Someone Else Can Help

I received an email mid-morning Wednesday stating that my Work Permit had been approved by the Department of Immigration in Port Moresby, was activated, and notification had been submitted to the Embassy of Papua New Guinea in Washington D.C.  I was informed the next step in this ever lengthening process was to call the Embassy and see if they had received this notification and to ask if I was permitted to submit paperwork for the Living Visa.

I called early Wednesday afternoon.  This is how my conversation went:

"Hello, ma'am.  I am calling to confirm the receipt of my Work Permit from the Department of Immigration in Port Moresby."

"Oh yes, I can help with that.  No problem.  What is your name?"

"Thank you.  It's Kaizar.  K - A - I - Z, no Z, yes Z as in Zebra, A - R.  No it's K - A - I - Z as in Zebra - A - R.  No ma'am A as in apple.  Yes, apple.  K - A as in apple - I - Z as in Zebra-A as in apple - R.  No ma'am.  It starts with a K not an A.  Kaizar.  K as in kangaroo - A as in apple - I - Z as in Zebra - A as in apple - R" (I will end this painful recitation here.  It went on for another minute or two.)

"Miss Kaizar, what kind of visa do you want?"

 "A living visa. I will be teaching in Port Moresby for about two years."

"No.  You need a travel visa.  You are just teaching English and you don't need a visa for two years.  Just the three months."

"No ma'am.  I will be teaching for two years.  My work permit approves me for this.  I will be teaching at an International School, not just English.  I need an extended living visa.  I just need to know you've received notice of my Work Permit from the Department of Immigration."

"Okay.  I can help with this.  What's your name?  Miss just call back in the morning.  Someone else will be working then.  They can help you."  Click.

I couldn't help but laugh.  What else could I do?  When I relayed this conversation to my new principal her response was, "Ah yes, the Embassy is a good introduction into the psyche of the average Papua New Guinean!!!" 


I did as I was told, called again this morning, got the okay, and then proceeded to drive to the Embassy on M Street in D.C.  I showed up excited, ready to celebrate.  I (not too surprisingly) jumped the gun on the celebrating.  After discussing my paperwork I found that my security check was not what they wanted and was a little too old for their liking.  What is it that they want?  I'm not sure (refer to above interaction and apply this topic).  I spent my entire day calling people, frequenting many different police stations, attempting to get my wait time for a new check into a more immediate time frame than 4-8 weeks.  No luck yet.  If all else fails I can get reprinted on Saturday.


I also got a second HIV test today.  Apparently the Embassy took one look at me in my jeans and sweater and thought, "tramp".  A test from ten weeks ago was not good enough.  This was much easier to accomplish.  Just a simple phone call to the Maryland Department of Health to find a location administering quick-result prick tests today and done.  At least something was accomplished today.