Musings on Immigration

Visa applicants are advised to arrive at the embassy no more than 15 minutes before the scheduled interview; however the queue will start to form outside the embassy gates about an hour before hand. Most embassies have a kiosk at the embassy gates where you will be asked your name and appointment time. The guards have a list of those attending their interviews that day. You are not permitted to bring cell phones or bags into the embassy building and will be asked to leave these in the kiosk while you go into the actual embassy. Once inside, you will be directed to take a seat or a number. Embassy appointment offices look similar to (run-down) banks with (unhappy) bank-tellers. There will be a number of officers working at different windows. When your number or name is called you will speak to an officer, hand in your documents and make any necessary payments. The officer will check to make sure that you have the right kind of passport photos, a copy of your approval notice, compl...

The slogan for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation is “Everyone deserves a lifetime.” This is exactly what we (Kim and Mandira) have been fighting and training for the last several months: the chance for everyone to have the opportunities of life. This experience has been incredibly rewarding and generous in so many ways. We wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to help the men and women all over the world who are faced with the onset of breast cancer, like the inspirational two year survivor Janet Podlogar, Kim’s mother, who battled and survived this terrible disease. The fear, confusion, anger, tears, pain, depression, complications, and all of the surgeries and treatments all wear on individuals and families affected by the disease. Our 3-day experience began on a rough, rainy, and chilly day, but the inclement weather wasn’t able to dampen our spirits on Friday, October 24 th ! After a wet 18.3 miles, everyone was safely relocated and able to sleep indoors Fri...