Vis-à-vis 2

Went to the consulate again, this time with the right forms. It almost felt like I needed to retake my driving exam - the same sense of 'I will never succeed, how on earth can anyone succeed an extraterrestrial challenge like this?' - and this time I succeeded (second time around, driving took me three times.)

When I stepped out of the World Trade Center, I saw hermetically closed Occupy tents. I wondered if there was still anybody in there, or that they'd all left because of the cold. Or because they had to go back to their jobs.

The statue in the foreground is of G.K. van Hogendorp, one of the guys that made Rotterdam a great city.