much ado about visa

i hate bureaucracy, i hate frustrated officers who hate their jobs, and i hate waiting whenever i have no clue what am i waiting for. this is the system, though. i have nothing else to choose than playing according to its rules (at least if i plan to get what i want out of it...).

yesterday i went to warszawa in order to make my stay in canada legal, i.e. i went to get a study permit. well, actually i went to buy it. there was no sale, so i had to pay a full rate for such a permit - 125$. horrendous price for such a gloomy and unhelpful service.

anyway, the timeline looks approximately like that:

• 8:15 - i take my place in the queue in front of canadian embassy at piekna st. 2
• 10:00 - the security checks my backpack if i don't have any weapons
• 10:20 - i am kindly allowed in
• 11:00 - my papers are recieved by a cold officer who probably has never smiled
• 12:00 - i pay the fee of 125$

then i waste two hours sitting in the embassy waiting and waiting until they announce a lunchbreak and kick everyone out of the building.

i am pissed at the officers, cause they do not inform the people that the visas will be available after 14:00. anyhow, i come back to the embassy, i get the letter, which has approved my application and a beautiful sticker-like visa in my passport. actually, it is the first input in my passport since we joined EU!

happy end: i have the study permit for two years. now i can just fly to vancouver...