045 Complaining Episode

In this episode, I'll be talking about multiple (not just one!) failures that I encountered at the Tokyo Immigration Bureau (I made up the nickname "The Terrible Place" to make it easier to understand). As always, Kuli English Podcast is meant for you to listen to on the side while you do chores or other things, and hopefully it's a fun way to get English practice!

Chapter Bookmarks:

00:00 Start
06:34 The first failure
16:13 The failures continue...
34:47 Recap, American version (DMV), and wrapping up

Transcript

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Hello everyone and welcome back to yet another episode of Kuli English Podcast and it's me, your host, Chris. So last week we talked about Valentine's Day and I hope you had a good Valentine's Day. But I did promise you last week that I was going to tell you about the crazy week of dealing with Visa stuff.

So I went ahead and paused that story because I wanted to talk about Valentine's Day because Valentine's Day was coming up. But then now I gotta tell you about the visa thing. And before I tell you about the visa thing, let me tell you about, I guess, one of the reasons why I wanted to record this podcast.

And so one of the reasons that's not the case. Okay, so this is not why I'm recording this episode. But like there are a lot of like people on YouTube that talk about like a certain visa.

But then they don't actually give like the correct information about it. And then it's like kind of not helpful. Okay, so I thought maybe I should like talk about like visa stuff.

And then like actually give the details that will help people apply for Visas. But I'm not doing that. Okay, so that's not what this video is.

This podcast, this video is to like, you know, talk about random stuff that's like kind of interesting. And then the main purpose is on the side we get like free English listening practice. So I talk about something that's somewhat interesting.

And then you listen to it maybe kind of while you do something else. And then you can get English practice like that's the goal. Okay, so one of the reasons why I thought I might talk about this is because it's like really complainy.

And so it's like it's got a lot of complaints in it. And complaints I think generally if you say too many complaints like other people usually aren't really happy, right? Like if imagine if you had a friend and every time you meet that friend, that friend's like, Oh, hey, dude. Oh, my God, you will not believe what this person said to me.

And they're so mean. I can't believe it. And they're ugly too. 

Okay, so they're not even good looking. And they called me ugly.

And then like, you know, maybe that's kind of fun.

But at the same time, it's like, sometimes it's kind of annoying. And I never really wanted to complain too much in this podcast. Because, you know, the goal is to have something interesting.

And I thought complaints maybe aren't that interesting. But something changed. Something has changed within me.

And it's because I was once I was playing games on the TV, and I'm like pointing my finger to the left. Because that's where the TV is.

But I just realized, you know, if you're watching this video, if you're listening to this podcast, you can't even see the TV. So sorry. But I'm like pointing to the TV.

And I say on that TV, on that TV, I was playing games. And then while I play games, like sometimes if I want the sound, if I want to hear the sound of like fighting or something, then I turn on the sound. But then sometimes I turn off the sound.

And then in the background, I like play like a podcast. And then I have like a favorite podcast that I listen to. It's a Japanese podcast.

And then in that Japanese podcast, like the guy, he actually, he's like my favorite guy that does like a podcast. And he was complaining a lot. He was complaining about how recently he's been making a lot of like, you know, Japanese teaching resources and podcast stuff for a long time now.

And he's talking about how recently there are other people, a lot of other Japanese people who have been making like Japanese learning podcasts and videos. And he's like, that's so good. That's great.

And it's good for everyone. And a lot of them are like really, really good at speaking. And they're like better than me.

But it just makes me feel like how am I supposed to stand out? Like how am I supposed to be relevant? Because, you know, like if my thing is not helpful or like other people's are like way better than mine, then I shouldn't do mine anymore. But I want to make mine. And he's like kind of talking about this in like a complaining way.

He's like, どうするんだよ? And he's like, I always thought, I don't know. I always thought complaining, maybe it's not really good in general. But when I heard that while I was playing the game, I thought it was really fun to listen to.

And it's maybe because I just like this person. Like the podcast itself. It was like, I remember the first time I listened to this Japanese podcast.

I didn't really understand all of it. I didn't even understand like half of it. I think I would like kind of understand a little bit here and there.

And then I just kind of like, I don't know. I gave up. Let me just listen to the sounds.

And then I won't really understand it. And then continue and do other stuff. And then at first I was like, it's okay.

I don't really care if I don't really understand all of it. But then now I started to understand probably the vast majority of it. And then I can kind of listen to it while I do other stuff too, which is nice.

So like while I'm washing the dishes and stuff. This is like a podcast advertisement. So, you know, like, oh, you can listen to English and learn for free while you're doing the dishes or while you're pooping or something like that.

And it's true, but also. So in the thing, he's like complaining, right? And I'm thinking, wait, why is it that when he complains, I want to hear it? And then, you know, when my close friends complain to me, I also think it's kind of fun. And it's probably just because like, I kind of like them.

I like their personality. And then at the same time, I realized, wait a minute, but like online, when I hear like completely unrelated people that I don't know, and they're like saying really mean stuff about other things in general, then I think, oh, that's not very nice. And then I think, oh, that's not good.

