomatoes). Sounds like the restaurant may go the way of all flesh to make way for the Avatar attraction. I'll miss that Pecan Bread Pudding with Plantains and a Praline Sauce.
Then it was off to EPCOT for some attractions, both old and new to us, dinner at Biergarten, and a Tequila Tasting with friends at the Mexico pavilion after IllumiNations and the park closed. Yes, there were still buses available at midnight!
Monday, we took a Lyft taxi to the Mexican consulate in Orlando to jump through the hoops to get a Permanente Visa (more in a separate entry). Returned for lunch at Animal Kingdom's Yak & Yeti restaurant and then off to Fort Wilderness for the Hoop-Dee-Doo! dinner show. A bit cheesy but good. I prefer the BBQ ribs at Disneyland's Big Thunder Restaurant, but they served the biggest strawberry shortcake I've ever seen - or tried to finish off! No, didn't quite make it....
Tuesday was Magic Kingdom day with dinner at Be Our Guest. Our pager for dinner didn't work, so they sent a cast member out to find us, walked us to our table, and introduced the dreamy Kurt. The food was the best meal we've had at WDW! My Pork Rack Chop was nice and moist and Michael's Strip Steak was super! I know what I'm ordering the next time....
Watch for the story of our quest for a Permanente Visa which will be written after we finally have the cards in our hands!
WDW
We went to WDW after a cruise with 14 Facebook friends (most of whom we only knew via Facebook), and it's a good thing as I'd have been pooped if we'd done WDW before cruising. Hot and humid, we'll never do that again!
When we arrived at Animal Kingdom Lodge - Kidani Village, they had a room ready for us - although we had arrived hours before check-in time. A Plus. However, it was nearly at the end of the corridor, so a l-o-o-ong walk from the lobby each time we went somewhere or returned to the room. A Minus. Those who whine about the length of corridors at Boardwalk have nothing to complain about.
Seeing the giraffes and antelopes from our room each time we returned to the room or woke up in the morning was an exceptional treat - like having your own private zoo. Bus service made everywhere else in the World no more than 20 minutes away. They do keep the buses at meat-locker temps, though.
Visited Hollywood Studios (rain caused us to rethink visiting it after picking up our Tables in Wonderland card and asking Guest Services to set the order in which our multiple admission tickets were used on the new Magic Bands+. Had dinner at 'Ohana with a cousin of Michael's whom he had not seen in 40 years! Great time was had by all. The restaurant was packed as was a large waiting area, too.
Sunday, we went on a Sunrise Safari led by an animal care supervisor. Interesting to see the animals first thing in the morning when they're awake. Not as wonderful as the Wild Animal Trek we took last year, but I didn't have to traverse a ramshackle bridge, either. And breakfast was a treat at Pizzafari! No, not cold pizza, the chef had outdone himself with African dishes. We found out that we really like Pap (made of white corn meal and topped with cheese or African-spiced tomatoes). Sounds like the restaurant may go the way of all flesh to make way for the Avatar attraction. I'll miss that Pecan Bread Pudding with Plantains and a Praline Sauce.
Then it was off to EPCOT for some attractions, both old and new to us, dinner at Biergarten, and a Tequila Tasting with friends at the Mexico pavilion after IllumiNations and the park closed. Yes, there were still buses available at midnight!
Monday, we took a Lyft taxi to the Mexican consulate in Orlando to jump through the hoops to get a Permanente Visa (more in a separate entry). Returned for lunch at Animal Kingdom's Yak & Yeti restaurant and then off to Fort Wilderness for the Hoop-Dee-Doo! dinner show. A bit cheesy but good. I prefer the BBQ ribs at Disneyland's Big Thunder Restaurant, but they served the biggest strawberry shortcake I've ever seen - or tried to finish off! No, didn't quite make it....
