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Marta R

Feb 23, 2005, 10:16 PM

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Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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Getting info from the S.F. consulate is frustrating. Their website is in Spanish only -- the "English version" link takes you to a place where you can find all of the US consulates, which is lovely but not helpful. Their voice-mail does offer English, but if your question isn't standard, there apparently is no way to talk to a human being. All my old tricks for dealing with voice mail (pretend you don't have a touch-tone phone; press 0, etc.) just lead to a cheery voice saying "Adios!" and then they hang up.

I need to get forms and information, and am dreading going there in person. Any advice?

Marta

Rolly

Feb 24, 2005, 7:34 AM

Post #2 of 20 (2149 views)

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Re: [chrisnmarta] Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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Marta, the unhappy fact is that the only way to deal with Mexican consulates, -- be it SF, LA or East Overshoe -- is to go there in person.

Rolly Pirate

Marta R

Feb 24, 2005, 3:11 PM

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Re: [Rolly] Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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Rats. Thanks, but rats.

Marta

Bubba

Feb 24, 2005, 3:38 PM

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Re: [chrisnmarta] Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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Bubba has been to the Mexican consulate in San Francisco and does not wish to disparage them. However, he understands that their procedures manual was written by Franz Kafka. Try to get through this earthly obligation without setting foot in this purgitory.

johanson

Feb 24, 2005, 4:40 PM

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Re: [Bubba] Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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In the past when I only spoke in English, my experience was much like explained above, However, when I went through the same procedure in December 2004 getting an fm 3 in Seattle, I used my broken Spanish and was treated wonderfully.

I know it was my effort to try to speak Mexican Spanish that made the difference.

Marta R

Feb 24, 2005, 4:53 PM

Post #6 of 20 (2089 views)

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Re: [johanson] Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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Thanks. I'll haul out my best Spanish and keep my fingers crossed!

I was hoping that I could get someone to send me forms in the mail, so that when I show up, I'll have all the paperwork done. Apparently this isn't going to work, unless I can convince some San Franciscan friend to pick stuff up for me.

Hmmmmm, who owes me bigtime?

Marta

julian3345

Feb 25, 2005, 6:24 AM

Post #7 of 20 (2054 views)

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Re: [chrisnmarta] Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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I received my FM-3 and authorized menaje de casa from the San Francisco Consulate last March. This was a 20 minute trip from my home in Oakland and I made that trip three times: once to get the list of their requirements, once to turn in my documents and pay fees and last to pick everything up. I never waited more than 30 minutes to see the official dealing with FM-3 applicants who was very efficient and even smoothed over a little problem with the way I listed my 53 cartons of books on the menaje de casa. I found it to be a completely straight forward experience. I noticed that there was often good metered curb parking near the Consulate...you must get there early as the Consulate does FM-3s ONLY in the morning...but I always took the bus because the intercity bus terminal on Mission at First is only three blocks away from the Consulate. I never even considered phoning... Joan

Marta R

Feb 25, 2005, 8:37 AM

Post #8 of 20 (2029 views)

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Re: [julian3345] Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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Thanks, Joan. I work in downtown Oakland and thought of taking BART over to pick up the papers. Sounds like I can do that during the workweek without losing an entire day.

Marta

Bubba

Feb 25, 2005, 10:42 AM

Post #9 of 20 (2003 views)

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Re: [chrisnmarta] Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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Clearly, Julian does not really exit. Available metered parking near the San Francisco consulate??? An absurd proposition. Anyway, the Chinese get all the parking spaces in San Francisco before the rest of us even get up and they are rarely named Julian.

Brian

Feb 25, 2005, 11:23 AM

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Bubba

Feb 25, 2005, 11:47 AM

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Re: [Brian] Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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A local joke, Brian. Lighten up. I worked in the Bay Area with many Asian colleagues over the years. You should hear their jokes about white people. You would really be offended.

By the way, using a script exotic to a discourse is a gratuitous and low form of argument.

