THE LOOK (the consulate saga continues)

In the last post, believe it or not, I did not share all the details. I mean, really, what am I writing - a book? Anyway, I had just gone into the locked room where you get in line to do the actual applying, and I saw the people in line in front of me pulling their passport photos out of an envelope. I realized that my passport photos were in the leather portfolio with the offending calculator, that had been locked in a second room across the hall.

I pushed the buzzer to ask to be let out into the hall. Then once in the hall, I buzzed the third room - where the intake officer goes while he is not 'intaking.' He came out with one of those sooo Israeli looks of exasperation. I explained I had noticed the family in front of me with their photos, and I had realized my photos were in my portfolio. He wanted to discuss whether I needed them. "Maybe," he said, "they are applying for something different from you. Did Rosie say that you would need the photos?" I answered that she did not mention the photos but I wanted to have them in case they were needed. His look of exasperation deepened to a level only possible for a sabra, as he retrieved the portfolio and I took my photos.

As it turns out, I was not asked for photos, so I was feeling kind of foolish when I went back into the hall. I was all prepared to apologize to the officer for putting him to the bother of allowing me to retrieve the photos - apparently unnecessarily, but a new officer came from room three. I had started to speak, thinking it was the other fellow, then had to say, "oh, you are a different guy." He responded, "the other one is the nice one; did you have something to say?" I just muttered that I was going to tell him he had been right about something. Officer number two said, "Of course he was right. He is always right."

I just got off the phone with the consulate. They called to ask why I did not give them my photos, and to tell me that now I must send them the photos so they can process my application. They convey all this with a tone that matches the "look," to which I am becoming very accustomed.

So I can see how it is going to be, if I do not develop a more Israeli attitude: I will be right about something, but after getting a couple of those sooo Israeli looks of exasperation, I will back down and not argue my point. Then it will turn out I should have argued, because now I have to do more work and experience additional delay, and be asked why I did not do things correctly in the first place.