Public services are funny

Almost everyone has funny stories regarding public services. No matter where, all over the world, public services tend to be sometimes from another planet! eheheh

No matter if we are foreigners or locals to the country, everyone has the same "quality" of service! However, for a foreigner some issues seem to be unreal.

Today I take some minutes to tell you about my last two "experiences". When I arrived here, almost 3 years ago, I filled my papers to have national health care. I gave copies of all my documents, including of course, my portuguese identity card, which is valid in all countries from the European Community. And some weeks later I got my health card. So far, so good.
Some months ago I was invited to change my card, because the one would include my photo. "Ok, no problem for me"... I've sent all my papers, exactly the same papers and documents from the first time.
I waited, waited, waited... I contacted the services responsible for the new card and they informed that my identity card wasn't valid. Here is the short dialogue:
- "Sir, you didn't send a valid copy of your passeport or identity card"
- "It's my identity card. It's valid in France"
- "You need to have a french identity card or from an European community country"
- "That's it. That's my portuguese identity card. The same one I sent 3 years ago".
- "Does Portugal belong to Europe?"
.... (no comments)

Today I had another funny experience, this time with banks. Some weeks ago I openned a bank account. Everything was going smoothly. I gave a copy of my documents (no problem about that), I signed a huge pile of contracts and finally I gave the minimum amount of money in order to open my new account.
This week I got a letter from the bank saying "Your new debt card and checkbook are ready at your bank. You can get them starting today.". Then I got a text message on my mobile phone "Don't forget to get your new documents at your bank". Finally, one last letter with my PIN code.
Today I went to get them. Here's the dialogue:

- [guy searching on his computer] "Yes sir, your debt card and checkbook are here"
- "Great. Can I have them?"
- [guy checks his computer again] "Sorry sir, but I can't give you. The management didn't approve your account yet."

Can you believe this? These guys have already my money, the debt card and checkbook were already emitted, I have my PIN code too ... BUT no one authorized my account yet!!! eheheh

As I usually say, there's always worst things in life! :-)

The epidemic has started in France

How do you sell newspapers? How can you show up on the 8 o'clock news? You can make polemic statements, start rumours or create general panic.
This week the french government officially announced that the H1N1 swine flu epidemic has started! Hooray!
Honestly I don't know what people want this kind of announcement. Maybe to say "Hurry, go buy your vaccine!".

Then you turn the TV on and you see the "official" epidimic distribution in France. This all helps to make people more nervous and to create mass panic.

In one of the meetings I had this week, there was one I found out particularly affected by this paranoia. I entered the meeting room and I saw this bottle of disinfectant gel on the middle of the table! eheh

Yes, I took the picture because it was to unreal to be true! eheh Must we disinfect our hands before a meeting? I imagine people saying "Hey, I'm not touching your paper report. Send it to me by mail"! eheh

Of course people should be careful about coughing, sneezing or unclean hands... but they should have been always, even BEFORE this global paranoia! :-P

Anyway... I don't think I'm going to take the vaccine. I don't want to make some companies even richer! eheh
If I catch the virus, I will drown it with a glass of a good red wine (portuguese wine, of course)! ;-)

9

Nowadays, when we talk about animated movies we always end talking about Pixar.This time I share with you my experience with "9", an animated movie that impressioned me. And no confusion with the other movie "District 9" (coming soon...)

Produced by Tim Burton, "9" is a computer animated movie set in an post-apocalyptic world... but darker than "Wall-E". Here you don't have humans, neither robots, neither animals... but rag dolls who don't have names, but numbers!

9 is the hero of this movie, and it's up to him to encourage his friends to destroy the machines, the ones responsables for the human extermination.
Besides the excellent animation quality, I was impressed with the camera angles and action sequences, because they're typical on action movies.

The cast is also impressive with the voices of Elijah Wood, Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau and Jennifer Connelly. Not bad at all.