Red Tape

I've wised up.  Monday I went to the office for foreigners working in Germany (Agentur für Arbeit) and I brought a friend who speaks German.  He is an American who has worked in the opera house for 8 years and has been immensely helpful and kind to Brenda and me.  We arrived at the Agentur für Arbeit in the morning and proceeded to the appropriate hallway.  We came to a door that said they were closed.  We went in anyway.  We proceeded to the first open office and talked to the ladies working there.  Apparently they didn't appreciate us walking in after having seen the "Closed Today" sign.  An argument broke out in German.  I don't know what was said but it didn't have a "Welcome to Germany! We'd be happy to help." tone.

It seems that the Agentur für Arbeit is open to the public Tuesdays, Wednesdays (half day) and Thursdays.  So I returned Tuesday, my 3rd trip there, and I brought a different American friend who has been singing in the company for 10 years.  (Everyone in the company has been so nice!) This time they were actually open and we found a different lady who thankfully hadn't been involved in the previous day's disagreement.  She told us that in 2007 the rules changed.  Opera singers no longer get their approval to work in that office.  They have to get approval from an office in Bonn, a totally different city in Germany.  Awesome.  I returned to the opera house and relayed that new information.   They said they would get in touch with the office in Bonn on my behalf.

Yesterday I got an e-mail from the Ausländerbehörder saying that they got the approval for me to work for the length of the show!  I will go in tomorrow and get it all finalized.  Even though it appears that everything is going to work out I'm still a little skeptical.  I'll be keeping an eye out for pianos falling on my head on the way to the appointment.

Other than this work permit stuff, things have been pretty good around here.  It is so great to have a washing machine and a dishwasher in our apartment.  We're getting spoiled.  Well, I'd better jet. I have to get to a costume fitting in a few minutes.  I hope you all have a great Thursday!