Yesterday I went to get my Visa trip #4 at 10:45am and was asked to come back tomorrow (a Friday). I said..in French :-) I came last Friday and was told no visas on Fridays. She said tomorrow there will be visas come back at and then held up a paper that said 8:30.

SO I went home and worked on my paper ALLLL day long (For those of you who think that because I am in Paris and am completing an MBA in a year, that this is a joke...I have a 12 page paper due every 10 days-- that paper will be 75% of my grade for that class).

I have just started laughing now at the "no" guy because the situation is just completely ridiculous. I CANNOT wait for someone to visit so they can hear what I am talking about. He is always home...and I hear his "no"-ing at least 6 times a day (and thats just when I'm here). I want to know what this joker and his dog look like!

I am afraid I am getting off topic-- I get up this morning make my way over to the Visa office, that I no longer need a map to find and have almost completed a book I've read exclusively while on the metro to the visa office. The man lets me in the door! I am behind the magical cubical that blocks my way into the entrance. I am finally next in line, I have all my documents ready when she informs me I need to go retake my picture because there is a bobby pin pulling my hair back (you know, where my bangs are growing out on the side). RIDICULOUS. I take the FLIPPIIN picture (that I have to pay for again), but am magically sent onto stage 2 where I fill out a crazy paper (which takes 30 min, with my electronic translator, my writing the equivalent of a down-syndrome 6 year old) and the lady says all of this stuff to me. I sit there and she says-- "Alor....Avior" which means "okkkk.....bye...". I asked about the medical exam and she re-repeated slowly for me what I had missing "they would send me my medical appointment in the mail and take these papers with you, then you will be issued your visa". I swear not knowing the language would be hysterical if i had someone here to laugh with me, so instead I just feel very (insert euphemism). SO THAT WAS THE HARD PART OF THE VISA THING. I am told that after this its a breeze, if you don't mind tons of random people looking at you naked, which literally is what the medical exam is.