Passport Renewal Overseas

3 words that struck fear into me from the moment I realized I was going to have to figure it out, in this, of all places.  I've tried to find the Canadian embassy once before.  I know where the US Embass is, this huge building near one of my favourite arts centres that is sevear stories high and constantly surrounded by Korean and American soldiers who are armed to the hilt.  My first problem in looking for our embassy was having that image in my head, and the second was not using google maps (JEEZ I *love* google maps!!!). 

I've known since September that I was going to have to renew my passport if I wanted to do any travelling on my way out of the country.  I have avoided it mostly because at the same time I thought (a) it was going to be super easy, not a big deal, and I'd just do it when I was closer to leaving, and (b) I was positive it was going to take for-freakin'-ever and be a giant hassle so I just avoided it.

In the spirit of getting it all done, Monday night I went down to the department store Kodak counter and got my photo taken for my passport.  I LOVE that I can get my pictures done here because no Korean worth his salt believes in leaving ANY photo unedited, so they do their best to make you look like a model - oh it's for your passport?  No problem!  No problem! 

This is the picture he slipped in with the rest:

Yah, that's right... I love Korea, hahahaha...

Now, where was I...

Realizing only now that there are visas I need before my trip, and that said visas have to go INTO my passport that expires in exactly 6 months from my date of departure from Korea (which means some countries won't let me in, for fear that I'll be countryless in an airport somewhere when it expires?), I dragged my butt down to the Embassy offices today to get it all sorted out. 

I found it all quite easily (I said, I love google maps and the way they even tell me which buses to catch!).  In typical government fashion it took 4 hours, when it could have taken 20 minutes.  I arrived at 830 and didn't leave until 12:30.  With minimal grumbling (hey, I had my fabulous e-reader with me, I just hung my legs over the side of my armchair and waited - might patient of me, wouldn't you say?? 

Around 8:45 I had gone in to the interview room and given over my first set of forms, only to be given another set that wasn't available online and told to go back out to the waiting room and fill it out.  I did, went up to the service counter with my number to let her know that I had finished and needed to go back into the little room again.  "Ok, you're all finished with the forms right?  Ok, yes Miss, I put your number back in the system, please have a seat until they call you again."  I assumed, being my embassy and all, that everyone had a good command of English and I didn't need to use my usual combination of Konglish and charades to make sure I had been understood. 

To assume is to make an ASS out of U and ME... right...

After nearly 90 minutes of just sitting there, nearing the end of my book and noticing that several people have come in and finished in the same time I was about to close my book and go check in on what was happening when they called me to the front counter again.  "Miss, did you complete your forms?" 

Me - Straight-faced "are you f'n kidding me - did I complete my forms?" expression on my face complete with an attitude that was threatening to leak through her protective cover and SHAKE her violently where she sat.... silent and approaching furious.

She - Blinking at me, head cocked to the side and perfectly manicured then painted-on eyebrows raised, chastising look on her face wondering exactly what kind of slow I must be to not have finished everything yet. 

Me - composing myself, taking in and holding a very deep breath and counting to 10 slowly, just blinking at the woman behind the bullet-proof glass before I decided it was safe to open my mouth to remind her that this was not the first time we were talking about my FINISHED paperwork. 

She - "What miss?"  The realization slowly coming onto her face (which turned to shocked look of embarassment in the next 8 seconds) that I had told her OVER AN HOUR BEFORE that I was done...

I went and sat back down again while the other waiting folks shooke their heads and tsk tsked at me in sympathy.  Good thing I like my book, and I was playing hookey being there. 

10 minutes later I was back in the interview room (the staffer had called the front desk wondering if I had left or was ever coming back again with my second set of forms), I handed in the rest of the paperwork my pictures, my $200FreakingDollars, and said goodbye to the very nice security man that didn't end up having to restrain me (yay!).  I can start calling in 2 weeks to pick it up so that I just might have enough time to get the appropriate visas before I leave (including a two-week extension on my current working visa for Korea!).

Sigh of relief.

By 12:30 I was too late to make it back to school for my 1 o'clock kindergarten wrap up so I wandered around in the sunshine in Seoul and picked up a couple of things for my upcoming adventure.  It was a beautiful afternoon, sunny, warm enough to have my jacket open, and I could have whistled I was so content to be out enjoying the day.  I got myself a coffee and meandered back in the direction of the bus, arriving back just in time for afternoon classes. 

Nice way to end the week before Year of the Rabbit vacation time... very nice!!

(Friday I'm wandering into the old part of town to see what fun I can find for what is probably my last Lunar New Year in Korea... I won't say last LNY in Asia, because you never know what the future holds, but probably my last for Korea... so stay tuned!!)