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April 11, 2006
Visa Runs
I had been dreading the visa run for an entire week. The work visa process had turned into an impossible six-month bureaucratic nightmare that ended three days before my tourist visa expired with me stomping out of a commissioner's office. Frustrations then skyrocketed as I meandered my way through getting an emergency Indonesian visa, booking a same-day return bus fare to sit in a hot over-crowded careening vehicle for over eight hours. Before I left, my-coworker joked at my semi-stoic pessimism and suggested that for all I knew, the love of my life would be sitting next to me on the bus. When an overweight 50-year old pushed his way beside me on Friday morning, I was simply certain that I had offended some spirit or another (or at least a prominent politician) and they were having their satisfaction in revenge.
It turned out to be an awesome day - who knew? Between meeting a friendly UN Media officer who had traveled from Kupang, West Timor to work in East Timor in 1999, to the incredibly easy border crossing, inclusive of coconut-water rice and curry meal with the bus driver, reading a science-fiction novel for a few hours while sitting on the beach in the no-man's land between the borders with two border patrolmen as personal guards, then chatting up custom's officials about the best type of 4WD to drive around the foho (mountains). A perfect vacation. Even better - though I did not meet the love of my life apparently I fulfilled that role for someone else. Marriage proposal # ... well, I can't remember ... -- an Indonesian inspections officer (quite handsome, I might add) was terribly disappointed when I spun the usual fib of married with two kids, and, most gentlemanly-like, suggested that if I had not been married he would have been more than pleased to spare me from singlehood. It was kind of cute. He didn't even inspect my bag.
Posted by storbert at April 11, 2006 1:24 AM
Comments
Wow. That sounds like no fun. I'm glad I haven't had to deal with dusty buses and "no-man's land" yet-- though I suppose there's always the chance the North Koreans will invade.
But I have received not one marriage proposal while here. Though I have been propositioned by gay men and several older women have tried to have affairs with me. What do you have that I don't? Oh, right, looks and female-ness. You're probably much nicer than me, too.
Posted by: Ben Applegate at June 7, 2006 8:48 AM