Diary of a Turno

C558 is a turno. One lucky person sitting in this hot, crowded Ecuadorian migration office is holding a slip of paper with "C558" printed on it. When a loud BEEP interrupts the telenovela blaring on the TV in front, the entire room will inhale and glance at the board, praying it's their turno. Person C558, assuming they haven't lapsed into a coma during the wait, will release a small cry of joy as they proceed to Module 11.

Ecuadorian bureaucracies are something else. I mention it because I feel as though I spend huge amounts of time at their mercy. Since arriving, I have needed to visit at least two of the following per week: post office, migration office, electric company, water company, bank, private mail company, _________ (some unforeseen office, which a well-meaning person will tell me it's urgent I go to without providing adequate physical directions [how to get there] or conceptual directions [what my goal will be when there]).

The picture at left was taken by a friend in Quito's migration office. In addition to getting a visa, registering our passports, attending security briefings, and completing multiple (inconvenient) trips to banks and embassies, we apparently need documentation to prove we're Ecuadorian residents and not tourists. My friend snapped this photo as I realized I was turno C592... still 34 turnos away.... at a rate of 4 turnos per hour. We left.