Today was the day we had an interview with the German embassy for a visa.Honestly the number of times we have to go to various agencies with proof that we have enough money to take a holiday,that we wont stay back in Germany and become a burden to the German economy etc its all a bit much.Seriously is there someway i can become British ,it may allow me to travel without the red tape but of course that's impossible and lets face it can i imagine myself in England earning a living?...i think not.
Now the fun part of all this is that we go armed with proof and more proof ,we get up early to make it on time to the embassy.We remember are dealing with the Germans who we all believe live by a time table and schedule,are known for their efficiency etc etc.So we are told to be there ten minutes before the time allotted to us.We make it in fifteen.We are frisked at the entrance and ushered into an ultra cool room except that this one looks a bit like a prison in some third rate Hollywood blockbuster.The counters (there are four) are shut and the only way one can talk to the person on the other side is to pick up the wall phone.We wait and as the minutes tick by our impatience grows.The husband is ready to burst a blood vessel at the delay and I do my best to keep him calm.Finally fifteen minutes after our allotted time the counter opens.Please note only one out of the four is open and there are already some twenty people waiting.The the slow process of asking questions begins.Its a full forty five minutes before we are called.Then we are asked some questions that have already been asked by the previous agency.Now tell me why reinvent the wheel and do the same job twice?.Funny how they ask the husband where he works,then looking at me she ask if i work (please note no where i work,so i guess some gender issues rears its head here) no I say and its accepted.Some more paper pushing and we are done.Now why exactly were we called when all the paper work had already been done.Oh yes the best part is that the person who decided if we get a visa or not,hasn't even seen us.So much for German efficiency.We come away deeply disappointed and cant help comparing this experience to the UK visa process.Efficient and effective they have systems in place that take minimum time if the paper work is in order and things move fast and easily.Small wonder then that they resist being part of the EU so much.
All the red tape has given us a serious appetite so off we go to the local joint to get some breakfast.No parking at nine in the morning and having to put up with a surly attendant has us loosing our appetite so we drive away to the next place only to be greeted by an affable chap and pleasant people who smile and are welcoming.We place our orders and the husband is in the mood for chit chat but i have my back to a couple who are in the middle of a seriously good scrap.Considering the voice levels I signal to the husband that i have become part of a far more interesting conversation and while he tucks into his vada and sambar i keep my ears peeled to the scrap that's going on behind me.Its like reading a book,the girl accused the boy of seeing some one if office who she thinks is up to no good.How can he not stand up to her,why does he have to have anything to do with her etc etc and in that vein it goes on in Tamil and English.The boy obviously is used to dealing with this on an everyday basis and steers the conversation to safer areas.Before my dosa arrives they are laughing about something and all is forgotten,so I turn my attention back to the attention starved husband and we continue to trash the German embassy and its silly practises.
Two hours of life in the city has given us enough fun for a day hence the need to write about it.Will I get to Germany eventually?.....only time and the German embassy will tell