So then I thought, well, actually, maybe it's like how you complain. So when you complain and you say it in a very charming way, or like you say it in a way that's like kind of friendly or like a little bit joking, then maybe it's okay. And so I thought, well, actually, why don't I go ahead and start making a complaining episode? So I thought I had this terrible experience like trying to renew my visa.

And I guess I can talk about that and complain about it. But when I complain about it, I think it's important that like the underlying meaning, like I'm not saying like, hey, I really need to complain about this. And I got to tell somebody!

I got to tell somebody or else like I'm going to burst. I'm going to feel bad. And then like I need you to listen to me.

Like that's not the case. I'm just complaining because I think it might be an interesting story. And I want to complain in a way so that it's like kind of fun and you can get some English practice too.

And that's like the goal. So I'm going to be telling you about like my visa experience thing. And I guess maybe that's enough for now.

Let's take a short little break and then I'm going to come back. I'm going to tell you about visa stuff.

All right.

So let's go ahead and talk about visa complaints. So I'm going to put on my like complaining attitude. I can't believe this happened to me.

But first off, let me explain. So visa, actually there are like two meanings to visa. And the one that I'm not going to talk about is like the credit card visa.

So there's like a visa credit card. There's a MasterCard credit card. There's like a, what is it, an American Express credit card.

But that's, I'm not talking about credit cards. Okay. I'm talking about the second meaning.

And the second meaning is a visa is like a, it's like a permission for someone to stay in another country. And so for me, I am an American citizen, right? So I'm a citizen of the United States. So I have like an American passport.

And then I am living in Japan. So to live in Japan, I need like, you know, permission from the Japanese government to live in Japan. I can't just like secretly be here.

And then, and then, you know, like when people knock on my door, I like hide and I say, no one's home. Or I guess I would have to say in Japanese.

But the visa that I have, I have like, there's kind of like a couple different visas that I've been through.

And you have to either like pay someone about like, what is it? Like 18 man yen. So that's 180,000 yen, which is probably around like, I don't know, $1,200 or something like that? You can pay someone $1,200 and they will do it for you.

So I've done that before.

But then, you know, if they, if they, if they do it for me, they still need my information. Okay. 

So I still have to tell them, okay, here's my name. Here's a picture of my passport. And then, you know, here's like my previous work history and, and here's my resume and stuff.

And here's what I intend to do in Japan. And like, there's a bunch of stuff that you have to do anyways. And then I've been through that once before and I thought, well, actually it's not that great.

So maybe I'll just do it myself. And you can do it yourself. You can do it yourself, but it's really annoying.

It's really annoying because number one, a lot of the information isn't really available online. So it is available, but it's all in Japanese. And then you don't really know like, wait, like I haven't really done this before.

And then if you look online on like YouTube or Reddit, by the way, Reddit is like a, it's like an American website. It's like a forums. And a lot of people talk on there.

It's a really common website, but on Reddit, like, you know, people talk about this visa, but you don't actually really know if they're telling the truth or not. Like a lot of people lie on the internet and it's kind of not nice. I think I haven't really lied much on this podcast.

Well, sometimes I change names. Okay. So if I'm telling a story and I'm saying like, oh, like I have a friend and his name's like Billy or something, but actually, you know, his real name is something else, but that's just because I have to like hide that information.

That's like a nice thing.

But I don't like lie about like, oh yeah. I am a sound engineer and I can tell you that this is fake.

There's a lot of that kind of stuff online where like, you know, somebody is like beatboxing. Beatboxing is like when people like boots and cats and boots and cats, like that kind of thing. And then like somebody did a really good job beatboxing.

And then I saw some comments on YouTube where someone says like, I am a sound engineer and this is physically impossible, so he's definitely faking it. And it's like, what, how is that...? Number one, that's not related. Okay. So if you're a sound engineer, what you do is you like, you edit sounds a lot.

So probably what he meant, what he wanted to say is I am like a vocalist teacher or something, or like I specialize in studying vocal sounds. And this guy is fake. Like, I think that's what he wanted to say, but like, he's clearly lying.

And then it's like, why do people lie so much about that? So anyways, that was a little bit too much complaining. Let me talk about my main plan of complaining. So anyways, I have this visa that I usually apply for myself.

So I've applied for it probably I think five or six times. And one time I had like a company do it for me. And then I thought like, why am I paying you this much money when it takes you this long and I can do it myself? So then I'm like, I've done it a bunch before, right? And then, so because I've done it a bunch before, then I get kind of confident.

I get actually overconfident. So a little bit too confident. And I'm thinking like, yeah, I've done this like not once, not twice.

I've done it five times. Who else has done it five times? No one. Do I have any friends that have this visa? No, just me.

I'm the best.

So it's like, I'm too confident. It's overconfident.

