VISA, I WANT IN SIR...

Needed to get my visa stamped from the US embassy... The planning continued for more than a month... Umpteen documents, copies, statements, forms, certificates are being procured and arranged for this most important task of the visit... The entire visit was planned around the visa date so that the visa stamping is done upfront... The rest of the vacation is fun time...

Reached Chennai the day before the appointment... Checked in into the hotel, crashed immediately... But could not sleep for the whole night... Was checking the time every 3 minutes (really!!!) and by the time it was 5 am, was up like a spring... Ready in 22 minutes and could not be more nervous to go to the embassy...

Left 1 hr before the interview time and reached the embassy at 7 am... Hoping to be the first in the queue, but there were atleast 50 ppl already in the queue when we reached there... Then got to know that abt 50 odd were already in... Interviews were scheduled from 7 am in the morning, ppl reach the embassy at 6 am and the actual interviews do not start before 8 am...

This was my first ever visa interview and wifey had promised that it would be SOME EXPERIENCE... And u bet she was right... Waited in the queue... There were SO MANY ppl there, i felt that it was the queue to the gates of heaven... But wait, I think ppl do think that US is next to heaven, so may be i was really in the gates to heaven...

Then came the disappointing part... The way ppl (esp. students) were asking for their visa made me droop my head in shame... It was like going for a job interview without knowing that you do not qualify for the job and then begging for an opportunity...

Some of the funny QnA which i could not help but eavesdrop --

1 -
VO -- Why do u want to go the US?
CD -- Because the agriculture system in US is very developed...
VO -- What does agriculture have to do with ur degree?
CD -- Nothing, but i can learn agriculture after my MS.
REJECT

2 -
VO -- Why ABC university specifically?
CD -- Because this university does not need me to take a GRE and a TOEFL...
VO -- But why did u not take a GRE and a TOEFL...
CD -- Because this university does not need me to take a GRE and a TOEFL...
VO -- Did u apply to any other university?
CD -- No, because i did not like any other university which does not need a GRE or a TOEFL...
VO -- Do u know that GRE and TOEFL are a must for students interested in coming to the US?
CD -- But this university does not need me to take a GRE and a TOEFL...
REJECT

3 -
VO -- Why do u want to go to the US?
CD -- To learn to cook Biryani... (O???? YES!!!)
VO -- Why there? Why not here?
CD -- Because, the Biryani there is better...
REJECT

There are many many more funny instances of such interviews... But these actually made me sad... Is life so difficult in India that ppl are so desperate to go to the US?

Then came the most disappointing part (not that i really regret it, i would have this disappointment every time i go for any visa)... S and I were done with our interview in less than a minute with 1 Q each... The only Q for me -- how long have u been working for ur employer? the only Q for S -- Does ur husband have his own visa? Thats it...

We got the visa stamped and passport delivered next day at 10 am... After all the effort put in to create a stack of documents, only the first document on the top (the visa approval) was required...

Came back to the hotel, grabbed a bite and crashed again (to get over the sleepless night)... Woke up just in time for the flight... A 45 minute flight later, back in Namma Bengaluru... A crazy 2 hour ride in an ac cab later, home sweet home... Awesome meal and zzzz!!!

1 comment:

RS said...

Im amazed at the mental capacity of everyone of them you've mentioned! Biryani better in USA?! huh??