Tried the Chicago consulate again

I figure I had to try. I started there years ago and wanted to know if anything had changed. I've written about all the troubles I had with the Chicago consulate before. As luck would have it, the same consul who was there in 2005 was there then. There were lots of people waiting when we got there. We handed over all our info and they said they'd get back to me 20 minutes later.

A little over an hour and a half later they said that in order for me to get my CNP and my passport, my mother would first need her CNP, to register her marriage with Romania, and to get a temporary passport. She could either travel to Romania and do it herself or get a lawyer. I asked how long it would take if she went and they said, it's easy, maybe two weeks. I don't see that happening. Since my mom doesn't speak enough Romanian to deal with legalities, we're looking for another lawyer. Hopefully someone can help us out.

On the positive side, it was a lively place to be. There were about 6 people waiting when we go there. All of them easily switching between English and Romanian. One couple was complaining about the long wait, another complaining about the wrong information the consulate had given them about American citizenship. Later on a family of Roma came in. Their dresses were beautiful and their kids' hair was a pretty reddish brown. The kids weren't wearing shoes. My daughter was jealous. They weren't speaking Romanian at all. It's nice to see diversity.

The person we spoke to was very nice. He asked if I wanted to speak in Romanian or English. I said English. He wasn't condescending at all. 

All in all, it feels good to get closure. If I can make this work, great. If not, no one can say I didn't try. From the USA, to Peru, to Romania, to Korea I've definitely tried.

Be sure to read about what has happened so far. You can find everything in the quick summary of dates.

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