We had an interesting procedure done today - we had more pages added to our passports. Both of us had filled about all 24 pages. Some pages had huge visa stickers from Cambodia or Vietnam - takes up the whole page - others just had numerous stamps. Taiwan staples a receipt of sorts into your passport - this you need in order to leave the country. Hence our pages are littered with miniature staples, which I remove occasionally, because, well, I'm obsessive about things like that. The process was (sort of) simple. We had to fax in that morning the data page of our passport (which I did three more times because they couldn't read it). Then we had to fax in some government forms. Finally we had to show up downstairs when AIT came to visit our school. They didn't sew the pages in (I thought for sure it was going to be some Betsy Ross type of ceremony. Instead they just took the extra signature of pages and peeled off a sticker and stuck them in. Not so ceremonial, but it worked. I asked if we could keep the passport when it expired, and the guy said yes. He says it becomes an important proof of your whereabouts in case you need an alibi or something. I don't, but if I did, I could use my passport, I guess.

So now we have a fatter passport with some lettered pages in addition to the numbered pages.

AIT, by the way, stands for the American Institute of Taiwan, which is absolutely NOT a consulate. But it sure looks like a consulate, but because the USA doesn't recognize Taiwan as a country, it's not. It's a trade office. My friend Ed says he saw a bridge in Costa Rica. It said "To our friends in Costa Rica. From your friends in Taiwan." We were both trying to figure this out, then Ed soon realized that Costa Rica recognizes Taiwan as a country. So they got a bridge as a present.

I recognize Taiwan as a country. I'd like a bridge. I'd like my bridge to go from our side of the street across Beer House Road, so we don't have to wait an eternity to cross to Family Mart.