Visa

After a few weeks of waiting, I finally went to apply for my visa yesterday with a friend. The Japanese embassy is located in an unbelievably posh part of London, just across the road from the Ritz, and we felt completely out of place with our hoodies and jeans, especially when walking past hotel doormen in BOWLER HATS, sweeping the street after us as if to wipe off the stench of poverty. Do British people even wear bowler hats any more? Did that tradition not stop in the 50s?

There was a protest against whaling going on outside the embassy, and some intimidating policemen standing around. You know when you walk through a group of policemen, and even though you're completely innocent, you can't help feeling guilty of something? We tried not to look suspicious, but I find trying not to look suspicious makes you look more suspicious than people who are actually suspicious.

We had to show our passports and documents to the doormen before we even went in the building - that's how strict the security is in those places. It was incredibly shiny and posh inside, too, all glass and people in suits. I felt like I should've dressed for an interview. In the end, though, the documents were given in and not given back (my passport was my only ID, so I can't go into any pubs this weekend) and we were told to come back on Monday with £39 in cash.

I'm not looking forward to running that gauntlet again.