Yesterday, Colin and I took the trip to the Embassy to submit all our forms for Emalyn's Overseas Birth Notification, Social Security number, and passport. We finally got the official Omani Birth Certificates so we could have everything we needed. And yes, I did say certificates cause you get two; one in English and one in Arabic. AND they list the baby's Islamic birth date which we think is pretty darn cool (Emalyn's is the 5th of Jumada, 1434).
Now, on to the Embassy story...
First, I will say that just getting inside the Embassy is an adventure. If you think airport security is bad, this is worse. I think the first time I went, they confiscated half of the contents of my purse which included a Tide-to-go stick, tooth picks, and chapstick (you do get it all back upon leaving). They make you press the button on your key remote to prove it's not a bomb. Your belongings and you are scanned. Seriously, I am an American going into the AMERICAN Embassy. I don't think bombing the building or killing anyone inside is on my agenda. But anyways...
Once inside, it's like being at the DMV. You go into a room with rows of chairs bolted to the floor, a TV playing something no one wants to watch (the news), old magazines, and a water cooler. You sit nicely and wait for your number to light up on the board above the little room you get to go in to (which I will say barely fit two adults and a carseat and gets uncomfortably warm), stand at a counter, and meet with the representative on the other side of the glass who will help you out. You slide paperwork and ID's back and forth through the tray under the window. Now it's like being at a drive up window at a bank. They review your applications and forms, stamp everything, sign it themselves, and make small talk. The good thing is that these people are actually nice and cheerful, unlike the DMV.
Now, we just get to wait about 2 weeks for the passport, which I am super excited to see cause it will feature this adorable picture of Emalyn which we had done at the local hole-in-the-wall photo store. I had to put a headband on her because otherwise, she would look like a boy or a girl at this stage. Driving license and passport pictures are notoriously terrible of people (my husband and Aberly look like thugs) so we were pretty happy it came out so well and that she doesn't look like a newborn alien. :-)
First, I will say that just getting inside the Embassy is an adventure. If you think airport security is bad, this is worse. I think the first time I went, they confiscated half of the contents of my purse which included a Tide-to-go stick, tooth picks, and chapstick (you do get it all back upon leaving). They make you press the button on your key remote to prove it's not a bomb. Your belongings and you are scanned. Seriously, I am an American going into the AMERICAN Embassy. I don't think bombing the building or killing anyone inside is on my agenda. But anyways...
Once inside, it's like being at the DMV. You go into a room with rows of chairs bolted to the floor, a TV playing something no one wants to watch (the news), old magazines, and a water cooler. You sit nicely and wait for your number to light up on the board above the little room you get to go in to (which I will say barely fit two adults and a carseat and gets uncomfortably warm), stand at a counter, and meet with the representative on the other side of the glass who will help you out. You slide paperwork and ID's back and forth through the tray under the window. Now it's like being at a drive up window at a bank. They review your applications and forms, stamp everything, sign it themselves, and make small talk. The good thing is that these people are actually nice and cheerful, unlike the DMV.
Now, we just get to wait about 2 weeks for the passport, which I am super excited to see cause it will feature this adorable picture of Emalyn which we had done at the local hole-in-the-wall photo store. I had to put a headband on her because otherwise, she would look like a boy or a girl at this stage. Driving license and passport pictures are notoriously terrible of people (my husband and Aberly look like thugs) so we were pretty happy it came out so well and that she doesn't look like a newborn alien. :-)
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