Today I had the "pleasure" of visiting the U.S Embassy to renew my oh-so-precious visa. Why wasn't I warned about this? Funny enough I see now that the entire process leading up to physically being at the embassy is pretty intense but getting there was another story! I used to think that Jamaicans who ran away from their homeland into the arms of U.S Homeland security were cowards but today I found myself on the outskirts of "American soil" about to beat down the damn door to get in!! What the hell is up with the Standpipe people that literally descend on the applicants at 7am in the friggin morning?
My mother dropped off me and my sister right outside the Embassy and immediately a woman walked right up to the car door and was all up in our face.I swear she was about to jump in the car, she was THAT CLOSE! That intial shock threw my entire concentration, but I was in for a rude awakening. Upon joining the line in the boiling hot sun, armed with nothing but an envelope containing my documents, I looked up, down and across the street to see random people just standing around staring at the persons in line.
When I mean standing there enuh!!!! The ones in closest proximity were like an arm's length away from you.If you sneeze dem get wet up. So by now there are two lines.The people who are actually here to enter the Embassy and the people conducting "business" who are right beside them(then the others standing on the median in the road and the ones across the road). Then I noticed that most of them had some clear plastic bags in their hands and I could figure out why, after all they were empty,what were they selling?. Just to see a lady two persons in front of me unload her cell phone and some other forbidden articles she had in her bag.The items were placed in the plastic bag and "safely" placed in the handbag of the temporary caregiver. W.T.F???? I mean these people are serious.Some of them are designated "parking attendants" and they also escort you from your car to the designated line, after which you are that persons full concern.They then tell u what you need to have ready, which line to join and what you are allowed to take with you. Sound like the embassy need fi hire dem, dont it?
When the actual security comes along now to check your documents, of course there is berely any space for them to walk or even talk to you as the "guardians" are all up in the mix. Funny enough they seem to just ignore them.
Out there was like a market place, right in front of the people dem big fancy establishment. Suppose you see man just a stand up and look. By time dem dun they should be able to tell you what size shoes you wear and if you have on a string bikini or thong.Jeez I felt like I was a canary diamond on display.Mi start sweat!!
Sad to say, I hear this is how it is everyday except when the police are present in which case they stand across the street and shout. SIGH.Why Jamaicans stay so? Have to hustle out everything ... down to the line at the U.S Embassy? Really? If I never really felt the need to have a means of leaving here once in a while...today I did, and now I can honestly say I ran away from Jamaica, if even for two hours into Obama-land.
No comments:
Post a Comment