Onward and Upward

Tyson is having a great time.  He's relaxed, eating, sleeping happily in his bed.  There's no garden at this house which means the very first thing I have to do is wrap up against the frigid December morning and walk him to the Virgin Mary for a pee.  He doesn't actually pee on the Virgin Mary but he is partial to her shrine a few feet from the house.  She is protected from early morning dogs by her elevation, an enormous collection of battery-operated candles and a metal grille.  Still, I wonder about Divine Retribution as she gazes, beatific, amid clouds of Tyson's crispy morning steam.

Here's a clip of him yesterday.  Not bad for a 12-year old, even if he does seem to be a bit deaf to my masterly commands.

Today I shall begin the journey toward making this new life official.  I have lived in ex-pat communities in Greece, France and now Slovenia, and one thing is typical.  Nobody knows how officialdom works.  Or rather, everyone knows, but all their experiences are different.  To make sense of local rules, one has to go find out for one's self.

There is a vague and mysterious thing here -- a piece of paper that is stamped by some all-powerful official.  Seemingly you need to have it.  Nobody knows what happens if you don't have it.  This Wizard of Oz will ask questions about income and savings, about health insurance and long-term intent.  I imagine the Wizard will also inspect teeth and walk around you slowly while you are naked and vulnerable.  I don't know.  It's a mystery.  But it's a mystery that crops up whenever ex-pats get together and I need to get to the bottom of it or I shall hide in Frank's house, afraid to admit that I want to live here.  Tis time to beard the wizard in his den.

First thing is...get a bank account sorted.  With a bank account I can easily have my illustration money sent directly to Slovenia and not via the US.  It will make renting a place easier too.  To do that I need a tax number.  How do I get one of those?  I'll tell you next time when I've worked it out.  Wish me luck.