#13 The Sun also Shines [PART3. Spain] ep.II "Embassy of Sweden"
The semester in Spain begins on September 1st. It's at the beginning of June now.
Considering that it takes two months to receive the visa, certificate of innocence and health are valid for one month, I have to prepare all the documents before the middle of June, and depart at the end of August.
Date when I can receivev the visa at the embassy will be announced via mail on that day, so I couldn't decide when exactly to depart to Spain. Which means I can't but a flight ticket.
I still have one more document to prepare at the beginning of June.
Certificate of exchange program issued by the university in Spain.
I must bring an original copy of this. Paper is required in 21st century.
Now it's nearly at the end of June. I told the international office at my Uni to ask if Spanish Uni sent the letter yet, but they said yes, they did. Even though it's at the edge of deadline, I asked them again, and they told me that they sent us another one.
Days passed imaginning what if someone dropped it in Seria, it were floating on the Indian Ocean, or Noth Korea shot it down. Eventually I received it in Friday afternoon.
Next Monday morning around half past seven, I took a flight to Tokyo. The embassy of Spain accepts requests only in mornings on weekdays.
Around ten, going through the forest of concrete and sailing among the sea of metro, I finally accomplished applying the visa at the embassy of Sweden, no, at the embassy of Spain which is located right in front of it.
Sugita, a student from the same class and going Spain at the same period, and happened to be there, was asking staff to hurry to issue the visa, but they said no.
We went to a cafe nearby, and ate bowl of rice with grilled pork on it at Haneda Airport.
I went back to Sapporo around 5pm to take a Spanish class at Uni.
Tokyo is a scary city.
Its humid heatness choked me even it's still June at that time, and Tokyo Tower. It can sting you. Its red is a color of blood whose younglings came to Tokyo to achieve thier dreams and failed.
At the middle of July, a worn out envelope arrived. The first certificate of the program they sent.
I talked with Ms. Yamashina , at travel service at uni, several times, we agreed on departure from Sapporo on Monday of August 28th, receiving the visa on Tuesday 29th, the next day, on Wednesday 30th, flying to Spain from Tokyo. As long as I don't receive the letter from the embassy letting me know it's ready, we decided to reserve a seat without payment.
The deadline of purchase is August 25th, Friday, at 12pm.
It's because traveling to Spain without the visa makes troubles. This flight was the last one to attend the first day of class. If I couldn't get a letter from the embassy, I would have to delay the departure day and be late for the semester.
August 24th, Thursday evenning.
After classes, I went back home right away to check a mail box, but it hasn't arrived yet. A post office may have it because nobody was home when they came to deliver, so I took a bike there. I got spider's web on my face on way back home.
August 25th, Fridaday morning.
Mails are delivered once a day at around 10am to my home. The deadline of the purchase of the flight ticket is at 12pm of this day. Previous day, Ms. Yamashina called me to wait at home on Friday, and as soon as I get it, I would call her to realize the payment. When the clock shows 11am, a red bike came and put something in the mail box.
Ms. Yamashina was talking as if she's crying for joy and relief.
NEXT: The Sun also Shines [PART3. Spain] ep.III "30€"
↓ To read this article in Japanese
現在、海外の大学院に通っています。是非、よろしくお願いします。