And then I, so like I'm going to go apply for the visa. And I actually do feel pretty confident about it. But because I was staying up late, like playing a little game and listening to podcast stuff, I ended up like sleeping in late.

And then when I slept in late, I was almost late for my reservation for like the actual like appointment. So I have an appointment where I go to the, I only know in Japanese. One second.

The Tokyo Immigration Bureau is what it's called. You don't have to remember that name. I just call it the terrible place.

This is a bad place where you have to go, where all the foreigners gather and they're like, please give me a visa. And you give paperwork. And the employee is like, I don't know.

We don't like you. We're not going to give it to you. And they're like, oh no.

The next person is like, please give me a visa. And they're like, okay, so you're fine. We'll give it to you.

I'm exaggerating a little bit. Exaggerating meaning like I take some part that's like a little bit true. And then I like kind of lie a bit more about it, make it sound really strong.

But anyways, in this terrible place, I have to go there and have an appointment at 3.30 PM. And then I played games until pretty late at night. So then I woke up late.

And then I wasn't done with all my application stuff. So I have like this application. And then as part of the application, there's like a bunch of forms that you also have to give.

So I have to give some forms that talk about like my money stuff, some forms that talk about my insurance stuff. There's like a bunch of information. I have to give it all.

And then I also on top of that, I prepare like a special document that's like a one-page Japanese document that explains like my situation and like what the requirements are. And then I circle in red pen, like which parts are like the important parts. And I do that because usually it makes the whole thing go faster based on my experience.

Remember, I've done this five times. So anyways, when I went there, well, I wanted to go in time but I didn't finish my thing. So then I had this thought that was like, oh, I'm so smart.

I have a great idea. What I'll do is I'll take all these things and I'll take my red pen and I'll take my scissors. I'll take like the glue.

I'll take the paper clips. I'll take all this little like the stationary stuff. I'll take anything I need.

And then I'll do it on the train because it takes me like an hour to get there. So then during that hour, I'm like on the train and then I'm like filling out the form. And then, you know, next to me there are like other people.

There's like one guy. I think he was Korean. He's like going to the airport.

He's got his luggage. And there's like this white family across from me talking in English. And then there's like some other Japanese people off to the side.

Everybody's doing their own thing but I am like writing furiously. I'm like circling, writing, paper clipping, and then gluing. I'm like finishing this thing and I'm like, okay, I got to finish this within 30 minutes because like 30 minutes later, I'm going to switch from this train to the bus and then I'm going to go to the terrible place. But like I was on time and I was thinking like, oh, I'm so good. I've done this before and I felt really good about myself.

And then you know what happens to people who are too overconfident? The people who are too confident, they usually get bitten in the butt. Okay, so bitten in the butt meaning like, oh, something comes back to get you. And so I realized actually I finished all my stuff but I forgot my passport.

And so like you really need your passport to apply for a visa. Like there's no way you can ever apply for like a visa thing without your passport. It just doesn't make sense.

Okay, it's like I'm going to go play tennis but I don't have a tennis racket. Like it's kind of like that. So I didn't have my passport and I was thinking like, oh no, I forgot my passport.

I'm so stupid. I'm like overconfident. So that was like really sad and that was like my epic failure, right? And then so then I was like, okay, I did all this work.

I filled out all this paperwork and then I forgot my passport. So I guess I got to go back and get the passport from my closet. Uh-oh, I just pointed to the closet again.

So if you can't see the video version, I'm like pointing to the closet, which is in like the back of the video. And it's not even open. It's closed so you can't really see inside.

But I always keep my passport in there. 

And then I have to get my passport and I have to take it and then apply for the visa. And then I looked at the time and it was like, okay, actually I'm not going to make it in time.

So I have my reservation. I'm not going to make it in time for the reservation and I'm not going to make it in time before the place closes. Because it takes me like 30 minutes to get back and then like another hour to get there.

So it'll be too slow. So what I did was I just gave up. I was like, all right, well, I'm a loser.

Okay, I'm a super loser. And, uh, and by the way, when I say super loser, super loser is not a very common phrase. I just, I say that phrase and it's very understandable, but it's not a common phrase that normal like native speakers say.

It's like a, it's a, it's a Chris phrase. So I felt like a super loser. And I'm not going to explain what that means.

I just felt like a super loser because I forgot my passport. And then I was like, oh, I shouldn't have rushed. I should have like taken my time, gotten all my stuff and then left.

And then on the way back, I realized a next, next big failure. So let's take a short little break here and I'm going to come back and then I'm going to complain to you even more.

Alright, let's continue this complaining session. I think I like complaining. It's pretty fun. 

So anyways, complaining mode. Yeah, I'm very, I feel very wronged. Okay, so I deserve more stuff. 

So, oh yeah, the next part of the failure is like, I got back home, right? And then I looked in the closet. In that closet, where I keep my passport, I looked in there and I was like, where's my passport? I got to get my passport so I can be ready for tomorrow, where I'm going to go again to the same place this time where I don't have a reservation. What am I going to do? This sucks.

