Visa Interview

The day before yesterday (the 28th) I got a plane up to Auckland (largest city in NZ) in the evening. It was nice to be able to catch up with some of my family up there.

The plane ride up was ok, I was intrigued at how people move their seats around though. I chose a window seat with no-one in the same row when I got my boarding pass, but then it turned out to be a full row when I was on the plane!

I learnt that the 7kg rule for hand lunggage was lenint because I managed to get away without checking my bag in on the way back (it was 8.1kg not 7kg). On the way up my bag was 8.3kg (big diff lol). I was astounded at the amount I carry around on my back all the time! I really should try and cut that down...

ANYWAY

The visa interview was definately strange!

I got there about 25mins early for my 9.45am appointment(29th). I thought I'd have lots of time, but I actually didn't!
I had to go through security and give them my bags and turn my phone off.

Then I had to line up on the side for non-immigrants. What you would think wold be a quick process was really slow since they only had one window open,and each person took about 5mins to process. So by the time I got to the window, it WAS 9.45am!
By that time I was FREAKING out because I was like, oh no, I'm going to be turned back and told to re-book for another day since I was "late." However, turns out they didn't take much notice of the appointment time and they were behind schedule anyway.

Then I was asked some questions and had to sign some stuff as well as giving over a whole bunch of paperwork. Oh and fingerprinted me. 2nd almost heart attack occured when the lady asked where one of my forms was. I was like....oh no! She looked through them again and thewn I did too and I couldn't find it! Luckily thoguh she showed me an example of what it was supposed to look like, ad I remembered it. ..then I realised it was stapled to something else, which luckily I had with me! *Phew*

Then I was asked to sit down. So weird how they say "SURNAME, FIRST NAME". I took another 30 or so mins before it was my turn. The interview was not what I was expecting (a room by myself...? . I had to go to the window next to the other one and it was an interview through glass, in front of everyone, standing up! Very odd.

I had to re-fingerprint (just incase I morphed or something lol) and then was asked a bunch of questions I guessed were coming (plus I could hear the other interviews and they didn't change their questions). Then I found out the lady I was talking to was a diplomat. I got all excited and aked her a bunch of questions. She was very nice. It was cool to have a kind of bond or something [I'm doing politics]. :P

Anyway so then I was told it was over (lasted like 5mins) and I was instructed to go pay the reciprocacy fee(about NZ$150) . I hate that, reciproacy fees are so stupid! They are so 'tit for tat' and definately need to be outlawed!!
They didn't accept card payments so I had to go find a bank and then come backand pay..

One cool thing though as that I got to see one of the other participants in the same programme as me. :D There were lots of camp america people there too which was interesting...

For the rest of the day I just meadered around Auckland (so many touristy spots!) until I could meet up with my friend at Auckland uni at 2pm.

My flight that evening was terrible! Coming into land it was like a boat, and there were all these sudden drops! People kind of brushed it off initially, but then started getting more concerned. It lasted for a while. I was fine until I suddenly got this horrible sharp pain between my eyes! It eventually turned into a headache, but I was so gad to get home and go to bed!

Yay less than TWO months to go!!!!