Thursday, July 22, 2004
An old friend of mine (an Irishman married to an American woman) maintained that it was over all 20% easier to live in most parts of the US than to live in Ireland.
Things worked a bit better, there was a greater commitment to customer service, and the cost of staples was less.
A couple of days into the giant list of things required to make a real life here, and I’m beginning to see what he means. I’ve now got a driving licence, bank cards are in the mail, I’m insured to drive the car and I’ve got a new mobile phone. I also found an adapter for my laptop, and our new neighbours came over with beers and homemade apricot jam as soon as we moved in.
All of this was completed without incident, and with a real sense that people wanted to help. After the institutional rudeness and incompetence seen throughout the immigration process, the reality of life here (at least in small but big enough Santa Fe) is pleasantly different.