Visas All Around

A few weeks ago I received my work visa for Taiwan. Very exciting. I was sent an e-mail when the paperwork was sent to me explaining what I had to do.

You need to:

1. Fill out the application form (any information that is not already filled out for you).
2. Obtain the fee.
3. Go to the TECO and apply for a single-entry resident visa. Submit all of the documents as above and pay the fee.
4. The clerk will take the information that they want.
5. They will return the original work permit to you as well as any information they do not need. It usually takes about 4 days for the application to be process, however this is dependent on the TECO and may vary.

For the most part it's pretty easy to follow. Notice that I highlighted 'obtain the fee' a couple times. The reason for this is that nowhere else in the e-mail or any subsequent e-mails does it tell me what the hell the fee is. Do I need $5 or do I need $500?
So I was getting all excited to take a day trip to Chicago(where the TECO office is), I went and had my car fixed and everything. I tried contacting my recruiter by phone and e-mail, but to no avail. Turns out that I dialed the wrong number(even though I'm certain I didn't). The e-mail I sent got stuck in the spam filter and he couldn't read it. Fantastic.

I finally realized that I could contact the TECO office directly and get the information that way.
Yea progress is being made. I got the information about the fee and that it had to be paid with cashiers check and that I could have the paperwork mailed back to me instead of having to drive back to Chicago in a few days to pick it up.

So I am now again excited to make a trip to Chicago so I can drop off the application and see Bob.
I was planning to be on the road bright and early figuring that all the snow that was falling the previous day would be plowed off the freeway by the time I wanted to get going and all would be well. Not so much. I wake up to see a few inches of snow on the ground. Well I sure as hell am not going to drive 3 1/2 hours one way in this crap. So I go back to sleep for an hour. When I next wake up I turn on the radio to hear the dj's fielding calls from people attempting to drive to work on the seriously backed up highways. Great. Just great.
Finally around 10:30 I get on the road. An hour in to the trip I run out of windshield solution.
I finally get to Chicago and find the Prudential building (thanks to google maps) and drive around the block three or four times looking for a parking space. Finally lucked out.
After a couple trips up and down the elevator to get cash so they can mail the paperwork back to me I go see Bob and see the lovely new porch being put on the house.

After a lovely lunch of bacon I head back home under the watchful eye of a beautiful full moon.