And I'm looking and I'm looking and I'm looking more and I'm looking more and where's the passport? There's no passport. I always keep it here. And I was like, holy crap, where's my passport? This is really bad. 

If I don't have a passport, like this is bad. Like where did I leave it? I don't think I normally lose stuff like this. And then, and then at home, this is the part that was like super, super mega loser failure. 

I looked at my backpack and I realized, oh, the passport was there. So basically, I had the passport and that's good, right? I should be thinking, oh, that's good. I have my passport. 

It's okay. I don't have to be super concerned. But you know, I'm like feeling kind of negative. 

So then I felt even more negative. I started like feeling a little bit angry at myself. I was like, wow, I can't believe I thought I forgot my passport, but actually I didn't, which means I just wasted like a whole like reservation. 

I wasted the whole like hour long commute back and forth. I wasted a bunch of time and it's all my fault. So there's no one to blame. 

Okay. It's not even like I can say, oh, it's my neighbor's fault. It's my dog's fault. 

It's my, it's my bad Japanese teacher's fault or something like that. And it's not true. Okay. 

It's just my fault. I forgot the thing. I left it in my backpack a long time ago. 

And then I never put it in the closet. So it's my fault. So then I was like, you know, the big failure, number two. 

And then I was like, okay, you know what, whatever. So, you know, sometimes when bad stuff happens, like you feel pretty bad and then you feel like kind of, it kind of bleeds over. So by bleeding over, I mean like, even though it should be over, like there's nothing more I can do about it. 

I should just go back the next day. I still felt kind of bad. So then like later that day, like I wanted to do some more stuff, but it didn't really feel in the mood. 

So then I was kind of grumpy. And then, and then I like, you know, the next day I like slept well. And the great thing about sleeping is you like, you forgive yourself. 

So the next day I was like, oh, I instantly forgive myself. It's okay. It's okay, me. 

Good job. You tried and it's okay. You made a mistake.

And I just, I don't know if I forgave myself all the way, but I was feeling fine enough to like, you know, continue doing my normal stuff. So then, okay, here comes the next part. So we had, you know, part one where I went, I was like, oh no, I forgot my passport. 

And then part two where I went back and I was like, oh no, where's my passport. And then there's the next part, which was like, oh, I had the passport the whole time. Wait a minute. 

I didn't have to do all this pain. I didn't have to feel all this stress. And then the next day I went to the same place. 

Okay. So I went to the Terrible place and the Terrible place. I actually got there and I brought all my paperwork and my paperwork is done. 

And I also brought my passport. So I'm like, okay, this must be ready to go. And then I went to the place and I was like, oh, Hey, like, I think I have a reservation. 

They're like, no, no, you don't. No, you don't. Okay. 

No, I don't have a reservation. And actually it turns out that reservation, you can't even use it for, for my thing. So then I went there and I was like, Hey, I want to apply for this thing. 

And they're like, okay, you've got to go to that other counter. And so I went to the other counter and then all I have to do is like, have them look at some stuff and then give a stamp that says, okay, that looks good enough. Then we'll like, you see, it seems like you have the requirements. 

So then we'll actually go ahead and look at it in depth later. So it's like the first check. It's kind of like, if someone's like, Hey, I want to apply to be an English teacher. 

Then like the first step is they ask you, well, do you speak English? And then if you say, no, I don't speak English. Then they're like, okay, well then you can't be an English teacher. So get out of here. 

Like that's, it's like that check. That's like, it's called the weeder. The weeder is like some slang that people use. 

Uh, for example, like in college, if people want to study computer science, there's a class called a weeder class, which is like, it's the first computer science class. And then if it's too hard and you fail that, well, you can't, you can't study computer science. So that's called the weeder class. 

So I had to go to the weeder, the weeder line. And then, um, and, and I went there and I pushed the button and they have this like little, this little ticket that prints out. And then, so a little ticket that prints out and my number prints out and I was like number 300.

And then it says like now serving 293, which means there's like, you know, seven people in front of me and that's fine. I can wait a little bit. So then I like sat down and I started waiting.

And I think I waited like, you know, 30, 40 minutes because it really depends on like what those people are doing. So the seven people before me, if they all have really fast checks where they're like, do you want to be an English teacher? And they're like, uh, yeah. And then I have all the credentials then it's like, okay, yeah, sure. 

Whatever we'll look at. But then, I don't know. It depends on, you know, situations. 

So they were taking a long time. And then also that place doesn't have signal. And I have Docomo, which is like, uh, like there's in, in Japan, there's a bunch of phone carriers. 

There's, I think, what is it? Salt? Oh crap. I think that was Switzerland. Uh, anyways, there's Docomo, there's SoftBank and there are maybe some other ones. 

Rakuten. I have Docomo. And Docomo there, I think, doesn't really have good signal. 

So I'm like sitting there without internet signal, but I was like organizing some podcast stuff on my laptop. I brought my, my, my laptop and some like organizing files. I'm like, oh, okay. 

