Embassy visit

Today, out of boredom and curiosity, I went to the U.S. Embassy here in Seoul. The whole thing is controlled chaos. There were protestors outside (aren't there always?) protesting everything from the Iraq war to the American/Israel alliance to just daring to build an embassy in Korea in the first place. Many humanitarian groups had posters and information outside with volunteers competing with street vendors for attention. Leading to the Embassy itself was a line, I estimated at about slighty under a quarter mile long. These were the people trying to get visas to enter the US. Most were turned away because of various reasons, mostly missing paperwork. Even the lucky few that were able to get in, still had to navigate the bereaucratic maze of the embassy. Take a look down at the ground you are standing on, millions of people around the world would (and are) paying a heavy price to be able to stand on that ground.