Starbucks & Celebrity

After a week of not much internet access and more stress than I had realized (avoiding confrontation, being confronted, confronting, an English event and no teaching [which stressed me out since I'm so behind], not to mention some other things along the way), I decided to spend Saturday at Starbucks to get my internet fix and to chill out.  Alma had a funeral to go to, so she dropped me off in the morning and told me to text her when I was ready to come home.  At this point of course, I had just arrived at her house and had no idea how to navigate myself to and from.  

I did my thing (and ate way more than I should have) for several hours.  Around 2, I texted Alma to let her know that I'd like to go to the bank and then grab some sushi at Forum.  If she wanted to join me please do.  While at Forum, I told her I'd check out internet at TelCel, my cell phone company.  

I went by TelCel first upon arriving at Forum to scope out the line.  It was forever long, so I decided to grab my sushi.  Mmmmm.  Going to miss sushi.

As I was finishing up, Alma texted me saying she'd be there in 30 minutes or so.  I trekked over the the TelCel store and it didn't seem awful (it didn't look great, either, but I figured I had thirty minutes).  I got in line and was helped within 15 minutes.  I asked the guy at the counter about internet and he gave me all the details.  He needed my passport to make the transaction, but I didn't have that with me.  I kind of just thought about getting information while I was at Starbucks.  I was not my most prepared.  About this time, in walks Alma and shakes the guy's hand across the counter (the one who is helping me).  I thought, "Whoops, there I go again.  I missed the social protocol of shaking his hand when I came up to the counter."  Turns out she knows the guy!  Figures.  And remember it's not what you know but who you know.  He ended up making the transaction on the basis that I bring my passport within 24 hours.  Done.  Love that Alma knows everyone.

The whole process from start to finish took about an hour, so that was not so cool.  In Mexico, there are lots of lines and to me (A gringa), it often seems some things are done inefficiently.  I'm sure they have their reasons.  Anyway, after chatting to him for a long time, then I had to go to another line (I was at least in the VIP aisle) and pay.  Then I came back and we had to fill out mountains of paperwork.  I had to sign a bunch of times and then we were good to go.

I felt bad for making Alma wait another 30 minutes, but if I had done it earlier, it wouldn't have gotten done due to the missing passport.  If Alma hadn't known the guy, same deal.  I figure it's her fault!

Ha.

Add that to the thousands of reasons I am really happy being around her.