Visas – Part II

So, the visa form is gone in the mail, along with my passport … double-eep! But this is how these thing are usually done, so I trust it’ll be fine. I’ll know in three to four weeks. As a matter of fact, I have a tracking number for my package … let’s see where it is! … Hey, it’s reached the US. Good. I’ll see when it reaches Washintgon, then I’ll get happy.

I have also gotten hold of my International Driving Permit … along with it came a nice flier with little pictures of foreign road signs. Some interesting ones: Italian school crossings have the children depicted as practically dancing their way to school; European signs include the warning of “Flammable Forest” (with what happened in Greece, I now understand why); and Belgium actually has a sign saying “Passage Difficile” (“Difficult Passage”) for any complicated road design.

I have now officially started my Ruhi Book 5 class, which discusses of Junior Youth projects (age range 12-15, which is what I’ll be focusing on). It looks promising. Hopefully I’ll have put a dent in the book by the time I have to leave.

The Tickets Are In!

Huzzah! Today’s victories:

• Purchased my plane ticket. Departure, October 31st, 10am, from Ottawa; arrival, November 1st, 12:15am, Paramaribo (Suriname). Return departure: August 2nd 2008, 4am (ugh), Paramaribo; arrival, August 2nd, 5:36pm, Ottawa.
• Got medical insurance and emergency return trip coverage (if something happens back at home and they need me earlier than my planned return date, they pay me the ticket).
• Bought more stuff for “The List” (toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, many mini razors)
• Learned that even thought I only have a G2 driver’s permit, I CAN have an international driver’s permit!

Fun factor: passport photos are a little expensive. I needed two for my international driver’s permit, and need one more for my visa. Entertainingly enough, the man to whom I spoke concerning the driver’s permit informed me that I could take my own pictures, and that they could authenticate them once I brought them in person to the office. So I set up the timer on my camera, set the camera on the stairwell railing, crouched low enough to have my face in the picture (failed a few times), photoshoped the thing to get the picture the right size, stuck four copies on one 4″x6″ .jpeg file, brought the file to the pharmacy, and paid 0.33$ to get the pictures developed (as opposed to 9.99$ x2 for four pictures). Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Instrument on The Go

The villages where I’m to work are very strong on family, culture, and music. Thus, I was informed that, had I an instrument, I should bring it, for I’m guaranteed to participate in jam sessions almost every night. On the other hand, if I had a fairly good instrument, I should bring a cheaper one in its place. The hot and humid temperature is well known to destroy wooden instruments.

It’s been about two months now that I’ve been looking high and low for a cheap violin, but for a low sum, and a reasonable sound, there aren’t many. Borrowing one from a friend or family member that doesn’t use theirs often makes me feel cheap. I can hear it now: “Hey, can I borrow your violin for a year? I’m going to South America, and the humidity’s known to damage instruments, and I don’t want to bring mine … can I ruin yours instead?”

So, you can imagine how relieved (and dumb) I felt today when I was staring at my viola case by my desk … nice, cheap (yet good enough for me to want to play it) … who cares if I bring a viola instead of a violin? I can do as much music with it! Now why hadn’t I thought of this before …

So, I went and bought a decent case (it originally came in a black cardboard case – not very good for traveling, if you ask me) and a nice unbreakable fiber-glass bow, and now I’m all set!

One thing less from the list!

Health Care 101

Apparently, Ontario’s OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Policy) covers two whole years of your life if you’re travelling for an extended period of time. I had to get a new card to get insurance for a year, and it was the easiest and quickest thing to do. But it was also necessary: private insurances wouldn’t've covered emergency expenses had I not gotten the international travelling insurance from OHIP. Eek. Lucky I stumbled upon that information.

So, one thing down – now to get the private insurance (too bad I’m not covered by my parents’ plan anymore!).

Lists!

There are so many things I need to keep into account, that I’ve decided to make a list of things to do and to buy before leaving.

“A list” has now become “lists”, plural.

The titles are as such:

• Things to organize (such as visas, immunizations, learning to drive standard …),
• Things to buy before leaving (such as toothpaste, shampoo, feminine stuff, sunscreen, bug repellent … things seemingly simple are relatively expensive down there, so I’ve been encouraged to bring my own stuff for the whole nine months …)
• Things to bring, legal (passport, visa, birth certificate …)
• Things to bring, general (3 to 4 changes of clothing, sandals, swimsuit, mosquito net)
• Classroom items (paints, markers, crayons, stickers …)

Plus the computer and the violin (and any other portable instruments … there go my tin whistles …).

Talk about lists!