The US Consulate has the most expensive notary ever.  I got ripped off by my own country.  It cost me $50 to get a document notarized.  That was just what I paid the consulate.  If you add up bus tickets, hotel, taxis, scanning and mailing, it cost $94.

I must have watched too many spy movies.  I expected the US Consulate to be a big fancy building with a big gate and lots of important looking guards.  It’s a unassuming window with one unarmed guard standing outside a door.  A small sign above the window says American Consulate.  I’d post a picture, but I wasn’t allowed to take pictures of it.  I had to give up my phone and go through an xray screening thing, then wait in a room, then wait in another room.  Then a series of 3 more windows, one to check in for my appointment and hand over the paperwork I needed notarized and my passport.  The second window to pay $50.  Let me repeat, $50 to get a paper notarized.  At the third window, I signed the paperwork and got the notary stamp.  Then I got my phone back as I left.

I found a wifi shop and was able to get the document scanned so I could have a copy and could email a copy.  Then I found a post office to mail the original.  So, now my lawyer should have power of attorney to help me with the car lease that’s not being paid on time.  Hopefully this will be useful in the future when I sell the house too or I will have to go through this process again.

What to do next?

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