On Embassies

T minus 8 days

Samia and I visit the Algerian embassy and drop off our passports with visa applications and two photos. The man behind the whitewashed desk sits in a bare room behind a desk of scattered piles of paper, leaning his head on a phone. We show him the pasports and he nods, only giving us enough attention as absolutely necessary before he returns to his phone conversation in muffled Arabic.

"We are leaving next Thursday--will the visas be ready?"
He nods and continues talking on the phone.
One is government, but the other is a tourist passport. I think I have to pay--do I have to pay now?
"No, no, no pay. We will call you if you have to pay."
No, I am pretty sure I have to pay.
"We will call you."
Do you even have our phone number?
"...no, I need your phone number."
When will the visas be ready?
"Call at 3 o clock. Call visa"
At three o clock?
"Call at three, from three to four, the visa man is here."
Ok, I will call then.
Samia looks doubtful. We anticipate many trips to the embassy before Thursday.

T minus 3 days

I call the embassy and give them my name: is my passport ready?
"Your name...Cat-reen?
Yes, Catherine Range.
"Geneva Catreen?
Um, Catherine Geneva Range, yes.
"Catherine is woman name?"
...yes.
"Yes, it is ready!"
What about my colleagues' passports, are they ready?
"..."
I give the names.
"...no, I do not know"
You don't know? Can you check?
"No, I do not know."
Well...we are leaving in three days.
"Call at 2 o clock, visa man."

2:15 PM, Samia calls Visa man, Ali. The man at the front desk picks up.
"Call at three o clock. He does not pick up the phone until three o clock."
But...you told me to call at two.
"He does not pick up the phone until three o'clock. "

3 PM Samia calls again.
Ali--I need my visa.
He tells her that her visa is not there.
But the man at the desk...
"Oh, Rashid? Well, he is Moroccan..."

T minus 2 days

7:30 AM, I call the embassy
Hello, my name is Catherine Range and my passport is ready to be picked up...
"Let me check"
I called yesterday and you said it is ready to be picked up
"Your name?"
Catherine Range
*papers shuffle*
"...yes, it is ready."
Yes, I know, but can I pick it up now? Hella?
"Yes! Anytime! No problem!"
Now? At 8 am?
"No problem!"

8 AM: Arrive at embassy, which is closed, locked, bolted.

9:30 AM, I call the embassy
"Yes, I called at 7:30 and the man said that I could stop by, but when I came at 8, it was closed."
"Really?! Oh, there is always someone here."
Wellll, there wasn't anyone there at 8 AM...
"Our hours are from 9 - 5."
Uh, ok. Can I come now and pick it up?
"Yes, no problem!"
Are my colleagues' passports ready yet?
"I do not know."
They are leaving with me tomorrow, they need their passports.
"I do not know, I am from Morocco."
...

11 AM I pick up passport. Rashid gives me a knowing smile and I suspect he is glad thta I will no longer be calling him inquiring about our visas. He is always on the phone. No sign of Samia's.

11:30 AM I go to the Turkish embassy, through a heavy metal door, a locked gate, a metal detector, and an x-ray machine, down a clean, wood staircase and into the lobby. I walk up to the "Visa" window.
I need a visa for next week...
"Ok, it will be ready by 10 am tomorrow."
...really? 10 AM?
"Yes, see you then."

T minus 1 day

I pick up the passport at the Turkish embassy at 10 sharp.

...

I've arrived in Algiers. I have yet to hear about Samia's passport.