Why me?

The past few weeks have been super-stressful...trying to book myself on tours so that I keep safe. My first stop is Phillipenes. I finally find a company who will accept single travellers on a date that is convenenient for me, but the payment is in the most awkward way known to man. They want me to fill out a paper form, they want a photocopy of my passport, and they want photocopies of the front and back of my credit card. And if this is not difficult enough, the payment has to be in US dollars, and they will only accept payment via credit card. How, pray tell, do I send all of this to the Phillipenes, in the absence of both a fax machine and a scanner?

I questioned everyone I know about this, and they gave me many ideas for finding a fax machine...hagwon? opseoyo... Friend's hagwon?...opseoyo....friend's laboratory?...opseoyo....post office/stationary shop?...isseoyo, but does not send internationally. I felt like screaming. Why on earth do the post offices in Korea not have fax machines that send internationally? Another of countless moments of "but its common sense!" being drowned out by Korean disorganisation.

When my (by co-incidence, Philippeno) friends came back from Seoul and had finished entertaining their Phillipeno guest, I immediately pounced on them. Luckily they had a scanner in their computer laboratory (ps.... pc pang...scanner.....opseoyo), thus allowing me to scan copies of everything needed for the payment, 4 days past my deadline. My phillipeno friend insisted that this payment method is normal for the Phillipenes.

Today I got an email from the agent....my card is rejecting the payment. I really don't understand, as I am nowhere near the limit. Thus tonight I must phone the credit card company and find out what is going on....and I am not sure if I have their number. Just when I thought I had the first 7 days of my travels organised, I run into problems, and I only have 3 weeks left. You see, I cannot book flights from Philippenes until I know when I finish all the tours (and I cannot know this until I know which tour I am on!) It follows that I then cannot pin down dates for tours and flight back to England. I have banged my head against a wall so many times I have put my head through it.

Meanwhile....2 months ago I phoned HSBC for the second time to request that my debit card be sent to my addresss in Korea, stating the reasons why it should be sent to my address, and NOT THE BANK IN BEBINGTON, like last time ( I gave the same reasons last time aswell, but they were ignored). I was inforned that because I changed my address recently, I should wait another 2 months before they will send me my card. I told them that I did not change my address in June, just one letter in the spelling of it, to make it more accurate. This fell on deaf ears.

So two months later ie last night I phone them again...to be told that there is a standing order for the card to be sent to my branch in Bebington. At that point I ran out of patience. I insisted that they send the card to my address in Korea, and do it immediately, as it will take 2 weeks to get here, and I am leaving in 3. Even then, its not a debit card they are sending me, its a solo card...but at least I can withdraw cash internationally, which is all I am concerned about. Only time will tell if the man I spoke to is telling the truth about where my card is being sent to.