Monday Memes

The Office is Closed

Just follow the rules, they say. It’s not that difficult. I can understand why my husband Ka veritably threw his hands up in the air a few years ago regarding his visa to come to the USA. It’s gotten to the point that neither of us have any idea what is going on.

I believe that is spelled “fifty.” Or maybe grandpa is trying to dodge the censors with shorthand?

It turns out my prior meme regarding Senator Tom Cotton threatening to invade Holland over Netanyahu’s ICC arrest warrant was actually true! That should invite the ridicule, condemnation and scorn it so rightly deserves. These guys are absolutely hellbent on World War III and mass slaughter. Is there a point where the Army decides not to fight on behalf of Satanic warmongerers trying to keep their power while they depopulate us all?

Now this is a fun list, for anybody who wants to play along and tell me in the comments your score. I saw this on a Facebook group and 18 comments in I am still in the lead at 34 points, which really surprises me as I haven’t even been to Europe, say. My guess is that there’s somebody on here, perhaps in my Thai expat group, who has been to over 50 of these cities. Does anyone want to put their number out there?

I’m blown away that all of the numbers here read the same forwards as backwards

So as per the US Embassy instructions in that Ka’s passport hopefully with a visa stamp inside can only be mailed to us and that I needed English translations on some court transcripts we came back to Phuket. The translation services in Bangkok were giving me nightmares with two saying that because of frayed edges on the court documents that I should go back to Phuket Town for new copies. Luckily I was able to find translation services in Phuket, right next to the airport, who did an excellent job. In reading through the English translation I’m still scratching my head at why they wanted this or what is different about this from what I gave them before. It adds details and context but doesn’t refute anything I’ve said about the basics of the case.

Because the US Embassy kept Ka’s police clearance certificate and the official 221 (g) request for more documents, I called them to clarify where to mail everything back to. The US Embassy website informed me that they now use DHL for all passport and visa mailings. I went to the DHL in Thalang who told me they only accept international mailings for the US Embassy, not ones going to Bangkok! In reading through their list of service centers, the closest one is in Koh Samui a few hundred miles from here. Super convenient.

So I mailed everything back through Thai Post, who assured me in Maikhao that they will hold anything which is returned to them. In checking in on the parcel delivery, however, it said “delivery failed/the office is closed” twice. Lovely.

Having never delivered mail to the US Embassy before, I just assumed that packages shipped to them went into some type of PO drop box. But this is the US Embassy we’re talking about and security screening is very important. Perhaps they have an armed guard who does a biometric iris scan of the mail carrier, dusts the package of court documents and English translations off for fingerprints, gasses it in a biohazard decontamination chamber, has drug sniffing dogs check it for drugs, explosive sniffing dogs check it for explosives, anthrax sniffing dogs check it for anthrax and…well you can never be too careful.

So I talked to the mail carrier, gave him an updated US Embassy phone number and…here’s hoping the package is delivered today. The Embassy is closed for Thanksgiving on Wednesday and Thursday as they double dip on giving themselves a break for all US AND Thai holidays. Hopefully I don’t have to entertain any more nightmares about Ka’s passport being stuck in some mail center “Delivery failed/return to sender” loop indefinitely.

Perhaps we can build a snowman…time will tell

Buy me a ko-fi