Going to the DVM...could drive you crazy!

You can imagine the red tape involved in trying to acquire a Chilean Driver's license (Licencia de Conducir). We had to first receive our Chilean Carnet, which we finally received August 4th. So now we can officially function as a Chilean. Then with that, we had to go to the Municipalidad to do the procedure. What happens if you don't pass part of the test they give you?....
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We had a member of the church in one certain city in our mission, who is the director of Transportation in his city, who helps us with our missionary driving needs, so we went there in faith, that all would be well. We passed thru all of the long, waiting lines, and felt pretty priviledged when we were privately ushered into his formal office, and were able to sit on his couch with two of our office missionaries escorting us there. He must have done some of the paperwork, because women continued to come into his office, bringing other formal papers, in folders, with our fotos, Utah driver's licenses attached, etc and they processed the work. Then we each went to a certain cubby, signed papers, took our fotos, went outside, paid $2.50, came back, signed more, paid about $26.00, and then went to do the testing. I sat with a man who told me to hold the wheel, and when the green light goes on, push the gas, and when you see the red light, QUICKLY brake, with the same foot. This will happen 10 times in 1 minute. I did what he asked, no problem. Then please more your chair to this part, with a magic electric wand,(that Mike and I felt like we were playing the battery-run OPERATION game)tocar this spinning wheel in the 3 circles as it goes around and you will be timed, so go fast. He showed me how, and after I had tried for 2 circles, he tells me I'm doing it wrong, and that I can't touch the sides of the circles, it has to be right in the center. So then he says, go, and I quickly go through the circles, touching right in the center that I think is working fine, for 1 minute and when I finish, I say smiling, "Este fue
mucho mejor, no?" (this was much better, right?" and he shaking his head and NO smile, says to me,"NO, tuvo 30 errores y fracaso'" (you had 30 errors and failed!) At that point I'm shaking my head and saying, "What do you mean, I touched right in the center, and didnt miss one single circle and did it all in the time you asked, what else could be wrong?" Then he's getting angry that this gringa can be so slow, and can't pass this technically advanced, glorified video game, and says to me, "You can't touch the top of the spinning ring OVER it, and you touched it every time!" well, that would have been nice to know too...besides, the others I watch do it, only did half as many and they waited for the whole circle to go by, before touching each time. I was doing the speed version. But the best part was, as I came out and told Mike that I failed this part, and he and I shook our heads, He went in and failed the same test too! Maybe he was just helping to make me feel better!

However, the real good that came from this whole day, was after failing this test, they send us in to see an actual doctor to have our eyes checked. Our doctora happened to be a delightful, cuban woman, named Rosa Cervantes. She escorted me in and shut the door and then said, "Don't worry about that silly test. That man doesn't even drive and it doesn't matter if you don't pass or not. I am the one who approves your tests!" She even worked with me when I told her more of a challeng as I have 2 different contacts in my eyes, one for close up and the other far away. She just let me tell her what I could see and said, "Sounds like you see just fine!"
Then she and I began to get acquainted. She wanted to practice speaking English with me and we hit it off. I brought Mike in, and we were laughing and chatting away before long. She tells us that she is totally alone here in Santiago. Her husband died, and her only son lives in Canada. We told her that we are here as missionaries and then she says she live near us. We exchange email, phone numbers, and as of this writing, she is now coming to dinner on Wed, Sept 18th at 6:30pm to spend time with our family. She's happy, optimistic, and wants to be friends. We will teach her about the gospel and invite her to church. Maybe she is exactly why we went to this DMV office, that day, to meet her!
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