Receiving the Visa = Highlight of My Week

August 22, 2010

Finally!

I finally received my Tier 4 General Student Visa in the mail earlier this week after an anxious instance where my application was almost denied!  THAT was pretty scary, but I'm so glad everything got sorted out!  Who knew that the UK had such stringent requirements?

I received in the mail the visa along with all the other documents that I sent them minus the actual applications (yes, there were three different applications to be filled out).  I still think it's kind of ridiculous how I had to send in my no-longer-valid Korean passport as well - what would they have done if I no longer had it in my possession?  I mean, it's not valid anymore since I am no longer a citizen of Korea...

The visa was mailed via UPS "next day air" method (although I'm confident that it didn't fly here from the British consulate in LA, which is literally 20 minutes away from my house).  It was kind of nice how they were extremely prompt about sending off the visa - one good thing out of this stressful experience!

I met with a couple of friends from Penn today, and we ended up hanging out in a spa, which was a really cool experience (but I'll save that for another day).  Since Penn's Fall 2010 semester is starting so soon, this was the last time I would see them until I came back from Wales.  It feels so weird that I won't be there in the fall!  I feel like I should be doing some sort of preparations to go back to Philly.  I am really sad that I'll be missing out so much in the fall, but I'm sure the semester would fly by as usual, and it'll be *gasp* the second semester of junior year in no time.

I'm not going to lie - my thoughts about studying abroad and Wales aren't all just filled with excitement - I'm actually more worried now than before.  There's so much to prepare, and I am so not ready!  Clock is ticking....

Crap. Visa Problems

August 16, 2010

I received a Visa update from the British Embassy here in Los Angeles yesterday. It seems that I had read the details of the visa requirements incorrectly, and my Visa application to the UK is in deep jeopardy of getting rejected.

I freaked out the entire day and night yesterday - I sent in an additional document of the financial aid package I received from Penn hoping that it would suffice the funds requirement for the Tier 4 General Student Visa to the UK, but honestly I am not sure if that will work.  Worst case scenario, I would be entering the UK as a student visitor and therefore getting my visa at the Heathrow Airport on the day of my arrival, but I'd still rather not have to deal with the anxiety.

In a way, I'm glad that this problem was detected relatively early, since I still have time before arriving to the UK to figure out things.  Now that I've calmed down from the incident, all I have to do is wait until the end of the week and see if I'd be granted the Tier 4 Visa or would have to be extra prepared to enter as a Student Visitor on the day of my arrival at Heathrow.

This is extra frustrating since I had to somehow provide proof that I had funds ready BEFORE the date of my application - so despite the fact that I have it ready in a bank account right now, it would not meet the requirements.  It's also frustrating because I have so many other things to worry about including signing up for classes (which I still haven't done and will not receive the information to do so until the end of this month), figuring out cell phone usage, as well as bank account stuff.

I'm praying and hoping that the Penn financial aid package letter would suffice, and I won't have to deal with more Visa stuff on the day of my arrival.  I have definitely learned my lesson though - and it's a good lesson to be learned.

Visa, Sickness & the Bucket List

July 16, 2010

I finally got cracking down to applying for my visa for the UK today, and it was the biggest pain in the butt!  If it weren't for Penn Abroad's detailed step-by-step instructions, I really would have forgotten a bunch of documents.  I think it's quite ridiculous how there is an online application, and then an in-person interview, two different paper applications, and then a bunch of documents to attach to prove claims that I made in the applications.

I thought, "there's gotta be an easier way to do this."  I wonder if in the future everything would be so computerized that visas would be very simple.  But then again, how would all these documents overcome the cultural and systematic differences between nations?  I even had difficulty with the whole date-first-and-then-month ordeal.  Better get used to it, I suppose.  Although I filled out most of the initial work today, I still have to take care of a bunch of stuff before finally sending off the visa application packet in the mail - visiting the bank, taking a passport picture, going in person for an interview - ahhh!  I'm just crossing my fingers that all of these stuff can get processed in time - I'm a bit anxious because I've lost time trying to get my CAS number from Cardiff (it got lost in transition - twice - and I finally received it last night, as opposed to a month and a half ago).

On another point, I have been feeling sickly for the past (almost) month now.  It's really getting ridiculous.  I hate feeling this way constantly.  The worst part is that I have no idea what's wrong!!  At first, I thought I had the flu, and then it turned out not to be the flu.  I was just constantly dizzy and feeling faint - all the time.  I thought I was starting to get better, and then yesterday, I woke up with an inflamed throat and canker sores all over my gums and tongue.  It's gotten to a point where I cannot do work at all - after a brief internship meeting in the morning today, I returned home and slept until late into the afternoon because I just could not work any longer.

I visited the doctor last week and took a blood test, so hopefully those results will come in with a diagnosis on the problem.

A couple friends and I have been recently talking about creating a Bucket List, and so I began to brainstorm some stuff.  This list is by no means complete, and I'll update it as I think of more things...but here it is for now.

Elisa's Bucket List (so far) - in no particular order

1.   Fall in love & never, ever let go.

2.   Go to an H.O.T. concert

3.   Go on a short-term mission

4.   Go skydiving

5.   Hike the Half-Dome

6.   Fish a shark

7.   Learn to swim

8.   Go swimming with dolphins

9.   Watch a solar eclipse with someone special

10.                 Go on a road trip

11.                 Donate to a university in the form of a scholarship

12.                 Open a bakery

13.                 Travel around Europe

14.                 Visit a pyramid

15.                 Go to the Great Wall of China

16.                 Have children

17.                 Cook a Thanksgiving meal

18.                 Finish the BBC 100 book list

19.                 Be in a musical

20.                 Play the piano at a church

21.                 Study abroad

22.                 Pet a baby tiger

It's kind of pleasant to know that #21 will be crossed off at the end of this year! :)