Tuesday was Magic Kingdom day with dinner at Be Our Guest. Our pager for dinner didn't work, so they sent a cast member out to find us, walked us to our table, and introduced the dreamy Kurt. The food was the best meal we've had at WDW! My Pork Rack Chop was nice and moist and Michael's Strip Steak was super! I know what I'm ordering the next time....
Watch for the story of our quest for a Permanente Visa which will be written after we finally have the cards in our hands!
Monday, July 21, 2014
New Estufa de Piso
When we first moved to Mexico, the first house was partially furnished, i.e., it had a stove, fridge, and a dining room table and chairs. So no need to bring appliances with us nor any need to immediately shop for appliances. [We did bring our washer and dryer with a propane conversion kit for the dryer which we had installed once we were here.]
When we moved to our second house it was completely unfurnished: no stove, no fridge, no nuthin'. We even had to seal the tile floors before moving in, add cabinets in the kitchen, light fixtures (of course), cabinets under the bathroom basins, custom mirrors to fit the ceramic frames on the walls, et cetera.
So we went cheap, buying appliances from private parties listing on the Civil List (more about that at some point in the future). The fridge was a good purchase - still working and larger than the one in our first house. When we moved to the current house, our range was fine at first, but eventually began to leak propane, so we started turning off the gas supply at the control in the wall. [I frequently forgot this step and Michael's nose would tell him to check the kitchen!]
We recently checked the ole bank balance (on the occasion of an appliance sale at Mega - July is ale month!) and decided it was time for a new stove. We are happy to announce that we now have a Frigidaire estufa! Not only was the sale price reasonable, but the features are great: 1) the stove has a hinged glass top that is very cool*; 2) the entire oven door is of reflective glass that still allows you to peek inside when the 3) oven light is illuminated; 4) the controls include the stove-top burners (6 burners of various sizes to fit your various pots) as well as 5) a built-in timer, 6) the aforementioned oven light control, 7) the electronic ignition switch (not automatic, but better than our hand-held lighter) and 8) a cast iron grill for the stove top. [*We had heard that the hinged glass top was required as a safety issue because it shut off the gas supply when it was lowered into place, but I don't think that was true. But it sure looks cool and keeps the top of the stove a bit cleaner.]
Plus the stove features a broiler!!! Many stoves here in Mexico do not, there's just a cabinet area to raise the stove top to counter height. But we have a real broiler - though the oven control calls it a 'grill'...go figure! And, wonder of wonders, the stove has a contraption that automatically pulls the oven racks forward when the door is opened so it's simpler to check what you're baking! [This seems to be my exclamation point paragraph!]
So we're very happy with the stove and think it looks cool. We gave our old stove to our housekeeper, who said her husband simply tightened up some connections inside the stove and the gas leak disappeared! Glad she'll be able to continue to clean for us and not be found gassed to death in her home.
As for the fridge it's working well; trips to Costco stress the freezer area to hold everything we bring home, but the next size up may not fit in the area of the kitchen it's in - and an automatic ice maker is superfluous as there is no water on that side of the kitchen. Although the main floor guest bathroom is close enough that a line could probably be run from under the bathroom sink through the wall and along inside the base cabinets.... We'll see if we get an extension on our lease next spring before we invest the money on plumbing!
And that brings to mind the need for a whole-house water filtration system. The water in our part of town is rather hard; the sinks and toilets would certainly look better with filtered/softened water to prevent the scale build-up. And Michael could eliminate cleaning the water filter built into the clothes washer from his monthly chores! Without that task, the flow of water into the washer is dramatically slowed and a load of wash takes forever to finish.
Unfortunately we've already told the landlord that we hope to replace the tile counters in the kitchen, so that should be first on our list of projects - right after moving the switches for the backyard lights to the inside of the living/dining rooms. Why go outside and fumble around in the dark for the switches? (We also told them that we would like to replace the fiberglass tub in the master bedroom bath, but it's set in a concrete-and-tile surround, so that may be staying just as it is. Perhaps new coat of fiberglass paint?)