So actually let me move these here and then move these here. And then, uh, finally it's my turn. So I went there and I was like, okay, so please look at my stuff. 

And they looked at it and they're like, okay, yeah, this looks pretty good. And they gave me a stamp. And I was like, yeah, I got the stamp. 

I'm like, I'm like ready for the real check. And they're like, okay, so go, go downstairs and then like turn it into that, to the e-counter. So I went to go to the e-counter to go turn it in. 

And then when I went to the e-counter, it was like, it was closed. Like, I guess, well, because I spent like, you know, an hour upstairs, like downstairs, it was already past closing time. And so, you know, like to have like the counter where they usually have like three employees, but then there's like this big like sheet, this big white sheet that is like covering the whole window. 

So it's like closed. And I was like, oh no, I just need to turn this in. I just need to give them the stuff and then I can like leave. 

And then I was, I was like, oh no, what do I do? And then, you know, I look like a confused person. I'm like, oh, what do I do? There's this one employee that's like, I guess she's like, kind of like the information help clerk or something. And she definitely speaks some other languages too, based on her accent. 

But she was like, oh, what do you need? And I said, oh, I just need to turn this stuff in. And she's like, where do you need to turn in? And I said, I need to turn it in over there, but the thing's closed. And then I hear like, you know, giggling and stuff behind there because, you know, it's like employees after they finish work, they're talking with each other, like, hey man, I can't believe like this thing happened. 

Oh, that's crazy. You know, stuff like that. That's like the one chance to talk to each other. 

And then, so the employee was kind of like, oh, well, why don't you go ahead and just, you know, just knock on the door? And then I was like, oh, okay, that's nice. So maybe they've dealt with this before. So then I went over there and I'm thinking like, oh, okay, so maybe, maybe I'm not a super loser.

Maybe it's going to be okay. And then I knocked and I was like, and then, and then nothing changed. Right. 

So I just hear a lot of like Japanese giggling behind the thing. And, and, you know, again, this is like, it's already like past, it's already like an hour past like their closing time. So they close at four and it was like almost 5 PM. 

So, you know, I don't want this to sound like they are bad people. Like they're just normal employees, but then I was like, okay, maybe they didn't hear me. So then I knocked like 10 times. 

I was like, and then I'm kind of like looking like, oh, I feel like I did something bad. I'm like ruining people's day. And then there's still no response. 

And they're still giggling. And then I was thinking, yeah, well, I just, I just want to turn in this thing. And then that way I don't have to spend another hour coming here. 

It's an hour to go there an hour back. It's like two hours of my life. And I have to wait in line to give it to people, which takes like another hour. 

So it's like maybe three hours. So then I was like, I opened the thing a little bit. I was like, excuse me. 

And the funny thing is like, I expected like, you know, people who are laughing to like, you know, stop talking and be like, oh, someone wants something. And then maybe though they'll be like, all right, what do you want? And then, okay. But then instead what happened was I opened it and then it was right in front of like an employee who was like working.

And so like, as I opened the thing, like these, these really, these eyes that were so annoyed looked at me and they're like, don't do that. You might break it is what she'd said. And I was like, okay. 

And then I closed it back down. And then I was thinking like, yeah, I don't, I don't think I'm going to be able to turn it in, but you know, like it takes me like an hour to get here. And then I also have to wait a long time. 

So if I'm just going to spend like 15 minutes doing nothing and waiting for someone to take pity on me, waiting for someone to feel bad for me so that they'll be nice to me, I can do that. So then I like, I just stood there for like, you know, 10, 15 minutes hoping that someone's going to walk by and be like, oh, what do you need? And then I can say, I just want to turn this in. Can you just like hang on to it and then deal with it tomorrow? You don't have to do it today. 

And then I was waiting for that. And then some employee came and then I was about to say like, oh, hey, I just want to turn this in. She's like, we're closed.

We're closed. We're closed. We're closed. 

It's like all she said. And then I was thinking like, okay, so you guys really just want me to, to leave. And this, I was thinking like, all right, all right, that's fine. 

I know what it's like to have to work late and I'm not trying to make anybody like work much more than they have to. So, you know, they can enjoy their day off. I'll, I'll go ahead and spend the, you know, the hour, three hours of the next day. 

But then I thought, oh, wait a minute, wait a minute. The lady that told me to go turn it in downstairs, maybe I can go to her and she can bring it in like tomorrow and like give it to the coworker. And that can save me like two hours. 

So I'm feeling kind of greedy, right? And I'm thinking, okay, so maybe I can go home, not a loser. I want to be a winner. So then I go back upstairs and I go back upstairs and then like, uh, so most of the counters were closed, but the place where I got my stamp, it was still open. 

And then, so I went there and then it's kind of interesting because, um, I was, I was standing there. This is like the place where everyone gets visas, right? And it depends, depends on what you're applying for. Like people go to different tables and stuff, but I was like there and waiting. 

