An observation while waiting for my visa renewal appointment in pretty much the coldest, most uninviting and impersonal waiting room on the planet. Bold statement, I know – pick any DMV in the US for some stiff competition. The room hadn't been cleaned in a long time (unusual for Germany), garbage was everywhere, the fluorescent ceiling lights cast a depressing green light over all us anxious, too-quiet immigrants, and just out the window was a large, gated industrial complex blocking the view of the river. No plants, no signs of life or warmth. So creepy, desperate.
Thankfully, after 40 long minutes waiting, I was called into room 220 and was immediately granted a two year extension to my freelancer visa. That means I won't have to wait in that room again for two years. Hooray!
Photo: Ausländerbehörde Raum Z6, Berlin, 2014