I'm legit - mostly, at least!

A good couple days here -

Thursday - I’m legit!
My work permit came thru Thursday morning, and a couple hours later so did my settlement check, which helps pay for utility deposits and such. Now – two big steps yet to see accomplished: my social insurance number, and a bank account. Both are necessary for me to get paid. Neither could be obtained without the work permit. We got an extension till mid-day Friday to get these two pieces pulled together and still get me paid next week.

Ann (our department administrative secretary) thought she had it arranged so that I could walk the work permit, a copy of the passport and the application in to a particular member of the Social Insurance staff, and walk out with my social insurance number. Ooops – the woman was there, but her two coworkers were out (sick and in a class), she was holding down the fort solo, and NOT so she could deal with my thing right then. “Call back tomorrow morning…”

With work permit in hand, along with my passport and the deposit slip verifying my payment to my new landlady for the apartment (proof of residence – like a utility bill, but also a letter from the landlord, or a copy of the lease – is required to open a bank account, along with some money to put into it) I flipped a coin and headed to the Bank of Bermuda to try and get the bank account going. Forty-five minutes later, with one person in the line having been served, and not sure my deposit slip would do it as proof of residency, I gave up and headed back to make a meeting at the office.

Once through with that I called the Bank of Bermuda to see about setting up an appointment – the next one available is Monday noonish – and Butterfield Bank, which suggested that I be waiting when they open at 9 Friday morning. (The third banking option, Capital G, is actually my preference – they are very competitive, offer a number of services the other banks don’t – but I was told you have to work here at least 6 months before they can provide you an account.)

So guess where I will be Friday morning>? I’ve already cleared it with Christine.

I’m legit as a tenant as well. After work I took the bus over to the apartment across from Spittal Pond to meet my landlady and sign the lease. I also wanted to check whether the dishes and odd bits I’d noticed earlier would stay with the apartment (yes), whether drapes could be accommodated (with effort), whether there was a microwave or if that was my imagination (yes, but not sure if it works)…Mrs. Waldron gave me a key, so I can get into it before I move if I want (tho with the bus schedule that isn’t likely.)

I stopped at the Modern Mart for my short list of groceries (veg, fruit, water) and to celebrate picked up a bottle of wine AND – a first – the one thing I have found with a smaller price in Bermuda than in the US – a package of Pepperidge Farms cookies – GingerMan for choice, I’ve been wanting something crunchy and a little sweet. The $3.39 pre-printed package price ws retagged for $3.19 – this, in a place where the norm would be about $5.50 to $6.

Friday - Yeah!

This morning Ann was able to get the social insurance number verbally - I still have nothing hard-copy, but the number is the critical part.

AND I have a bank account, and it is with Capital G. I'd checked the phone book ad to see what their hours were, saw they opened at 8.30 (in line with their doing more than the other banks, which open at 9), figured I'd stop in before walking over to Butterfield Bank and see what they told me this time. The lovely young woman handling the account opening never said a thing about a 6-month wait (and of course neither did I), got everything rounded together, and got a promise of sorts for the issuance of an account number by noon when getting it next week was the typical timeframe. (That is because they are shifting over to a new computer software system and there is a resultant backlog.)

Capital G doesn't do checking accounts - they have various forms of savings accounts, with debit card access and online bill pay. They refund the ATM usage fees when a client uses the ATM of any other bank, anywhere in the world, immediately expanding their 'network' of ATMs many-fold. They are working out ways to deal with international banking that - hope on, hope ever - may allow linking of the accounts and the ability to transfer money without the redundant fees. The staff so far has been rather elegantly helpful and positive.

Now, they didn't actually call me by noon; I went by during my lunch break and waited for them to wind up whatever needed to happen to get me an account number. They were willing to release it to me so long as no deposit other than the one I opened the account with was going in until next week (no problem there!) I practically boogied up the hill back to the office. Ann copied everything and rushed it to HR and Finance; no one was around (amazing how the offices are ghost-townish on Fridays), but she left both voice mail and email about it with probably half a dozen people, trying to ensure there will be a paycheck for me next Friday.

Ann deserves flowers, or cookies, or something. She has been tenacious about all this.

AND - I got the power and gas accounts set up. I'd been told to expect that would require a visit with the landlady out to their offices located such that I'd need to take a taxi; online it appeared I could at least try to set up the accounts at a joint office downtown. That was indeed the case - sitting at little work stations amid Viking ranges, commercial dryers, vacuum cleaners and fridges were stations for the two related but separate utilities. Same forms, twice. Really helped that I had the name of the last tenant of my apartment - they 'cheated' and pulled up the account that way, and just transferred it over pretty easily.

They were both learning new software systems, too, so the actual inputting of the info took a little while as they worked their way thru the multiple screens, but good spirits, good results.

AND - while it isn't quite set up, I'm close, so close, on getting the wireless internet service set up. Someone in the building has used Northrock before so they are comfortable they provide good wireless service out there; and the little antenna or whatever has gone on the building before with no issues. Mrs. Waldron has to agree to it, but she hadn't realized the one that had been there was no longer there so there wouldnt be multiples - and these things are small. I'll post a photo to give an idea.

So - the best of the 'jumble sales' (aka charity yard sales) is next weekend (not tomorrow) - Bermuda National Trust's fundraiser jumble sale and auction, held at a building at the Botanical Gardens. This is one sale that apparently consistently gets great high end stuff - wealthy folks and well to do ex-pats donate, we lesser beings buy the stuff. Weirdly, the jumble sale is Thursday and Friday. The auction is Saturday, tho we can see what is up for auction on the jumble sale days.

I also have a list of the estate sales for this weekend. Granted, I'm not toting back rugs and drafting tables on the bus, but I'll try to fill in the odds and ends I'll need at least to get started, and maybe there will be something great to be discovered.

Oh - and multiple offers of vehicular assistance from co-workers!