So , I had promised you this. It will be a long one but I hope it will helpful to those seeking a visa to USA. Some few tips. If you don't like long threads, kindly ignore. A Kenyan Student in Israel seeking an American Visa. Trust me, it is interesting🤗.
A long thread.
A long thread.
So..let's roll back a little bit. I had applied for my masters and got accepted in the state of Missouri. For you who doesn't know, whenever you get admitted, you are issued with a form called i20 by the school for appointment in the embassy. This was my chance to explore...
..the vast America that I sued to hear it in movies. The visa type was F1..for students. Mostly, when you get a scholarship, you don't have to tense even a little bit about the interview at the embassy. It's normally automatic. But, I was going in half sponsored. I had to..
..prove myself. Initially, I had seen there is a backlog back in Kenya. People paying for visas and getting appointments in 2024. Well..that was not an issue here. I decided to apply it, as a TCN. Well, TCN means Third country national. Someone who is applying for..
..an American Visa in a different country. Normally, it's sure bet. And me being me..I was confident enough. No problem at all. So, this is my appointment. This is my first time in any American Embassy. I had to be there by 10 on 10th June. So I had to go to Jerusalem on 9th.
I was in the desert at that time. Negev. So ,9th June. I had not even notified my internship manager I am going to Jerusalem. I like just doing things my way. At lunch time, I pack and head to the junction where I usually take my bus. So, it's a little far like 5km so you have..
..like hitch a ride. Israelis kinda hate hitch riders. Not all though, I have been given rides with many of them and hold amazing convos with them. So, the sun was really hot and bright in the desert. I see a car tagging along and I flagged it down. Guess who it was😭😭
My field manager. I mumbled some words because I had not even told him. He told me to get in and the rest 2km I was apologizing and mumbling shit. Anyway , he understood. It was my life here. He took me until one of the gas station and coincidentally found a bus. He made sure..
..I boarded the bus. Here, I normally use Airbnb. It's really efficient but a bit expensive. I departed almost at two..meaning in the next 4 hours..I would be in Jerusalem that would be almost nightfall.
https://twitter.com/Kimuzi_/status/1571558151551320064?t=7C5rXj5zN0kotplTpKB8kw&s=19so this is where this story comes in. This is what I had booked. I actually found some Israelis who have learnt Kiswahili and it was so epic. They were like, you are Kenyan, "Mambo, unaendelea je?". Twenging swahili. They learnt it in Tanzania.
But before here, lemme retrack a little bit. I alighted in one of the biggest bus stations in Israel. Jerusalem bus station. This place is so huge😭. It was my second time in the city so I had to find my way. Never trust Google maps. It led me to totally different places but..
..I understood because the city has many underpasses. I got lost until I found myself in some park. Decided to take the city buses but ended up going on the opposite direction. Lol. And it is almost 8. I knew the place because I had once gone but finding my way there was..
..was totally chaotic. I normally find my way but on this, I was totally lost. I ended up downloading the Uber app. This was the start of my many red flags 😡. I told the driver I was in some entrance of hotel but I was a few meters away from it. So when he came..
.., he came straight to the hotels entrance. So finding him and finding him took some time. When he came, this mf started shouting at me. Wtf is wrong with such people? I couldn't cancel..it would still deduct. I boarded. I like chaos..if he wants chaos..then I am available
But this was that day not to choose violence(which is not an option in Israel, everyone is a working human weapon) and chaos because I had to be sober for tomorrow morning. I kept quiet through the ordeal. Lmaoo, me. I shut up. Until he started asking what's my name, where..
..I am from. And as men, we started talking. We are not women. I alighted pissed off at him, but I had arrived at my destination, instead if giving the mf a rating of knew.. I have him 5. Why rate him 1 anyway? I checked in. Now here comes the funny part.
I had not printed some forms. And taken a passport photo. Only two. The forms where DS 120 and sevis fee. We'll, DS 120 is what you enter with it to the embassy. What you fill online. And sevis fee is a fee for your i20 for appointment. It's normally 350 dollars. Bear in mind..
..that visa interview booking is 160 dollars. So, unlike Nairobi Jerusalem has no downtown. But I decided to look for it. I walked all over the town. Jerusalem is a huge city and confusing as hell. It's because of the old buildings and the predominant white paint. Or is cream
Trust me guys, I looked for it until I gave up. Found myself at a park, I think it was called Ninja Park and me being a ninja..decided to take a rest there. It was almost 10 o'clock. I gave up. I would wake up for it. This is the park. They were many people tho. A very safe place
At this juncture..you can see there are so many obstacles to this interview. I started wondering. I went back and slept. Decided to wake up very early in the morning. At 6.
The first thing was looking for a place to print my documents. I had decided to Uninstall my Uber app. I decided to look for a local taxi. Flagged one and found the driver, was Arabic too. (The Uber one was arabic). It was on a Friday and so many Jewish shops were not open..
