ACT I
scene i
Santana do Livramento. A large living room, Flav sits at the laptop and types.
Typetypetypetypenotaterroristnevertraffickedhumanoranimalswholeorinpiecesnotacriminalneverbeenneversupportednevernevernocheckallthenoboxescheckcheckchektypetypetypesignsubmit.
I do wonder if anyone ever answers ‘yes’ to any of these questions. I mean… you’re kinda fucked either way, aren’t you? If you are, or have ever been, a criminal and you say so, they’re not going to let you in their country. If you are, or have ever been, a criminal and you deny it, they’ll find out you’ve lied and they’re not going to let you in their country.
scene ii
Same. A few days later.
Currency exchange rate win – US dollar down – thumbs up for cheaper fee! Book appointment – they say Brasilia is never busy, but I don’t have free accommodation there. It would be cool to go to Belo Horizonte for the first time (remember that time when I wrote a BH travel guide without having ever set foot in the place? Lol), but again, no free couch. Rio or Sao Paulo, then? Not been to Sao Paulo in a while (remember that friend I keep promising to visit there?), aye, go on then. Booked. Flights. Booked. Ouch.
Facebooks friend in SP.
O hai, remember how I said I would come visit at some point? So how about this date? Yeah, I mean 31st May, June doesn’t have 31 days. Yeah, already booked flights. Oh… crap. Chile, huh? That’s… awesome. Love Chile. Beautiful country. New girlfriend? Oh, fab. In Chile? On the 31st May? Excellent. Ach, well. (surely there will be hostels in SP) Flatmate? Ok. Sorry… but thanks!
ACT II
scene i
Porto Alegre. Big glass building on busy avenue surrounded by corporatey-businessy-type buildings. USA flag, motherfucking bald eagle staring down at you.
No queues at all. Really nice, polite people. Open bag, lemme see, rummage, rummage, that’s great thank you, on you go. Metal detector, no beeps. That’s lovely, thank you, on to the first desk, please. Appointment? Yes, everything seems to be ok, would you like your passport posted back to you or to collect here? Collection is quicker and you can do it on Sundays. Postal services not guaranteed. Collection it is. Thank you, please take a seat and they will call you shortly. Shortly. Please, look into the camera – click – thank you for your soul. Please, fingers on the pad – BRIGHT LIGHT – thank you for your identity forever. Sticker on passport, appointment in Sao Paulo confirmed. Kthxbye.
ACT III
scene i
Sao Paulo. Paulista Avenue, outside the Art Museum, phone in hand, confused look, wandering back and forth to the back of the Museum esplanade.
How the fuck am I supposed to get down there to get the bus? Flying?
scene ii
Gets off the bus, follows the various signs indicating ‘American Consulate? Park here’, ‘American Consulate? Take passport photos here’, ‘American Consulate? Have a coffee before you go in here’. Finds American Consulate. Takes a while to find the entrance.
DOOR LADY: Good morning, do you have an appointment?
FLAV: Yes, I do. Here’s the confirmation. Hands sheet with printed bar code over.
DOOR LADY: Great, thanks. You are not allowed to go in with any weapons, lighters, or electronic equipment, including mp3 players and your phone.
FLAV: Can I just turn my phone off?
DOOR LADY: No, you’re not allowed to go in with your phone on you.
FLAV: Ok. Do you have lockers?
DOOR LADY: No, sorry.
FLAV: Right… I can’t go back home and re-schedule this, so what do I do?
DOOR LADY: There are lockers outside that you can rent.
FLAV: Fine. Where can I find them?
DOOR LADY: Sorry, can’t tell you.
FLAV: Fantastic. Turns around in despair and sees the parade of ‘American Consulate? Rent a locker space here’ signs across the street. Chooses one of the garage spaces, places phone inside a mini locker and pays R$ 10 to the girl at the makeshift table with a card machine.
scene iii
FLAV: I’m back. No phone.
DOOR LADY: Lovely. Scans bar code on paper. In you go.
SECOND DOOR MAN: Can I have a look in your bag, please? Ok. Go ahead.
THIRD DOOR LADY: Do you have an appointment? Scans bar code on paper. Thank you, please join the yellow line.
Stands in the yellow line for 45 minutes.
FIRST DESK LADY: Can I have your passport, please? Any other passports? Thank you, please join the security line.
Stands in the security line for 20 minutes.
SECURITY MAN: No jackets, no phones, no jewellery, no phones, no lighters, no jackets, no jewellery, all papers in the plastic folder, no phones, no weapons, no jackets, no belts, no mp3 players, no lighters, papers in the plastic folder, nothing in pockets, no jackets, no phones, no jewellery, no lighters, no weapons, no jackets… ad infinitum
X-Ray. Metal Detector. Clear. Go.
scene iv
A bunker in the back garden of the American Consulate SP.
SECOND DESK LADY: Can I see your passport, please? That’s great, thank you. Please join line number 8.
Stands in line number 8 for 10 minutes, eavesdropping on people’s interviews.
LINE LADY: Please go to window number 3.
WINDOW MAN: (in Portuguese with an American accent) Bom dia! Mão direita aqui, por favor. Sim, direita. Obrigado. Qual é o motivo da visita aos Estados Unidos? Oh, do you have an invitation letter or something? Boston? February? What kind of conference? Art? But the computer says you’re a translator. Hm, ok. What type of art? Theater? What type of theater? Hahaha. Present a paper on what? Oh, that makes sense! How long did it take you to pick up a Scottish accent? I can’t understand it sometimes. Married? Ok. Well, good luck. Your request has been approved and here’s some more information. It will take about 10 days for your passport to be returned.
scene v
Three days later.Still in Sao Paulo. Email pops up on screen.
Your passport is ready for collection in Porto Alegre.
Collect passport with visa a week later. Celebrate.
THE END
The FlavNav 
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