Monday, August 8, 2011

Paraguayan TIme

Today i tried to go to a Paraguayan police station and file what is called a Denucia or a report that i lost some money that im pretty sure someone took from my bag at a hotel. I have done such a procedure before when i lost my cell phone. On that occasion, I walked 10 minutes from the Peace Corps office, waited about 15 minutes and was attended to. The whole process took mas o menos, 45 minutes. That wasnt so bad. Today i was told that i had to file my denucia in the distrct where the hotel is. That meant a 15 minute bus ride into the center of town. Once there i discovered that i needed to walk about 8 blocks to the above mentioned police station. Once at the police station i was told that i was at the wrong district station and would need to visit another station...... 15 blocks away. I should reveal that today in Paraguay it felt like Hong Kong. HOt as #$%^ and humid as #$%^.  I proceded to run the blocks and arrive at the so called correct police station. I then had to wait another 20 minutes for the one dude who does denuncias despite two other dudes who were apparently working extremely hard at standing around and looking bored. Finally I get up to the guy and explain what happened. IT takes about 30 minutes at which point he proceeds to stare at my 3 forms of ID, my bank card, paraguayan ID and California Dirver's license. I ask him what he is looking for or needs at which point he turns and says. I can not do this unless i have your passport. I do not have my passport on me, it is blazing hot, i am sweating bullets and am quickly losing hope. As i start to inquire about the next time i can come i decide that i will not stand for all of this. I begin on this long explanation of the classes i have to teach tomorrow morning and the work i am doing and how i simply cannot stay in Asuncion for another day. After another 20 minutes he concedes and continues to write down this official explanation of what happened. He finishes this task and relieved, I ask for a copy of it to turn into Peace Corps. "Nope you have to come back tomorrow for.... ill finish this later