More on Bureaucracy

September 16.  In what can only not be described as a stark contrast to my situation to date, I remain an officially nonexistent person. In the Netherlands, that is. I'm pretty sure some official evidence of my existence on the planet continues to be available in the U.S.

My last episode with the bureaucracy, during which we had the honor of shelling out 830.00 euros to apply for my permanent residency status, went very smoothly. We talked to the woman at Desk 7, who was not only pleasant, competent, and efficient, but who also clearly possessed a sense of humor (I predict she's not gonna last long in that job). By sense of humor, I mean she, unlike some people, could appreciate our sense of humor. As she remarked, they don't usually have people laughing at the immigration office while they're paying that ridiculous sum of money. And, just to make me feel better about the whole thing, she pointed out that my fee for the process included the addition of two nifty stamps to my passport alerting the world to my I'm-a-resident-in-the-Netherlands-even-if-it-isn't-permanent-yet status. When I remarked on how pretty and colorful the first stamp (sticker, really) was, she informed me that my second stamp would be even cooler, being actually an embossed insignia that would even show through on the back side of the page! We all smilingly agreed that, attractive as these fine additions to my passport indeed were, they were some expensive damn stamps. I tell you, they just don't make civil servants like that, as a rule. I bet she's gone within six months.  

Yesterday I received the immigration ministry's standard letter about how my application has been received and might even be looked at some day. This letter just happened to include the little tidbit of trivia that the immigration law is expected (I am not making this up - "het is de verwachting") to change (in some undisclosed manner) on January 1, 2011, and that the changes in the law, "which may affect you," will apply to anyone who entered the country after July 1, 2010. Now I ask you, in what civilized, democratic country would it make sense to have people enter a country under one set of rules, but subsequently change the rules and then have the new rules apply retrospectively??? That kind of idiocy just makes me crazy. It oughta be unconstitutional.

And, while I'm lambasting the bureaucracy again, let me just add, for the record, this question: What kind of immigration office uses words like "bedrijfshulpverleningsorganisatie," (33 letters; count 'em if you don't believe me, folks)  in an information document intended for anyone who walks into the building, most of whom are, um, NOT Dutch? Not a space, comma, or hyphen anywhere to be seen; no, just "bedrijfshulpverleningsorganisatie." Takes up half the bloody line of text. I ask you!! Heaven help anyone with dyslexia in this country!