Tempest in a Teapot - or The Madsens Straighten Things Out

Today was the big day for us to get the glitch on my passport fixed.  No one noticed it until about a month ago when the people in the mission office were making a copy of it.  The passport number in the front and the number just inside the back do not match.  They don't even come close to matching.  I guess all of the other missionaries here have matching numbers.

So today was the day.  We had an appointment at 9 a.m.  According to our GPS, it was a 10-minute car ride.  We left about 8:25.  The traffic that time of day was awful!  The worst part is the bicycles!  If you are turning right, you cannot do so until all of the bicylists coming from the left and going in the direction you are turning are past the intersection.  At that time of the day, there are hundreds on the road and they travel fast!!!  There were roads blocked for construction, roads blocked because of delivery trucks....you get the idea.  Finally at 8:55 we got within walking distance.  (Actually our apartment is within walking distance....we walked it a couple of weeks ago and made it in about 40 minutes.) Stan let me out across the street from it...a very busy and wide street.  I stood there and assessed the situation for a minute and looked each way...about equidistant from a cross walk...quite a ways.  Finally I began walking in one direction.  Suddenly I heard bicycle bells going off and then shouting....I turned around and was right in the middle of a bicycle lane...a wide one!  At least 20 bicyclists were bearing down on me...and I didn't know which way to jump.  I took three giant steps back as they sped by....a few with some choice words for me.  It's a good thing I don't know those words yet....I might have felt even worse!  A collision with a bicycle going that fast couldn't have been too pleasant for either one of us....and probably would have involved more than just one bike.  I know why they were upset.

While I was having that harrowing experience, SK had found a parking place.  We crossed the street and reported to the 2 security guards outside of the embassy.  That is when we realized that we had forgotten to bring the passports!!!!  Already reeling from my own stupidity, that was the cherry on top.  We explained to the guards who advised us to go in anyway.

So we emptied our pockets and in my case, my purse.  I wish I had thought about that one in advance!  I had a lot of little things...basically junk, but you know how a woman's purse is.  They looked through everything, and kept anything that looked suspicious or had batteries.  We finally gained entrance to the inner offices, took a number and waited to explain to the person that we had a problem with my passport...which I hadn't brought with me.

Fortunately, he was a kind man, who advised me to go home and get it and come right back...since we had time today.  We did.  On the second visit, I left my purse in the car, and went in just carrying my passport, driver's license and the admittance note from the man inside.  He checked with *Washington* - as he put it, and concluded that this was a passport which doesn't matter if the numbers don't match.  He said the only problem I might have is with governments of foreign lands (!!!), but if they check with the U.S...I am OK.

After that we went home and had lunch.  We went to three stores to buy the items we need for dinner at the center tomorrow night and then went to the center. 

While there, I made dessert.  This week it is lemon bars.  This is not just any lemon bar recipe.  I am pretty sure it is Melissa's and instead of just pouring a mixture of eggs, sugar and lemon juice over a sweet crust, you make lemon curd.  Ahhhhh.  Don't tell anyone I told you this, but if I were offered a choice between a piece of chocolate and a spoonful of lemon curd, I would take the lemon curd!

With all of the supplies we need now at the center, and with the dessert made, I will settle down and try to study Danish before tomorrow's class.

I've had enough of feeling stupid to last me a long time!