Getting the plates, part 1

I spent all of Thursday morning walking around town trying to figure out how to get plates for the car. The guy at the insurance office told me that this was what I was supposed to do next and told me approximately where to go on the other side of town. When I get to the building where they have license plates advertised, and walk in, there is a film crew set up with a camera on a tripod pointed at the woman at the front counter. All the plate making equipment is in view behind the counter and a woman is in front of me in the line. They film her handing over the paperwork and asking for the plates and the woman behind the counter makes the plates right there. There are metal blocks and the metal blank that she put in a press to form the numbers, then she runs it through a machine that paints it, puts stickers on it and goes from a blank sheet of metal to a finished license plate in minutes. The woman ordering the plates had two children with her that were quiet in the back of the room out of camera view. At one point one of the kids runs up to her and tries to pull himself up on the counter to see whats going on. I have the feeling it messed up what the people filming wanted. After she is done the person next to the camera is saying something to me; I have no idea what; it was too fast and unfamiliar for me to follow. So anyway they are all looking at me expectantly so I step up to the counter and give my best shot, handing over the form and saying "Ich habe das fuer ein Auto Schild" (I have this/that for a car plate). She looks slightly confused and rattles off a long polite sounding sentence that I can't make sense of so I reluctanly say "Entschuldigung, sprechen Sie Englisch" (excuse me, do you speak english)? She rolls her eyes and has to ask the people with the camera how to say "registration office" in English, at which point they let out a sigh; I think I didn't work out for them either. Anyway, apparently first I have to get another piece of paper from the car registration office before I get the plates, and she tells me it is in the next building down the road.

I find the building, walk in, and right in front of the front door is a booth with a sign over it that says "information." I walk up and hand the man sitting there my papers for the car from the insurance guy. I cut straight to the point and tell him "Ich spreche Englisch." He doesn't speak any english, but there is a problem with the paperwork. He points to a checkbox that is blank and a checkbox that is checked on the form. "Das ist falsch ... problem ..." and so on. Apparently the check boxes need to be interchanged. I point to his pen and mime scribbling out one and checking the other. He understands and seems very unhappy with this prospect and tells me I have to get another form. Just to be clear I point to the name of the insurance company on the letterhead and ask "Ich gehe zu" (I go to). "Genau" (exactly) he says.

So I walk back to the insurance office on the other side of town. I think it was at this point when it started raining. Anyway, I get there, ring the bell, he lets me in, and I explain what happened. He looks confused, looks at my paperwork again, and says that there is nothing wrong with it and that the correct checkboxes are checked. ... more later.