Driver's License
-
I lived in Ankara in the 70s, and in those days they had lines of men with typewriters outside each official building, who would fill in the official forms for you. Getting my car out of customs took weeks, and getting the number plates, a few days. And in both cases many hours standing round wondering what was going on. At least you can speak the language, I was limited to lütfen and çok teşekkür ederim.
Use the best guess
At least I had more Arabic in than that: "Yes/No/Please/Thank You", "I'd like [tea with mint|turkish coffee medium-sweet|shawarma|chicken kebab] please" some "swear" words which are pale in comparison to ours, and words of endearment for use with the missus. Principally to convince her to make a cup of tea now we've been married a few years. Oh and the words for squid and octopus for some reason. If the missus hadn't have been there I'd have been elephanted.
“Education is not the piling on of learning, information, data, facts, skills, or abilities - that's training or instruction - but is rather making visible what is hidden as a seed”
“One of the greatest problems of our time is that many are schooled but few are educated”Sir Thomas More (1478 – 1535)
-
So I lost my wallet 2 days ago. I have cancelled all my credit cards and stuff. Since my driver's license was in my wallet I have to renew it. From my previous experiences when I have to do something with one of the government related office the system is down or something else happens and I end up waiting more than I should). Keeping that in mind,With the motto of "early bird catches the worm" I woke up early and head out to department of motor vehicles. I made it early and was in the 6 th in line. After waiting for 30 mins, we have been notified as there is a system update and they can not process/work till its done. I thought it is going to be a short one since it is just the beginning of the day. Well, I am not a social person who can starts a conversation easily with the next person in line so I decided to read the newspaper(what else do you have better to do?!) After about 3 hours later the update was done!! I was like "Who the hell releases a system update which lasts for 3 hours in the morning while the systems need to be run?" I wonder why wouldn't they update it at midnight or during the weekend when noone needs to access it. Someone needs to teach these sunshines when to do a system update!!
because "government related office" doesn't have to care about you. THEY know you need THEM. THEY don't need you. Working at the evening or even the weekend? HA! What are you dreaming about at night? :laugh:
-
At least I had more Arabic in than that: "Yes/No/Please/Thank You", "I'd like [tea with mint|turkish coffee medium-sweet|shawarma|chicken kebab] please" some "swear" words which are pale in comparison to ours, and words of endearment for use with the missus. Principally to convince her to make a cup of tea now we've been married a few years. Oh and the words for squid and octopus for some reason. If the missus hadn't have been there I'd have been elephanted.
“Education is not the piling on of learning, information, data, facts, skills, or abilities - that's training or instruction - but is rather making visible what is hidden as a seed”
“One of the greatest problems of our time is that many are schooled but few are educated”Sir Thomas More (1478 – 1535)
-
So I lost my wallet 2 days ago. I have cancelled all my credit cards and stuff. Since my driver's license was in my wallet I have to renew it. From my previous experiences when I have to do something with one of the government related office the system is down or something else happens and I end up waiting more than I should). Keeping that in mind,With the motto of "early bird catches the worm" I woke up early and head out to department of motor vehicles. I made it early and was in the 6 th in line. After waiting for 30 mins, we have been notified as there is a system update and they can not process/work till its done. I thought it is going to be a short one since it is just the beginning of the day. Well, I am not a social person who can starts a conversation easily with the next person in line so I decided to read the newspaper(what else do you have better to do?!) After about 3 hours later the update was done!! I was like "Who the hell releases a system update which lasts for 3 hours in the morning while the systems need to be run?" I wonder why wouldn't they update it at midnight or during the weekend when noone needs to access it. Someone needs to teach these sunshines when to do a system update!!
-
You want to try living in the third world. It took me 3 hours to find the right person to start applying for a driver's license in Jordan. It wasn't even as if I needed a test, I was entitled to one as the holder of a British one. Everything was paper-based, and I had to visit: the traffic ministry (the issurer) the minisitry of the interior, ministry of the exterior, department of immigration, police (twice) and then back to the traffic ministry. Each place was a decent car journey from the previous, and I crossed and re-crossed Amman several times. In each deparment I had to get at least one stamp then get the stamp signed by the stamp owner's boss, who liked to show their importance by making everyone wait while they drank their coffee etc. When (and only when) I'd finished this process (2 solid working days) they wanted to charge me about ~£200 as a foreigner for the administration costs, which was rich given I'd done all the legwork. I drove without the license for ages as there is a standard fine of ~£20 for driving without a license, so they'd need to stop me 10 times to be worth it. tl;dr: Doing anything in the Middle East is foobarred. Taking a drivers license took 2 days and was so expensive for me that I drove illegally for months because it was cheaper.
“Education is not the piling on of learning, information, data, facts, skills, or abilities - that's training or instruction - but is rather making visible what is hidden as a seed”
“One of the greatest problems of our time is that many are schooled but few are educated”Sir Thomas More (1478 – 1535)
I used to live in US and now I am back to my homeland Turkey which is still a third world country in my opinion. Although in papers our economy seems doing good and other stuff as well still we have tons of s*** to be done.. But your case seems more painful comparing to mine. I must admit I drove to the DMV alone and without a license. Passed the security check with the car keys and while talking to the client the car keys was on her desk while I was signing papers. :laugh:
-
That was when I first arrived; I did learn quite a bit more during the next two years that I lived there.
