Random Tuesdays 09/23/2014

The blogger herself (5 months pregnant, hence the baggy pants) outside the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado, 2009

Becoming an Alien Spouse, IR-1, step #3 - medical

I've finally reached step #3 on our never-ending visa journey. Here's where we were last. Now we've received our interview date and I will be interviewed at the Helsinki embassy in two weeks, yay/yikes!

All spousal visa applicants have to get a medical examination done by a panel physician. The applicant is expected to bring an ID, three passport photos and vaccination records with them to the medical appointment. There are three panel physicians in Finland at the moment, all situated in Helsinki; Anna Back and Georg Borgstrom at the Eira Hospital and Erkki-Pekka Helle at a couple of locations. All of the panel physicians charge about 400 euros for the examination. Helle might be few euros cheaper and Back a few euros more expensive, but the amounts are pretty close to each other. Borgstrom, whom I chose, charged me 400 euros + vaccinations.

A random photo: near Boulder, Colorado in 2009 :)

So out of the three physicians, I chose Borgstrom based on other visa applicants' experiences. Back is apparently extremely thorough and checks the applicants teeth and breasts etc. Helle has apparently a peculiar sense of humor and can be outright rude something. If this was a wellness check, I'd probably have chosen Back. But since this is a visa related visit, I didn't want to be probed thoroughly by someone. I decided against Helle, because I really don't respond well to rudeness. In fact I acknowledge that I'm a bit of a firecracker and should really learn to take insults better. I dislike people who think they're superior to me, and apparently Helle takes that approach with his patients sometimes. I have a feeling we might have ended up in a shouting match with him refusing to sign my papers :D

I was very happy with my choice, Borgstrom was extremely polite and respectful towards me. He is, however, past retirement age and I've heard he has made some small mistakes with the visa papers sometimes. He had to use a magnifying glass to read my vaccination records and his hands were shaking quite a bit when he wrote the visa papers. He checked my blood pressure, lungs, heart and throat and asked if I was healthy. He also asked me about dietary restrictions, which he wrote down. The examination took maybe 15 minutes out of which we discussed my names for 5 minutes :) I don't have very common Finnish first names and they all (and my American last name as well) have meanings. If you translate my non-English names to English, the combination is rather amusing :)

After the medical examination Borgstrom sent me to the lab to have a chest x-ray and a blood test taken. Waiting for my turn there took most of the time. I was done with everything in two hours and Borgstrom told me to come and pick up the results and a x-ray cd in 10 days.

So next up is the interview! Husband checked with the embassy that he doesn't need to be there, so I'll be all by myself, eek! I really hope I'll get approved fast, since we'll be flying to the U.S a week from the interview for husband's job interviews.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

Random Tuesdays 05/13/2014

Somewhere near the New Mexico-Colorado border in 2009

Random Tuesdays 09/24/2013

Deer in the headlights without the headlights in Great Sand Dunes National Park, 

near Mosca, Colorado in 2009.

She just kept staring at me, so I took a photo :)

Random Tuesdays 08/20/2013

New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado in 2009.

They had all sorts of cool decorations; beer-y Christmas lights ;)

Random Tuesdays 07/30/2013

Red Rocks Park, Colorado in 2009

Random Tuesdays 04/02/2013

The blogger herself near Mancos, Colorado in 2009. I don't really post photos of myself that often, but here I am 5 months pregnant sitting on a cliff trying to drink away my nausea (it's water I might add ;))

Random Tuesdays 03/19/2013

Mesa Verde National Park near Cortez, Colorado in 2009

Random Tuesdays 02/12/2013

Buffalo Bill's grave site in Golden, Colorado in 2009

Random Tuesdays 02/05/2013

Mesa Verde National Park near Cortez, Colorado in 2009. 

Being pregnant at the time I had some trouble climbing all the ladders to see the site, but the tour was definitely worth it. Impressive place.

Random Tuesdays 11/13/2012

Great Sand Dunes National Park in San Luis Valley, Colorado in 2009. 

You might recognize this photo from the "Thank you for stopping by"-sign on the bottom of the blog :)

Random Tuesdays 10/23/2012

Near Walden, Northern Colorado in 2009. Would love to live near such a view!

Random Tuesdays 09/25/2012

New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins, CO in 2009. I don't drink beer and I was 5-months pregnant when we did the brewery tour (roadtrip with my friend's family), but they had all sorts of cool stuff on display there. This reminded me of a certain metal band :)

Random Tuesdays 07/10/2012

Red Rocks Park near Morrison, Colorado in 2009. We went there to just take a look, but I hear the concerts held in the amphitheatre are amazing! My friend is the dude wearing the white shirt :)

Random Tuesdays 04/17/2012

Stockman Bar in Walden, Colorado in 2009. A bit different from the Finnish Stockmann :)

Random Tuesdays 01/24/12

Somewhere near Winter Park, Colorado. 2009. Colorado is one of the most beautiful states in the U.S. The Rockies are breathtaking and I absolutely love the mountain lakes. My husband wants to live in Colorado someday and it's definitely one of my top 5 states as well :)