I'm starting to see some of the benefits of going to Korea to work with one of the big recruitment companies, now that I've been here a few days. You'd think that upon arrival in Korea, after months of paperwork-gathering, signature-procuring and pocket-draining, it would get easier (and cheaper) from here on in. Not so...
Today myself and a colleague of mine went to the Immigration Office to get our Alien Registration Cards. By all accounts, this card is essential for everything; getting a flat, buying a phone, if you want to leave the country, go to the hospital, and so on and so forth. To get it all done the university made an appointment for us at the office near Anguk station (line 3, exit 6), so off we went. The Immigration Office is a miserable hell-hole; it's hot, stuffy and noisy, people cover every inch of space available, the people behind the desks wave people off snootily when asked any questions and, despite the ticketing system, no one ever seems to get called forward. It's also not easy to navigate - given that we had appointments, we figured we wouldn't have to take a ticket and join the 40min wait for a desk, but could we find the right place to go? Nope. Luckily the ladies behind the copy/print desk were more pleasant and pointed us to the right desk (number 7, though whether that would be the same one next time is anyone's guess. It was a desk with a hand-written sign over it, saying 'reservations'). The lady behind desk number 7 took a vague interest in us before saying we should have copies of our passports ready and to go back to copy/print (200won per copy), and then barely glanced over our application forms before demanding another 10,000won. Then, fingerprints were taken, bits of paper checked, and we were sent on our way with a flourish of the hand and a simple '25' mentioned.
25.... we looked around but couldn't see a 25 anywhere. At the end of the row of desks, there was a sign for 'Pick-Up' (presumably to pick-up your finished cards) and another paper sign saying that if you were there to collect your ARC you should knock on the perspex window and wait for someone to come. Confused and panicking, we knocked on the window, only to be told that 25 meant the 25th of September. Today is the 11th.... we have to wait two weeks and then come back to collect our cards. To say I'm surprised is an understatement. As with most things so far, I'd expected it to be much quicker (I really should suspend my expectations and start being more pessimistic), especially given that this is the ID card that I'll need to carry around with me in case I get into trouble or need to do anything official-like.
Next thing on my agenda: getting my medical check. Not for the visa, you understand, but for my university. I really do not like hospitals, and I have an awful fear of needles, so I'm procrastinating with this as much as possible. I've been hoping Yoon will volunteer to come with me (the thought of having someone stick me with needles and ask me for urine and blood without at least a translator terrifies me). My colleague today told me what it involves; taking blood samples, taking urine samples, hearing and sight tests, and an X-ray. What the hell are they looking for?? The X-ray worries me a little, as I have a piercing in what most would deem an inappropriate place, and I wouldn't like to try explain it. But the salt in the wound (so to speak) is the bill (which again I'm footing); this time 110,000won for the pleasure of being poked, prodded and made to feel like a diseased piece of meat. I'll update on that one when I grow some balls to go and get it all done, or when my university drags me there, or when Yoon agrees to do his boyfriend-duty and come with me. *I know I'm a chicken*
No comments:
Post a Comment