Last week I got a letter from the council to inform me that I need a new identity card. I looked for my card and couldn't find it. I searched through my wallet and handbag, turned every thing around and took everything out, I made a FBI house checking (with warrant), no card. I tried to remember when I had used it last but of course it had been such a long time ago that I didn't remember at all.
This card is only valid for Belgium, to proof that you are still alive and not dead, although it had already happened that a person was declared dead, while she still enjoyed life. I need this card to open a bank account which hasn't happened in years or for a traffic control and I hadn' been involved lately in an accident or incident, so I really didn't know. It could only have happened when I changed money in Turkey and I probably left my identity card there as souvenir.
To get a new card you first have to go to the police and declare that you lost it to get an official statement. Then only you can go to the council office to get a new one. So I got first pictures made for the card smiled in the camera had it cut to a special passport size and then went first to the police to make my statement.
There was only one window open with a very young policeman who looked as if he were still wearing diapers. I told him my problem and was promptly asked when and where I lost my card. I found that rather comical and answered that if I knew where and how, I probably wouldn't be here but had picked up my card where I had lost it !
He looked at me with eyes like a veal and told me that he couldn't do it, but he had to ask a collegue and she would come as soon as she had time. I wondered a little about what that meant but sat down. After a (long) while a pregnant (up to the nose) woman showed up and asked my name, birthdate, and address and then disappeared again with my informations. I sat down again and waited.
After a while I asked myself if she hadn't gone to hospital to give birth but then she finally came back and still looked round. I signed two papers, took one and went over to the council office for identity cards. There for once it went very quick because I was the only foreigner this day asking for such a card.
I get a blue card (not a green) in old fashioned carton and not like the belgians one which looks like a credit card. The poor girl was still in possession of an electric typewriter with which she typed my card, stack the photo on, stamped it and it was done !
I only could see one computer for at least 6 (empty) desks. I have to say that our council house is very new and nice, but the office equipment looks more like antiques. Now I am in order for another 5 years.
My new card
The modern town hall
Bonjour Gattina
ReplyDeleteça me fait penser à mon père qui était dans la police et qui tapait tous ses rapports avec la vieille machine à écrire noire et en utilisant deux doigts! Ici tu fais ta déclaration de perte ou de vol au poste de police ensuite tu vas à la mairie, tu remplis un formulaire et tu présentes ton livret de famille, tout est envoyé à la préfecture et au bout de 10 jours tu reçois ta carte. Plastifiée. J'espère qu'il fait meilleur maintenant chez toi! J'aimerais bien aller à la plage une heure aujourd'hui mais j'ai beaucoup à faire: toutes les commandes pour ma classe l'année prochaine!
you look very pretty in that identity card :) love your smile, you know i've had a picture done for my visa here and there's this new kind of picture they want - you're not even allowed to smile.
ReplyDeleteWhen I moved to NH from another state I needed to get a new drivers license. It used to be easy, but now since 9/11 it is very hard. I needed my original birth certificate, my fist marriage certificate, my divorce certificate, my new marriage license, my social security card and my old drivers license.
ReplyDeleteOnly then did they take a new picture and charge me $50.00 for the new license. This will last for 5 years then I will need a new one.I bet by then it will cost $100.00!
Well... look at that! You're alive and kickin' again!!! I was sO sad those days you were dead.
ReplyDeleteHm.... I'm sure that when she was away, she was comparing your photo to long, long lists of criminals to see if there was a match - since they hadn't more computers.... *giggles*
ReplyDeleteThat sounded very strange, no more computers? In that modern building. Amazing.
Maybe they had before butt were playing to much computergames so they took them away from them...?!!! *LMAO*
Wow, that is a good pic Gattina. The card looks cool.
ReplyDeleteNo photo Gattina,pleased you got your card . but what a stupid question asking when ansd were you lost it.
ReplyDeleteis that your height and weight covered???? %-)
ReplyDelete