one more time

One thing I miss in Mexico is an efficient banking system.

Oh, there are banks.  Plenty of them.  Even though there is only one in Melaque -- a Banamex.

But efficient it is not.  When I changed the address on my bank account a couple of months ago, it took over an hour of paper processing that would have made an Italian immigration official proud.  In The States I could perform the same transaction in minutes on my computer at home.

I thought of that experience this morning in Olympia as I wrapped up my visit with Ken.  I needed to transfer a small amount of money from my account to a friend's account in Reno. 

Seven years in Mexico has made me dread walking through the door of a bank.  Lost time.  Frustration.  Disappointment.  All rolled into one emotional bundle.

The clerk turned out to be from Acapulco.  We chatted a bit about Mexico.  I then told her what I wanted to do.  Simple, she said.  I withdrew the money from my account electronically.  She then deposited it in my friend's account in Reno.  Total time: about six minutes.

A chat and a quick transfer of money.  A perfect example of how customer service should work.

I am currently on an Amtrak train on my way to Salem.  When I arrive there,  I am off to a clinic to determine if the American medical system can perform as well as the banking system.

During the drive up from Mexico, I developed a cold.  A rather nasty one with lung congestion, headaches, and sore muscles.  I ended up staying in bed for most of my visit with Ken in Olympia.

This morning I woke up with pain in my right ankle.  I immediately recognized what it was.  That is how the "infection" in my left leg started back in August.  And, sure enough, the skin around my ankle has the same red appearance.

So, I will be off to a clinic to see if an American doctor has any more luck in diagnosing my condition than did my Mexican doctors.  I suspect I know the answer to that question.

And that is why I miss some things about living in Oregon.  Others, not so much.