A German Office that for once hasn't turned me racist

(from the Archive, November 2008)

Yes, I know some of you like to see me as the negative guy, the complaining guy, the old man, the chip off the old block, and so on, but let me say the amount I am content - HAPPY even - is most of the time. I just hide it well and I admit I complain more when I'm single and nobody except my mother loves me. :p

 Now this last little while has been difficult, as a lot of shit hit the fan at the same time, and I don't deal well with sudden changes. Takes a few days to adjust. It's worse now that I'm single again, and don't have that special someone to give me the hug and kiss that makes me able to take on the whole world at once.

I was dreading the visit to the Foreign Office to get my visa renewed. Dreading it. I've got the basic opinion of German offices, and have had for most of my duration, that it can never be easy, EVER, and one should always be prepared to go back one or two times because for whatever reason what they want was not listed on any reasonable website, infosheet, and so on. So you always go somewhere with a "what is it going to be this time?" attitude, despite behaving like a serf to a king, even though to the best of your knowledge you've got everything you thought you needed.

I actually went last Thursday, when the office opens at 10am, and got there at 10.30am to find myself already 80 places behind the current number getting called. So, being in Germany long enough I know how to blame myself for everything and will take that as my fault. Fine.

So I went back today. The office opens at 7am. I woke up at 5.30am, had an espresso, hopped on my bike and over I went, arriving at 6.20am. There were already 40 people in front of me, waiting for the office to open.

Some old guy comes out, presumably for a smoke break. I think he was just sort of a general "get people to where they need to go" kind of guy working there. Funny, even when some Germans are trying to be helpful, you don't detect a hint of it in the tone of voice. This guy could have been shouting "Leave your luggage on the platform, it will follow you along in the next train." and it would've sounded the same. But yes he was just trying to help people know where they should be once the doors open.

Doors open. I line up to take a number. People start pushing and shoving to get to the number ticket machine. Acting like animals or spoiled children, jumping queues, etc. Some older lady just tried to push herself to the front of the line, I'm like "yo, you gotta wait like the rest of us, who have been here since 6am." and so on. She pushes the button for what would be my ticket, so I box her out, take my ticket, she grumbles, I walk away with a clear conscience. Screw that. We're in the land of Order and Justice, now get the feck in line, mama.

But German offices. They give me clammy hands because I'm nervous they're going to point the dreaded finger of discipline at me for something I inadvertently missed / forget / couldn't find info about. Waiting is a pain.

8am comes around. Number gets called. I hand in my various required paperwork. I even brought extra stuff that wasn't listed on the website, but was in fact - mysteriously - required. (They wanted proof that I have health insurance, which ironically runs out next week but they don't know that because it says on my card - valid until 2012. The card that is, not the insurance.)

Paid my fee, which was half of what I thought ( I guess visa extensions are half-price), came back, still expected something to be wrong, and the guy just said "Here it is, giving you a year to finish your degree, plus a bonus semester if you need it, and after that you'll have to come back with some other paperwork if it's taking you longer." I think he just said that because my Canadian Passport expires the day after my german visa does and that was probably just easier.

But I got it. I walked out of the office like I'd just won the lottery. I felt relief like I hadn't had sex in 6 months. I sang all the way home on my bike, under a nice blue sky, and with a nice cool breeze. I have the rest of the week off, and it's all smooth sailing now. Just have to sort out health insurance. It's a good, albeit delirious day.

Many Greetings!