How the move happened

I was able to move on Tuesday after all.

I went to the HR office and camped out until I could see the guy in charge of moving us. I said, “Everything I own in this country is in boxes. I cannot cancel my classes tomorrow.” He suggested I go to Saniya (the laborers’ section of town) and find workers to move me. He said I need to get workers who have letterhead and the university will reimburse up to $80.

Umm, yeah. Let me put this in perspective: Imagine you were told to go to the heart of Mexico City to recruit workers… and if you want reimbursed the workers have to come with a company letterhead.

I laughed. (This is the same guy who used Lehman Brothers as an excuse earlier.) I’m not sure if he realized, “Oh, white American who only speaks English probably won’t be successful” or if he realized I was simply not leaving his office until I got moved.

Either way he called somebody I’ll call “gigalo” on account of the Rico Suave glasses and clothes. Gigalo was ordered to go to head to Saniya and recruit for me.

An hour later Gigalo arrived at my old apartment with two laborers and a truck (with a useless, piece-of-shit driver). He saw all of my stuff and he went ballistic. He’d been told all I had was a few boxes and a bed. “No stove, no refrigerator, no couches!” he said. He called the HR guy and let him have it for twenty minutes. The two laborers and I stared each other like seventh graders at our first dance.

At the end of the call Gigalo ordered the workers to move my stuff. Gigalo headed back to Saniya to pick up more guys. As a gigalo promising cash I’m sure he had no trouble picking up two more guys.