Home » United States

Another Visa Already?

Posted by Stuart at 11:50 PM on December 23, 2002

Of my long list of things to do while I am in the US, one of the most important is getting another Non-Immigrant Visa. The visa I got in Laos will expire this month, and the International Affairs Office at school was afraid they wouldn't have enough time to process the Work Permit before the visa expired. (I can't believe it has been almost 3 months since I was in Laos. Zoooom!)

So after spending the weekend in San Francisco, I made a quick stop in Washington, DC to visit the Thai Embassy. My friend Tom was nice enough to pick me up at Dulles, put me up for the night, drive me to the Embassy this morning and then take me to National to fly out to North Carolina this afternoon.

Luckily, the visa process in DC was much smoother and easier than in Vientiane. The air was cool, the line non-existant. I filled out the paperwork and handed it over with the fee, my photos, and my passport and was done with it.

In general, my time at the Embassy was reflective of my entire time in the US so far. After struggling for months to communicate, to get around, to find what I need, everything here is easy for me.

I am also noticing how rich America is. Granted I was in San Francisco and Northern Virginia, two of the more wealthy areas of the country. But even still everyone seemed to be wearing the latest fashions from the hottest designers and retail companies. Everyone was driving shiny brand new cars with all the extras. Everyone lived in palatial estates with so many rooms filled with nice furniture.

Of course, again, it is all relative. My friends and family are mostly "American middle class", but compared to what I have seen in Asia, they are all millionares. I just hope they all appreciate what they are lucky enough to have.