Bureaucrats

I had to apply for a Social Insurance Number today -- the Canadian equivalent of a Social Security Number. It was incredibly easy. I filled out the one page form at home, drove to the office downtown, and was in and out of there in 20 minutes, tops.

Zoë and I walked from there to the ferry terminal and took the ferry to Halifax, where we wandered around the harbor boardwalk for a while, then hopped back on the ferry and headed home. Nice ferry ride. The harbor was smooth, and the ride was calm and short. Zoë made friends with a girl from Argentina, whose family is also here for two years.

Then we went to the library. I took our cable bill as proof of address. They wouldn't accept it, because it's in Rob's name. They refused to give me a library card. Back home. Zoë really, really wanted to go to the library, so I took my passport, my work permit, and the form from the SIN office with my address on it. They accepted THAT, and gave me a card. But they wouldn't give Zoë her own library card without a birth certificate to prove her identity. Seriously? That's pretty hard-assed there, library ladies! We never had to show her ID to get a card back home. Don't they want to encourage kids to use the library? Making a seven year old show ID to get a library card? What will she have to show as proof of address? Sheesh, I say. It was easier getting her into the country.