Visa Interview

so today i had to drive to atlanta for my visa interview, which in case you are wondering, is not able to be done over the phone. trust me, i asked. so dressed in my jeans and cardigan and drove toward my last big task in going to korea. after driving around the block a few times to locate the international tower we found it after wondering around in the rain and admiring all the buildings. if we had more time it would have been a cool place to hang out, but we were exactly on time.
so at the interview i filled out more of the exact same paperwork i had already mailed to them....oh yes. so i thought all i had to do was email my information to them - my information being my passport, visa confirmation number, E-2 visa application, $45 via money order, and a passport size picture. All of this was sent usps express mail and had a self addressed express envelope (this which cost about $30 for both envelopes plus money order - about $75 total). well i thought i could mail that it, it takes 2 days to process and then i would get my passport back...but when they received my papers last friday they called me to schedule an interview.

my advice to you - before you receive your visa confirmation number call the consulate and let them know you want a visa to teach in korea and if you need an interview. that would save you time, and possibly money...

the actual interview took like 10 minutes. the consulate asked me where i was from and if i drove from nc to ga, which i had. asked me where i went to school, why i want to teach english if i studied psychology, had i taught english before. then he asked me to tell him all i knew about korea in a minute, i said less then a minute and told him that i really know little about korea except through other people's blogs, but i heard that all the people there are very nice. in which he replied, well there are not nice people there and i am one of them. here is where fear set in and i thought all my chances of getting in were over. this was emphasized by the fact that he asked me what i knew i said little, then he asked me why i picked korea over like veitnam, thailand, etc and i said some friends told me about the program. i think i came off as some punk kid who was looking to make some money and get drunk all the time in another country. he continued to tell me more things about korea like the transportation is really modern and easy to use and that seoul is a very safe city where you can drink and walk around the streets at midnight and be safe. but this was followed by a rant about too many foriegners in seoul and they only speak their mother tongue and don't learn the language. hmmmm....

after some more awkward conversation he left me with, "well i can't see any reason not to give you the visa...you will have your passport by wednesday, i guarantee it..." and finally "there are some brochures up front in korean but they have colorful pictures on them that will help you to know what korea is about." stupid american....now to wait for the visa