Thursday, June 18, 2009

My Schengen Visa to France has been approved

Monday, June 15, I went to the French embassy to submit my passport. I brought with me the summary of my insurance policy which was what they wanted from me. The one I have submitted the first time I went there did not contain the complete information they needed. It was a quick processing as it took me just 30 - 45 minutes. I took a bus and I went home directly instead of going to the office as it was 11:30 when I got near Buona Vista. When I arrived at the office, I told my PL what happened.

Wednesday, June 17, I went back to the French embassy to get my visa. I arrived there around 9:20 as I again took a bus. The first time I went there was I rode a cab. I was a bit sweaty because I had to walk 300 meters or more from the bus stop going to the embassy itself. Anyway, I arrived just on time and I got my queue number. The visa section was not crowded and my queue number is one. So when the officer saw me, she then called me and I just gave her my claim slip and then she gave me my passport. There it was, the Schengen visa pasted on a page of my passport. It's validity is 3 months.

Everything just came flowing in my head. There was literally traffic jam in my head. I was like riding the bus and don't exactly know what to feel, how to say it, how to react. I was excited, afraid, a bit numb and clueless. When I arrived home, since same thing, I did not go to the office immediately, I opened the television just to make sense of the world. I then watched the news about the AH1N1 pandemic then this nuclear threat from Korea and this election frenzy in Iran. At that moment, I was a bit relieved.

I went to the office and simply told my PL that the visa is ready and approved. He then prepared some things that I needed for the trip. I also studied some slides and some technical papers.

Actually, I still don't know. The business trip to France is really so big for me. I should be thankful right? And yes I am but, I feel that it's too much. How I wish it were a vacation and I should rejoice it all the more, but it's work. Since I don't know what to really do because aside from the fact that there are other reasons why (real reasons and speculative ones), I decided to go to church yesterday to have enlightenment and guidance from the Great Divine.

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