I was dreading today.

After the debacle during my last visit to the Consulate, I was not looking forward to a repeat performance today.  With any luck, today’s trip will be the last one for us (and our visas will be via courier!) The question you’re dying to ask– did they accept our forms? Do we have to repeat this paperwork tango again? Although we won’t have confirmation until our documents are returned to us via overnight post at the end of next week, the service agent did accept all of our forms for processing. (Last time, if you remember, they kicked back one of the  forms immediately at the window.)

If you noticed the photo I posted to Facebook earlier today, you might be wondering what happened. Well, I navigated the Secretary of State’s office in about 10 minutes, a person al record! In, out, and certified! When I arrived at the Consulate though, I had a feeling I was going to be in for quite a day.

Have you ever felt like the world was trying to send you a message?

I crossed the street to the building and noticed that they had ripped up the sidewalk outside the office building housing the Consulate. Just that one. Almost comically, there was caution tape wrapped completely around the former sidewalk and out into the street. A huge “CLOSED” sign was on the door to the office complex. Great, just great. I began my usual panicking of how I was going to vault the wet cement to get into the building. Luckily, I noticed several other people clearly on their way to the Consulate looking at a sign near the intersection which indicated entering the Consulate from one block down. I found the corresponding building, and then proceeded to follow no fewer than 20 handwritten signs which led us up stairs, down stairs, through corridors, and finally into the lobby of the correct building. I had to laugh–if this was any hint of my morning, I was in store for quite a day!

As happened last time, I arrived promptly at 9 am when the Consulate opened, but THIS time I knew to take a number! The room was incredibly crowded again– maybe 100-150 people were crammed in, and almost every seat was taken. Just like clockwork, the agents filed out into their cubicles, and soon they were “Now serving A001”. This time, I was 17 in line for the authentications– not too bad. However, the first two numbers called for my line were both adoptive families. I checked my watch when the first family was shuffled off to “fix” their applications, and it was 9:20. Wow, one person serviced in 20 minutes?? It’s going to be a LONG morning. My line continued to move at a snail’s pace, and soon it was 10:00 and they were serving #4.  I know, patience, patience! However, what was frustrating to just about everyone else waiting for their number to be called was that 3 out of the 4 windows were staffed, but the employees were just sitting there drinking their coffee and not calling numbers. Occasionally, they would call a number for a category that no one was waiting for- so they’d continue to sit there. A few brave folks tried to just sidle on up to the window to see if they’d help them, but they were just shooed away. “Not your line.”

Luckily, a supervisor called several of them into a back room, and they returned and began servicing the one increasingly crazy line that I was in– the woman next to me had 43, and they were serving #6 now?!? Suddenly, with four windows truly open, I was called up in no time… by the cashier. The woman who was stationed at the cashier/pick up window opened a spare window, and decided to help out. Great in theory. However, since she was manning another window, she would immediately stop what she was doing with me (and others in her line) and move to another window while we stood there, paperwork splayed. This time, when she began processing my papers, she noticed that I had a stack of originals and a stack of photocopies just like I was asked to do last time.

Apparently, the rules have changed in the last two weeks. Without even looking at me, she shoved all the papers back at me through the window and literally tossed paperclips at me. “Fix and come back to my window!” I asked if I needed a new number, but I knew the answer. I was going to have to be a lurker. A lot of the paperclips had fallen to the floor, and I scrambled to pick them up while someone else stepped up to the window.

For those who haven’t seen me in distress, my first response is usually to start shaking. I was a shaking, shivering mess as I was attempting to organize all the paperwork according to some method that she never explained– I was near panic attack when I saw that I still didn’t have enough paperclips. I had already witnessed two people sent away for whatever they presented to the agent and told to come back on Monday. It really felt like an episode of Seinfeld. Finally, after trying to calm the heck down, I managed to get everything at least organized by document, and then had stand awkwardly up at the front of the room and try to “cut” in between customers.

After having to stand in line way too long, she finally looked through our dossier documents, though definitely not as thoroughly as the woman did last time. Hey, no complaints here.  She accepted all 17 documents and I paid the authentication fees, assuming they all make it. I requested mail back service, so instead of having to deal with yet another trip, they’ll just throw it in the mail. Good deal- though I did have to provide an envelope and prepaid air postage.

To make a short story long, it was a LONG morning but with a seemingly happy ending. At least until late next week when we should be receiving our sealed documents, I can relax a little and get back to my fall gardening plans!

Oh, and for any of you curious about what document authentication looks like, here’s a picture of one of our authenticated docs from PA:

The holy grail, to adoptive parents

These are glued on to the underside of the state certification page. Each seal is unique, numbered, and has the notary, date, and document details printed on it. Once our documents reach China, the seals will be cross-checked in the system to make sure they’re valid. Wow, just wow.