consulate interview

today is my schengen visa application interview at the spanish consulate.

i was met by my agent's person and after a thirty minute wait after my interview schedule, i was ushered to the small consulate office. here, the only things we were allowed to bring were our documents and ID. upon entering their office, those who are applying for a visa were made to sit on a separate set of chairs from those who carry spanish passports and other business. it was just really a small receiving area with a couple of chairs, a tv and several windows for the interviewees. before me were a family, a couple of individuals, two brothers (who were accompanied by parents), a very old couple (who by the way are so makulit), and two seamen. i realized then that for all embassies, the appointment time is not necessarily the time at which they are going to interview you but it is the time that you need to be there. it will be very unfortunate for you if the person ahead of you takes a long time at the interview and there's only a few consuls available to get your application.

on the other corner, there was this old spanish woman who really looks like our floor mother at my freshman dorm, ms. luna, and she was talking to the consul in spanish. i didn't mean to listen but i cannot help it. the old lady was asking for the consul to speak louder because she couldn't hear in one ear after getting into an accident. they were talking for a long time because she needed to have a new passport. there was also this other middle-aged spanish lady who didn't realize that there was a queue and proceeded to the counter. when she was told by the consul that there was a queue, she looked behind her, saw us, looked back and said, 'but i'm a spanish citizen.' okay, no arguments there. it was just nice because the guy whose turn it was was cool and just said "es pasa nada."

when my turn came, i was asked a lot (?) of questions. sure enough, i was asked the question that, although expected, i didn't prepare for: why aren't you going with a group? so i told her the short version of the long story -- that i  couldn't join my parish because they prioritized the ministry members. then i was asked if i called the ecy and i said that yes, i did call ecy and the diocese but they all told me to talk to my parish. since that wasn't going anywhere, i decided to go on my own. i think that answer appeased the interviewer but i guess the interviewer at the other window was also listening (while waiting for the old couple in front of her to produce their documents) and asked in spanish why i wasn't in a group and my interviewer told her that my parish didn't take me in.  

"aah... es muy complicado!" -- but these words weren't for me but for the old couple at the other window. the guy had been presenting for a long time documents that he had amassed to prove that this person was so and so, and his wife confirming it. it was a very long story but the consul was so experienced that she got right to the heart of the matter -- the couple just wants to visit spain! "aah, es muy complicado!" and what i'm impressed about is this lady speaks spanish, english and tagalog! :)

so back to my story. i was also asked how much i am earning, how long i've been on the job, whom do i live with, do i support anyone, do i know anyone in spain. standard questions, i guess. after that, i was asked to pay the Php3760 fee and that was it. i only had to wait for 12 days for them to release my passport.

yipee!!!