I stayed in Malta for two weeks and left when my friends father informed me that they were now moving. I assume that this was planned before I got there and they weren't moving because of me. In Belgium I continued my quest for the tickets and the visa. Much to my surprise I found and contacted the airline for the tickets, but instead of leaving on the twenty-seventh as I had hoped and I would have to leave on the twenty-ninth. "No problem" I thought "I just tell the Embassy that over the phone and they can switch it immediately. After all I'm asking to arrive at a later date not an earlier one." After a brief conversation I was informed by the Embassy that this would be simple enough and that the matter would be taken care of when I got there. So, a couple days later I find myself back in Brussels.
I was a little early that day and decided to see parts of the city that I'd never seen before. As I was walking along I heard a large commotion off on one of the main streets. Being naturally curious I wandered over to see what was going on. It appeared that a large group of Walloons (French speaking Belgians) were protesting something. Minding my own business I stood to watch them go by when all of the sudden a group of people run over to me and pull me into the demonstration. I must have marched about an hour before I knew what I was demonstrating against (an educational policy effecting Walloon schools).
I managed to break free from the group and make my way back to the "Embassy of Doom"
-"Do you have my visa?"
-"Yes, here you go. From the twenty-seventh of October to the seventh of November."
-"No, no. Over the phone I asked you to change the date from the twenty-seventh to the twenty-ninth and you said you would, remember?"
-"Oh, is that what you wanted? I didn't understand you."
-"In that case, I was wondering, can you just correct the visa now?"
-"I'm afraid not. That would be against procedure. For a new visa, what you'll have to do is..."
-"Yes, I know have my friend write another letter of invitation, take it back to Ministry of Foreign Affairs where they can check it again and they'll fax you the visa once more, is that correct."
-"Correct."
Figuring that it would take them at least a week to repeat this operation I decided that perhaps I should visit a friend in Lille, France.
FRANCE
My friend in Lille was a girl I had not seen or had any contact with for years. Truthfully, I was surprised she remembered me at all, but she did and she showed me a nice time around the town.
BELGIUM
Time was running out though. I had my plane tickets and was scheduled to leave in two days. I needed that visa. I was so determined that I decided I was not going to come home without this visa and would sleep at the Embassy if necessary. Yet, even though they told me to come over I had prepared myself mentally for what would happen. They would surprise me no more.
-"You said you had my visa?"
-"Yes but there is one problem"
Gee, there's a surprise.
-"It appears that although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent the visa for you, we did not get the confirmation needed. This means that I really shouldn't give you the visa until we receive it."
I had all I could endure and they exhausted my patience. I was tired of playing this "little game" with the Embassy and resorted to something that I hated doing. I slipped some money into my passport and handed it back to him.
-"Would you do me the favor and look just one more time?"
It's not that I'm against bribery as a whole, but I am against it when it involves someone doing their duty! Regardless he left and came back with a smile on his face.
-"I found it!"
-"Somehow I thought you would."
I sat in solemn silence on the way home from the Embassy and looked in my passport at the precious visa. Evidently he just wrote over the previous date in the former visa like I asked him to do before. It didn't matter now though. I had it. I finally had the VISA! I felt like a conquering hero. All the trouble I had obtaining visas for other countries seemed like child's play to this. "I can take anything!" I was wrong.
I flight was scheduled to fly from Germany to Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Sleeping at the airport in Dusseldorf I was definitely early enough for my flight. I was also early enough to see some of the other passengers would be on the plane with me as well. One that stands out in my mind was a member of the Mafia who when I first saw him was conducting what it looked as "last minute" business with several Russians who were seeing him off. I assumed they were Mafia by the way they were dressed and mostly by their behaviour; it was like something out of a movie. Then I noticed that he was continuously protected by a bodyguard at his side at all time. The interesting aspect of them is when they escorted ten to fifteen women on the plane with them.
But this was none of my business. I boarded the plane and estimated that the flight should last about eight hours and so I might as well try to get some sleep.
For some reason I couldn't sleep and after about four hours the plane landed. I knew we couldn't be in Kazakhstan already so where were we? I looked out the window and couldn't see a thing because it was pitch black outside. Then I began to make out some forms that were approaching the plane; they were...soldiers! and they had guns! "Oh my God! They're after this Mafia member and we're all going to die in the shoot out!" O.K. so I overreacted, needless to say it was a tense situation seeing these men and not knowing what was going on. Eventually people began to get off the plane, but I thought "This isn't Kazakhstan. I'm not getting off here." and remained seated. That was of course until a guard boarded the plane and held the barrel of his gun to my head and motioned me to get off that quickly changed my mind and got off.
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