Paperwork

Sorry all but there are no pretty pictures to look at today. So you'll need to either skip on until next time or actually get that brain working today!

I wanted to say a few quick words about paperwork. Most especially the paperwork that you need to take care of when you visit a foreign country. Well, maybe not visit because I could shlep around here long enough without doing it and not get in too much trouble I think. But since I am looking to stay here longer than my tourist visa I need to dance the "Bureaucratic Boogie." The only thing I can equate this to in the US is doing your taxes.Most people have a hard time with their taxes because it involves math which to most Americans may as well be a second language. It was never too difficult for me, even without paying soomeone else to do themfor me. Mainly I think it is because the government wants to make sure they get every penny they deserve, so they try and make the process as easy as (realistically) possible.

But here, they really don't need me to stay. Yeah, a couple of more US dollars injected into their economy sure as heck isn't going to hurt, but at the same time I'm no nuclear physicist or network software engineer. I really don't have too many skills that are in high demand. And if you really think about it, if they knew how much I talked and how annoying I can get... they probably would have denied me entry even before getting on the plane. But, their loss is America's gain! :-D Ja!

So anywho, I may have rambled about this before but even while I was still preparing in the states I was having an issue with this topic. I had to start getting things in order. First was the passport, fairly easy in and of itself, but it was a process just like any other and required time, money, and filling out forms in triplicate. Then was getting all of my school documents together (diplomas, transcripts, etc). Then my "Letter of Clearance" (your criminal background). Along with these I also had to get a certified copy of my birth certificate. And no bother that I have 3 copies already, this one has to be official which of course means that it has to come from your state of birth and I just so unluckily happened to be born in Hawai'i. Yeah, I'm still waiting on that form.

But then, after all of that these forms are still not complete. These all then need to be certified as official (even the official ones, mind you) for international purposes. Yeah, take them down to the State Attorney General's office and pay to get the Hauge Apostille affixed to them. More time, more money. So yeah, pain in the butt...

But get this... once I got here there were even still more forms that I needed to get! Letter saying that I had no criminal record here, letter of intent from the school that I will be attending, official documentation of where I am staying, and as it turns out, I forgot one form from the US that I need: Federal letter of clearance. Yeah, from the stinking FBI. Turns out that the embassy can help me with this so I'm good there and I don't even need to get that "certified." BUT!  (There's always a "but", or at least some ass in the room...) It turns out that I need to get it translated and the translation needs to be certified!

So, in short... you really better be wanting to move here. Because they are going to do everything they can to get you to leave! But on the bright side... I actually feel much safer here in some respects! Turns out that they are a bit more advanced than the US when it comes to fingerprint technology. Almost every government office here has a digital fingerprint reader! I have been printed numerous times already so you know I'm not going to be trying to steal anything!

Remember kids: Drugs are bad, mm-k?
Jumpn2nsanity