Passport Day

Today was passport day. I went with the other fathers of our group of five to the Vietnamese passport office. I felt a little out of place, not being a guy, but you do what you gotta do, right?

The whole experience was different. I can't say it was a BAD experience at all, just different. We took two cabs there with Kenny and Martin. We drove down the streets of Hanoi and stopped outside a large alley type area with a building towards the back. We were first told to wait, by Martin, on the street for a few minutes, but it was raining, so he said we could go wait inside. We walked down this alley, with like little stall-type areas along the way. Not for selling stuff, but there were people sitting there, just hanging out. We got to a larger building and walked up a flight of metal stairs. Just below the stairs was a motorcycle parking area.

When we reached the top of the stairs, we went into a larger waiting area...it kind of reminded me of a bus station inside, or a shabby DMV. There were blue plastic chairs in rows, and we were all told to sit. Martin and Kenny had us go up in a line, a few people at a time. One side of this large counter we had to sign the paperwork and they looked over our passports. Then, we went to the other side to pay our fee, which was 200,000 dong, or about $14 USD. That was it. We then walked back down that alley to the street, waited for cabs, and came back to the hotel.

It was odd, though, because the people behind the glass were VERY business. They did not meet my eye, they did not grin, they did not smile, NOTHING. Just sign, look at passport, move to the other side, and then pay your money. No grin, no nothing. And they all wore military uniforms. So, while it wasn't wholly uncomfortable, it was odd. I have to say, though, that Martin and Kenny didn't seem too uncomfortable...they were very professional, of course, but not quite as stiff as the rest of us.

Tomorrow, we have two groups...one group will go pick up the passports (that would be the fathers and me), and the other group will go to have the baby's visa photo taken. My mom and sister will go do that. Then, we wait until Monday morning for her medical appointment, then her visa appointment at the US Embassy, and we will be free to leave.

We are hoping tomorrow night to go see the water puppet show with the other Michelle from Minnesota. Little Missy seems to be doing fine, but she is congested and has some green boogies. She is taking some baby triaminic. :)

More photos to come, I promise!!!!