A visit to the embassy

Pictures represent the South Korean, Spanish and U.S. Embassies in Stockholm.  Guess which one is the U.S.?

Last week we went to the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm to renew our son’s passports.  Besides the building being the ugliest one on Embassy row, it’s also the most boring place to spend a weekday morning.

After waiting outside for quite a while (we were lucky it was a sunny day – must be awful in rain or winter), they take away all electronics in the guard booth, so when our appointment for a passport took over an hour, my husband couldn’t call his work to let them know he wasn’t coming to his scheduled meeting.

You are also subjected to this awful video on re-run with about 100 people saying “I am America” over and over and OVER AND OVER!  I’m sure it was a cute idea to the person who made it, but the two places I have to watch this video are waiting an hour for my passport at the embassy and while waiting to go through customs when entering the U.S. (also at least an hour while standing).  Their cutsey “I am America” 5 minute long video gets pretty old after the sixth viewing, not to mention the 20th and 30th viewings.  You look around at your fellow waiting room or line sufferers and think “Why didn’t they film this instead?  It’s way more realistic.”

My husband suggested we pick up some reading material on the shelf while we waited.  I walked over to the shelf and said, “Which would you like?  The Swedish phone book or the Redbook from 2005?

Remember what it was like to sit in a waiting room for over an hour WITH NO PHONE?!  I tell my kids we’re time-traveling to the past when we have to go to the embassy.

C’mon embassy!  At least put on some American T.V.  “Good Times” or “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”  Serve Dr. Pepper and chips with salsa.  Leave out Enquirer magazines and beef jerkey.  THIS is what we need to represent.