Today Sarah is driving! Or at least trying to drive. All the cars are stick shift here and so I’m in the process of teaching her. She did really well today, despite all the road hazards....cows, horses, old ladies, spinning kids, dogs, donkeys, etc. Once you get past the sheer fright of it all, its actually kind of funny. It’s like you are playing a video game...dodging things left and right.
We’re finally driving today despite starting last Thursday to get the license. Let me lay out the process in 20 or so easy steps. (This has been scaled down from my own personal experience....where I did not have a car nor the experience of knowing where to go)
Go to the US embassy about 45 minutes away. Strip all your clothes off to get through security (OK not really...but its a pain in the butt process). Go to the 1 American Services window, wait in line, and ask for the document that states my US license is valid. Fill out the form. Wait in line. Go to another window to pay for the form. Wait in that line. Then take back receipt to first window (waiting in line again). Then wait for your name to be called so you can get the form you want. The day is almost over so you have to wait the next day for Office #2. This is last Thursday
Go to the Ethiopian Document Verification Office to verify that the US document is official. YES! I said that. Go to an Ethiopian office to verify the paper that verifies my drivers license. Pretty much just get a stamp on the original document. Follow almost the same procedure as the US embassy. Ask for form, pay for form in another line, wait for form to be stamped, receive form. This was Friday
Now the last office is the actual Drivers License office....in the middle of nowhere...south of the city. We went on Tuesday. Received the form we needed. Filled it out. Gave it back along with our US document, copy of TX license, copy of Passport, and 2 photos. The lady says we need to fill out a form in Amharic (different letters/ characters than English letters). I say I don’t know Amharic. She says OK..wait. I wait. Then some guy finds me, and says I need to fill out the Amharic form. I go back to the lady and I once again say I don’t know Amharic. I group gathers around me to see what the foreigner needs. I am finally told to come back on Thursday...and everything should be taken care of. I ask for my paperwork just because I don’t want them to lose it (As I look around and see PILES and PILES of other peoples paperwork). They tell me to leave the paperwork because they will fill it out by Thursday.
Thursday morning comes around...I go back to office in the morning. They can’t find my paperwork. After 1.5 hours of looking, they find it! The man tells me I need to pay for the license. Go to a different line and pay. Here...when I say line...i mean mob...a group of people fighting for one workers attention. Just stick your money and paperwork in his face until he grabs it. So after jostling for a while, I’m able to pay. Now go back to the first mob/ line. By now there are way too many people and they say come back after lunch. So 1:00 rolls around, I show up right when the place opens after lunch to beat the crowd. None of the workers show up till 1:30. By then the mob is formed around me. I ask for my info, they say I’m next...but somehow it takes almost 2 hours until they begin working on Sarah’s paperwork. The are about to print my license...and then.....THE NETWORK STOPS WORKING! They can’t print! I wait along with the mob for about 1.5 hours...And finally I get Sarah’s license!
Now its time to brave through the streets and teach Sarah how to drive stick shift! Pray for us!
