Do not pass go

A recent letter "home":

...We've arrived back to Bangalore after our trip to Chennai to meet the Consulate (who made me cry in public, egads!) - it's a very very long story I don't wish to whine over anymore so will keep it short...we did *not* get the visa as easily as we had anticipated and have quite a few more hoops to jump through before we know much of anything.
In the meantime, because Hamid is Iranian, we've to go to Turkey to process his visa application.
There are only five United States Embassy offices that process immigration visas for Iranians - and not one of them is in India. So nice of them to tell us that these past nine months, but whatever!
We're looking at it now the only way that can save our sanity: as a game. One we intend to win.

It's something of a blessing in disguise as I've not yet been to Turkey. We're already planning a long-anticipated jaunt to the island of Antallia, so this will be fun...

We're going to finish out our stay in India (til the third week in May - giving us time to clear our house out, cancel the lease, etc.), then will move back into our house in Iran so we can travel to and from Turkey more easily.

All in all - it was a stressful trip but at least we're not up against that wall of trying to get this all worked out before Hamid's Indian visa expires in two and a half months.
I will say that I honestly felt like the United States government was dead set on penalizing me for my independence: being self employed turned out not to impress them one little bit. The fact that I built the thing from scratch didn't score points in any direction, nor did my homemade billing and accounting systems (which track our invoices to the minute and the penny but might as well have been scrawled on paper napkins with crayon for all they were worth to the Consul). My having lived outside the States for so long, in an effort at exploring the planet coupled with a distinct devotion to my darling husband were equally disdained in the weighing of facts and figures and I ended up feeling like I just couldn't win.
They must process hundreds of proxy marriages for people who've never even seen eachother in person, and yet my wanting to stay with my husband these past two years is something I am being heavily scrutinized for as it meant I was unable to maintain domicile in the U.S.

Our estimates of arriving happily in the States by August 2007 are now as tentative as ever...we do hope to see you soon and THIS YEAR...that is and has been the plan - but it's all up to the universe.

XO from India (for now)
Tess and Hamid



A letter to the (very kind) Chief U.S. Consul, Chennai, India:

Hello Mr. XXX,
You rescued me with tissues and a Quaker granola bar (do they sell those somewhere in India?? I think not...you have some serious connections) just yesterday when I was having a particularly bad afternoon, and I just wanted to say 'Thanks!'
My husband sends his regards as well....

The girl I spoke with, XXXXXXX, although is likely a very lovely person in non-office life, was less than sweet considering my circumstances (not that I expected her to change her mind, necessarily, but she could have at least *smiled* at some point during our lengthy conversations) and so your friendly face and kind words were especially welcome.

We've decided to finish out my husband's visa to India, til the 23rd of May, at which time we will return to our own house in Iran (a gift from his parents).
From there we will be better able to manage the visa application in Ankara, Turkey, and may even take an apartment there if it seems a nice place to live for a few months.
I've not yet seen Turkey so at least it's another adventure to be had.
I am happy that at least we have the option and will be able to stay together (the whole reason we lived in India these two+ years to begin with).

In any case, I've emailed the Ankara Embassy with my info and hope to hear from them soon, but in the meantime wanted to say that I really appreciated your being so cool yesterday - I was feeling so sad and so falling-apart and just generally confused by the way the officer had spoken to me that I needed a solid reminder of how nice and friendly Americans can and will be.

Thanks again,
Have a great day - and know that in the email home to everyone and anyone who has been waiting for us for ages *you* were truly the highlight.

Best,
Tess
(Terrace I. Strand petitioner for husband Hamid Alipour, Case number: XXXXXXX)