It's just a little piece of paper. It's not even really laminated. But over the course of the past 3 months I have learned just how valuable, how important, and how just out of reach such a little piece of paper.
This is my Brazilian driver's license. To make the story brief, you can drive here legally for a very limited time on a foreign license. Our time was up (along with all other Americans here for the Company throughout Brazil) quite a while ago, and although everyone had always "looked the other way," regarding having this legal document, in the end of July we were all instructed to do no more driving until we had our Brazilian driver's license. Until last week, I have not driven our car in Brazil since July.
If you are thinking..."go to the DMV, stand in line like everyone else, take the 20 question test, write your check for $8, and drive yourself home," then you have highly underestimated the bureaucracy of the Brazilian government.
Overall the process of obtaining a license took me just a few days shy of 2 full months. Because we have a driver's license from the States, we were spared the 20 hours of expensive and time consuming "practical training" (driving lessons) that Brazilians are required to take. Our process began with getting our US driver's license "translated" by an official government authority. Then it had to be verified and notarized. (think: more time, more money) We provided a variety of paperwork proving identity, residency, etc. Eventually, we were cleared to begin our "training" in a Brazilian driving school. We had to pass a "medical exam" which was really just an eye test, and a psychological exam. (yes, a psych exam for a driver's license!)
Following that, we were required to spend between 24 and 6 hours in class time, depending on who you were, who your teacher was, what day it was and how well you convinced someone of making it easy on you. (By the way, Brazilians are required 42 hours of lecture time). These are the "theoretical" classes to teach driving. At the end of said classes there was no test. None. Zero. No attention, retention, or even understanding required. Off goes the paperwork, a week later (maybe more, depending on how often you call to check, and who your friends are) your license is available for pick up.
Honestly, the overall process was not difficult. In those 2 months it took to get my license, only 5 days required any action on my part. The only thing required of me was to have an extraordinary amount of patience. I did a lot of waiting...a lot. And not always as patiently as I expect my kids to wait for my attention, by the way.
I did, however, love my driving classes. I found it ironic that I was picked up for class by a taxi driver who never wore his seatbelt, talked on the cell most of the time he was driving and only stopped at one of the 5 stop signs we went through on the way to class.
At class I spent about 25% of the time looking up words in my Portuguese/English dictionary, I spent another 25% of the time passing around the shared cup of chimarrão (traditional hot beverage traditionally passed around and shared, even with strangers), the rest of the time I was busily in a state of awe at the things they were teaching. As it turns out, holding your baby in your lap in the front seat is neither safe, nor legal. (You would not believe the people who argued this point with the instructor). They instructed us as to when you should actually stop at a stop sign (because the answer is NOT "always!") They discussed the best process for passing over a speed bump (we have plenty in town), in which states you can bribe a police officer, that it is illegal to talk on the cell phone, eat, or drink anything at all while driving, and so on. The classes themselves amused me. I even picked up a few things that I didn't know after a year of driving here.
The annoying thing was there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the process of obtaining the license. Step 1 took some people days and some people weeks to complete. The variation on hours of class time required was ridiculous. The fact that DaddyHealy had a lengthy multiple choice test in his psychological exam, and mine was to simply write paragraphs about myself, anything I wished to write, seems absurd. It was bothersome that the number of times you call or complain had a significant impact on processing time. I was shocked, yet relieved, that you do not have to pass any exam, nor even have any understanding of basic driving rules and regulations in order to receive the license. But, we learned a lot...not so much about driving, but some language, a lot of culture and an infinite amount about practicing patience.
Honestly, the overall process was not difficult. In those 2 months it took to get my license, only 5 days required any action on my part. The only thing required of me was to have an extraordinary amount of patience. I did a lot of waiting...a lot. And not always as patiently as I expect my kids to wait for my attention, by the way.
I did, however, love my driving classes. I found it ironic that I was picked up for class by a taxi driver who never wore his seatbelt, talked on the cell most of the time he was driving and only stopped at one of the 5 stop signs we went through on the way to class.
At class I spent about 25% of the time looking up words in my Portuguese/English dictionary, I spent another 25% of the time passing around the shared cup of chimarrão (traditional hot beverage traditionally passed around and shared, even with strangers), the rest of the time I was busily in a state of awe at the things they were teaching. As it turns out, holding your baby in your lap in the front seat is neither safe, nor legal. (You would not believe the people who argued this point with the instructor). They instructed us as to when you should actually stop at a stop sign (because the answer is NOT "always!") They discussed the best process for passing over a speed bump (we have plenty in town), in which states you can bribe a police officer, that it is illegal to talk on the cell phone, eat, or drink anything at all while driving, and so on. The classes themselves amused me. I even picked up a few things that I didn't know after a year of driving here.
The annoying thing was there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the process of obtaining the license. Step 1 took some people days and some people weeks to complete. The variation on hours of class time required was ridiculous. The fact that DaddyHealy had a lengthy multiple choice test in his psychological exam, and mine was to simply write paragraphs about myself, anything I wished to write, seems absurd. It was bothersome that the number of times you call or complain had a significant impact on processing time. I was shocked, yet relieved, that you do not have to pass any exam, nor even have any understanding of basic driving rules and regulations in order to receive the license. But, we learned a lot...not so much about driving, but some language, a lot of culture and an infinite amount about practicing patience.
No comments:
Post a Comment