One of my supervisors at work had a really cool and sweet idea this past week. She asked everyone to bring to work some kind of dessert to share with everyone else! Not everyone at work brought something to eat but most people did and it was a sweet extravaganza! We had chocolate cake, crema volteada, more cake, ice cream, arroz con leche de lucuma, lemon pie, apple pie and whole bunch of other goodies. I can't make any kind of dessert so I just bought M&Ms to go with the ice cream my friend bought.
This is the second time in two weeks that I eat so much to the point of feeling sick. The aftermath: I have gained 5 kilograms (around 9 pounds).
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Change of Plans....
It turns out that my visa was refused correctly by the UK Consulate in New York. They based their refusal on the fact that I didn't show a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS), which I thought was baloney because the invitation letter I got from the Scottish charity was supposed to be such certificate. Well, it turns out I was wrong. A COS is not a a certificate per se, it's a number that sponsors (in my case the charity in Edinburgh) are supposed to get by paying a fee at the Foreign Office. Once the sponsor has obtained such COS number, they are supposed to assign it to whoever they want to come to the UK as a volunteer. It follows that the COS number has to be stated on the letter of invitation and I did not have that!!!!
Appealing, therefore, would not work since the consulate had a reason to deny my application. I wish I had known about the COS number before applying for a visa but it's too late now. The coordinator of the volunteer program acknowledged that it wasn't my fault I didn't get the visa, but the charity's for not doing what they're supposed to do. Needless to say, I am pretty dissapointed and upset.
So what happens now? The coordinator said that a different organization in London has openings for males to volunteer. This would be a different type of volunteering though. In Scotland I was going to spend time with people my age that have no social or independent-living skills in order to encourage them and be a role model. If I end up in London, then I'll be around adults with learning disabilities who want to live independently and my job would be to help them and give them moral support. I don't really have a problem working with adults, but it may not be as cool as being with people my age. Plus, living in London might be better than living in Edinburgh (No offense to y'all Scots, but I think Londoners speak better English) and I can always visit Edinburgh when I'm there.
Now I'll have to fill out a form for the new charity, have a phone interview and apply for a visa again. Since it wasn't my fault I didn't get the visa last time, the coordinator said I wouldn't have to worry about paying the application fee again. Hopefully things will work out this time around.
Appealing, therefore, would not work since the consulate had a reason to deny my application. I wish I had known about the COS number before applying for a visa but it's too late now. The coordinator of the volunteer program acknowledged that it wasn't my fault I didn't get the visa, but the charity's for not doing what they're supposed to do. Needless to say, I am pretty dissapointed and upset.
So what happens now? The coordinator said that a different organization in London has openings for males to volunteer. This would be a different type of volunteering though. In Scotland I was going to spend time with people my age that have no social or independent-living skills in order to encourage them and be a role model. If I end up in London, then I'll be around adults with learning disabilities who want to live independently and my job would be to help them and give them moral support. I don't really have a problem working with adults, but it may not be as cool as being with people my age. Plus, living in London might be better than living in Edinburgh (No offense to y'all Scots, but I think Londoners speak better English) and I can always visit Edinburgh when I'm there.
Now I'll have to fill out a form for the new charity, have a phone interview and apply for a visa again. Since it wasn't my fault I didn't get the visa last time, the coordinator said I wouldn't have to worry about paying the application fee again. Hopefully things will work out this time around.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Your application has been refused.
Alas, I got my visa application for the UK denied. The last two weeks have been sheer torture since I went to the Embassy to drop pff my passport and other documents for processing. I got a UPS envelope this past Wednesday with my passport in it and a refusal letter. Needless to say, I was very disspointed and upset.
I was disspointed because, even though I knew my application could have been rejected, the odds were minimal. I had an invitation letter from the chartity in Edinburgh I was gonna be working with and a letter from my employer stating that I would get a 1-year leave of absence if I got the visa. I'm upset because the British consulate refused my application because, according to them, I didn't submit a certificate of sponsorship from a registered sponsor in the UK and because I didn't provide proof of maintenance. However, the invitation letter I got clearly stated that I was being offered a position as a volunteer to come to Scotland and that they were going to take care of me financially!!!!!!!!!!! So I guess the consulate didn't read the letter or perhaps they're illeterate, or maybe they just didn't care.
Anyways, the embassy will allow me to appeal their decision if I feel it's mistaken, so I am now trying to appeal. I'm really hoping things will go well this time. I really want to go to Scotland.
FYI: Citizens of countries that require a visa to the UK cannot get a visa in their own countries now. Passports and supporting documents have to be sent off to New York for processing. How ridiculous is that!!!!!!!
I was disspointed because, even though I knew my application could have been rejected, the odds were minimal. I had an invitation letter from the chartity in Edinburgh I was gonna be working with and a letter from my employer stating that I would get a 1-year leave of absence if I got the visa. I'm upset because the British consulate refused my application because, according to them, I didn't submit a certificate of sponsorship from a registered sponsor in the UK and because I didn't provide proof of maintenance. However, the invitation letter I got clearly stated that I was being offered a position as a volunteer to come to Scotland and that they were going to take care of me financially!!!!!!!!!!! So I guess the consulate didn't read the letter or perhaps they're illeterate, or maybe they just didn't care.
Anyways, the embassy will allow me to appeal their decision if I feel it's mistaken, so I am now trying to appeal. I'm really hoping things will go well this time. I really want to go to Scotland.
FYI: Citizens of countries that require a visa to the UK cannot get a visa in their own countries now. Passports and supporting documents have to be sent off to New York for processing. How ridiculous is that!!!!!!!
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