Ah, well; life is good!
When we moved to our second house it was completely unfurnished: no stove, no fridge, no nuthin'. We even had to seal the tile floors before moving in, add cabinets in the kitchen, light fixtures (of course), cabinets under the bathroom basins, custom mirrors to fit the ceramic frames on the walls, et cetera.
So we went cheap, buying appliances from private parties listing on the Civil List (more about that at some point in the future). The fridge was a good purchase - still working and larger than the one in our first house. When we moved to the current house, our range was fine at first, but eventually began to leak propane, so we started turning off the gas supply at the control in the wall. [I frequently forgot this step and Michael's nose would tell him to check the kitchen!]
We recently checked the ole bank balance (on the occasion of an appliance sale at Mega - July is ale month!) and decided it was time for a new stove. We are happy to announce that we now have a Frigidaire estufa! Not only was the sale price reasonable, but the features are great: 1) the stove has a hinged glass top that is very cool*; 2) the entire oven door is of reflective glass that still allows you to peek inside when the 3) oven light is illuminated; 4) the controls include the stove-top burners (6 burners of various sizes to fit your various pots) as well as 5) a built-in timer, 6) the aforementioned oven light control, 7) the electronic ignition switch (not automatic, but better than our hand-held lighter) and 8) a cast iron grill for the stove top. [*We had heard that the hinged glass top was required as a safety issue because it shut off the gas supply when it was lowered into place, but I don't think that was true. But it sure looks cool and keeps the top of the stove a bit cleaner.]
Plus the stove features a broiler!!! Many stoves here in Mexico do not, there's just a cabinet area to raise the stove top to counter height. But we have a real broiler - though the oven control calls it a 'grill'...go figure! And, wonder of wonders, the stove has a contraption that automatically pulls the oven racks forward when the door is opened so it's simpler to check what you're baking! [This seems to be my exclamation point paragraph!]
So we're very happy with the stove and think it looks cool. We gave our old stove to our housekeeper, who said her husband simply tightened up some connections inside the stove and the gas leak disappeared! Glad she'll be able to continue to clean for us and not be found gassed to death in her home.
As for the fridge it's working well; trips to Costco stress the freezer area to hold everything we bring home, but the next size up may not fit in the area of the kitchen it's in - and an automatic ice maker is superfluous as there is no water on that side of the kitchen. Although the main floor guest bathroom is close enough that a line could probably be run from under the bathroom sink through the wall and along inside the base cabinets.... We'll see if we get an extension on our lease next spring before we invest the money on plumbing!
And that brings to mind the need for a whole-house water filtration system. The water in our part of town is rather hard; the sinks and toilets would certainly look better with filtered/softened water to prevent the scale build-up. And Michael could eliminate cleaning the water filter built into the clothes washer from his monthly chores! Without that task, the flow of water into the washer is dramatically slowed and a load of wash takes forever to finish.
Unfortunately we've already told the landlord that we hope to replace the tile counters in the kitchen, so that should be first on our list of projects - right after moving the switches for the backyard lights to the inside of the living/dining rooms. Why go outside and fumble around in the dark for the switches? (We also told them that we would like to replace the fiberglass tub in the master bedroom bath, but it's set in a concrete-and-tile surround, so that may be staying just as it is. Perhaps new coat of fiberglass paint?)
Ah, well; life is good!
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Permanente vs Temporal
"Emergency" the subject line read. The email, from Michael who had gone into Centro for a Spanish lesson, immediately caught my attention.
"Emergency" What could it be? A million possible causes raced through my head. Last year when we applied for our 4th Residente Temporal permit, we started the process before we left, so we had a travel letter from INM which had to be stamped both going and returning to Mexico; we found the various offices and got it done. At that time we had been told that this year - when we would be out of the country when our Temporal expired and we would need to file for our Permanente permit, we could leave the country when it was still valid and return after it expired, then file for the Permanente within 5 days of returning. Easy-peasy.
