Friday, August 22, 2008

Visa Fun-ness

So today I got my student visa. 

I was super nervous when I got to the embassy because it is quite impossing. First they take your drivers license and replace it with a little badge that says "visa", and then send you on your way. After going through the wrong door I finally found where I was supposed to be. There I sat abd waited. And waited. And then finally I was called and I went to the window where I then found out that I was missing a paper. Awesome. So I had to go to another office in the building (which is huge) and they printed the paper for me. I got back and the rest of the paperwork went on without a hitch. 

I sat back down feeling kind of stupid, but only until I saw that everyone else who applied for a student visa didn't have it either, and they too had to go have it printed off. I then had to wait for them to process it. So I waited. And waited for what seemed to be about an hour. During that time this girl went up to the window and started asking the man some questions (by the way everything said was heard throughout the entire room). The girl starts off by explaining about her boyfriend who lived in France and how they wanted to be together, but she had to work, etc, etc. By this time it became apparent to the inhabitant of the room that she was kind of an airhead. She ended up asking if there was a way that they could get out of one of the technicalities for a work visa, but no, there was not. She thought a second and then replied "well what if I marry him over there, then can I work?" You could kind of tell that the whole room was kind of shocked. It was like she hadn't even asked the poor guy.. who knows how long they'd even been together! The man at the desk was quite amused by her and finally gave her some advice and sent her on her way.

My passport was done a little while later, and I now have a student visa. Hurray! Oh yes, and my flight leaves the 7th of September! Yay!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

One plane ride closer.

I am still amused at how uncomfortable planes really are. My night was cut in half last night flying from Portland to Baltimore via Atlanta. But it could be worse, we could still have to travel everywhere slowly by train or car. Anyway, I said goodbye to my old home yesterday and had a little bit of sorrow in realizing that I can no longer go back (well you know what I mean.) 

As far as going to France, things are lining up nicely. My appointment to apply for my visa is tomorrow morning, so barring any unforseen catastrophies, I should be getting my visa in a week and a half. Yay!

More to come when things finally start happening!