http://inthegarlic.com/2010/04/identity-crisis/ your informative, fun guide to Spain Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:11:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 http://inthegarlic.com/2010/04/identity-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-29417 Valerie Fri, 25 Nov 2011 23:13:27 +0000 http://inthegarlic.com/?p=655#comment-29417 Thank goodness it turned out well in the end, Antonella. Sounds like a good idea to carry a birth certificate. Thank goodness it turned out well in the end, Antonella. Sounds like a good idea to carry a birth certificate.

]]> http://inthegarlic.com/2010/04/identity-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-29289 Antonella Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:45:10 +0000 http://inthegarlic.com/?p=655#comment-29289 I had a somewhat horrifying mixup relating to last names at a German airport on layover from New York to Barcelona. I was travelling with my three-year-old daughter only who, in the traditional American style, only has her father´s last name. I kept my maiden name. So here we arrive at the desk and he looks at our passports and doesn´t believe that she is my daughter (even though we look so alike!). He wants to confirm I'm not kidnapping a child across international lines. He leans over the desk and asks her to identify her mommy. Of course she´s only 3 and looks blankly at me. I could have died and cursed myself for not carrying her birth certificate, which I normally do. Meanwhile, I'm stumbling through my wallet to find my daughter's NIE, which I remembered had my name on the back stating the relation as mother. Of course, I was so nervous, I couldn't find it. He finally let us go with a warning to carry better papers. A few steps later I finally find the NIE and ran back, showing it to him to prove she's my daughter - and so what if we have different last names! I had a somewhat horrifying mixup relating to last names at a German airport on layover from New York to Barcelona. I was travelling with my three-year-old daughter only who, in the traditional American style, only has her father´s last name. I kept my maiden name. So here we arrive at the desk and he looks at our passports and doesn´t believe that she is my daughter (even though we look so alike!). He wants to confirm I’m not kidnapping a child across international lines. He leans over the desk and asks her to identify her mommy. Of course she´s only 3 and looks blankly at me. I could have died and cursed myself for not carrying her birth certificate, which I normally do. Meanwhile, I’m stumbling through my wallet to find my daughter’s NIE, which I remembered had my name on the back stating the relation as mother. Of course, I was so nervous, I couldn’t find it. He finally let us go with a warning to carry better papers. A few steps later I finally find the NIE and ran back, showing it to him to prove she’s my daughter – and so what if we have different last names!

]]> http://inthegarlic.com/2010/04/identity-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-254 Valerie Wed, 14 Apr 2010 07:40:59 +0000 http://inthegarlic.com/?p=655#comment-254 Exactly, Jan! Many years ago, a friend of mine got into trouble at Heathrow Airport because she had a British passport with her Spanish husband's surname (sort of Mary González), and a Spanish passport with her official Spanish name which was in fact her Spanish first name and British surnames (Maria Smith Jones) Sounds confusing (it was!) and I can't remember the details, but I don't think she realised that she wasn't obliged to take her husband's name in the UK. Exactly, Jan! Many years ago, a friend of mine got into trouble at Heathrow Airport because she had a British passport with her Spanish husband’s surname (sort of Mary González), and a Spanish passport with her official Spanish name which was in fact her Spanish first name and British surnames (Maria Smith Jones) Sounds confusing (it was!) and I can’t remember the details, but I don’t think she realised that she wasn’t obliged to take her husband’s name in the UK.

]]> http://inthegarlic.com/2010/04/identity-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-253 Jan Wed, 14 Apr 2010 06:11:56 +0000 http://inthegarlic.com/?p=655#comment-253 The spanish way is definitely better than the british. I once horrified a catalan friend by informing her that I was on my third surname! The spanish way is definitely better than the british. I once horrified a catalan friend by informing her that I was on my third surname!

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