The 'emergency' is that Michael had talked to the facilitator we used and just learned that we could no longer do that! There was no longer any forgiveness. If you weren't in town to file for your Permanente on the day it expired, you were up a particular creek without a paddle. Leave the country and start over again with a Temporal.
As it turns out, one can file for the Permanente at a Mexican Consulate in another country, do the preliminary paperwork, get the visa, and then return to Mexico and visit INM and carry on with the process. Of course, the ability to skip the financial proofs of stability disappear under that plan. And since we were concerned about whether we'd have enough income to satisfy the requirements, there was a lurch in our tummies.
We will be out of the country on a Caribbean cruise during August (we knew this last year because we plan ahead for these things) when our Temporal expires. INM doesn't allow anyone else to stand in for you on that expiration date if you're gone; can't send a facilitator. You must start over at a Mexican Consulate in your home country or another country where you are legally permitted to visit.
Visas for Mexico (the Residente Temporal and Permanente are not strictly visas, but most people think of them as such) fall into a few different categories: The FMM (Forma Migratoria Múltiple) is used by most tourists when entering Mexico. The form is also used by those holding various other visas to track exits and entrances to the country. Visas have certain time-out-of-country limits.
Our August cruise to the Caribbean is followed by several days in Walt Disney World (how can you go to Florida and not visit WDW?), so we looked up the consulate in Orlando as a possibility. It's not like we've never been to the World before; we could miss a day or two of our stay for a Permanente visa!
As it turns out, Orlando is a very good possibility. After exchanging several emails with their very helpful Visa staff, we learned that the procedures they follow are fairly simple. Although consulates should follow the same rules around the world, not all of them do so. There have been similar situations among INM offices here in Mexico. For one thing, the financials vary in amount. The amount needed for Orlando is more than the amount in our book on immigration (which is calculated based on the minimum daily wage in Mexico City for a particular number of days), however they do reduce the amount for a family-related second person who is applying for the Permanente visa at the same time (again, it's not really a visa, but most people refer to it as if it were). With that reduction - and our marriage license to prove that we are married - we can easily qualify. If we had been in Mexico when our Temporal expired, INM would have skipped the financial requirement.
So with proof of our retirement benefits that we've collected in the past year, our apostiled marriage license, our US passports, a new passport-sized photo for each of us, and the appropriate fees, we'll be in business. We must make sure that the immigration officer at the Mexico City airport when we return marks our FMM for 30 days, not 180, and also marks the 'Canje' (Exchange) box. Then we have 30 days after returning to Mexico to contact INM about exchanging our consulate-issued visa for a 'real' Residente Permanente.
We have friends who have done the process themselves while still in Mexico (there's a store across the street from INM who will take photos and prepare the paperwork for a reasonable fee), but we will most likely use our last facilitator. If Michael hadn't seen him in Starbucks and asked him about our new visas, I wonder when he would have told us? [When we had returned to Mexico and went to see him - too late???] We also were in luck that Orlando has a consulate and they will be able to handle things all in one trip to their offices.
Wish us luck!
[I know, you were expecting the promised post on our new estufa. Soon, soon....]
"Emergency" What could it be? A million possible causes raced through my head. Last year when we applied for our 4th Residente Temporal permit, we started the process before we left, so we had a travel letter from INM which had to be stamped both going and returning to Mexico; we found the various offices and got it done. At that time we had been told that this year - when we would be out of the country when our Temporal expired and we would need to file for our Permanente permit, we could leave the country when it was still valid and return after it expired, then file for the Permanente within 5 days of returning. Easy-peasy.
The 'emergency' is that Michael had talked to the facilitator we used and just learned that we could no longer do that! There was no longer any forgiveness. If you weren't in town to file for your Permanente on the day it expired, you were up a particular creek without a paddle. Leave the country and start over again with a Temporal.
