So, there is this little thing called the GNIB (Garda National Immigration Bureau). Ireland doesn't make you get a visa when studying abroad for a semester. But conveniently if you are staying in Ireland longer than 90 days or 3 months, you have to go get a GNIB card. Oh and did I forget, pay 300 euros. Seeing how when studying abroad we are only in Ireland for 3 1/2 months, it is kind of annoying having to have to pay 300 euros. Oh and the horror stories you hear about the GNIB. First off people will get there at 6am when it doesn't even open until 8am and not even get a ticket and ask to come back a different day. Then if you don't bring the right documents, oh you are in for a yelling for. Not only might you have waited in line for 6 hours, but then get a yelling at by the GNIB people and them sending you home having to come back another day. I heard about a girl who went with all the right documents, but the credit card account she was using was under her dad's name. They didn't believe that it was her dad and asked for proof that he was. They even went to the point of asking if he could fly over here to prove it. Ridiculous right? My roommate got yelled at because her immigration stamp was expired by 2 weeks and the GNIB person said that they could call the garda (police) to arrest her because she has been illegally in their country for 2 weeks. He had brought her to tears. Most people don't get their GNIB card the first time. It normally takes them 2 or 3 times.
To say the least, I was not looking forward to going through this whole process. My stamp luckily expired November 1st, and being me I waited until the last minute to do this. So that's right, I went on the morning of Halloween! Happy Halloween to me! YAY! So, not wanting to get yelled at for being an illegal immigrant, this was my one shot. I checked and double checked with everyone that I had all the right documents. Then making sure I got a ticket, I decided I would wake up at 4:30. I got my lazy ass out of bed, dressed, and feed. I grumpily walked towards the bus stop to hail a cab, seeing how buses don't start running until 6. The cab driver told me off saying that it was too early to go to the GNIB. He said it is best to go in around 11 and not have to wait in line. I told him I wanted to make sure that I got a ticket that day.
12 euros later, I was waiting in line with a shit ton of other international people. The line was already wrapped around 2 sides of the building when I got there. People start lining up at 3am in the morning. I immediately plopped my butt down on the cold sidewalk. A Pride and Prejudice movie later, and the line finally starts moving as the GNIB finally opened. It took about an hour of slow walking to finally get into the building. Guess what number I got? Just guess! You got it! Ya, I was number 150! When I sat down they were on number 4. Hmmm.... let's calculate how long I will be waiting for. Try this for some math: 30 minutes of Lion King + 3% of Gone Girl + the whole A Walk to Remember + 20 Flow Puzzles completed + 5% more of Gone Girl + 10 more Flow Puzzles + maybe about 10 songs=....? You think you got it. If the answer was 4 hours, then you were correct. After about waiting around for 4 hours, I finally got to talk to someone. I go up to the desk and hand over all my papers. The guy behind the glass window doesn't say a single thing to me. I nervously sit there while he types some things into a computer. Then we get some interaction. It goes like this:
Guy: how long I am here for?
Me:until December 20th.
(a couple minutes of typing and me hoping nothing is wrong)
Guy: Where are you living?
Me: (oh shit, what is my address) it isn't on one of those papers?.... Um, I live on UCD campus. Glenomena house 3, apartment 6, room 1.
Guy: What is a number I can contact you at?
Me: Um, I don't have one
Guy: so there is no way to contact you?
Me: uh, no... is that a problem? (starting to think I'm not going to get my GNIB card)
Guy: so you are only here a semester?
(Guy, keeps flipping through my passport and papers)
Me: yes!
Guy: so you are only here for another month or so?
Me: yes
Guy: so it is really pointless for you to pay 300 eurors
Me: ya, but that is the rules of the country
(guy keeps looking around)
Guy: so, I am going to re-punch you into the country, so you don't have to pay the 300 euros
Me: OMG, thank you so much (so much happiness rushed over me)
I was so happy for not having to waste 300 euros for being in the country for an extra 2 weeks and having such a nice guy at my window. So for whoever you were, you just made my month pretty much! So, after that whole process I go back to my apartment to try to take a nice nap so I can celebrate Halloween in the proper manner. So, for your enjoyment, here are my halloween costumes!
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