Online banking?

For some weeks now, I have been a kept woman. I have had access neither car nor bank account. If I want money, I have to ask John for it. If I want to go somewhere, I have to rely on public transportation or wait for a ride from my fearless leader. It has been, as you all can imagine, an exercise in horror.

I don't mind public transportation (well, except city busses...hate them.) But the idea that I do not have unlimited access to money while I am in Southeast Asia living the Life of Riley really cramps my style. I had to wait for my green card - which I got - but then we had to have a Saturday free where we could take care of signature cards and stuff in this backward society where a woman has a pretty hard time opening a checking account without her man.

Happily we did this last Saturday. The woman who assisted us (?! - I wondered if she has a checking account...) was lovely, very helpful and earnest, and at then end of the process asked if we wanted access to online banking. We both had the Bank of America online experience in mind when we agreed. Here is how online banking works in Singapore. And, while I do admit to a certain proclivity for exaggerating things, this is all true. Which is the very best part about it...

First, you go to the ATM machine to sign up and choose a PIN number. Then you come back into the bank, where your trusty bank representative disappears for roughly 5 to 45 minutes while she consults with a bank manager to approve your transaction. You are then ceremoniously presented with a little keychain sized thingy with a new PIN on it. This is a one-hit wonder. You need a new PIN every time you access your account. This new number will be randomly assigned and will show up on the LED of this keychain thingy. And...and I must say this is my favorite part of the process...the only way to bank online is from an ATM machine or inside the bank. It's a security measure.

So. The keychain is safely ensconced in John's sock drawer where it will stay for the duration of our time here. We cannot imagine who cooked up this system and why they think it is convenient. We did laugh about it more than once over the course of the weekend, so I guess we should be grateful for the comic relief it supplied....