Thursday 17 November 2005

Stupid...

I don’t know if I’m the one or systems/people in the states are stupid. I guess I’m partly to blame too, for not being consistent and for being forgetful.

Yesterday was supposed to be my driving test here in Connecticut. My host parents and the US Driving Department requires that au pairs who stay for 2nd year get a state driving license. After 2-3 months wait, the day is finally here. I couldn’t sleep well the night before because I kept thinking about the test and what could have happened. I guess I developed a phobia of driving tests after I tried to get it in S’pore(it took me 4 times before I passed my driving test in S’pore 6 years ago). Well, I was so nervous the whole of the morning yesterday. My test was at 2pm. I had to cut short Brigid’s nap(Kara is in school). When it was finally my turn to go through the documents checking and all that, they said that my names in the documents do not match each other! Well, in USA, almost everyone has a first, middle and last name. I knew about this before I came, but I didn’t know that I’ll be faced with this problem when I come! I was very confused when I first came and when I had to fill in forms, I couldn’t remember what to put as my first or middle name. My last name is my surname, so that’s easy. Now, when I finally got everything figured, they had to tell me that my documents(passport, visa, social security card, DS2019) were of different names! What??!! Whether it says Tay Ling Ling Winnie or Winnie Ling Ling Tay apparently means a big difference to those people at the DMV. Anyway, they wouldn’t allow me to take the test. They said,’Go get it sorted out with immigration and then come back’. What the..??!! I mean, come on! I’m able to travel in and out of the USA, able to get my bank account and able to do everything else except take a driving test??

My host mum accompanied me to the test and she was able to ask the people there what to do in order to get the documents sorted. Now, she’s talking to people to help me get new documents with the ‘correct’ names. I feel so bad that I had to make my parents worried and busier because of my stupidity. They didn’t say anything, but I feel so bad. However, I still feel so indignant! I can get around all my life with my name in S’pore in anyway I write and now, I’m being penalised for having a legal Christian name here in USA. They may be the most powerful country in the world but they’re definitely not the most efficient in a lot of ways.

I feel much better today, but I was very angry with the people at the DMV yesterday and with myself. When I was trying to reason with the guy at the DMV, he just kept asking, "What’s your first name? Just tell me what’s your first name?" I told him, I do not have a first name. If you mean first name by the one that’s used most often, then, it’s Winnie! What a dork! I just wanted to scream at him, ‘I have a Chinese name and a Christian name. I DO NOT HAVE A FIRST AND MIDDLE NAME!!!’

Anyway, my driving test got rescheduled to Jan next year. Got to go through all that anxiety and nervousness all over again. All these trouble when I’m going home next Oct. So stupid. This is why I would NEVER stay here forever. If there’s a guy who’s able to make me want to stay here for good, he must be a really great guy. Haha!



Sylvia
November 17, 2005 at 3:12 pm

poor poor girl..
guess different people have different ways of reading things and recognising them.
one track minds, i suppose!
Hang in there. To make you feel better, i haven’t got my license yet. boo hoo…