Border - Bribe(?) - Bird

Feb 28, 2008

The border and Why

On Thursday I took the whole family with me up to Al Ain the Oasis town. I had scheduled a meeting with the Zone English supervisors in Al Ain. I took everyone as Ashley needed to do a run for the border like the beaner wet back she (and I) is. You see if you do not have a resident visa you have to leave the country every 59 days. Why does Ashley have to cross the border but no one else in the family have to? Well you see Ashley had the unfortunate luck to be born in the USA while Andrew was born overseas. To get a residence visa a birth / marriage certificate has to be notarized by the issuing agency then the notarization has to be verified by the county it resides in then the State has to certify that this is in fact true before the (US) State Department / Department of Foreign Affairs will authenticate it and then you need to take it to the Embassy in the country to attest to that it is in fact an authentic (US) State Department/ Department of State seal. In the case of our marriage license we had done all of that while we lived in the Philippines because we were not sure if and when we would be back and I was certain that the US would require this for Tita to become a citizen. So it was as easy as taking it to the Philippine embassy in the UAE. Andrew has a US Citizen Birth abroad certificate - issued by the US state Department - so the Embassy had no problem attesting to it. So we have to do a border run every 60 days or Ashley will get kicked out of the country. This being our first border run I was nervous and anxious about the whole process. I know that people do this on a regular basis I have heard tales of people doing to for years! But still I was nervous about it.

After a horrid meeting with the zone English supervisors I headed home to find the kids just getting ready to go to the pool. It was early and I was tired so I figured it was worth it to try to rest before we made the run for the border. Later in the day about 3:30 pm I decided it was time to go Ashley and I get all gussied up and head for the car. I wore my work suit as I figure it sets a good impression. The drive to the border is easy, but the first issue is I do not have Omani insurance on my rental car ($100 / week no chance I am going to pay that) so it becomes a literal run for the border at this point. I was prepared for this but I am wearing a suit. Next we park the car at the parking lot - I figure we are not the only people doing it this way- and walk back through the car lines!!! Next we hit our first snag "the bribe." You see I was not sure how much it would cost to do all of this so I brought a big bill (about $140 in US Dollars) with me. Turns out that the guy doing the exit stamps does not have change. I look at him in incredulous amazement as the line to cross the border is parked and I figure he gets twice this in a given hour in change. Then he shows me his drawer- and I mean literally it is a drawer of a table with the exit cards through in with the money. I am stunned but then he tells me to go "there." I go to the entry side and ask the man for change. He acts like he does not understand and goes on with his lame attempt at humor- "You want small money?" Then I turn to walk to the office building and he follows me, and then leads me into his office. Turns out he is in charge of the border entry; he opens his safe and pulls out two bags full of money - Omani and UAE money. Then he proceeds to ask how much change I want. I want change for 500 AED- You want 400? I want change for 500 - You want 450? - at this point I give up and walk away with the 500 AED left on the table I need to cool off before I scream at this guy. I really should not care but this guy is asking for a $27 tip in effect. He looks like he is wearing Emirati official dress and he is the boss so he should be making a lot more than me, and he is asking how much change I want! What ever as I am cooling down Ashley walks out with the full 500 AED in change! I was willing to let him give her what he felt was good enough!

We go back and pay our exit visa fee 20 AED - $5.5 each. Then we walk about 100 yards to cross the border into the no-mans land (I think). As we are walking past the gate a man coming form the UAE stops and gives us a ride! Turns out he speaks NO English but I understand and thank him! He points us in the right direction for walking and we do the Omani stamp. No big event here except it takes about 30 minutes to do what I think is done in 30 seconds in a car! No worries he stamps Ashley in and out of the country and does not even charge me- saving $20 US dollars- thanks.

Well we have to revert to our wet back nature as no one stops to give us a ride and most people are going to Oman anyway. As we are walking back to the UAE - I carry Ashley for about 1/2 the way- we see this amazing bird!!! I t was such a bright green at first I though it was a leaf! I was so amazing I want to go and take a closer look but was worried about being in no-man's land and all.

So all and all a very surreal trip across the border in the end it cost me a total of about $27 but what an experience it was.

David