complex

First of all, I am going to begin working on my technical writing skills. I think it would be advantageous to consider writing with some accuracy of punctuation and sentence structure. Please help me by editing my posts if there are major errors I am overlooking. I know the capitalization will throw some of you off, and others (Kathryn) will be ever so thankful.

I decided over the past few weeks that I believe it is about time for me to jump into the teaching scene. Therefore, I must get my teaching certificate finalized finally. I tested when I graduated, so the only step missing in the process is getting my fingerprints done, and paying the certification fee. So since I have been on a "get 'er done" kick I decided I would attempt to get my finger prints done here this past week while a friend was here, and then they could travel safely back to the USA in the suitcase instead of traveling via airmail. And so the story begins....

Brian so kindly was willing to help me this week to try to get the process rolling. Time got the best of us, so we didn't start out on this adventure until the later afternoon. So we went to the small police station near our house, and they said they could not do it and sent us to a larger station not too far away. We go in, stand in line for a bit, and were told I need to get two passport pictures taken in order to get fingerprinted. So we get directions, get confused, get more directions, cross busy street, get more directions, find a place!, printer broken, get more directions, and then we find the place we want to be. A nice little shop, kind of a small-town Wolf camera. We tell the man what we need, and he told us to wait in the small studio type room. We were fine waiting inside, because we had been driving with no A/C, and traipsing around trying to figure out where to go for some time. So we sat and waited, and eventually he came in and took my picture. Of course it was a comical situation, and I am a happy person, so I smiled. The mister laughed and thought maybe he should try to take another one, so he did. Brian and the guy both laughed at me. Fine.

So a few minutes later the man had me come over and look at my photo on the computer screen. He hardly speaks English might I add at this late point in the story, so I am looking at it and it looks fine to me. I am not too worried about this picture that is for some file with my fingerprints. However, the man behind the camera took his job far more seriously than I could have ever wanted. As I am standing over his shoulder looking at the computer screen, I see the arrow being moved by the mouse making sweeping movements right underneath my eyes. This man was photoshopping underneath my eyes. He was blending and removing my dark circles underneath my eyes. This happened right as I was standing there. There is no mistake. He airbrushed me! He too was taken aback by my ever so present dark circles that are "always like this and not just because of lack of sleep." I know it is hard to believe, but I tell you the truth that even in the slums of Dubai the man that took my picture for the police department noticed the impurities on my face.

Well that is the gist of the story, alas it is not the end. So the guy prints me far more than the two I needed, and he so generously saved it to a disk and gave it to me for safe keeping and future reference. I got my pictures, and we headed back to the police department. We got back in line, and when it was our turn Brian spoke for me and told them my business. They asked for my passport, and saw my visa, and said they could not help me. Because I am just a visitor, they are unable to process the request. So that was the end of it. All that madness to get the photos, and nothing to show for it...of course I do still have the picture on a disk to share with you.