The nearest Consulate of the country in question is in Vancouver. One takes the ferry. This time I lucked out and got the newest one in the fleet, a 'Made in Germany' modern ship, with almost all the comforts of home. The crossing took a little longer than scheduled, as 30-40 knot winds and pretty high seas made casting off and docking somewhat difficult even for a vessel designed to nosey into some tight spots in almost all adverse conditions.
Being Vancouver, of course it rained buckets.
Gastown, in walking distance of the Consulate, had a universal sheen of water on everything. The famous Steam Clock steamed valiantly. Here you can see her, emitting clouds. Now, I am not sure whether that is due to 'time pressure' or having the clockworks propelled by a tiny steam engine inside the base.
Gastown, a somewhat eclectic part of Downtown Vancouver, is jam-packed with art galleries, restaurants, bistros, tourist shops, and avant-garde furniture stores.
How about a little streamlined chair made of base materials and some leather maybe, and of course, designed by the most haute of the haute coutures of European Designer Houses for a tiny sum of 8,000 dollars. Worth every penny, the exquisitely dressed and made up sales lady assured me.
I agreed with her and mentioned in passing that my house is also filled with designer dreams, mostly acquired from the famous designer house of 'Segundo Mano'.
She handed me a catalogue where not only the furniture but even the colour coordinated gorgeous models looked way out of this world, which made me feel like a frump in my rain parka and jeans.
They can order anything for delivery within five weeks, the sales lady promised...oh, I am so sorry I'll be afloat by then, so regretfully have to pass on the opportunity.
Inuit Art, and First Nations Art from the most remote corners of Canada bring an hint of harsh arctic life to the City.
And there are phantasmagorical creations, depicting mythological characters of First Nations legends and folklore.
Of course, phantasmagorical is not an exclusive realm to art galleries. The side alleys of Gastown offer their own versions of flights of fancy.
One of the historic buildings in 'Old Vancouver', now a branch of the Royal Bank of Canada, shows an example of a beautifully designed ceiling and unique chandeliers. A bank that looks almost like a Cathedral built in the antique Romanic architectural style of Europe.
The visa...the best one can say. I submitted my application, passport, photo, return envelope and all. But only after a wait of about three hours, whilst being entertained with a tourist movie of the country's highlights. It played and replayed every fifteen minutes on an overhead TV screen - no sound.
Now, after a few re-runs, I feel as if I am an expert on all the wonders that await me in the far eastern realms, or at least that part of it. I chatted with some of the other people, also waiting patiently for their turn at the one and only till. Most of them originated from the country in question, and were applying for visas for little kids and grand kids, so they can visit aunties and grandparents back in the old country.
Being obviously a tourist in waiting, one expat enthusiastically explained to me, that in his country they worship EVERYTHING. Well, once there I may emulate one of the richly endowed Goddesses (and according to the tourist movie, the Gods aren't lacking either) and someone may worship good old MOI.
The three hours of waiting, shared patiently with me by a Vancouver lady friend, turned out to be reasonably pleasant: the security guard was like a friendly old turbaned grandfather, the waiting clients were easy to talk with and provided pertinent comments on the video as well as impertinent ones on the wait times, and one could get a coffee at a nearby shop.
My prepaid Express Post envelope was deemed not acceptable by the stressed out attendant, it had to be substituted by one exactly the same but sold by the Consulate. Turn around time for processing is a week. Good Bye Passport, hope to see you again.
Ah, bureaucracy, if it would follow common sense, we would probably wonder what's gone wrong.
