This morning we woke up late, had plans in mind for a slow relaxing day, recuperating from the exhaustion of traveling this weekend. The day brought other events instead. Last week we went to the police station to get our visa extended. We thought we had everything we needed to get our extension, but when we arrived we discovered that we needed our landlord to sign a paper. Last week was the Aid, so our landlord was out of the city and we would need to wait till he returned before we could get our extension. This morning we got in touch with our landlord, he came to pick us up and together we made our way to the police station. Upon arrival at the station and speaking with the proper authorities, we discovered there were many more things that we needed to do before we could get our extension. Without knowing what we were doing or where we were going, we loaded up in our landlord's van. First we went and made some photocopies (figured that out as we stood in front of a copy machine), then we went to another police station. Got something stamped and paid some money. Went to anther police station, but turns out it wasn't there anymore so we found the new location all the way across town. This station was so new nobody knew where anyone was or who needed to help us with what we needed help with (I'm not even sure what we needed help with!). After talking to several people and waiting in several different locations, we finally found someone who gave our landlord a phone number. I am not quite sure what happened, but he took us back home and said he would pick us up again at 2:00.
At 2:00 we headed back to the same station, this time with a new paper in tow. Waited around some more then finally got a stamp on something. There was something else that we needed at this station but could not get until tomorrow. Our landlord then took us back to his house where we met his family and enjoyed tea and snacks. We finally arrived back at our apartment around 4:30 with strict orders that he would pick us up again at 8:30 the next morning. We had not been back long before a little boy knocked on our door. He had a piece of paper and on it was written:
Hello. are you busy I want to visit you if its okay with you at 5.15
your neighbour
This was from the lady who lives underneath us. A couple of weeks ago I took her some cookies to meet her. I was excited she was coming! Andrew and I ran around straightening and I threw some cookies in the oven. We had planned to go to town and check our mail and do a couple of other errands. Andrew went ahead and went to town while I was to stay and visit with my neighbor. She arrived with her three children. Two boys and one girl. Thankfully she is very good at English. She talked just about the entire time, which was good for me because I was nervous about running out of conversation. The unfortunate part about this was that I really did not get to say much at all. But I am very excited to have had my neighbor in my house and build that relationship even more. Hopefully we will get together even more in the coming year.
After my neighbor left, Andrew and I fixed dinner and settled in to watch a TV show. About halfway through our show, thankfully after we had finished eating, there was a knock on our door. It was the man of the family I got to visit with during the Aid. Andrew invited him in and I went to prepare some tea and cookies. As I am writing this, they are visiting together and Andrew is getting what sounds like an Arabic lesson.
It has been an exciting day. Quite unexpected but very welcomed. It's 7:30 here and for locals the night is still young. I wonder if we will have any more visits today!
1 comment:
So exciting! Love ya'll!!
~Carrie~
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