And then I see people like in the back and those people kind of see me. And normally when you're like standing at a table and then you like kind of want them to come do something for you, you kind of look at them and then eventually they're like, okay, well, let me go talk to this person. But, uh, the people at this place, at this terrible place, like they are so used to people like staying after, and then nobody wants to work past the time that they have to, right? So nobody likes working overtime. 

So then they all kind of look at me and then they could just continue doing whatever they want. And it's kind of like, I don't exist. And I was like, oh wow, this is actually really interesting. 

Like I've, I've like, I know what this is like because I think when I was teaching in, in college, like sometimes you have like an hour where you're like, okay, so I'm going to be available in this hour. Okay. So I don't know from like, let's say 4pm to 5pm I am available. 

And then sometimes you have somebody come in like, you know, one or two minutes before it's closing and they have some like really big question where they're like, Hey, I have this really big question. And then, and then that, that sucks. Okay. 

I know that feeling because then you have to like spend a long time answering their questions. And then while you're answering their questions, someone's like, oh, this guy is still available. But I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. 

Like I'm, I'm only from four to 5pm. Okay. There's the next person. 

You got to go ask the next person. And the next person's already busy. Cause there's a lot of people. 

So I know this pain. And then, so I was thinking like, oh wow, these guys are used to like, uh, doing the right amount of ignoring so that they can leave without having to do extra unnecessary work. So then I'm like standing there hoping for attention. 

And then, uh, and then some other guy, some other guy who's like walking around, uh, he also, I think he wants something. So then he came to my area too. And then I thought that he would like, you know, line up behind me because I'm at like the front of the counter, but the counter is a little bit like wide. 

So he actually came off to the side to like next to me. And I was thinking like, what do you want? Oh, you want something too? Well, good luck. I've been waiting here like 10 minutes. 

Let's see if the next person comes. And then actually after that guy came, then, then like someone came and was like, okay, how can I help you? And I was like, what the heck? Uh, and then that person, like she saw like both of us. Okay. 

And she probably doesn't know who was here first. And so she just went for the nearest person, which is this guy. And then this guy, he's, um, I actually, I don't know what country he's from, but he's got a green passport and he looks kind of black. 

So he's probably from Africa. And then, uh, he was like, he was asking this lady something about his passport. And then, uh, she didn't really understand him and he was speaking in English and I'm like an English teacher. 

Right. So I'm like listening. And I was like, wait a minute. 

I don't really understand either. And I was just thinking like, this, this is kind of tough. Like I was going to offer to help, but I don't understand what he's saying.

So I don't know. So then, so then like, I hear this, like, like I only understand the please part. It was like, please something, something, something, something. 

And then like, he tries to give his passport to the lady and the lady was like, what? Because she doesn't understand. So then, uh, uh, so then he like says it again, please something, something, something, something. And she's like, what? Uh, you know, sorry. 

No, we're closed. Okay. We're closed. 

We close at like 4 PM. So, and it's already past five. So sorry. 

No. And he's like, please, please. Like he's not going to take no for an answer. 

So he keeps like saying this thing. And then I was thinking like, dude, what are you doing? Like nobody knows what you want. And then also he doesn't even have any like paperwork. 

He just has his passport. I don't even know if he has his phone. He just has his passport. 

And he's like trying to give the passport to the lady. And then like the lady is like, I don't know what you want. And also if I did like, I can't do it because it's too late.

Okay. I'm just like here because I'm like really nice. And it's hard for me to ignore people.

It's probably the case. And so she, she just keeps saying like, I'm, I'm sorry, we're closed. I'm sorry. 

We're closed. I'm sorry. I can't help you. 

I'm sorry. But then like, he keeps like giving her the passport. And then at some point she takes the passport and she looks in the inside and then she like closes it. 

And probably what's happening in her mind is like, actually, I don't even know what you want me to do. So, so then she gives back the passport. She's like, I, I'm sorry, I can't help you. 

And he's like, please, please. So this is going on. And I'm thinking like, what about me? I just want to like give this, I have a stack of paperwork that's like ready to go. 

I've got the stamp and I just want to like give it and then I can be done. And then I don't have to come back tomorrow. Like, that's what I want. 

Like the stamp, you guys said it's fine to go. So I just have to give it right. And then like a, a good chance came by. 

So I got lucky. Okay. So while, you know, that employee was like dealing with this green passport situation and someone keeps someone who kept saying, please, then another employee came out and then that employee was trying to go home. 

And I was like, Hey, wait a minute, you, because that's the same employee who gave me my stamp and told me to go downstairs. I was like, Oh, Hey. So what I said was somebody told me to go downstairs. 

And I said somebody, because I didn't want it to sound like I'm blaming her, but I said, somebody told me to turn it in downstairs, but downstairs it's closed. And then she was like, Oh, Oh, did you try knocking? And I was like, yeah, I tried knocking. And it seems like they don't want to answer it. 

And she's like, okay, okay. Yeah. Well, I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to, I guess, come back tomorrow. 

