Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Mug Shot

Our C Permits that allow "us" to live and work in Switzerland expire in a month.

Has it been three years already? Wow!

When we had B Permits, Mrs. TBF's company had to arrange for them to be renewed. Now that we are "big-time" C Permit holders - we're on our own.

The problem was: I didn't really know how to go about getting our permits renewed.

Mrs. TBF told me that I should just go to the Gemeindehaus - kind of like a town hall - and ask them. I snorted back something to the effect of: "If you think that's so easy, why don't YOU do it?" After winning the short debate that ensued (I basically refused to do it!), Mrs. TBF became convinced that my suggestion was a winner; having one of the Swiss administrative assistants at her office call the Gemeindehaus to find out what we need to do instead of me standing at the Gemeindehaus, speaking broken German, sweating through my shirt, and looking like a dork with my Daumen herauf mein Arschloch.

Besides...what choice did she have? I just REFUSED to do it! MWAHH-ha-HAAAAAAAAAAAAA! I'm going to have to try that one again sometime!

So...

Swiss assistant called...

She squoli squonked with the Gemeinde person, AND...

All we have to do is go to the Gemeindehaus and hand in our current C Permits. We also need a couple of current passport photos and we have to pay an unknown amount of money. After a couple of weeks, we'll receive our new permits in the mail. PLUS...and this is the best part...the assistant said that Mrs. TBF can expense the cost of her C Permit to the company.

HA! We wouldn't have found THAT out if I hadn't held my breath and folded my arms across my chest until you agreed to have the assistant call for us. See?

I TOLD YOU SO!!!!!!


Yup, I was feeling pretty smug about the whole thing until today when I went to the SECOND passport photo booth (first one ate my money and didn't give me any photos) and got these AWFUL photos which will be on my C Permit for the NEXT...THREE...YEARS! Unless, of course, we move back to the U.S. before the three years are up when I'm assuming we'd have to hand our permits back in to the authorities. Now THAT'S incentive to move!

Or, I guess I could just go and have new pictures taken.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very fine looking mug!

Greg said...

I'm still on a B-permit myself. I'll get a C-permit for a little while, then I'll be eligible for one of the red '+' permits.

Everyone says, once you've been here for three years, you never go back. Welcome to the Hotel Switzerland!

Jul said...

Was the t-shirt just a happy accident, or were you purposely going for the Meister Proper look?

The Big Finn said...

Jul - It was a happy accident. I know it looks pink in the photo, but it's actually a white t-shirt.

The DP said...

Our C's are getting close as my hope of getting out of Switzerland diminishes LOL
The "squoli squonk" just sucks people in like the Borg.

Unknown said...

I don't think you look bad at all. It could be much worse, a pimple on your knows, a few other break outs, etc... Really you look fabulous!

Anonymous said...

These permit photos made me laugh out loud. Mine makes me look like a drug dealer (ok, drug user) and Andy's were taken I think after the eyebrow incident....