I don’t know why I’ve been procrastinating so much on this visa paperwork of mine. I think it’s partially that I’ve overwhelmed with Squeaker and her daily maintenance and part because we’re waiting to hear if we are getting the bigger apartment we applied for. If that’s the case, I can put my new address on all my forms and not have to worry about them “losing” my documents later.
The final holdup is the personal statement (carta personal) I have to write about why I want to be a permanent resident of Chile. Overly dramatic eye-roll. And that’s a hard one for me. I can talk about how out of all the Latin American countries I could have chosen to set up roots, Chile is the best because it’s one of the safest and most economically and politically stable. I can wax poetic about how Chile is slated to become Latin America’s first developed country and that means job opportunities, etc., but maybe they hear that everyday. Bang your head on your keyboard if I’m already over-thinking this.
The truth is that Chile and I have had our ups and downs, which is probably why my pen isn’t flowing these days. Although, there have been more ups than downs lately because people are surprisingly friendly when you tote around an infant who understands more about social niceties with her three short months than her mother does with her 27 years. (Someday, I’ll have to teach her that you can’t smile at strangers, but today is not that day.)
I finally got out a rough draft and sent it to my husband to edit…and basically rewrite. Fortunately, I wrote more than: Estimado Departamento de Extranjería y Migración, Me gusta tu país y me gusta la palta (Dear Department of Immigration and Foreign Affairs, I like your country and I like avocados)–which had been my initial inkling–but not much. I put “Don’t laugh at me” in the subject of the email. He didn’t, but his response was, “Why do you want this again?”
Can I honestly say because I don’t want to keep doing this stupid trámite every single year for the rest of my life (if we stay here for the rest of my life)? And, oh yeh, because eventually they force you into it, so I sort of have to? Or the little voices told me to?
On second thought, I should have said this:
Because I have the cutest daughter who is Chilean and a freaking national treasure, if you ask my unbiased opinion.
Because I like the relaxed “plaza” lifestyle where evenings and weekends everyone can be found hanging out playing with bubble machines–even in the heart of Santiago.
Because even though the food isn’t ostentatious like Mexican food, there are some real winners like fresh-from-the-oven pastel de choclo.
And because the whole country is a beach (or not far from a beach) you get awesomely fresh (and LIVE) seafood like this almost everywhere.
That would have been much better. Don’t you think?
Good luck to you… from a fellow expat, just on the other side of the pond!
Danica
You do make it sound inviting!!
Those are all excellent reasons and, if it were in my power, you’d have your visa. And, yes, Squeaker is incredibly cute.
Those are fantastic reasons! And Squeaker is a national treasure!
En la parte que dices que te gusta la palta agrega una mancha verde que pruebe que comías una tostada con palta cuando lo escribiste =success
Oh my gosh. And I thought applying for jobs overseas were difficult – Yikes. Anything you say is going to come off as “ass kissy” so just indulge them and go over the top. I’m pretty sure that’s what they like.
Hahaha I was doing mine yesterday and couldn’t figure what to write, I don’t have a chilean baby. I basically told them it was easier to get the permanent than to be every year doing the paper work for the temporary. Fingers crossed it works lol