Last Names

Like many Latin American countries people use their father's last name as their middle name and their mother's last name as their last name.   I think that formally you are called by your father's last name but it really does get confusing.  So I should be Sarah Bennett Kitey not Sarah Bennett Nerenberg.  Renee should be Renee Nerenberg Bennett. etc.  Somebody at the Estadio needed to look me up on the computer and they couldn't find me until they looked under Sarah Bennett.  I haven't used that name in a while!  I was told to just stick with the name on my passport for anything official. When we first arrived we all had to get identity cards and numbers.  I don't have a scanner but here is the copy of somebody else's from the the web:

Thank you Marcia

The RUN (or RUT as they more frequently call it) is used much more often than our Social Security number.  You need it to sign a credit card receipt, to go to the Dr., to sign up really for anything.  We also needed it to leave the country when we went to Buenos Aires.  I didn't know that and thought that our US passports were enough so I didn't bring the kids' cards.  After spending some time panicking at the International Police office at the airport we got through but I now carry the kids' cards with me everywhere just in case.

I have a new appreciation for women who choose not to change their maiden names.  The Mom's at school all have to sign their names Sarah Bennett (Mama de Elisa) because nobody knows who belongs to who!  I guess that the hyphenated last names in the States would make it easier.  Meanwhile there is no chance that my original middle name (Julia) will pop up anywhere.