It’s Not Done, Until It’s Done

Habari, 

Well, about a month ago my work permit was approved by the Kenyan government.  Little did I know that it was just the beginning of a long process.  First, after the work permit was approved, the payment had to be processed.  Now you would think an organization or entity, of any kind, would process any payment coming to them very quickly.  It took three weeks for the process to be approved.  I was shocked.  

The next thing that has to occur was the stamping of my passport.  This will prevent me from having to stand in the long lines of tourist when I come back into the country.  Now, that almost makes all of this half way worth it.  I can’t tell you how many hours I have spent in the immigration lines.  The problem with this stamping is that you have to physically give your passport to a messenger and trust that he will return with it in a couple of days. 

Well, as you can all imagine, I gave the young man a nice talking to when I handed him my passport.  I made it clear what the consequences would be if even a page was lost out of my passport.  Now he smiled a cheesy grin at me, so I’m not sure he understood me.  I think he got the message when I showed him my fist.  Yes I did.  I’ll just say, my passport came back properly stamped and in one piece.

Now that my passport is stamped, and everything is approved, I have to go get my National Social Security Fund, Alien Registration Card, National Hospital Insurance Fund card and Tax Personal Identification Number (PIN). 

Every last one of these items could take a half a day’s work to get done properly.  Now this is how I know I have grown since I left the United States.  I have learned patience and tolerance on a whole different level.  I have given up the urge to give the rude woman behind the desk a piece of my mind when she gives me attitude when I ask her a question.  I have stopped displaying my frustration when I’ve waiting in line for what seems like hours when the person behind the desk moves at a snail’s pace.

Nope, I have learned to entertainment myself during these trying times.  Thank God for the I-Pad.  I can entertain myself for hours with this one little device.  Now, some of you may say, you need to be careful carrying an I-Pad openly in a foreign country.  All I can say in response to that is, the amount of frustration I build up in these situations, couldn’t find a better target to be unleashed upon, than on the individual who tries to steal my I-Pad.  As much as I enjoy some of the theater that goes on these situations, having anything stolen from me would force me into a temporary psychotic break. 

I have to ask you all to pray for me over the next few weeks as I attempt to obtain the rest of my government documents.  I’m sure the adventure obtaining each document could serve as its own blog entry.  As I settled into my alien life in Nairobi, I’m sure I will have tons of stories to tell and those that I can’t tell in this open forum.  The list of untold stories is really starting to pile up.  SMH.  My face to face conversations will be very interesting for quite some time. 

Well folks, I’m going to close this out.  Next week I will tell the story of obtaining my NSSF and alien cards.  It’s bound to be entertaining.  Until then…

Asante sana,

Della Rochelle

Copyright © 2012 by Della Rochelle Williams