"Your Visa is Expired"

First, I have finally learned to put my contacts in without using a mirror!  Yeah, like five years after getting contacts.

Now, onto my Visa adventures...

My supervisor and I had been speaking about my visa since my arrival in the Philippines (because you're allowed a maximum of 59 days and I'm here for 85 days).  Previous interns just sent their passport through an agency for renewal--so we figured I could do that too.  We noted that my visa expired on July 26th, so my host asked me to remind her about it after she returned from Rwanda the first week of July.  Well.  That I did.  We started hunting for agencies, but apparently, after asking about 3 agencies, we found that they do not offer those services anymore.  So my supervisor and I began planning our trip to Manila to the Bureau of Immigration.  Then my host couldn't come with me anymore and asked me to ask my translator to accompany me.  My translator and I prepared for our trip to Manila.  She had not made this trip before either, so both of us knew absolutely nothing (except, well, she knew the language).  "Take the LRT bus all the way to the end and then take a jeep to Pier and get off in front of the post office.  The post office is really big and American looking.  You can't miss it.   And then the immigration office is green and it's next to the post office and there's a starbucks there" "If it rains, take the train."  "The train?"  "The MRT train to central station and then walk."  "Okay..."  "Actually, just take the train."  "Even if it's not raining?"  "Yes, take the train."  "Jessica, you're not allowed to talk, it's dangerous and people may try to cause trouble if they know you're a foreigner"  [And then we forgot to ask directions for how to come home....]. 

Day before going to Manila:
I'm sitting in a coffee shop writing papers and my host calls and says, "I was doing my quiet time and the Lord really prodded me to call the Immigration office and it's a good thing because I found out that there are a list of things you need to have with you when you go to the office"  So, I worked a couple more hours, walked home, got my papers, and walked back out to meet my translator in the same coffee shop...she and I went to take passport pictures (which had to have the proper shade of blue background and be the right size and I had to be wearing a collared shirt and I couldn't smile with my teeth and I had to take off my earrings) and photo copy my visa/passport and exchange money (I needed 3,500 pesos - almost $100) and buy an umbrella (mine broke).  After much wandering around town, we parted ways...both praying about our trip...  My host mother said over dinner, "Perhaps if you are lucky and finished early you and Kaygee can do some shopping."  Good idea!  I'll bring some extra money.  

Manila day:
Woke up at 4:45am  My host parents drove me to meet up with my translator and then took the both of us to the bus stop by 5:20am.  My host mother said to me, "Before Pastor Benjie woke me up I had been dreaming that you and me were walking to meet Kaygee (my translator) and then suddenly the sky became dark and I said, 'Jessica!  We need to hurry!  There's a brownout!'"  hahaha the sky ran out of power!  Anyway, she kissed us both goodbye and wished us well.  We waited for the correct bus to come by (there are a number of buses that stop at this stop) and got on.  Things went smoothly.  The bus was freezing...so it was good that it was really full and I was squished between people who kept me warm.  When we got off the bus, we walked to the train station (think subway, but not underground....so like the L in Chicago).  We bought our tickets to Central Station.  Missed the first two trains because it was rush hour and we didn't push hard enough.  Not a big problem seeing as it was only 7:30 and we didn't need to be at the office until 8 and it's only a 5min walk from the station.  We got on the third train, got off at Central Station and then realized that we didn't know which direction to walk, but it was only 7:50.  There were no uniformed people for us to ask directions from so we just started walking.  We were supposed to walk to the left, which we did, but instead of continuing left, we started to turn (following the road)...we ended up walking in a big circle.  We thought, "Well, let's head toward the big buildings!"  And remember, I wasn't allowed to talk.  We walked forward toward City Hall--figuring the big post office would be close to City Hall.  As we walked, we saw a big building, "That must be the post office!" we thought.  We walked and walked and then found that we had to cross the street (which has all these gates and fences, etc so it's complicated to cross).  We finally saw a security guard, so we asked "How do we get to that building?"  He told us to walk back the way we came and to go through the underpass to cross the road.  We thanked him and headed back.  We crossed the underpass...but then what?  Well, let's just walk toward the building then!  We get to the building...turns out...it's a history museum!  Ahh!  Where are we going?  This is NOT a 5 minute walk!  But the police man pointed this direction...  We kept walking forward toward another big building.  (Also not the post office).  Finally, a couple blocks later, we found another police man.  We asked, "Where is the post office?" and he pointed the direction we had came!  So then we got smart and asked, "Where is the Bureau of Immigration?" and he pointed straight in front of us.  Relieved, we thanked him and continued on our way.  By this point we didn't trust our own sense of direction so we stopped every guard we saw (probably 6 total) and asked where the Immigration office was.  Sometimes they gave us mixed signals - "Straight to the Cathedral then turn left" "Straight passed the Cathedral then turn right"  Hm.  We kept walking.  Passed the Cathedral.  Saw a Starbucks!!  Saw a green building next to it!  Oh JOY!  "Bureau of Immigration"!!!  We headed in right away (it was 8:30)...still wondering where in the world this giant-hard-to-miss post office was.

