Talk about backwards!

England should seriously be spelled "D-N-A-L-G-N-E" because everything here is completely backwards. Besides expecting teachers to teach students, but given them tests even if they haven't been taught the material, there are other areas of regular life that demonstrate this backward-ness.

Today, I finally had the opportunity to get a hold of my bank to try to set myself up with telephone banking. (Of course, the office is only available for telephone banking from 9-5...although there are customer service agents available 24/7). I called to tell them I had a question about verifying information for my account, and they said I had to verify who I was first. Okay, so I answered the security questions they asked. The last question they ask is what the password was that I gave them when I originally set up my account in July...that I haven't had to think of since, and was one of 3 passwords I had to make up on the spot as I had just come out of the Visa application centre. I told the nice lady on the phone that I know it can be one of three...but they will only accept my first answer. I gave the answer, only to find out that it was incorrect. NOW WHAT??? Now, they have to send me new forms in the mail to then send it back to them with my new password and I was told, by this individual, not to forget my password - right, like I meant to forget. Anyway, then I asked well how am I now to find out about my web-banking set up...as I was told I had to set up my telephone banking information BEFORE I can set up my web-banking information. She said that I could do that at any time and didn't need to set up telephone banking first. Okay...so I tried to begin that process. Before we could do this, I had to verify my information (AGAIN) and were asked more security questions (which, of course, I passed) and she was satisfied that I was who I said I was. Ummm...then WHY couldn't she accept that I was who I said I was before when I asked about setting up telephone banking????

This same bank, in all their intelligence, sent me some information that I had to send back to them (again for security reasons) and they asked that I verify that I am who I say I am by sending them an original piece of identification with my name and address on it. On the list of possible pieces of identification was listed a BANK STATEMENT. Ummm...so I have to send my bank a the original bank statement to which they JUST mailed to me to prove that I am who I say that I am...sound strange to ANYONE else???

I will write again to give you more information about what happened at school today.

Interesting Story:
(The next installment of the crisps stories)

The spuds picked for this saucy little bag, couldn't resist the lure of meaty ribs sizzling on a Barbie. But before we let them in, we subjected them to an intense ‘grilling’ until they convinced us that nothing on earth could stop them from becoming a packet of Walkers BBQ Rib flavour!