happy with a pinch of sad

this morning, i had my Visa renewal interview at the US Embassy. i was scheduled at 7.30am but had to be there an hour early for checks, finger scanning and verification.

the first thing that struck me while sitting with other applicants, waiting for our number to flash, was that everyone had a nervous air in them. some kept tapping their fingers, some went to the bathroom a couple of times (i’m part of this demographic), some nervously flicked their feet over and over again. however, these physical manifestations of nervousness paled in comparison to the 3 people sitting behind me. of course when you’re sitting near dozens of complete strangers in a contained, small space, you’re bound to hear every conversation. these 3 conyos sitting behind me were bragging about why they’re applying for US Visas. one’s never been out of the country, but for her first time out of Pinas she wants to tour the US. and that she has absofrigginlutely no plans of looking for work in the states. the other girl said she also wants to tour the US, but added that she has a great life here in Pinas. High-paying job, has her own driver, what more can she ask for right? the 3rd conyo, the only guy, was rather quiet and didn’t give much input. which was good since there was enough steam coming off the 2 conyotic girls. i think they were just trying to psych themselves for the interview. a lot like, before a tennis match you have to keep telling yourself you’ll win, the other player sucks bigtime. you have to keep boosting your confidence. these 3 conyos, i think, tried to boost theirs by verbally reminding themselves why they’re gonna get Visas. Unfortunately though, the first girl didn’t get one, and  i’m not sure if the guy got one coz i was interviewed before him.

the second thing that struck me during my wait was that, damn, a lot of Filipinos do want to go to the States! The interviews started at 7.45am, and by the time i was interviewed at 8.30am 38 people had already finished. I think on average, about 500 applicants are interviewed every working day. 500 people lining up for finger scans, waiting for their turn on the hot seat (or stand, since during the interview the applicant just stands on the other side of the consul’s glass window). 500 people, every day. that’s just sad.

but what really struck me during the 2.5 hours i spent there was the hopelessness and sadness after an applicant is denied a Visa. They leave with downcast eyes, clutching a bright blue paper the consul gave them to remind them that they can re-apply after 6 months. i felt sad for them, not just because i normally feel sad when other people are sad. but what if they have family in the states who they haven’t seen for decades? what if they really just want to travel and see what America’s all about? i know it’s not the end of the world for any applicant denied a Visa, but it sure makes their world a tad smaller.

during my interview, the consul didn’t look at any of my documents, just my passport. he asked a couple of questions about my family in the states, and about my job. after about 7 minutes, he told me my Visa’s approved, and that i needed to go to Air21 outside the building to pay for my passport’s delivery.

so now i can start planning my February trip. i’ll finally see my new niece. go on a cross-country road trip from west to east coast with a good friend. catch up with long-lost friends and batchmates i didn’t get to meet up with 2 years ago when i last went there. i’ll finally be able to hunt down and eat some of the food those TLC traveling chefs highly recommend, go to places i’ve always wanted to see like central park and grand central, and just bask in the experience of traveling with no worries. i’m ecstatic that i have the opportunity to plan for this trip, but i still can’t help but feel sad for those who early this morning left the embassy with bright blue sheets.

i hope they all get their Visas in 6 months..

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