Geschafft!

We had our visit to the US consulate today. First, let me say that I owe the consulate an apology. The whole procedure was vastly improved from last time. With Lilia, it took me more than 2 weeks just to get through on the telephone to make an appointment, and we got offered one 6 weeks later (no choice of date or time). We got stuck in rush-hour traffic, barely found the consulate (the driving directions weren't too good), and when we got there, it took the better part of an hour to get through security, during which time we were standing outside in a chilly March morning with a small baby. I was panicked, figuring we would miss the appointment and have to make another one, which fortunately wasn't the case, since nobody seemed to care about the actual appointment time. At that time the consulate building itself reminded me of Frankfurt Airport, with a 70s style waiting area teeming with tired-looking petitioners and barely decipherable announcements wafting overhead. After we left, we tried to do a quick tour of downtown Frankfurt, but Lilia screamed the whole time, and then Lilia and I went home on the train (Thorsten had a conference in Marburg), where she had a blowout poop that soaked through her clothes. Typically, there was no changing room to be found on the train and I ended up stripping her down on the drafty floor in the children's compartment. OK, those last two things weren't the fault of the consulate, but added to the atmosphere of No Fun.

This time around, I was called about setting up an appointment only 3 days after I sent my e-mail, and got one within 2 weeks. The consulate has moved to a more accessible, although less charming neighborhood and we found it without difficulty. We were then sheparded to the front of the security line ("We give babies priority here") and when we got inside the modern building we were promptly directed to the right area by a personable young man. When I complemented the woman processing our paperwork on the improvement since 2005 she smiled rather wistfully. "Ah, but we miss the old consulate," she said . . . I guess from her perspective that's probably true: good coffee and lunch places were probably much easier to find in the first location. Anyway, the whole thing took just about two hours, and we were back in Heidelberg in time for Mittagstisch at our favorite Thai restaurant and to pick Lilia up from daycare. Passport, etc. should arrive in 2-3 weeks . . . as long as that turns out OK, I will give the consulate an A. (Would be A+ except for the pictures of Bush, Cheney and Rice hanging right inside the entryway. Blech.)