Two weeks ago, I took part in phase one of renewing my Residence and Work Permit in Spain. The first phase was comprised of filing a request for renewal which I was able to complete in Alcobendas in only 2 hours. Today, I completed the second phase which required me to file paperwork and get fingerprinted. This took me to Aluche in south western Madrid about 45 minutes away from my apartment on the metro. Maybe it was fate, but today was the coldest day so far this year in Madrid, and I waited in line for 3.5 hours outside (and in the shade). By about 1:30pm, I was getting a bit nervous because I was about the third in line to go into the building when it looked like they weren’t going to allow anyone else proceed until after their 2 hour lunch break. That would mean that I would have to wait an additional 2 hours in the cold. Thankfully, I was allowed to enter and was the last person to get fingerprinted before the lunch break.
Now I only have to wait 40 days to return again to Aluche to retrieve my new Residency Card. Yeah!!! This is valid for 2 more years, and then I get to start all over again.
Grave Error 
tonight i saw “In this World” a really good movie on two young Pakistani refugees traveling by land to London. Check it out.