We come in peace

According to the US government, I'm an alien. A legal non-immigrant alien with working privileges actually.

One of the first things you need to do when starting work in the US is to get a social security number (SSN). When dealing with gas, real estate, phone companies etc. for the first time, your SSN is a crucial component for a smooth transaction. Having a SSN is important. Without it, you can't get paid.

One of the first things I did after arriving in Boston back in March was to catch the subway (known as the 'T') to SSN headquarters in downtown Boston. As a government building, the usual strict security procedures were observed upon entering. After dutifully emptying my pockets to be X-rayed, I found myself waiting in a standard office-grey processing centre that housed the SSN bureaucrats. As I sat with all the other aliens, subdued alien conversations in Spanish, Chinese and what seemed like Russian filled my ear.

I expected a lengthy waiting period but was pleasantly surprised by the very efficient and quick processing of my application. In little time I was told my SSN would be sent to me in 4 weeks or so, and I was back out in the cold, blustery weather and on the T heading home.

I like being an alien.