Because of their shabbat. So, we started looking with him. Because he kinda knew the place, we started with one by one. I went to one, but the printing was not functioning. I met an amazing lady there who knew good English. You know, In Israel, when you meet someone..
..don't assume he or she knows English.. normally ask "slicka, Ata midaber/midaberret anglit?" (Excuse, Do you speak english). Midaber for male, midaberret for female. That's hebrew. Fun when you learn. Anyway, we looked for almost 5 shops. It was closed. So he decided..
..we are going to East Jerusalem. If you normally watch al Jazeera and news, you know the place. Anyway, there are a few Christian shops there and being a Christian, our sabbath is on Sunday meaning Friday shops must be opened. It was closed. Damn. Its almost 9 now!!
I was starting to get anxious now. I was missing an opportunity which I had heavily invested in. (Almost 1400 usd) on it. I was now getting upset and mad. I told the driver we should try one shop which I was told would open by 9:45 and use the remaining 15 mins to the embassy.
This is a personal advice for all visa seekers. Kindly be there at least one hour or 30 minutes before your time. It saves a lot. Composure and such. You have time to keep sane and sober. Anyway, I never did that. 9:30, and this me coming from East Jerusalem going to the old..
..city to print my fucking documents. I was very mad. And this driver was going in circles and increasing his time so that I pay more! No one cares about you. He was super toxic tho. Everytime reminding me how he is really helping me with his mixture of Arabic and English. Fuuck
There us something that happens when you get mad. You no longer give a fuck. The subtle art of not giving a fuck? Well, at this juncture I was not giving a shit if I made on time. Even if it was 3 o'clock I would go. What's the hell was this? A test? Anyway
We went back and guess what we found. The printing shop open. But he said he was not working today. I had to actually talk to him like a man. Man to man. Of how this was really important and I had only 20 minutes left. Men are good people. He started working really fast
Took my passport photo and printed it really quick. I paid it and went back ti the car. Destination, David Flusser st 14, Jerusalem, American Embassy.
We took some few minutes since it was Friday and no traffic. Weird right? That's not Kenyan. We arrived at the gate and removed my credit card to pay. Guess what. This mf said he is only receiving cash and we should look for an atm quickly. I was now beyond pissed.
I wanted to take the seat belt and strangle him a little bit, not to murder him, but to feel what I was feeling. What the fuck? But, if there us something Israel has taught me, anger management and composure even in difficult situations. It was exactly at 10:10..my interview..
..was 10 am. Late already. I told him okay. Find it fast. I didn't want to lose me. Because that would be my end. He reversed and we found one almost 2km away. Withdrew and paid him. Then he came back swiftly. I was not talking to him anymore. Keeping my sanity.
I alighted and it is asif I heard him wishing me good luck but I was hearing none of it. I just wanted to fight with him. That's all. Why wouldn't he wait? Most embassies don't take more than 10 minutes. But I understood. There were few people on the entrance. I met these..
.Israeli American or American Israeli..I don't know soldiers at the entrance. Now, why would someone be this big, swift and intimidating? They were realky friendly though. Asked if I spoke hebrew or English. I responded in fluent English and they were amazed or I don't know.
I left my belongings at the entrance. Most of you know the procedure. No electronics inside. Mostly carry only your phone and documents. I left my phone and headed in the consulate room. We were actually like only ten. For F1. I completed the procedures of handing in..
..the documents(sevis,i20 and ds120) and sat down waiting for my time. Now, this is the sad part. Most people were getting rejected. I wondered why. I was the only black and yeah, I saw some luck. I knew I would ace this. I believed in myself.
I didn't want that interview window though. It was a lady and she seemed a little bit harsh. But, these things you never know. I braced myself. The guy infrontvof me was actually rejected infront of me. An Israeli. I was like, well, fuck me.
My furn came. No matter almost the ordeals..I was still composed. But for someone experienced in this field, he or she would sense my lack of confidence but little. I answered all the questions and gained momentum actually. I was getting bolder. Always be precise. Avoid narration
It went well. I focused on her eyes. Ooh my God, the blue eyes, she was beautiful. Also, move close to the speaker when talking. I made some mistake tho. After 5 minutes, came the words.."I have gone through your documents and what you are missing is the original documents..
..which is not an issue. Unfortunately, I cannot issue you with a visa currently. But this doesn't mean you cannot apply in the future. I wish you the best in your..." I couldn't hear the others. Well, I was right, fuck me.
First, the mistake I made. The bank statement was annually. So she asked the monthly salary of my parent. I had to quickly divide it with 12, hence looking away a little bit to get the figure, and two, my original documents were in Kenya. Kaptagat kwa kale kasanduku ya mathe.
My all documents were scanned. I believed I had tk correc this.and rebook. But I am one person who believes in winning things at the first shot. I believed I would secure. I did not want it anymore. I walked out picked my documents and stared into the street.
This the American Embassy in Jerusalem. I stood just before the descent on the small hill , on that wall and wondered. And pondered. But was smiling🤗. I don't know why. Life has prepared me for these scenarios.
