July 14

Monday

Where's My Lawyer?

Jayne and I went to pay the electric and phone bills. At the electric company there’s a machine where you enter your account number. For some reason, I didn’t get the bill delivered to the house. This is why I had to use the machine to get a ticket printed out. Well, the machine said there is no such number. I entered the number again and again it said the same thing. Now, I’ll have to go someone at the desk and see what the problem is.

Then I paid the phone bill which included the internet charge.

Jayne and I left for the mall which is in a nearby town. I got some money out of the bank. Later, we went to a restaurant for lunch.

At home I check my email to see if my lawyer, Maria del Carmen, answered it. Previously, I also sent a voice message to her and I also made a call. She must know that I called and she must have read my email but I had no response from her. I told her that the time is late for Jayne to get her visa changed (as this has to be done while she is on a tourist visa or there will be a fine).
There is no excuse for her not answering and telling us that what has to be done next. But this is typical in Ecuador! How things would have been so much easier had we been married in another country.

My lawyer, who was at the wedding, didn’t buy a gift or even give a card. With all the money that she made from me – how cheap! Others, who make much less money, gave gift. She hasn’t said anything when I did talk to her one time since the wedding.

I remember last Christmas that she just gave us a card, though other members of her family gave a little something (which I didn’t expect when we were at their home for Christmas Eve). It’s usually common in other countries that the lawyer gives a bottle of alcohol or something since they make money off their clients, but Maria – nothing. Not giving at least a card is an insult.