As it turns out, one can file for the Permanente at a Mexican Consulate in another country, do the preliminary paperwork, get the visa, and then return to Mexico and visit INM and carry on with the process. Of course, the ability to skip the financial proofs of stability disappear under that plan. And since we were concerned about whether we'd have enough income to satisfy the requirements, there was a lurch in our tummies.
We will be out of the country on a Caribbean cruise during August (we knew this last year because we plan ahead for these things) when our Temporal expires. INM doesn't allow anyone else to stand in for you on that expiration date if you're gone; can't send a facilitator. You must start over at a Mexican Consulate in your home country or another country where you are legally permitted to visit.
Visas for Mexico (the Residente Temporal and Permanente are not strictly visas, but most people think of them as such) fall into a few different categories: The FMM (Forma Migratoria Múltiple) is used by most tourists when entering Mexico. The form is also used by those holding various other visas to track exits and entrances to the country. Visas have certain time-out-of-country limits.
- The FMM, when endorsed by an immigration officer, grants stays of up to either 30 days or 180 days. When it expires, one must leave the country and re-enter on a new FMM. There are people living in SMA who have never gone beyond this point. They simply return to the states and obtain a new FMM every six months. The process allows them an opportunity to do some shopping at their favorite stores!
- The Residente Temporal is a one-year visa that can be renewed for up to a total of four years. The initial Temporal is issued for one year; after that you can continue one year at a time or go for up to three more years in one fell swoop. Then you need to leave the country and re-apply for a Temporal at a consulate before returning unless you opt for the Permanente, which requires that you apply immediately upon the expiration of your Temporal or leave the country and go through a consulate.
- After four years on a Temporal you may apply for the Residente Permanente visa which doesn't require annual renewals and thus no annual fees. It costs more but there aren't those pesky annual renewal fees. The amount of time you are permitted to be out of the country is also longer. If you or someone in your family has a health issue, for instance, that requires long, involved treatment, you want to have the Permanente visa.
Our August cruise to the Caribbean is followed by several days in Walt Disney World (how can you go to Florida and not visit WDW?), so we looked up the consulate in Orlando as a possibility. It's not like we've never been to the World before; we could miss a day or two of our stay for a Permanente visa!
As it turns out, Orlando is a very good possibility. After exchanging several emails with their very helpful Visa staff, we learned that the procedures they follow are fairly simple. Although consulates should follow the same rules around the world, not all of them do so. There have been similar situations among INM offices here in Mexico. For one thing, the financials vary in amount. The amount needed for Orlando is more than the amount in our book on immigration (which is calculated based on the minimum daily wage in Mexico City for a particular number of days), however they do reduce the amount for a family-related second person who is applying for the Permanente visa at the same time (again, it's not really a visa, but most people refer to it as if it were). With that reduction - and our marriage license to prove that we are married - we can easily qualify. If we had been in Mexico when our Temporal expired, INM would have skipped the financial requirement.
So with proof of our retirement benefits that we've collected in the past year, our apostiled marriage license, our US passports, a new passport-sized photo for each of us, and the appropriate fees, we'll be in business. We must make sure that the immigration officer at the Mexico City airport when we return marks our FMM for 30 days, not 180, and also marks the 'Canje' (Exchange) box. Then we have 30 days after returning to Mexico to contact INM about exchanging our consulate-issued visa for a 'real' Residente Permanente.
We have friends who have done the process themselves while still in Mexico (there's a store across the street from INM who will take photos and prepare the paperwork for a reasonable fee), but we will most likely use our last facilitator. If Michael hadn't seen him in Starbucks and asked him about our new visas, I wonder when he would have told us? [When we had returned to Mexico and went to see him - too late???] We also were in luck that Orlando has a consulate and they will be able to handle things all in one trip to their offices.
Wish us luck!
[I know, you were expecting the promised post on our new estufa. Soon, soon....]
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