What I was actually seeing while typing on my phone and frame two looking in the street.
All the 1400 usd in the drain. Well money doesn't usually excite me but this was a chance to change me..and it was gone. I decided not to reapply. Fuck that. I decided to take random photos to bring happiness. It was 11 and the airbnbs time was up. I cared less. I had my..
And all my belongings were inside. Anyway, I called them picked them up and decided to board the electric train. And move around Jerusalem. I mean, I had never been in one. I maneuvered the city until I think I now know it like Nairobi. Met some Malawian studying medicine at..
..Hebrew University. Talked with him and asked him about life in Jerusalem. Until I told him I was headed for Eilat., the south. And then he reminded me it was almost 3..and the last bus was leaving
Damn, it was on Friday. I had forgotten. I had to dash at the next stop for..
Damn, it was on Friday. I had forgotten. I had to dash at the next stop for..
..the bus station. Arrived there when it was leaving. Fuck me. I sat down and smiled again. I was kinda broke now. Left with only my transport and lunch. My other money was in Kenyan cash and I had no ATM card. Only credit card which was running low. While I was sitting..
..I asked a young dude, named Ethiel,how to load my bus card(I did not know),because it was all written in hebrew and asked him if there was any other bus along that route. He told me , (using translation on phone) , there was one but going half way. I decide to take that
While we were waiting for it, I told him about Kenya. An amazing country with amazing people and he should visit. He promised me after the army, he is visiting. I showed him pictures of maasai mara, Nairobi and national park and kilimanjaro. He was convinced. We exchanged..
Numbers and told him I would host him when he came. The bus came and we boarded. I sat alone so as ti sleep and reflect about this shitty life. After 2 hours, he was alighting and looked for me (I was seated almost at the back) and wished me good luck and promised to visit Kenya
The Israelis are really good people if you strike a convo with them. Anyway, the bus final destination was a place called Ein Gedi. And that was halfway where I was going. Guess what I was doing afterwards. Hitching. Or sleeping on the road. I never gave a fuck either way
Guys, this is sad. It was June. The temperatures are around 40. I am in some bus stop. In the middle of nowhere. Flagging any car my way. It was actually sad. And lonely. This is the place. I took this later. Just imagine
All the cars were exquisite, heading to the dead sea. The likes of Mercedes s classes and G classes, jeep, Chevy. There was no way they were taking me😭. As I was almost losing hope, I saw a car coming from a junction being driven by blacks. Well, let me not lie to you..
..I stood almost infront of it. There was no way there were Keating their fellow "n*gga". They halted. Sudanese. Amazing. The Sudanese in Israel are realky good. I told them my predicament and they told me to hop in. They were 4 actually. I squeezed inside. They gave me..
..water and food. Haha. They thought I was dyong( maybe I was). It was freaking hot. We talked about emancipation of our continent and such. How we ought to alleviate others from poverty. It was amazing convo. Them mfs were going for a spa. I envied them. They left me..
..and went to their hotel. I only had 64km left now. Damn. It was 7. This was all happening in a day😭. I stood at a bus stop and a taxi driver came. Promised to take me to the junction of a place called Arad and Eilat. 54km would be left now. This place. 😭
This was my dead end now. No vehicles anymore. I walked down to a gas station some few meters away and decided to sleep there. I was tired man. It was too much. I arrived and found two Arabs. There are actually good Arabs. There is a section of Arabs called Bedouins around..
..this place. I translated English to Arabic and told him my ordeal and how o would reach the place. He told me to wait a bit. To talk to friend who was in the washroom. Then he told me to give him 100 shekels. I only had 50 left. He was really sorry for me and persuaded the..
..friend to accept it. He said OK. And we entered his vehicle. I don't actually even remember the vehicle. The design of Subaru imprezza but a KIA version I think. I don't remember. What I remember is him apologizing for reaching speed limits I have never seen. I wa s..
..unbothered and he was doing speed of almost 200km an hour. I arrived at the junction within 20 minutes. I was even astonished of the whole day. I thanked him and he revved away. He was headed for beer sheva. I walked to where we were living. Some dogs tried chasing me..
..but were astonished I was unbothered. They were like giving me escort. I had promised myself if one tried biting me, I would yank its head out of the body. Luckily, they went away. My pals had a party and when I arrived, they asked where I was. I told them they won't believe.
And that they would one day read this. Anyway, I ate and slept and life continue. My next thread will be about Tel Aviv consulate.someone convinced me to go back. Damn. I hate doing things again. But I needed it for closure. Until next time , adios amigos
And kindly read my blog kimuzi.com for more. I will be writing others there
Also I forgot,Israel is a decease country. That day along, I met A Malawaian, Sudanese, Americans, Bedouin, Arabic. In my entire stay here, I have net more than 20 nationalities. Moldovan, Zimbabweans, Zambia, Gambia, Russia, Argentine, italianas, Germans, British, Belarusian etc
Diverse*
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