Another Culture = Another System to Learn

    This week my team leaders and I worked on getting some documents for my country ID card.  It takes several documents to apply for it.  One thing needed is to confirm your place of residence.  My landlord, Keith, and I went and signed a rent contract.  Then we went to get is notarized.  The notary said that he could not do it for us unless my landlord brought a current document showing he owned the place for rent.  This is a new regulation.  (The document costs around 70 Euros and is only valid for 6 months).  When the notary realized that I did not speak much Albanian, he said we would need to get a certified translator (costing about 25 Euros an hour).  Keith told the man that he could translate for me, but the man would not hear of it.  Well, needless to say we were feeling a bit discouraged after this.
   The next day Keith decided to bring his documents and my document to the municiple building without my paper being notarized and see if they would accept it anyway.  (He had to get some of his documents worked on as well).  After waiting in line the man asked if we could come back at 2:30pm because they were busy.  When we came back, the person we needed to see was not there.  They asked if we could return the next morning at 8:30am.  We said yes.
    Then next morning the man looked over the papers and said both K & P and I needed a few other documents that we all needed notarized signatures for our housing contracts.  We asked who he recommended and he recommended the same guy that we had gone to before.  (The man who said we needed to pay a large amount for the documents and translator). 
    Keith decided we could go to get other documents and then check with another notary office.  This other office said she could do notary signatures for both of us for about 30 Euros.  She knows both our landlords, so that helps. 
    Our next step would be bring both our landlords to the office and get the housing contracts notarized.  My team leaders are out of town so it will have be worked on next week.
    The next step from there is to go to the capitol city with all the paperwork to apply for an ID card.  My team leaders say that this normally takes about 3-4 trips to the capitol before one is finally able to pick up their cards.
    Trying to get things done here can be quite a challenge.  K says that every few years more regulations are added.  Whenever a new one is added it makes doing these things that much harder.  I am very thankful for K and his willingness to way through all these details and help me get the papers that are needed.
    Going from office to office enabled me to experience first hand this post-Communist system.  K said that the Communist system is still reflected here in that people need permission for seemingly everything that they do.  It felt a bit demoralizing.  I felt just a small taste of what the locals here live with every day.  And on a lighter note -- it gave me some good language-listening time as I entered language study this week!