En route to legality. And maybe Singapore.

In the days leading up to 2012, I suddenly found myself illegal in Indonesia. This wasn’t my fault, honestly. I’d taken my passport and turned it into HR a couple of weeks ago so they could do their thing with immigration.

I’d offered it earlier, but they didn’t want it. My visa expired on Dec. 27, and I guess they foolishly thought they’d buck their trend of being slow as molasses and actually get it done in time.

Naturally, that didn’t happen. I went into Christmas somewhat panicking that I’d be deported come Tuesday but developing nations don’t move that quickly. Plus, I think my passport was being processed, as this week, I had to go to immigration and get my fingerprints and photo done again. As if either had changed in the what, eight months I’ve been here? Sheesh.

Had some logistical issues trying to get that done: I was to meet the driver at work at 9, but once at the office the administrative people weren’t there and I didn’t know where to meet the driver. Or where I was going, for that matter.

Fortunately the mystery unraveled wit ha little help from one of the longer-term ex-pats, who just advised me to catch a cab and head on myself. I did that; never figured out where the driver had been. Likely waiting for me somewhere.

Anyway, I was glad the guy had told me where I was going, because it was not the overcrowded place I’d gone before. It was just a 20-minute or so walk from the office and the whole process didn’t take long at all.

I opted to hoof it back, even though it was super hot, and stopped and paid my cable bill along the way.

That was the same morning as the bowl game, which I am ashamed to say I completely forgot about. The previous night had been rough and I was just glad to crash; I forgot to set my alarm for the next morning.

When I got up, I logged on and FSU had just scored. Before walking to work, I was able to listen to FSU go ahead for the first time, and then once I got to work, I GameTracked the last two minutes, which took forever. (I’m thinking this might have been why I missed the driver – it went a little beyond 9, but no harm, no foul.)

After being fingerprinted and photographed, I had nothing to do but sit in the office, so I cranked up the highlights of the game. Ah, Orlando. I miss Florida.

But I’m back on the road to legality here. I still have to do the Singapore run, which I am now told will be next week. This stinks because we are so completely short staffed that I had to cough up my day off this week (Sunday, tomorrow) plus see if I can schedule the visa run on my other day off (Thursday) just because we don’t have enough warm bodies to go around.

And to top it off, I am stuck back on the 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift, which means not off until midnight. Oh, I’m so looking forward to 2012. I mean, after that start, it has to improve, right?