... so good they named it twice...
Today has been a very trying day. It started early (but not quite as early as I'd hoped) with the alarm not waking us. It was set for some ungodly hour like 7 - but failed to wake us because the volume was set to virtually nothing.
After a bit of a scramble we set off to find the consulate using excellent directions from Malcolm... a small panic about finding tickets at the subway, and we was on our way. The subway is similar to the underground at home, so I was feeling OK. We changed trains when we should, and we got off at 53rd ... except there are two 53rd stations, and we got off at the wrong one. After walking around a couple blocks, and with panic setting in we called Malcolm. He informed us we had walked the wrong way ... and he would have been right *IF* we'd got off at the right station... except we hadn't so we was actually walking in the right direction, just not far enough yet because I couldn't tell the difference between 53 and 3rd and 53 and Lex... it's a simple mistake no?
After examining the map that Malcolm had drawn too (he's a thorough boy!) I realised what had happened and we made our way to the correct street intersection... only to fail to find the consulate.
Our problem was we were looking for the wrong kinda thing. I was expecting a flag of some sort ... maybe a big union jack... but there was nothing. Getting kinda desperate by now we approached a big building with no visible purpose with the intention of asking where the damn consulate was... and low and behold it WAS the damn consulate building!
After a security check that wouldn't have seemed out of place at an airport we were let in... to join a long arse queue. Things progressed slowly, but by about 11:30 we got to the front of it, and finally got to see someone. Things were looking up, and progressing smoothly and other good stuff until it came for me to prove I had permanent work. The stumbling block was I'd forgotten the letter from my employer. The bottom had suddenly fallen out of my world... but the nice lady behind the counter suggested faxing a copy to them. It was still 4:30 at home, plenty of time to get something faxed, I thought. I rang the HR helpdesk from Misty's mobile.
HR was less than helpful. First they told me to email them, then they told me it would take 48 hours, then they wouldn't answer the bloody phone. I finally got through to a very nice woman, who I'll be mailing chocolates to when I get back, who not only understood my need for this information in a hurry, but was courteous, cheerful, and actually faxed it on time.
We were kicked out of the consulate at about 12:00. We went to meet Malcolm for some lunch. Instead of getting off the train too early, we missed our stop and had to get a train back. We managed to find Malcolm's work place with little problems, and then we found a nice Irish bar with no problems at all! I was passport-less at this time so I feared I'd not be able to get a drink, but they served me a couple (or 3) Guinness' without batting an eyelid.
We returned to the consulate to pick up our passports (with a visa in Misty's hopefully) and for a while it looked like the mornings luck was still with us. Misty had to wait in the "lobby" while I went up to the 10th floor. When I got there they couldn't find either my or Misty's passports. I assured them that we had handed them over that morning, and that I had a receipt. They found the record of us being there, and that I needed to fax them some extra details. I informed them that those details *had* been faxed. Stalemate? She said she'd go look for the fax.
I had a sinking feeling and was contemplating what sort of trouble I'd get into for murdering someone in a consulate, and with which country I'd be tried (does NY execute murderers?) When she came back with news that they'd found the fax, and that it'd take five minutes to complete the paperwork.
Sure enough, five minutes later, I had my sticky mitts on our two passports, and in Misty's is a big pretty visa stuck in the middle.
Can you spell "happy bunnies?"
After a bit of a scramble we set off to find the consulate using excellent directions from Malcolm... a small panic about finding tickets at the subway, and we was on our way. The subway is similar to the underground at home, so I was feeling OK. We changed trains when we should, and we got off at 53rd ... except there are two 53rd stations, and we got off at the wrong one. After walking around a couple blocks, and with panic setting in we called Malcolm. He informed us we had walked the wrong way ... and he would have been right *IF* we'd got off at the right station... except we hadn't so we was actually walking in the right direction, just not far enough yet because I couldn't tell the difference between 53 and 3rd and 53 and Lex... it's a simple mistake no?
After examining the map that Malcolm had drawn too (he's a thorough boy!) I realised what had happened and we made our way to the correct street intersection... only to fail to find the consulate.
Our problem was we were looking for the wrong kinda thing. I was expecting a flag of some sort ... maybe a big union jack... but there was nothing. Getting kinda desperate by now we approached a big building with no visible purpose with the intention of asking where the damn consulate was... and low and behold it WAS the damn consulate building!
After a security check that wouldn't have seemed out of place at an airport we were let in... to join a long arse queue. Things progressed slowly, but by about 11:30 we got to the front of it, and finally got to see someone. Things were looking up, and progressing smoothly and other good stuff until it came for me to prove I had permanent work. The stumbling block was I'd forgotten the letter from my employer. The bottom had suddenly fallen out of my world... but the nice lady behind the counter suggested faxing a copy to them. It was still 4:30 at home, plenty of time to get something faxed, I thought. I rang the HR helpdesk from Misty's mobile.
HR was less than helpful. First they told me to email them, then they told me it would take 48 hours, then they wouldn't answer the bloody phone. I finally got through to a very nice woman, who I'll be mailing chocolates to when I get back, who not only understood my need for this information in a hurry, but was courteous, cheerful, and actually faxed it on time.
We were kicked out of the consulate at about 12:00. We went to meet Malcolm for some lunch. Instead of getting off the train too early, we missed our stop and had to get a train back. We managed to find Malcolm's work place with little problems, and then we found a nice Irish bar with no problems at all! I was passport-less at this time so I feared I'd not be able to get a drink, but they served me a couple (or 3) Guinness' without batting an eyelid.
We returned to the consulate to pick up our passports (with a visa in Misty's hopefully) and for a while it looked like the mornings luck was still with us. Misty had to wait in the "lobby" while I went up to the 10th floor. When I got there they couldn't find either my or Misty's passports. I assured them that we had handed them over that morning, and that I had a receipt. They found the record of us being there, and that I needed to fax them some extra details. I informed them that those details *had* been faxed. Stalemate? She said she'd go look for the fax.
I had a sinking feeling and was contemplating what sort of trouble I'd get into for murdering someone in a consulate, and with which country I'd be tried (does NY execute murderers?) When she came back with news that they'd found the fax, and that it'd take five minutes to complete the paperwork.
Sure enough, five minutes later, I had my sticky mitts on our two passports, and in Misty's is a big pretty visa stuck in the middle.
Can you spell "happy bunnies?"