And also the stamp that I gave you that said, it's okay, like you can't use it tomorrow. So you have to do the whole thing again.

Um, but it's probably going to be fine tomorrow is what she said. And then I was like, Oh, okay. Do I just have to like, give it to them? And she's like, yeah, you have to give it to them, but you'll have to do it yourself like tomorrow. 

And I was like, Oh, okay. So then, so then yet again, I went home, felt feeling like a super loser. So like I got on the bus and you'll never guess who I sat next to. 

I like, I went to the bus and then the bus wasn't there. So I had to wait a little bit. And then when I actually got on the bus, like right before the bus left, like a guy came on the bus and it was that guy with the green passport. 

And then, uh, he like, you know, sat down and he sat down like right next to me. And then I was looking, I was thinking like, dude, like, do you not have like a backpack or like paperwork? Like you only have your, your passport. What about your phone? And he didn't even have a phone. 

And then, so like, I think when he was coming on, I saw, Oh, that's the guy. And he's like paying with cash. And then like the, the bus driver's like, yeah, you gotta pay. 

And then I don't know if he actually paid, but he was like doing something with the coins and they were having some interactions. So maybe he had some trouble, but I was thinking like, Oh man, I don't know what this guy's situation is, but I'm curious. But also, but also you gotta like, you know, if, if you don't really know what you're doing, it's fine, but try not to waste other people's time because those people, they are probably really, really tired of that, which is like people who want something, but you know, like, it's not like the employee can just give him a visa. 

She can't just be like, and then she looks at the visa and then he gets a new visa. Like he has to apply for the visa too. He can't just give the passport and then someone gives him a magic stamp. 

You have to apply for it. So I was just thinking like, dude, you gotta do your research. Okay. 

So if you don't do your research, then no one, like, even if we feel bad for you, like nobody can do anything for you. So, so anyways, like I thought that, and then I was also thinking, well, because of you, I probably have to come back the next day. But you know, I didn't really say anything. 

Of course. I just like went home and then called it a day. I did the best I could. 

And then like, because like the past two days I've been dealing with like, like being disappointed with myself, like, I guess I got better at it. So I was like, no, I'm just going to figure it myself and went home, you know, played a little card game on my, my computer. And then, uh, actually maybe there's a good little point to take a break. 

So let's take a little break here and then I'll come back and finish the story.

All right, guys. So the ultimate complainer is back. 

Okay. So I am the ultimate complainer. I'm here to complain about everything. 

And so, uh, let me, let me re review. Let's recap a bunch of the complaining. So the first complaint, I like went to this visa place and then I realized I forgot my passport and I was like, oh, grumble, grumble, grumble. 

I'm like upset. And then I come back home and I was like, where's my passport? I'm upset. Grr, grr, grr, grr. 

And then I found my passport, but it was in my backpack, which means I didn't have to do that whole stupid trip of going there. And then like halfway realizing some stuff and then coming back. I was like, oh, I'm so frustrated. 

And then I went back to the place the next day. Right. And I'm like, okay, come on, come on, let's go. 

Let's do this. And then I just told, I just told you the story about how I try to turn in the stuff and they're like, okay, yeah, it looks good. And I'm like, yes, yes, but I don't want to have false hope. 

And then it was false hope because I wasn't able to finish the step. And then, so like, I was like, oh yeah. Okay. 

Whatever. So anyways, the next day I went right back to that same terrible place. Okay. 

So that terrible place, I went there. And then this time I have everything, which is like the same as the previous day, but I have all my paperwork. I've got my passport and I was like, okay, I'm going to go a little bit earlier so that I don't get screwed by the stuff closing. 

And then I went there and then like, uh, I like lined up and then I waited, I don't know, 20, 30 minutes. And then I gave it to them. And then I think what happened was probably the same lady that saw my stuff yesterday, probably yesterday at the time, the day before the same lady who handled my stuff probably saw it again. 

So she gave the stamp pretty quickly. So I got like my paperwork back within like, you know, 10 minutes. And then I went and turned this stuff in and then I was done. 

And I was like, oh my God, thank goodness I'm done. And so this is probably the end of the complaining session. Okay. 

So I complained about a bunch of stuff and I was like, oh, this is so annoying. And it was a little bit frustrating because, you know, I had other stuff to do too. Right. 

So I gotta, I gotta do my own, my own stuff. That's not just this visa stuff, but I was too busy doing this visa stuff that I couldn't do other stuff. And then sometimes I'd be kind of upset about the visa stuff. 

So it makes me sound like kind of a little bit weak, but it's true. I was like upset. So I didn't really want to do anything. 

If I'm like upset, I don't want to do stuff that's good for me. I'm like, I'm upset. I want to do nothing. 

And then I, then I do nothing, which is probably not so good.

So also I do want to mention like, there is a version of this terrible place, this terrible place. When I mentioned this to like American friends, like I always mention it as the equivalent of the American DMV. 