(This post was edited by Bubba on Feb 25, 2005, 12:10 PM)

Brian

Feb 25, 2005, 12:48 PM

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Marta R

Feb 25, 2005, 12:55 PM

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Re: [Brian] Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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I am back from the consulate and, despite dire predictions, I counted half a dozen empty parking spots within half a block. I didn't need them because I took BART instead, but still...

Bubba, a friend of mine said that SF parking places are considered family property and handed down from generation to generation, along with the family silver and the signed daguerreotype of Emperor Norton.

Marta

Uncle Jack

Feb 25, 2005, 1:30 PM

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Re: [chrisnmarta] Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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In San Francisco most parking places are worth far more than the car parked there.

uj

julian3345

Feb 25, 2005, 1:37 PM

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Re: [chrisnmarta] Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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I've wondered on occasion if Bubba isn't channeling Big Daddy without permission of Tennessee Williams, but maybe he's using the cosmic remote to revive Emperor Norton...a master of imperious grand gesture always leavened with good natured horseplay! Joan

Bubba

Feb 25, 2005, 2:00 PM

Post #16 of 20 (1953 views)

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Re: [Brian] Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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Brian:

Read with more care. I said that the script was exotic "...to the discourse...." Nothing is "exotic" except in regard to something else that is, likewise, exotic relative to the first "exotic".

This reminds me of a story. We lived for many years on Taylor Street and Jones which, for those of you unfamiliar with San Francisco, is on the fringes of both North Beach (the bohemian quarter - so to speak) and Chinatown. We, as Brian and his family, spent a lot of time in North Beach's Washington Square and environs and also liked to walk down to Aquatic Park at Fisherman's Wharf to stroll about and admire the beauty of the area.

As it happens, we are a heterosexual couple who never had children except for our canine and feline companions. As it also happens, I was a banker in the financial district of San Francisco back in about 1980 with a large and generally liberal gay and lesbian clientele. One of my customers was the radical gay organization known as ACT UP! They kept their organizational account at my branch. Well, one day, we were strolling in Aquatic Park (a few blocks from Washington Square) when, just as happened with Brian and the Chinese in Washington Square, we found ourselves among the few heterosexual couples in the midst of exotic people - not an uncommon occurence in my adopted home city. Believe me, ACT UP! people were exotic and a lot of fun. We had chanced upon and become surrounded by ACT UP! demonstrators nd found the demonstration entertaining. These people were members of an organization I banked! Certainly we, of all people, were fellow travelers. Well, they lit into us as though we were Martians, spitting out the epithet, "Goddamned Breeders!" and verbally assaulting us because we were paired as man and woman and for that reason alone.

Don't talk to me about stereotyping. No person or group is above that.

(This post was edited by Bubba on Feb 25, 2005, 2:09 PM)

jennifer rose

Feb 25, 2005, 2:05 PM

Post #17 of 20 (1949 views)

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Re: [Bubba] Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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Enough about geography and gender orientation, folks. The topic is Mexico, and let's keep it on topic. Lest I get the urge to delete, you know.

Bubba

Feb 25, 2005, 2:11 PM

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Re: [jennifer rose] Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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Sorry, Jennifer but Brian hurt my feelings. No more.

Uncle Jack

Feb 25, 2005, 2:30 PM

Post #19 of 20 (1936 views)

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Re: [Bubba] Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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Aaaaahhhhh! How about a big hug, BooBoo? In front of the Mexican consulate in S.F, of course.

uj

Marta R

Feb 25, 2005, 4:56 PM

Post #20 of 20 (1918 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] Any experience with San Francisco consulate?

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To steer things closer to the topic, showing up at the Consulate reminded me of something that, in the frustration of voice mail and websites, I had forgotten: I am dealing with a culture where courtliness is still considered a virtue, and kindness to strangers is routine. The gentleman I spoke with not only treated my ragged Spanish with patience, but spoke back to me in clear, understandable Spanish without talking down to me. It was a wonderfully positive experience.

Marta