September blues

Our trip to the US was pretty cool, if not a little longer than originally planned, but rather than repeating everything, I suggest to check out Fedor's blog for more info on the trip. I will just add that I also had a superdupercool time.

Except for the fact that, while on vacation, we found out that the new job in Nepal fell through. So, this is now no longer the new job in Nepal. Instead, we're still in Berlin! It really sucks, since I stopped applying for jobs as the Nepal opportunity was moving forward, but on the other hand, they did seem a little disorganized and bureaucratic, so maybe it is for the best in the end.... (oh, and that earthquake a few days ago also makes me feel a little queasy). However, it opens up the Big Question: Und Jetzt? The answer: I don't know yet.

Anyway, that was pretty shitty, but there have been a few pleasant things to distract from that shittiness. We had visitors with whom we had a lot of fun, we went to Milano last weekend to see all our old friends, and the weather has been surprisingly pleasant the last few days. So it it really is not all bad! I even managed to convince the head of department to allow me to go to a conference in Wuhan, China. So in a few weeks I will be able to spend 3 days sightseeing in Beijing, and to visit Wuhan too. That is, if I manage to get the visa, which is what I spent half a day trying to do today:

A colleague asked me yesterday whether I was sure whether I'd be able to get the visa at the Embassy, or whether I should actually go to the Consulate. So I looked it up and found this was actually true. I thus googled for the address, which was somewhere out near Schönefeld Airport. So this morning, after the gym, I wanted to go there, but realised I forgot my wallet at home. So I borrowed a little money from a colleague to pay for my train ticket. I then left for the consulate, but upon my arrival at Schöneweide station, I realised I obviously needed to pay for the visa as well, and that I really did need my wallet. After some contemplation, I returned home, picked up my wallet and went back to Schöneweide to go to the Brückenstraße. Upon arriving at the building, I realised, the Consulate was not there at all, but that Brückenstrasse was probably a really common street name. And yes, a phone call cleared it up: the Consulate is actually in the same building as the Embassy, just in a side entrance. And it is on the way from home to work!!! Of course, by now it was about to close so I wasn't able to go. On the way back to the office, I also managed to enter a wrong train, to make matters even worse and I finally got back to the institute after a MORE THAN THREE HOUR journey on the train.

Without a visa.

FUCK.

Anyway, I'll give it yet another try tomorrow morning. I hope it will work, because I need my passport back before next weekend, when we're coming to the Netherlands... I assume that my Murphy's Law experience of today will be over my tomorrow and that everything is going to be fine. Right? Right????

Tschüßi,
OJ