Just when we think we’ve seen it all, inevitably something happens to remind us that we have not. A friend repaid me for a loan with an American Express Travelers’ check a while back. Now, we all remember their ads… «Don’t leave home without it!» Those checks are supposed to be just like cash, right? Wrong. At least not at the Santander-Serfin banks in this town.
I had a little bit of free time, and I wanted to find out why I had not been able to use my S-S ATM card for a couple of weeks. Every time I tried, the machine would tell me that I had already withdrawn my authorized maximum for the day - even though I hadn’t made any withdrawals in weeks. So I parked in the Benito Juarez parking garage, and walked over to the Santander branch next door, the one I’ve always dealt with. I explained my dilemma to Esther, my friendly bank manageress, and the both of us walked out to the ATM to test it. Of course, my card worked. I told her she must have scared the machine into obeying. We both got a good laugh.
Oh, and by the way, could she cash this AmEx Travelers’ check for me while I was there? Oh, no. Why not? Because the only person who could cash it was the one who signed it. Huh? But it was made out to MY name, and I had my passport with me to prove who I was, just in case… No. No way. Bank regulations. As I walked out of the bank, rather incredulous and very much dejected, I wondered: How do all the local shops and restaurants do it? They get paid with Travelers’ Checks often. Where do THEY cash them in? So I decided to call American Express to find out, but first I had to get home. That didn’t turn out to be as easy as it sounds.
Something was wrong -again- with the «automatic» arm at the garage, the one that’s supposed to go up when you insert your paid ticket into the machine. The line of cars wound its way all the way up to the top floor of the building (that was the only place I could find a spot, the garage was full…) What was supposed to be a five-minute affair turned out to be exactly ten times longer. It took a full 50 minutes for us to be able to leave the place. Well, at least we didn’t have to pay extra for that time as we had already paid for our parking - with the attendant at the wicket ‘cause the «automatic» payment machine wasn’t working either… I did try to call the «Customer Service» number indicated on the ticket, but that number is out of service. Gee. Why are we not surprised? They must have been inundated with cell phone calls from angry customers, so they probably just stopped paying their bills and had the number cancelled. (My theory.)
When I finally did get back home, I attempted to find a telephone number for American Express. No luck there. I tried to call TelMex’ information number -040- no luck there either. They must still be recuperating from their Easter holidays. Or perhaps Mr. Slim gave them the day off when he found out he had become the second richest man in the whole wide world …but I doubt it.
So I called our friend Bill at Barcelona Tapas. I know his fabulous restaurant accepts the AmEx card (and only that card), so I figured he might have a local number for them. No, but he suggested I look it up on the Internet. Oh, what a smart young man! Did that, got the number, dialed it, only to find that all its employees (both Spanish and English-speaking) somehow happened to be away from their desks too… But, they all gave me the opportunity to leave a message.
No one returned my messages. However, the next day, I called again and this time I got to speak with a real human being, a very nice one at that. I told him my story and he said, yes, Mexican banks did have some very strange regulations indeed. Although I should have been able to deposit the funds into my account (WITHOUT cashing the check), he suggested I visit the American Express office downtown, with my passport, and they would cash the check - no problem. Guess I'll have to go downtown...
Getting back to Bill and good food in general, I was lucky enough to be invited out to dinner by some new friends I made last winter. They asked for suggestions and I recommended Coco Tropical - just because I hadn't dined there in a while. They agreed, and as expected, everyone was delighted with the fare, though a little frustrated by the fact that they didn't have enough room left for anything more than sharing a fabulous chocolate crème brûlée for dessert. I think they would have liked to sample more from the mouth-watering list...
Although my fellow Canadian Heather (Wilson) is a good friend of mine, and I do truly empathize with her current plight, I must confess that one particular item in her Pet Tails column this week made me laugh, the part where she mentions the different kind of cats, «kneaders» and «talkers». The three kittens I adopted three months ago do both - knead and talk - at the same time. It was fine while they were little, but now that they’ve grown, they still think they can all sleep on my lap while I work at the computer. Problem is that they don’t fit anymore. And when they start kneading, and «talking» to me to let me know that they’re not particularly impressed with the arrangement, it becomes very funny. Eventually, one or more end up rolling off onto the floor. Not happy. So he or she will jump back up, landing on top of the remaining cat(s). And so it goes. It’s also becoming increasingly difficult to find space for myself in my own bed since the older cat, the one-year old «matriarch», has finally authorized these unsolicited newcomers to share the bed space with her. (My opinion doesn’t count.)
Can you believe the way they sleep?I found out that it drizzled in the early morning of Monday, April 16th, in the Colonia 5 de Diciembre, and in Versalles too. Not a drop down our way in the Old Town, a.k.a. the South Side, a.k.a. the Romantic Zone. Hmmm… a little early for that. As much as I love the rainy season here, I sure hope it doesn’t augur another change in our microclimate.
And talking about rain… Our friend who lives up on the hill above us, on Hortensia, called me to ask if I could send some of the Tribuna de la Bahía’s (our mother publication, the daily Spanish paper) photographers and reporters to take photos of the Colina II building that had just lost part of itself. Why do I have this uncomfortable feeling that it won’t be the last to come tumbling down? We’ve already seen the foundation of another development come sliding down during last year’s rainy season. All those big buildings erected on iffy sites up there, with iffy permits, worry me. And those big mega towers built at the mouth of the rivers do too. I just hope I’m wrong, and that my worries are unfounded (no pun intended).
ICON Vallarta is one of those new developments projected for our town. It envisages three towers with some 300+ condos, to be built out by the Krystal Hotel. The big promotional sign that wraps around the wall at Christine’s disco has a line that reads something like «For information and sugerency about this site, please call…» Sugerency? I’m nearly sure they meant suggestions, but you would think that if they’re selling condos to folks with the purchasing power of the rich and famous, they would have sprung a few dollars to hire someone who knows English to write the text on their humungous signs…
That's all I'm going to bother you with this week. I wish you all an excellent one. Keep well, keep smiling and do share your good fortune with the less fortunate. Hasta luego! pvmom04@yahoo.com
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