I've had a few wins (I can call a taxi! I can buy groceries!) and more than a few loses but it's Monday morning and I'm feeling brave. I can do this. Here is what absolutely needs to be done:
1) Pay the phone bill. It's muy importante. Phone bill = internet bill. I cannot lose the Internet. But here is the challenge: we don't have an actual bill. Cecilia told Jason that the phone company called us (Mexico) and wants to be paid. Ok, no problemo. But when I tried to pay online, they need a code from the bill. Argh. There is a TelMex office down the street where I can pay at a station, but again, I need a bill. So I need to get brave and go talk to someone. Google translate says: Necesito una factura de teléfono
We'll see how that goes.
2) I need to get money to the US. Jason has been paid in pesos since June but we have been accruing debt in dollars. Despite my absolute best intentions (I'm actually good at this kind of thing), linking bank accounts is impossible. Getting dollars to Mexico is easy. The reverse is not. After multiple trips to our bank, we finally got the correct form to wire money and I spent an afternoon translating and filling it out. Jason took it to the bank the next day and was told we can only send US$1000 per week, maximum $4000 per month. That is not going to help. Seems there is a wee problem with drug dealers trying to launder money through the US. I must figure out a different solution.
3) I need to find Ellie a school. Right now she is reciting, line for line, Despicable Me. Watching movies is how I get time to do anything at all, and I didn't bring many DVDs with us. My bad. We were pretty much outright rejected by the Montessori down the street (which I thought was a shoo in as their website says "admission year round!") They never answered their phone and when I showed up unannounced they very politely let me in, but then said they are full. Eton is even closer and they were super nice. Jack is in for next school year (he had to be 1 year 8 months as of August 1 to start this year, he was 1 year 6 month... sigh) so he will be an Eton boy (he could be King of England!) in August of 2013. Ellie is more complicated. There is no spot for her now, and she may be able to take a child's spot in February when another expat is moving back home. Then we have to cross our fingers there is another spot for her when the school year starts again in August 2013. It's all a maybe and even the maybe isn't until February. I have to get her into something organized before then. Gymboree? Anything. I saw another Montessori down another street and will try to be brave enough to call them and hope someone speaks English.
I will post pictures of my progress. Wish me luck!
Awesome Update
Crazy success! What a day!
Got up the nerve (and wrote down "I need to pay a phone bill" on a piece of paper) and walked with Ellie to TelMex.
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| Of course I wrote the number down incorrectly the first time. |
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| In front of our house |
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| Ave de Los Alpes |
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| Headed to TelMex |
Paper worked like a charm and a woman politely directed me to a machine where she did all the work and I just fed in cash. Done!
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| TelMex |
El and I celebrate with an ice cream and a pedicure respectively. If I can pay the phone bill I can walk into a nail shop. It's a universal language. Pick your color...
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| Ice Cream! |
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I also got TWO responses in one day (only took two weeks of nagging) from "businesses" (?) that say they can transfer money for me. It all seems extra sketchy to me that I can't make these transfers from my own bank but, When In Mexico.
And I found a Gymboree! Emailed them but of course haven't yet heard back. Trying to learn patience.
But check check check *plus* pedicure.
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| I needed that |
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