AM+DG

I defined today as the day that would almost completely determine my future. Today is the day I had visa interview. Getting approved means I get to (finally) leave, otherwise, I stay here again for an indefinite time.

The day started very early. At 3am, only an hour after I went to sleep. I fixed myself, I photocopied the remaining documents that needed to be photocopied, I took a shower, got dressed, and left. It was at 4am. The instructions said, be there an hour before your interview, which means at 620, or 630 for a 10-minute grace period. I got to the embassy at exactly 630. The sun was already almost up, the surroundings already clearly visible. I imagined it to be still dark, as in 5am dark. Heck. Anyway, apparently, many people were already there by the time I got out of the car. Mom was with me; I didn't have an idea what she'll be doing for the next 3-4 hours just waiting outside. She didn't have to go with me.

I fell in line, along with other NIV applicants. The line moved fast, with several people assigned to check on the documents (app forms) of the people. Subsequently, we were asked to proceed to gate 3 to leave the extra stuff, of which I didn't have any. We went out, then going to a certain Window B for our passports, app forms, and I-20 ( for students) to be taken. While in line, i thought I saw someone familiar. She was from the Ateneo, I know. She was just 3 numbers ahead of me. After her documents were checked, with the passport, forms and I-20 left to the person, she came up to me and asked, "Are you also from Ateneo?" She read my mind. We knew each other by face. I nodded at her and asked, "So you're also studying? Where at?" "Columbia," she said. I thought Columbia Uni, but it was Columbia Union College in Maryland. What got me wow-ing was her course, Medicine. Ain't it nice? Then it was her turn to ask the same. I said Georgetown and that it was only for a short course. Afterwards, she had to leave for 'Step 2', heading for the Pavillion.

Minutes after, we met again. And chatted and chatted and chatted. The five of us on the row were all applying for F1, the student visa. They were calling people by numbers, in sets of 5. She got called after a while and I thought I was following soon. We were again just 2 numbers apart. But hell, it took about an hour before my batch was called to move to Step 3, fingerprint scanning. In that step, I 'met' 3 students- 2 were UPLB undergards going to MSU (I didn't bother asking what MSU was, lest that I appear stupid. I simply safely assumed it was Michigan State Uni) as exhange students and 1 was a girl who's just beginning college, in Las Vegas. Viva!

Then it was my turn to scan. If only I wasn't in the US Embassy, I would've bitched out to the lady who kept doing the same, telling bitchily, "Iurong mo nga yang finger mo. Urong pa! Iurong mo pa nga e!" The guts! She was like that to most people. I guess it's because... matanda na kasi. After the scanning, we were down to last (or second to the last, rather) step. The interview. By the way, the schedule said 7:20 and we got to the interview room 8:30 or 8:45. The wait was just dreadful. People applying for student visa had the same consul. And the first 4 or 5 I saw leaving after I entered the room to wait for my turn, got turned down. They had their passports with them as they walked outside the building. DREADFUL. According to the website and other sources, interview usually last for 2-5 minutes. 5 minutes was the maximum. BUT. In our beloved consul's case, it was taking him 10-15 minutes per, which means that while the other windows have had 2 or 3 people come and go, he was still talking (or grilling!) the same person called 10 minutes ago. We could only take that to mean that he was TOUGH, i.e., we were DEAD. I started feeling a tad better after seeing that from numbers 2205 or 6 up to 2210 (the batchmate I met outside) all got approved. I didn't intend to look at fellow Atenean's result. She holds a yellow slip, she's in. Otherwise, you know what that means. But I saw she got it. Then came 11 then 12 then it was 2213. 13. My number. Finally, the long wait was over. 2 hours of waiting and it was finally my turn on the hot seat. So I approached the window.

Me: Hi! Good morning!
Consul: So you're studying in Georgetown in Washington D.C.
Me: Yes.
C: This is for a Bachelor's Degree?
Me: No, it's only a short course.
C: On what?
Me: General Studies- Politics and Economics.
(Looks at my I-20)
C: So what do you get out of it?
Me: Credits from Georgetown and the experience to be independent for at least a couple of months.
C: Other than for personal development, why else are you applying?
Me (my worst answer during the whole interview): Actually it's for knowledge enhancement and also it would... help out... my resume. (What?!?! --Yes, I thought of this immediately after I said what I said.) At least it could somehow boost my (I forgot what I said here. But I think I said, APPLICATION.)
The consul didn't seem to mind what I said. I thought though I was doomed.
C: So you'll be paying through personal funds. Who will be paying for it?
Me: My parents.
C: What do you parents do?
Me: We own a hardware store in the province. Would you like to see some [bank] certifications?
C: Yes, please.
[skip skip skip- unimportant part, money matters.]
C: You're still an undergraduate, right?
Me: Actually, I just recently graduated.
C: What do you do at the moment?
Me: I work for our family business. I'm currently the Accounts Officer.
C: How much do you earn?
Me: AB,000.
C: A-B or B-0?
Me: A-B.
C: So you'll be paying $XXXX which is like XXXXXX in peso only for the credits? Don't you have any plans which would make the program relevant and the huge payment worth it? (not his exact words.)
Me: Well, actually, at the moment, I am trying to figure out whether to pursue an MBA or go to law school in the future and I think this program would serve as a good testing ground for that.
The consul nodded.
C: Is the school aware that you already graduated? It says here [looks at the acceptance letter]
that it is only for undergraduates.
Me: Yes. Actually Sir, I clarified it with them and asked if I could still apply, and they said yes. So I did.
Wrote something on my I-20 (or was it 156?), gave the yellow slip, retained my passport et al. and said:
C: Okay, so go to Delbros to pay for the shipping fee and we'll just have your passport delivered together with your visa.

HEAVEN. You weren't an ass, I was right. Maybe the ones who got denied really just didn't have stuff to back up their reasons. The consul looked nice and was nice. He even joked about the passbook having both English and Chinese characters on it, but not Tagalog. (To which I replied, 'I know! Hahaha.')

Almost the whole time I was waiting, I was just saying to myself and praying, for the greater glory of God.

God works in mysterious ways. ;)