#13 - First Day

November, Saturday the 30th 2013.
Administrative day in perspective!

Open a bank account at Becu was our main goal. At the bank, we write our name on the list in the waiting area, the advisors know who is next and it's very good! After waiting 30 minutes with a lot of apologies, the advisor tells us that without an ID card or a SSN, it's impossible. Because this bank was strongly recommended and because we need ID card, we walk one hour to the driver licensing office.

It's more organized than the French office: you  have a numbre, there are a lot of counters, but it's very simple, you have a big room with all the counters and in the middle you have plenty chairs and there are screens to know the last numbers called.

After less than 10 minutes, my number is called. The employee told me that it's weird that the bank reject the visa and that I have to see another banks, then she explains all the papers I have to do to have an ID card : fill a form, go to a special counter to be photographed, wait their mail to return it with our us phone number, then they call us to get an appointment. Easy but long, it takes more than a month :/

We try to go back to the bank because we have to pay our rent: banks are all closed :D

We go to Bellevue square to eat (it's 15:00 and we are starving!) and to buy our SIM card (and maybe phones). We go to T-mobile, the advisor receives us very warmly and tells us that they have offers for H1B visa. So he tells us their rates, we tell him that we want 2 Nexus 5. He tells us that it's cheaper on the google store, but they have then if we want to. For the text message to France, he advices us to use hangout instead. it's a pleasure to have such advisor ! He makes all the papers that we don't have to come back, gives us our card and says that the activation will be ok tomorrow.

We walk quickly to our apartment, because Jesus waits to connect us to internet, yes his real name is Jesus. In 5 minutes, it's ok, we are online, life can go on!

I discover little american pleasures:  the distributor of ice of the fridge, having a laundry room with a huge washing machine and a dryer!