So, our Fiktionsbescheinigungen (temporary visa extensions) expire this week, so it’s back to the Ausländerbehörde to get real visas. We thought we were set; last time, we filled out documents, they sent our applications to the Arbeitsamt (work-permit office) to get our standing as self-employed journalists approved, and said it shouldn’t be a problem.

This time Aimee gets there, and after waiting for half an hour, gets told that the laws have changed in ways that even this office isn’t totally clear on, and now our files have to be sent to a different, slower office to see precisely which category we fit in. I go on Thursday, and will be told the same thing. Sigh…

But. And. But. At least we have another three months in the clear here. If they kick us out in the middle of winter, it’ll probably be 10 below, and we won’t be too upset. We’ll just have to find somplace cheaper and more comfortable, like, say, rural Poland. Hoorah!