Ok so obviously if anyone wanted almost immediate updates on my life, this wouldn’t be the place to check… it would be Facebook… so some people already know what happened... if you already know, no need to bore yourself with the same ol story...
So it was a hot minute ago that I went to the immigration office to inquire about what I needed for my application. I was helped by a guy who was really nice and apologetic that he wasn’t able to communicate with me in English, so that day I walked away with a list of things I needed (you can see the list in the last post)
So I get my mom’s ID and go to the hospital to get my health check (turns out I was missing a Mumps, Measles, and Rubella vaccine so I had to get one of those too… and boy did that shiz hurt! I wait 8 days for the results… you’ve got a healthy baby girl yall… everything checked out, had everything I needed and didn’t have the ickies, so I was ready to turn in my application. Woo yay!
I head over to the immigration office and was helped by the Wicked Witch’s more evil step sister who was still bitter from jipped in the family will… she took my application and the list and made sure everything was there… then like a rogue sniper honing in on his target…. She sees my birthday and accusingly half-yells, ‘You’re not 20’
[mind you this entire time she’s speaking in Chinese and when I try to explain to her I’m only getting half of what she’s saying, she doesn’t care and continues on…]
So I’m on a quick path to if you don’t calm the eff down I might involuntarily reach across this desk and slap you but I reign it in and tell her, ‘No I’m 25’
Very curtly she tells me I have the wrong list, promptly gets up and leaves, she comes back with a sheet of paper, circles (what I’m guessing is the section of required items I need) slaps the paper in front of me and tells me to leave and not come back till I have everything on the list. (She didn’t even try to explain the list in Chinese)
Stunned I grab the list and my things and leave… it wasn’t until I sat down at the bus stop that I even realized I was crying. (felt a bit bad for the lady sitting next to me… I think I freaked her out)
I was angry and upset and just a bunch of things… I felt like someone told me I wasn’t wanted here and I couldn’t go home either… it’s probably one of the worst feelings I’ve ever had. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place…
2 weeks ago was 中秋節 (Mid-Autumn Festival… it’s the festival where you eat calorie packed moon cakes and yummy delicious pomelos… they’re shaped like a giant pear have the husk of a grapefruit but the meat itself is sweet) I spent a lovely evening with my family and got to hang out with my cousin and his very pregnant, very cute wife (they say they’re going to have a girl) and you better believe that she’s going to be SO spoiled.
Well, I had brought the list with me to have my uncle explain what I needed. It turns out I had everything on the list except a letter of clearance from the Police department AND I didn’t even need my mom’s ID (so I’m sorry Mommy for making you send it all the way here). Oh, for those of you who don’t know what a letter of clearance is it’s just an official document that sates that during my time here in Taiwan, I’ve had no felonies, misdemeanors, or arrests. (Yup that’s pretty much it, I had to get one from Alameda county before I moved here too… but we all know I’ve got a clean record… I’m a good girl)
So after dinner we tried to hit up the precinct closest to Grandma’s house. (Since my permanent address is in Badu my letter of clearance has to come from Keelung county) but when we asked if we were able to get it there… they said we’d have to go the police headquarters in Keelung City during weekday office hours. My cousin was willing to take me later in the week to get it.
So couple days later we’re in Keelung at the police headquarters trying to get my letter of clearance but it wouldn’t be ready till the next day so I’d have to come back to pick it up, which wouldn’t have been a problem but my cousin was smart enough to ask if they can mail it, and so that was our plan of attack. I just got word from my cousin’s wife yesterday that it just arrived at the office and I can pick it up any time.
YOU GUYS you know what that means?!?!? That’s the last thing I need for my application (well that and 600 NTDollars) once I turn that in I can get my Taiwan ID and once I have my Taiwan ID I can reapply for my Taiwan passport!!!
Oh how I wish I can tell you that the day I get my Taiwan passport I’ll also be buying a plane ticket home but that’s something I just can’t say right now… I’ll explain it a little later in the post… I think I need some happy subject to switch it up… you should also probably take a break… walk around… have some fruit, stretch a little… I know it’s a lot to take it all at once.
I told my dad what happened with the lady at the immigration office and of course his words make total sense... he's always said,
"Alicia, you're always going to run into rude people no matter where you are. Someone will always come along to ruin your day. It's just up to you on how you handle it...
but that lady was just bein a bitch!"
I love my dad so much, only he'd say shit like that, and it seriously was the only thing that made me feel better about the situation.
I know I'll always come across people like that, people won't always be kind or helpful or understanding... but I will always be me. So that means being kind and helpful and understanding... (or at least I try to be)
as for what other people so... it will only affect me as much as I let it...
(I've written more but I think I should break it down into separate posts for the sake and health of your eyeballs)
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