.w.a.n.d.e.r.l.u.s.t.

it was such an experience i would never forget.
yesterday was a do-or-die day for me: i was scheduled for my US Visa interview at 7: 15 am.

i arrived at the US Embassy at 6: 35 am and to my surprise, there were already a lot of applicants lined up over at gate 3. after patiently waiting, i was let in by the guard. an x-ray scan then was done with all my belongings. our support phone was left with the guard. claim stub 31.

after i got my Q number and my documents barcoded and scanned, i then went to the non-immigrant interview area. almost 45 minutes has elapsed when my number was flashed for finger printing over at window 11.

(the place was really packed! you couldn't help but wonder how much the embassy earns in a day from all this applicants. 100 dollars from each one of them. and that's just for non-immigrant peeps.)

then another hour of waiting passed by. i was walking around the place and observing the interviews happening in all the windows. some consuls were really exercising their interrogation rights (hehe), that i even saw some applicants bring out their binders of financial documents -- land titles, bankbooks, cover letters from the company, car registration papers, etc -- which really made me so nervous as i don't really have good docs to back up my financial stability here in the philippines. i even almost hyperventilated as i am very scared and very pessimistic about my nearing interview. good thing, deep breaths quite helped in calming my restlessness.

then it flashed...
window 4: 1064.

oh fuck. that's my number!

i was shaking.

this is it.

a few deeper breaths.

Lord, i will do my best. i'll just leave it all up to you now.

a few steps to window 4. and then i saw her - a mid 20's blonde consul. she didn't look too immidating, but i didn't need a boost of overconfidence that moment. everything is possible.

expect for the worst, rev.

consul (a mid-20's blonde): "how are you?"

me: (smilingly) "i'm great.. how about you?"

consul: "ok.. (pauses) so why are you going to the US?"

me: " i am here to apply for a B1 visa because i am being sent by *my company to attend a series of business meetings and discussions with our atlanta counterparts and US client."

consul: "how long have you been with *my company?

me: "i've been with *my company for more than a year now. i joined them in april of 2004.

consul: "so what do you do in *my company?"

me: "well, i work as a junior software engineer for *my company."

consul: "so what did you do before you joined *my company?"

me: "i previously worked as a sales analyst for *my ex-company."

consul: "so what did you as a sales analyst."

me: "as a sales analyst, i was in-charge of monitoring the sales figures of our retailers as *my ex-company is an exclusive local distributor of international titles of magazines ang books."

consul: "have you ever gone out to other countries before?"

me: "no ma'am, i've never been out of the philippines for all of my life."

consul: "so how often will you be in the US?"

me: (as i didn't hear the midpart of the question) "what was that again?"

consul: (repeats her question) "how often will you be in the US?"

me: well, for this year, i think this is going to be the only planned travel for me." (sheesh. difficult question).

consul: (after 8 seconds of further silently perusing through my docs) ok. i will give you a single-entry Visa but you have to promise me that you would do what you said you would do there."

me: (drowning in disbelief and ecstasy) "ok."

ON SUBTITLE: YES! YES! YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!

i stayed there looking at the consul with an unconcelable smile. and then she handed me the yellow slip for my passport claim stub.

me: "thank you".

as i leave the non-immigrant interview area, i just couldn't help but really beam with gladness. that short 3-minute interview was really a pivot of my dreams -- the consul have all the reasons in the world to doubt that any tourist will be coming back to his home country, and thus deny you of a US visa. what's bad with that as well is your records will show you've been refused a visa before.

but i don't need to worry about the what-if's now. i now have it.

GEORGIA AND NEW JERSEY, HERE I COME!

****

may 14, i will be flying for atlanta.
may 23, i'll then go to ramsey.
may 26, i'll then fly back to manila.

that's my itinerary for this very short business trip. even if it would be all about work for those 2 weeks, i am stil very grateful for this rare opportunity to go to the US with all expenses paid for by the company.

thank you Lord for this chance. all my life, i never even thought this will happen.
i am just overwhelmed right now. this is just so bigger than me.

rev-o-lution: the world invasion.
COMING SOON.