Kicked out of class

I am not allowed to take the medic class. I'm still in shock and kind of a daze.

All because my University of Washington Diploma, which I had to get certified for this class, was not officially translated by a government official. J told me, and this really sucks, that "Bachelor of Science" is often found on German diplomas, in English! We had no idea we had to do this, and the list of required documents did not mention it. J is furious and will be speaking to the Unemployment office who set me up with this school, because the lady knew I'm a foreigner and that was an important detail.

I was sitting in class with my pen in my hand and everyone else was taking notes from a Powerpoint presentation and I didn't because I already knew the material. I wondered how boring this day would be. Ha, not boring at all.

The director/founder of the school walked into the classroom and asked me to get my things and come with him. He told me I'm not allowed to take the class with my diploma in English. (Not Arabic, not Hebrew, but English, which he can read.)

He said I'd have to go to the City of Cologne's Department of Health and Social Services (I'm guessing that's the English) and that I'd have to take the subway. OK I can do that.

He told me to talk to Frau Mueller or Krempler at that building. I had to climb 4 flights of stairs because the building is archaic and when I got to their offices no one answered my knocks on the doors. I knocked on 4 different doors in desperation but no one was working. Finally this lady steps out of one of them and it was Frau Mueller! I was so glad, and I handed her my document and said I needed it approved by the government ("officially recognized", whatever).

Typical government employee - they are all alike - steps back and says, "That's not my job. Get out of my office and I'll print you out a form." These people act as if being asked to do their jobs is the worst part of their day.

I went out and tried to reach the director to tell him she can't help me but he didn't answer.

She invited me back in and gave me a stack of paper about how to get a foreign document approved. "And where do I go to do that?" She had no idea. Or I just misunderstood her governement-speak. My phone rang and I answered it cuz I wanted her to talk to J about why she cannot help me. But it was the director!

I shoved the phone at the lady and said, "You tell him what you just told me, because he sent me to you specifically."

Then I left, and called him back to ask what I'm supposed to do now.

He said I have to go to blah blah blah and the cell phone reception was so bad I had to go down all 4 flights of stairs to be able to hear a single word. It was a horrible phone call - he had to repeat himself over and over because he was giving me words I did not know (another government word and a street name, which he had to spell at least 4 times for me to get). He could not tell me where this government building was. I would have to find it myself.

Nice huh?

I went to the freaking receptionist at the gov't building I was still in, and asked him where the (let me look this up) "District Council" of Cologne is. He actually knew, and directed me to the subway again.

I went in the wrong building at first and finally found this enormous block-sized building and went to the receptionist and told her I need the "approval."

She said, "You can't get that today. No one is here who does that today (Monday) You'll have to come back on Thursday, and then they'll put you in the queue. They have a stack of these to do and it will take them days to get to yours."

Honest to God I broke down crying right there and said, "Please I need it today. Tell me my options. If I dont' get it today I own't be able to take my class that is starting today." I asked her if I need to go to Duesseldorf, the next biggest city in this state. She looked at me blankly. Apparently that's out of her pay range, to answer questions about other cities' governments.

I went outside and sat on the front steps and called J.

J is in Holland, incidentally, today, so reaching him was tricky.

He asked for the director's phone number. I knew he would be able to communicate better with him and tell him the story of how I went all over Cologne today trying to get this piece of paper.

He called me back as I rode another subway (and this time I paid for a ticket, the last two today I broke the law and rode without paying because the machine didn't seem to work and I didn't care to pursue it).

J told me the director could be in big trouble if he was caught letting someone without proof of education level into his class.

J told him the truth, that I was repeating the course and the other medic school did not require that.

J told me there's nothing to be done, I'm not allowed in the class.

And he was madder than I've heard him sound in ages, and kept apologizing to me. He said, "It's ridiculous because you don't even have to have a high school diploma to take this class! Only a 'junior high' level education! And they won't take your Bachelors!"

I was pissed that they couldn't make an exception because I would have pursued it and gotten it to him within the first 2 weeks of school. It's not like he would be GRADUATING me without proof of education level. Just schooling me! How can that be illegal, to have someone simply in the classroom, no where near patients?

I don't know what I'm going to do, and honestly I feel overwhelminly like giving up on this whole idea. I'll probably feel differently tomorrow.