Eye, eye, eye.

I, I, I.

Immigration, Immigration, Insa-dong.

Started at the U.S. Embassy.  Told them I was an American in distress.  Explained the visa issues I’m having with Jee Yeun.  Told me they couldn’t help with that and suggested I go around the corner and talk to the Immigration Service.  Asked if I needed an appointment, was told “don’t know, not my department”.

Talked my way in to immigration and had the good fortune (or maybe misfortune, depending on the outcome) of talking to the agent who had denied Jee Yeun’s tourist visa application last year.  She has subsequently resubmitted with additional documentation.  It’s been over two weeks.  The agent said, “oh yeah, I’ve got that, just haven’t had a chance to look at it yet.”  He assured us he’d get right on it.

I said I didn’t want there to be any confusion because I had applied for a fiancee visa in January and still had not heard a word.  I didn’t want to create the appearance that we were trying to game the system.  We just want Jee Yeun to be able to visit the USA while the fiancee visa is pending.  He said he’d check on that too.

So, we’ll see.  Jee Yeun says she has a “good feeling”.  I, being wiser to the byzantine ways of government, am not to sure.

We left the embassy and cabbed to the Korean immigration office in Jongno where I got my passport stamped “extending my sojourn” in Korea through June 7.

Being as how it was now a little after 3:00 and our dinner engagement in Itaewon wasn’t until 5:30, we were in a bit of a “no man’s land” kind of bind.  Not really enough time to retreat back to our Gireum abode, far too early to start drinking in the ‘twon.  So, we hiked over to Insa-dong for a look around.

Jee Yeun professed hunger so we found a place where she could snack on mandu.  Then upstairs for some coffee and people watching.  I hadn’t accurately calculated the traffic our bus would encounter on the short trip to Itaewon, so we turned up a few minutes late for dinner.

And that is my tale of the I’s.