***!
The day before I left for the US, I finally got my lovely residence permit, which, according to the IB-groep website, entitles me to receive a bit of money from the gov't every month, as well as free public transportation during the week for the duration of my study. Which is a Really Good Thing, since I live in the middle of nowhere, and the train tickets from here to Leiden have already added up to more than the cost of my tuition. :-/
So the night before I left, I stayed up late trying to fill out all the proper forms online to request studiefinanciering and an OV. I didn't get very far before realising I needed a Dutch social security number (SoFi-nummer). Unfortunately, it had to be picked up in person (in Alkmaar... *sigh*), which is a bit difficult to do when you are sitting in Plano, Texas, USA. So that had to wait until I got back, further pushing back the date when I can expect to start receiving my badly-needed financial aid. :-( Yesterday, I tried to continue with the online application process, naively assuming that since I have a residence permit and a SoFi-nummer, everything from here on out would go smoothly. Ha. I discovered that I need my own Dutch bank account-- it's not enough that I have access to Rick's. But I couldn't have gotten the bank account any earlier, since you need a SoFi-nummer to do that. *sigh*
Today's chore was therefore to head to the Postbank and open a bank account. I took every piece of paper that I even remotely thought they might need-- passport, residence permit, proof that I am registered here in Schagen, my SoFi-number, mail addressed to me at this address, etc. I read and re-read the terms and conditions of opening an account, and filled everything out neatly. The end was in sight! Then the lady behind the counter informed me that because I do not have the Dutch nationality, I'd have to go to one of the larger Postbank branches to open an account-- the local one here in Schagen couldn't do it. I asked her why not; after all, my residence permit entitles me to all the rights and privileges of a Dutch citizen. In the end she just smiled and told me she was sorry, but it was just "niet mogelijk" and that I would have to go to either Alkmaar or Den Helder to take care of the problem. ARGH!
Trying to get myself added to Rick's insurance hasn't exactly been a piece of cake, either-- apparently, Rick and I both have to be there in person, which means Rick needs to take the morning off work. Which hasn't been possible at all this week, and won't be possible next week, either-- he's already scheduled for a bunch of early-morning appointments with clients. But I'm pretty sure I need to prove that I'm insured before I can continue filling out the application for my OV... It's this horrible vicious circle! I hate bureaucracy!!!
So the night before I left, I stayed up late trying to fill out all the proper forms online to request studiefinanciering and an OV. I didn't get very far before realising I needed a Dutch social security number (SoFi-nummer). Unfortunately, it had to be picked up in person (in Alkmaar... *sigh*), which is a bit difficult to do when you are sitting in Plano, Texas, USA. So that had to wait until I got back, further pushing back the date when I can expect to start receiving my badly-needed financial aid. :-( Yesterday, I tried to continue with the online application process, naively assuming that since I have a residence permit and a SoFi-nummer, everything from here on out would go smoothly. Ha. I discovered that I need my own Dutch bank account-- it's not enough that I have access to Rick's. But I couldn't have gotten the bank account any earlier, since you need a SoFi-nummer to do that. *sigh*
Today's chore was therefore to head to the Postbank and open a bank account. I took every piece of paper that I even remotely thought they might need-- passport, residence permit, proof that I am registered here in Schagen, my SoFi-number, mail addressed to me at this address, etc. I read and re-read the terms and conditions of opening an account, and filled everything out neatly. The end was in sight! Then the lady behind the counter informed me that because I do not have the Dutch nationality, I'd have to go to one of the larger Postbank branches to open an account-- the local one here in Schagen couldn't do it. I asked her why not; after all, my residence permit entitles me to all the rights and privileges of a Dutch citizen. In the end she just smiled and told me she was sorry, but it was just "niet mogelijk" and that I would have to go to either Alkmaar or Den Helder to take care of the problem. ARGH!
Trying to get myself added to Rick's insurance hasn't exactly been a piece of cake, either-- apparently, Rick and I both have to be there in person, which means Rick needs to take the morning off work. Which hasn't been possible at all this week, and won't be possible next week, either-- he's already scheduled for a bunch of early-morning appointments with clients. But I'm pretty sure I need to prove that I'm insured before I can continue filling out the application for my OV... It's this horrible vicious circle! I hate bureaucracy!!!