Use the best guess
Me too, though I've actually learned more in the year since coming home, because it's the language my son mostly uses. Turkey must have been a blast.
“Education is not the piling on of learning, information, data, facts, skills, or abilities - that's training or instruction - but is rather making visible what is hidden as a seed”
“One of the greatest problems of our time is that many are schooled but few are educated”Sir Thomas More (1478 – 1535)
-
I lived in Ankara in the 70s, and in those days they had lines of men with typewriters outside each official building, who would fill in the official forms for you. Getting my car out of customs took weeks, and getting the number plates, a few days. And in both cases many hours standing round wondering what was going on. At least you can speak the language, I was limited to lütfen and çok teşekkür ederim.
Use the best guess
"Welcome to the club my friend" :laugh: And 2 years is quite a time. I hope you enjoyed the delicious food besides all this painful stuff. I thinks it is not that different comparing to 70s. They just replaced typewriters to computers :)
-
because "government related office" doesn't have to care about you. THEY know you need THEM. THEY don't need you. Working at the evening or even the weekend? HA! What are you dreaming about at night? :laugh:
I just expect the sunshines to think about the future instead of saving the day.. But I guess you are righti that will not change for a long time. I believe, when more tech involved more problems created in governmnet stuff.
-
So I lost my wallet 2 days ago. I have cancelled all my credit cards and stuff. Since my driver's license was in my wallet I have to renew it. From my previous experiences when I have to do something with one of the government related office the system is down or something else happens and I end up waiting more than I should). Keeping that in mind,With the motto of "early bird catches the worm" I woke up early and head out to department of motor vehicles. I made it early and was in the 6 th in line. After waiting for 30 mins, we have been notified as there is a system update and they can not process/work till its done. I thought it is going to be a short one since it is just the beginning of the day. Well, I am not a social person who can starts a conversation easily with the next person in line so I decided to read the newspaper(what else do you have better to do?!) After about 3 hours later the update was done!! I was like "Who the hell releases a system update which lasts for 3 hours in the morning while the systems need to be run?" I wonder why wouldn't they update it at midnight or during the weekend when noone needs to access it. Someone needs to teach these sunshines when to do a system update!!
Everybody makes fun of Florida but here you just go online, pay $5 or $15 or whatever and they send it to you.
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. "And they, since they Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs" -- Robert Frost "All users always want Excel" --Ennis Lynch
-
Everybody makes fun of Florida but here you just go online, pay $5 or $15 or whatever and they send it to you.
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. "And they, since they Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs" -- Robert Frost "All users always want Excel" --Ennis Lynch
I wish I have that option. Even in LA when I wanted to get a drivers license it took me 2 and half hours with the test. Btw I have just seen your profile pic. Were you about to do the harlem shake just after the photo taken? :laugh: :laugh:
-
Me too, though I've actually learned more in the year since coming home, because it's the language my son mostly uses. Turkey must have been a blast.
“Education is not the piling on of learning, information, data, facts, skills, or abilities - that's training or instruction - but is rather making visible what is hidden as a seed”
“One of the greatest problems of our time is that many are schooled but few are educated”Sir Thomas More (1478 – 1535)
-
"Welcome to the club my friend" :laugh: And 2 years is quite a time. I hope you enjoyed the delicious food besides all this painful stuff. I thinks it is not that different comparing to 70s. They just replaced typewriters to computers :)
Definitely enjoyed the food and drink, and many other aspects of the country. I was actually working for a computer manufacturer installing and supporting a system at armed forces' genelkurmay başkanlığı. I have seen pictures of the area where we lived (Çankaya) and it's unrecognisable now, all the empty space filled with modern housing.
Use the best guess
-
You want to try living in the third world. It took me 3 hours to find the right person to start applying for a driver's license in Jordan. It wasn't even as if I needed a test, I was entitled to one as the holder of a British one. Everything was paper-based, and I had to visit: the traffic ministry (the issurer) the minisitry of the interior, ministry of the exterior, department of immigration, police (twice) and then back to the traffic ministry. Each place was a decent car journey from the previous, and I crossed and re-crossed Amman several times. In each deparment I had to get at least one stamp then get the stamp signed by the stamp owner's boss, who liked to show their importance by making everyone wait while they drank their coffee etc. When (and only when) I'd finished this process (2 solid working days) they wanted to charge me about ~£200 as a foreigner for the administration costs, which was rich given I'd done all the legwork. I drove without the license for ages as there is a standard fine of ~£20 for driving without a license, so they'd need to stop me 10 times to be worth it. tl;dr: Doing anything in the Middle East is foobarred. Taking a drivers license took 2 days and was so expensive for me that I drove illegally for months because it was cheaper.
“Education is not the piling on of learning, information, data, facts, skills, or abilities - that's training or instruction - but is rather making visible what is hidden as a seed”
“One of the greatest problems of our time is that many are schooled but few are educated”Sir Thomas More (1478 – 1535)
Keith Barrow wrote:
then get the stamp signed by the stamp owner's boss
That would be an Apostille, I learned about those and the importance of them when me and my wife got married in the US. Not for the Usians, and not for the Swedes, but to register our marriage in Germany we needed an Apostille
Be excellent to each other. And... PARTY ON, DUDES! Abraham Lincoln