Distant Shores

22nd June, 2006

Prologue Like another day, I stuggle to get up, but, when reality hits you in the face, you really move from slumber to attack-mode in no time. A clean shave and quick bath, I was ready, whats the next thing? Of course, breakfast (what did you think?;) at a Sarvana Bhavan in Egmore, wonderful mini-idlis soaked in ghee I tell you. Fine, I'll talk about the food someother time. The drive from the place where we stayed was a fifteen minute one through through sparse traffic, yes, unlike the Bangalore ones. There was aleady a queue, which I was sure to break. I walk-in ask the first person what time is your interview, he replied 11.30am. It was still freaking 9.30am (alright, I was little early for interview at 10.15am). I need not explain how I made my way to the head of the queue in the heat, through humidity, and every trying to stick on to the person in front despite confirmed appointment. And, whats interesting? You have security guard the is trying bring order to the queue by yelling 'Everybody please maintain a single file, time is not an issue'. I only wondered why did I have to book my date six weeks in advance.

(Panasonic DMC-FZ30, No tripod, at 1/25 sec,focal length 31.00mm)

10.30am - Prescreening
It was fifiten minutes past my confirmed appointment and, I was at the tail of the prescreening queue. It is simple process in which you need to have the following documents ready:
a. Passport
b. Applications ( D-156/157/158)
c. HDFC reciepts
d. Appointment / Admission letter
Standing in queues can be quite an irritation at times. This one wasn't any different. On the brighter side, there was fan here blowing away to all glory, but the decibels can never cool you down. I was inline next when an elderly lady who was broke in the queue, said I was standing in this queue before, and I just went to get my HDFC receipts. What? Did I hear it right? You came for the visa interview without the HDFC receipts? I couldnt feel better. I had to let her ahead in the queue. Just when I thought I had it all, there was another physically challenged who joined the queue ahead of mine. Could I even get mad at anybody? Who cared, this was what I had been waiting for a long time.

Please donot change the order of the documents in the folder after the prescreening.

(Panasonic DMC-FZ30, No tripod, at 1/50 sec,focal length 8.80mm)

11.40am - End of prescreening - and burn in the hot, hot sun!
After prescreening you will be asked be seated, or if you are unlucky, (like me) to wait in a queue to enter the visa lobby. The was the worst part of the wait.

12.00pm - Kaboom
It looked like the queue was moving at the rate of one step per fiften minutes or something, and thats when we heard they were facing some computer issues. Darn, these machines, can we every trust them? I was just thinking if say I'm gonna pursue my masters in computer science, they might just deny me the visa. But, the wait was still on.

1.10pm - King Nothing
With the crammy folder, my own set of documents, and wanting to lean against a dirty grill, (but, never did) I felt like King Nothing. I felt like taking a nap, and thats when I heard the voice of God, or so it seemed. 'Anybody here with a 10.15 appointment?'. I was raising my hand like a nursery who knew the answer to 1 + 1. For once, preferential treatment. I did feel like King Nothing.

1.45pm - Some biometrics
King Nothing was on a roll, I could hear the staff yelling anyone from the 10.15 batch who is not done with the finger scan. 10.15 seemed like the magical number for me. I enter the counter and some wait in the queue, he states my full name. I'm glad to acknowledge it. He asked me place my finger on the red light. First the left, and then the right, 'Sir, you are now ready for you interview' he said. Boy, was I?

2.00pm - The Wait - Deathly whispers
Waiting is something you will have to get used to, if you are applying for US visa. The queue was sure long through a long rows of seats, the head of which ateast ten rows ahead. Unlike the fierce heat outside, the air condition here seemed to work fine. I could hear admist some whispers amongst the applicants, some sharing experiences from previous interviews, some generally enjoying a chat, some offering a prayer to their Gods.

2.20pm - Can't help but, listen!
Why would you want to listen to somebody else's interview? To get the *important* questions? Blah!! Give a better reason, its not an exam. But, I could hear the guy in my next counter explaining to the VO about V.L.S.I. design. What the hell? Didnt see that coming. Imagine me trying to explain to Mr. VO about CAPTCHA

2.25pm - Brief Encounter
This is most awaited chapter for most. My first impressions about the visa officer. Pretty lady, smartly dressed. Opps! I'll repeat it verbatim.
Visa Officer(VO): 'Hello, How are you sir?'. Sir?? Where did that come from?
Me: 'I'm fine, Thank you. And you how about you ma'am?'
VO: 'Fine thank you'
VO: 'Which college would you attending?'
Me: 'Carnegie Mellon University'
VO: 'Nice'
VO: 'So which other colleges had you applied for?'
Me: 'Obviously, CMU'
Both of us *giggle*, and then I continue rattling out the names of the colleges that I had applied. Penn State, UMN, PSU.. SUNY Stony Brook .. blah blah..
VO: SUNY Stony Brook? This is a part of the interview but, did you every consider applying to New York Institute of Technology?
Me: No Ma'am
VO: Would you have attended SUNY Stony Brook?
That was tricky one. I didnt have anything to lose. I replied, 'Now, that I have got into CMU, I think I would have gone to SUNY Stony Brook'
VO: Do you think the big guns like H.P. I.B.M recruit from SUNY SB? She is a sly one alright.
Me: Well, I havent looked in the placements in the universities really as planning to get back to Bangalore to work.
Meanwhile, she is looking at my I20.
VO: I see you have a scholarship as well.
Me: Yes
VO: Can I have a look at your degree certificate?
I show it to her and presume that she will asking me for financial documents or something. I'm still looking, when I hear her voice say, 'Congratulations, you will receive you visa in two days' and thrusts my I20 and degree certificate through tiny opening. Thats it. It was all over. The final nail in the coffin. I'm going, yeah.

Epilogue - 2.40pm
Now, if you keep wondering how I keep track of the time, I might just tell you what other work I have than to glare at the watch when you are waiting in the queue. A person like me is quite likely to restless waiting in long standing queues, with people making irritable conversations.
But, I'm glad its over. Came outside the consulate to frying pan again, but who cares now. I have the licence to kill, well not exactly.