VITEM IV

   A six months visa for Brazil.

The fear of not getting it granted is showing up, I really want to have time in this beautiful country and not have to hurry up in only three months.

After months of research to finally find a good excuse to ask for a visa -long tourism visa and work and travel don't exist between Brazil and France- the only solution found for six months: to enroll for six months of intensive portuguese course, 20 hours a week.

But a visa does not come on its own. You first have to gather all the papers and it does not take ten minutes but rather weeks. First you need to enroll to the language school in Rio which then needs to send an official enrollment paper in France. All this followed by numerous photocopies of papers, asking for official papers, and filling up a long form on the consulate web page, before being able to ask for an appointment.

Oops, no appointment possible before a month ! After getting in contact with the consulate, I find out that my mom can go there for me, as I won't be able to be in Paris for the appointment.

Now everything is ready, just have to wait.

   Until today, Monday July 27th 2015, 10:40 am. I am in the south of France, my mom is at the Brazilian consulate in Paris with my papers and I am as stressed as if I was there myself. Probably because the only visa I ever asked was for the USA and that it was quite scary between the two security gates, phone forbidden inside and the almost 4 hours wait...

10:50 am, mummy calling, I GOT MY VISA, the so desired VITEM IV !

   Because the Brazilian consulate is not the US embassy. Because the time of the appointment is the time of the appointment, no need to wait for ever. And because Brazilians are nice and that's it !

(No offense to my American friends ...)

   And so is the most important puzzle bit attached: I am officially allowed to stay in that beautiful country for more than three months.

Next step: the confirmation of my Paris-Rio flight !

And so you only realize once you draw the Brazilian flag, how easy you got it as a child drawing the French flag ...