Some Recent Conversations

I am about to record some conversations I've had in the last week. These are all with people who speak English. I know that as a guest in this country I should not be critical of people's language ability when they go out of their way to communicate to me in my language, and that is not my intent. Rather, I wish to share with people what it is like living here, and all the little daily things that happen that make life stressful in a very different way than stress at home. And for the sake of privacy, I will not use my real last name.

Convo #1
Phone rings at home
Me: Hello?
silence
Me: Hello?
Caller (male): Yes, I'd like the fax number for the petroleum company.
Me: You have the wrong number.
Caller: The fax number please!
Me: This is a house.
Caller: I need to send the fax!!
Me: I am at home. You have the wrong number. This is a house.
Caller: This is a house? Sorry.
Caller hangs up

Convo #2
I am calling an office at the university bus company with a question regarding how to get a bus pass.
Me: Hi, I need to know how to get a bus pass for the Spring semester. I can't seem to register online.
Bus Rep: You need to go online and register.
Me: I tried that, and it won't let me.
Bus Rep: Just go online and complete your schedule.
Me: I can't! I already tried and it only shows me last semester's schedule.
Bus Rep: Oh, you already registered last semester?
Me: Yes.
Bus Rep: You don't have to go online, you just need to go to the Student Services Center and get a receipt that shows you paid, and then go to the transportation office for your new pass.
Me: Where is the Student Services Center?
Bus Rep: It is by Gate 1.
Me: Which gate is Gate 1, is that the one where visitors go?
Bus Rep: I don't know about that, but it is by Gate 1.
Me: Where is Gate 1?! I don't know where that is.
Bus Rep: It's by the Student Services Center.
Me: Thank you, bye.
Commentary: I gave up on this conversation. I was so frustrated. I spent maybe a 1/2 hour trying to follow this lady's directions, when all I needed to do was go to the bus help desk by the gate where the bus drops us off and exchange my old ID for a new one.

Convo #3
I called the mail office to check if a package from my mother-in-law arrived.
Mail Office: Hello.
Me: Hi, my name is Sarah Smith, and I want to check if any packages have arrived for me.
Mail Office: Doris Smith? Just a minute.
Me: No, my name is Sarah.
Some conversation happens off the phone in the mail office.
Mail Office: Mrs. Doris picked up her package.
Me: My name is Sarah Smith, not Doris.
Mail Office: Oh, you're not Mrs. Doris? Just a minute.
Mail Office: Which department?
Me: The ELI.
Mail Office: What?
Me: The ELI - English Language Institute.
Mail Office: Are you a student or professor?
Me: I'm a teaching fellow.
Mail Office: Oh.... well when it arrives we will deliver it to your department.
Me: Okay. Thank you. Bye.
Mail Office: Bye.
He didn't sound like he knows what the ELI is, so I'll keep checking!