We got our first real taste of Chilean bureaucracy today. Waited in line for over four hours to do some sort of registration with the police. Then they skipped Jen's number and we had to argue with / beg one of the officers to let her go.
After we got our paperwork from the police, we had to walk a couple miles to some other office to get ID cards, but they were already closed for the day (well, not closed, but they weren't accepting new people in the line any more). So I guess we're going back tomorrow.
The experience was pretty awful and made me really feel for immigrants in the US, especially those who speak Spanish and therefore face an extra level of hostility. The officials with whom we interacted weren't terribly friendly (for the most part) and most didn't even attempt to communicate in English (not that they should necessarily have to, although they do work in a visa processing office).
It is terribly frustrating when you are subject to the rules and dictates of a system but can't actually understand what they are because you don't speak the language. I already supported printing signs and official paperwork in multiple languages, but now even more so.
Hopefully I'll get some work done tomorrow...
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