And today I went back to the embassy to turn in the paperwork for my visa. I filled out forms, turned them in, paid a $45 fee, waited an hour for something that took less than two minutes—you know, typical bureaucratic stuff. The so-called interview was just the consulate telling me if I committed any crimes I would be in big trouble. His voice will now echo in my mind in the quiet, contemplative moment before entering the bank I was planning to rob and I won't be able to go through with it.
"Your true traveler finds boredom rather agreeable than painful. It is the symbol of his liberty-his excessive freedom. He accepts his boredom, when it comes, not merely philosophically, but almost with pleasure." - Aldous Huxley
There were two other people there for the same thing as me. One was a woman who was going into her third year teaching in Korea. She said this was the first time she ever had to wait for her visa, and it was because of the new policy of doing an "interview." The other guy was either in a bad mood or was just naturally a real jerk. He was very impatient and rude. I would not want to be one of his students or co-workers. I bet he will not enjoy his time in Korea. I didn't ask where either of them would be living. Wish I had.
So that was that, and tomorrow I have to go back into the city for the third day in a row to pick up my passport and visa. The only complaint I have is that driving in the city sucks, especially during rush hour, which is precisely when I will be there tomorrow. It was bad enough driving there today without traffic. I would take the metro if the walk from the station to the embassy wasn't so long. Little things. Tomorrow I'll decide what would be less of a hassle. Tonight I'm going to relax.
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