It's been a while since I wrote my last post. A lot of things happened in about a month, which means I had my plate full and couldn't spare enough time for writing blog. Even right now I'm supposed to work on something important, but I think the only thing that can help me with my current frustrations is to write about it.
This is a series on how all the government bodies in all countries excel at one thing - being inoperative! (no wonder their average rating on Google ranges from 1.5 ~ 2.5).
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One of the worst parts of being an adult for me is probably having to deal with different groups of people whether I want to or not. Human interaction is probably not my most favorite pastime, and when it comes to interacting with people who work for governments, such as embassies, a single interaction usually costs me 2 nights sleep, couple of anxiety attacks, and prolonged depression as a result of the frustrating experience. Especially when you're living in a foreign country, the level of this tricky game reaches the extreme level, and if you're an impatient person like me then you're mostly going to lose.
Before I write about other countries, I'll start writing this part-1 about my own country's embassy in USA. About 6 months ago I had to visit my embassy to renew and extend my passport, and began my series of frustration. Firstly, to renew your passport to the MRP version you need to visit in person to provide biometric information, which is give fingerprints and take a photo. The only way to do so is to travel all the way to Washington D.C., and visit the embassy in person. This biometric issue will come up in the following posts as well. Seriously, in this age of technological advancement can't we think of any other better ways to collect this information? Do people really think everybody has plenty of time to travel by taking off from school and work? Or do they think USA is as small as Bangladesh, and it doesn't cost to travel from one state to another?
Anyway, I accepted the fact that I need to visit them in person, but for that I had to make travel arrangements in advance, which was dependent on when I could make appointment with them. I might have called them almost 20 times for about a week, and left voice message as well. But nobody ever answered or returned my call. In the mean time my travel date was approaching, and I had no idea what should be the right thing to do. So, I appeared at the embassy without being able to make an appointment, but was being little hopeful because it was mentioned on the embassy webpage that it's not necessary to make appointment if someone visits during certain hours of a weekday. When I reached there I wasn't sure whether I was perspiring just because it was damn humid or I was extremely anxious.
My first interaction with the receptionist went this way -
Me: Hi, I came here for passport renewal.. I tried to call but couldn't make any appointment for a week. I'm traveling all the way from Illinois, was really hoping you could help me..
Receptionist: (Face palm!) So you tried just for a week and gave up? A lot of people try for months and they still can't make appointment. And you flied to D.C. just like that without any appointment?
Me: I really couldn't manage it in any other way, and it's mentioned on the Website that I can walk-in during these hours...
(How it went inside my brain - Well, it would be great if you could kindly explain the point you're trying to make here because I thought that's your job - to pick that precious phone and serve people for their purpose!)
Luckily by the majesty's greatest mercy I could get in, and actually apply for the passport renewal, and didn't have to fly to D.C. again. While leaving I saw her wandering around outside while speaking on the phone. I was really curious to go up to her and ask if she was taking someone's appointment or was that the reason why I could never reach them. But I thought it'd be safer to get my passport first!
If I've to communicate with them again, then would I do something else to make it better and more efficient? I don't know. Hopefully I can get a robot for myself who'll keep calling them every 5 mins for a month and make an appointment for me. Well, at least I hope they find a better way to collect biometric information by then.
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