So the DMV is like this place where you go in the US to go get a driver's license. And remember in the US it's a very like car oriented world. So you want to have a car for like most things. 

If you don't have a car, then it's pretty inconvenient and even more important than the car is the driver's license. So you need the driver's license to be able to drive. And even if you can't drive, uh, maybe you got the license somehow, but you can't really drive. 

You still want to use the driver's license for like ID. So when people say ID in the US it's like identification. Yes, you can use your passport. 

Everyone probably knows that, but most people use the driver's license and it's just because everyone has a driver's license. So can you show me your ID? For example, if you're trying to drink at a bar, you have to be 21 years or older. You have to show your driver's license. 

And then note, notice that I said, you have to show your driver's license. Yes, you can show your ID. That's like the correct thing. 

You can just show your ID and that's fine. But actually most people will say, let me see your driver's license. And then that also means the same thing. 

It means like the ID. And of course I can pull out my passport and be like, yeah, so you can see my birthday is this day. So I'm old enough to go to the bar, of course. 

But, um, you know, people just use the word driver's license. And so anyways, like at the DMV is like the American equivalent of this Terrible place because the DMV is a very terrible place. You have to go there and then you have to like wait in a really long line. 

And then like when you try to get your driver's license, like, you know, like I think, uh, the employees usually aren't really that nice and they're, they don't like their job and people don't like to go there. It's a place of unhappiness. And so you go there and sometimes you have to wait in the long line and then sometimes they skip your turn, uh, due to some mistake. 

And then if you go ask them, you say, Hey, I think someone skipped my turn. They're like, nah, get in the back of the line. We don't care.

So then it's like, it's a pretty terrible place. So when I explain like my visa experience to like my American friends, I usually tell them, Oh yeah, that's the equivalent of the DMV. So if you ever hear the phrase like DMV from your native friends, like you should know that's, that's like the same as the Terrible place. 

That's where you have to go to get driver's license. That's where you go to renew your driver's license. And if you need any other thing, for example, I don't know, you like lost your driver's license or something. 

Then if you can't do it online, you got to go to the terrible place. And that is a terrible, terrible experience. 

So, um, anyways, I think that was enough for this, uh, complaining podcast. 

Um, so I, I talked about this whole like visa experience and basically I had a pretty rough time for like, you know, three days or so, but, you know, I was able to get it finished. And if there was one thing that I learned, it's that like, um, a lot of stuff, I, when you hear this and you really need it, it like, you don't really understand it, but when you think about it and you're not mad, then you can probably understand it a bit more. So even if I told myself this, like I would say it. 

And then like the angry me would just be like, I don't want to listen to that advice. That's I'm mad right now. So I don't want to listen to it. 

But the truth is a lot of stuff you, it's just out of your control. Okay. So like sometimes you could have done something, but you could have done something is something that's in the past. 

And so, you know, you can try to change something for the future, but a lot of the time people feel bad about stuff that, you know, you can't really do anything anymore. So if you came too late for something, yeah, that sucks, but there's no need to beat yourself up. Okay. 

Beat yourself up, meaning being too mean to yourself. You can, you know, try to be more careful, careful for next time, but that's about it. You can't like go back in time and change stuff. 

You can't like get mad at some employee and then like something good happens. Like it doesn't really work like that. You don't really gain anything by being mean to yourself. 

So beating yourself up is not really that helpful. So if anything you know, if, if you've done something and you like, you feel bad about yourself, maybe, I don't know, like if you fail the test or I don't know, maybe you had a fight with a friend or something like that, it's pretty sad. But also if you think too much about it, you might be doing too much. 

So you can try to focus on something else, go do something else, go do some kind of exercise, do some kind of hobby and like make yourself busy by doing other stuff that should probably help you change your mood. Okay. So don't be like me and go home and be upset and be like, where's my passport? And then get more upset. 

Oh, it was in my backpack the whole time.

So anyways, that was this complaining podcast. If you want to hear more complaints, I can do more complaining, but I'm going to need you to tell me that you like hearing me complain because I generally try not to complain too much on this podcast. 

I try to keep things a bit more positive. 

So anyways, that's probably a good point to go ahead and end this podcast episode. So as always, thank you so much. 

Thank you so much for listening all the way until the end of this episode of Kuli English podcast. And I'll try to have a nice episode for you again next Tuesday. And you know, if you want to support me, you can follow, you can subscribe, do whatever you want.

You also don't have to, if you don't want to, but yet again, thank you so much. Good luck with your English studies. Feel free to comment if you have any like suggestions for future episodes, or if you thought the complaining was kind of unnecessary. 

It's fine if you comment something mean, as long as it's like helpful, if it's like productive, if it's like, I didn't really like this episode that much, because I like the episodes where you tell stories about, I don't know, American culture or something. You can say that too. And then I'll know, okay, that's fine. 

So whatever it is that helps you, feel free to comment that if you want. So anyways, thank you. Thank you so much.

And I'll see you next Tuesday.

Bye-bye.