When I walked in, they had me show them my passport and visa stamp.  The man said "You have an overstay fine" and I'm thinking "What?"  I look at my Visa stamp (the one that marks my entry into the country) and the date on there says 6/5/2010 - ...what's that date supposed to mean?  I couldn't have only been allowed to stay until June... I had never looked at this date before now.  "Oh well, there must be some kind of mistake" I thought.

We walked up to a table that was marked "Visa extensions"  ...the man at the table was busy with his computer and it took him a couple minutes to realize we were standing there.  After a bit of chatting, he gave me a form to fill out and told me to go to window 23.  Kaygee and I sat down in front of window 23 to fill out my form.  Two things I didn't know - my address here and my flight number.  Good thing my host was at home and I was able to text her to find the information.  Problem solved.  We went up to the window with the form and photocopies of my passport.  The man said they made a mistake on my passport because I was given a 59 day visa but they only marked me down for 21 days (so that's where the 6/5/2010 came from).  "You need to go up to the third floor to the ___ office (I can't remember the name anymore) and tell them you need an amendment"  So we walk up the three flights of stairs and then...we saw an elevator.  Oh well.  Good exercise.  Oh right, we hadn't had breakfast yet either.

We go to the office...stare blankly until someone noticed us.  They resolve the issue, but I found out that although there was a mistake, my visa still expired 7/13/2010 (a week ago.  poo.).  You should know that the date they mark on your visa for expiration is not when the visa expires and you have to get it renewed, but rather the last day you can enter the country with that visa.  Yeah.  I didn't know that.  Oh well, what could I do now?  So the amendment was made in my passport and we go back downstairs.  We hand in the paperwork and corrected passport.  The lady writes me a receipt and I go to the cashier counter to pay.  The total came out to 8,300some pesos.  Whoaaaaaaaa!  That's almost triple my anticipated price!  (No, it's not because of the late penalty fee--that was only 1000 pesos I think?)  There was some added fee - $50 equivalent.  Anyway...I didn't have that much money with me even though I brought all my money (good thing I was anticipating shopping).  Anyway...all my money together was only about 7000pesos [and we had to make sure we had enough money our fare home].  Then Kaygee remembered that she had not deposited the last paycheck I gave her!  Thank God!  Then...we couldn't find that either...so then...we didn't have enough money AND she couldn't find her pay check :(  After some more rummaging, she found 2000 pesos in one of her wallet pockets because she had not had time to deposit it yet.  I borrowed 1,500 from her and we were able to pay for my visa extension.  The lady asked us to come back in an hour.  We walked out of the office, originally planning to celebrate our long walk this morning with Starbucks but ...now we were broke.  We went to a convenient store and bought some bread for breakfast, laughing the entire time we ate.  That's when we realized we didn't know how to get home.  haha.  We texted my host for directions and she also called her mom.  Her mom said, "why don't you explore the city some more?" and we said "...well...we don't have any money left to explore the city."  So after much more laughing we decided to head back to the Bureau.  We presented my receipt and the man at the counter gave me my passport, papers, and an ID card (cool!  I hope I get to keep it after all the trouble we went through to get it...).  We finished my visa process by 10:30am.

We walked (the short way) back to the train station.  After about 5 minutes of walking, we saw this ginormous building.  Yes, the post office.  But it wasn't very noticeable because well...all the buildings were big and...it wasn't "right next" to the immigration office...it was quite a ways away.  We should've just asked for Starbucks.  haha.  At least we got a tour of historical Manila for free!  :)  and we got my Visa and only waited for an hour!  And it didn't rain!  (two biggest worries before the trip was 1) waiting in line and 2) that it would rain and therefore, flood)

We bought our train passes...and then the ticket thingies wouldn't read them.  We had to get a security guard to let us through.  Then we waited for the train...almost got on the first one, but then we were too slow again.  Good thing though!!  because we realized that we were in line for the wrong direction.  Hah.  So we walked down the stairs and up the stairs on the other side.  We got onto the train.  Got off on the wrong stop.  Got back on the train.  Got off at the right stop.  Looked for the bus station.  Found the bus station.  Got on the bus.  Went home.  Exhausted.  And it was only 12pm.

It was not at all the adventure we had anticipated, but we could not deny that God was with us the entire way :)