So.
After 19 hours of traveling, I arrived in Dublin.
After waiting in line for an hour, I went to the immigration counter, told him I was a student and handed him the only receipt NUIG had ever given me.
At which point he yelled at me, insulted me, and belittled me.
And said to make sure that my paper had a phone number next time. WTF?
"Are you registered?"
I thought he was referring to the school and said yes.
"You're registered with the Gardai?"
Now this made no sense. You register after you arrive. How could I have done that if I hadn't entered the country yet? I handed him the receipt.
"You really are giving this to me right now? You expect me to use this as proof that you're a student? A printed out e-mail! I could have typed this up myself! There's not even a name or signature!"
If you're typing it up yourself, sir, I'm sure you'd have no qualms adding the name and forging the signature.
"I can't believe this, you should know better! You were here studying 2 summers ago!"
I never ever brought proof before. I always just said I was a student staying for 30 days and they stamped my passport, then waved me on. I told him last summer I had not had to register or bring proof.
"THAT DOESN'T MATTER!"
I told him that was all I had.
"I've had plenty of other students come through here going to NUIG, and they have a lot more!"
Erasmus and visiting (study abroad) students get an actual letter in the mail and a lot more info. Postgraduates don't get anything in the mail.
"Who were you in contact with at the school? No one! What's the school's phone number? You don't have it! I can't believe this! Now I have to find the phone number and call them because you were too lazy."
Then, with contempt, "And you already have a degree!"
I told him I had been in e-mail contact with John Morrissey.
"Who?! What's his name?! And who is this guy?"
I explained that he was the head of the master's program and a professor in the department.
He huffed and puffed a bit more, took my picture, wrote in some info, didn't call anyone, then told me to register with the Gardai or I'd be deported.
"Are you confused about anything?" he asked me sneeringly.
I assured him I wasn't, took my passport, and stumbled away.
Good times.
Then I went to get my luggage, looking worriedly at my watch because my bus was to leave in 10 minutes.
No big green backpack.
"It never left Denver. It'll come in to Dublin from Frankfurt tonight at 6, it'll be delivered to you tomorrow."
Ok, that's cool, I guess.
My bus was scheduled to have left 10 minutes before this point, but I decided to go out and see if it might have been delayed before buying a new ticket.
"Excuse me miss, can I help you?"
I told him that I thought I'd missed my bus and showed him my ticket.
"Oh everyone's going to Galway! It's a lovely city, isn't it? Just go over to that man there and he can help you!"
I went to the other man and said the same thing.
"Yep, you missed it, but I'll put you on the next one! It's a 3 hour ride, it'll get you there at the same time. The driver's not there yet but you should be able to load your luggage."
This seemed to good to be true. My ticket was a special cheap fare, supposed to be non-refundable and non-transferable. I waited until the driver got onto the bus, then approached him and explained that the other man had said I could go on this bus.
"Well, we'll see about that! You're going to Galway? Yes, you can go on this bus, lovey!"
So, now I'm in Galway, just got my luggage, and am still homeless, though hopefully that will not be the case much longer. Until then, I'm at Snoozles.
After 19 hours of traveling, I arrived in Dublin.
After waiting in line for an hour, I went to the immigration counter, told him I was a student and handed him the only receipt NUIG had ever given me.
At which point he yelled at me, insulted me, and belittled me.
And said to make sure that my paper had a phone number next time. WTF?
"Are you registered?"
I thought he was referring to the school and said yes.
"You're registered with the Gardai?"
Now this made no sense. You register after you arrive. How could I have done that if I hadn't entered the country yet? I handed him the receipt.
"You really are giving this to me right now? You expect me to use this as proof that you're a student? A printed out e-mail! I could have typed this up myself! There's not even a name or signature!"
If you're typing it up yourself, sir, I'm sure you'd have no qualms adding the name and forging the signature.
"I can't believe this, you should know better! You were here studying 2 summers ago!"
I never ever brought proof before. I always just said I was a student staying for 30 days and they stamped my passport, then waved me on. I told him last summer I had not had to register or bring proof.
"THAT DOESN'T MATTER!"
I told him that was all I had.
"I've had plenty of other students come through here going to NUIG, and they have a lot more!"
Erasmus and visiting (study abroad) students get an actual letter in the mail and a lot more info. Postgraduates don't get anything in the mail.
"Who were you in contact with at the school? No one! What's the school's phone number? You don't have it! I can't believe this! Now I have to find the phone number and call them because you were too lazy."
Then, with contempt, "And you already have a degree!"
I told him I had been in e-mail contact with John Morrissey.
"Who?! What's his name?! And who is this guy?"
I explained that he was the head of the master's program and a professor in the department.
He huffed and puffed a bit more, took my picture, wrote in some info, didn't call anyone, then told me to register with the Gardai or I'd be deported.
"Are you confused about anything?" he asked me sneeringly.
I assured him I wasn't, took my passport, and stumbled away.
Good times.
Then I went to get my luggage, looking worriedly at my watch because my bus was to leave in 10 minutes.
No big green backpack.
"It never left Denver. It'll come in to Dublin from Frankfurt tonight at 6, it'll be delivered to you tomorrow."
Ok, that's cool, I guess.
My bus was scheduled to have left 10 minutes before this point, but I decided to go out and see if it might have been delayed before buying a new ticket.
"Excuse me miss, can I help you?"
I told him that I thought I'd missed my bus and showed him my ticket.
"Oh everyone's going to Galway! It's a lovely city, isn't it? Just go over to that man there and he can help you!"
I went to the other man and said the same thing.
"Yep, you missed it, but I'll put you on the next one! It's a 3 hour ride, it'll get you there at the same time. The driver's not there yet but you should be able to load your luggage."
This seemed to good to be true. My ticket was a special cheap fare, supposed to be non-refundable and non-transferable. I waited until the driver got onto the bus, then approached him and explained that the other man had said I could go on this bus.
"Well, we'll see about that! You're going to Galway? Yes, you can go on this bus, lovey!"
So, now I'm in Galway, just got my luggage, and am still homeless, though hopefully that will not be the case much longer. Until then, I'm at Snoozles.
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