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.

I declare war!

Things aren't easy but I'm tougher. What can I expect? They say we have to choose our own battles, but what if, just what if from the very beginning it has chosen you? So what else can you do? It's either you declare war with it or just escape. Right now, it's kind of hellish as I face these new challenges. I'm far from home, miss all my friends and best buddies, my two pet dogs, my dad and my brother. I wish things were easy but hell not. Damn these trials are breaking me. But I don't know what else to do right now. I can't call it life's joke though because it's not even funny. I can't call it tragedy since we don't know the outcome yet. So tell me what to call it so it will be defined and from there draw some plans? Whatever it is, I declare war!