System is thought to be good, brings order, manages better, anything. But system can also be dumb. Though it brings orderliness, does not mean it is faultless. I want to see my family, celebrate diwali after 5 years with them, I bought airline tickets quite ahead of the time, i got vacation time approved from work, i got my ear doctor lined up too, everything worked out well, made plans with friends and family back home, but one system had to fail! This time, when I leave United States, I have to get my passport stamped from US Consulate to re-enter US, and that's where the failure emerges. I had planned earlier this year too to visit my family, and I had to cancel a week before my trip because of a scare of a surgery. I had sought an appointmet at US consulate then, and everything was perfect, but my doctor told me that something in my body might not had been perfect, and boom, no vacation, no family visit! now when everything else, is just fine, the visa-services appointment system failed! I booked apointment online again, I also let them know that I have booked appointment for such and such date asking them if i needed to re-submit anything again, not just once, twice. No repply from them, and now when my trip is less than a month away, I needed confirmation that my appointment has been confirmed, and now upon my asking, they are telling me that it's been cancelled because I did not sumbit documents-> which means, I can not get my passport stamped when I would take vacation! the wait is more than 3 months for getting another new appointment! Techically I am not requirted to re-submit anything for new appontment since I have already submitted everything!
Even if I want to go to some other country to get whole visa thing done, I don't have enough time to manage everything. what a dumb system they have, all the phone no.s, listed online, have changed, and it's really tough to get thru the recorded message playing numbers. I could some how, thinking I'm lucky to get, got a number I can talk to a person. I finally did speak to a person, who noted down my email address and told me that they would reply me through email. The reply I got was short and not at all sweet: "You called today. Please send us your query again." !!!!!! why did I call them, a question I could not answer myself.. neither they would consider my case where they give emergency appointment. I may not be not visiting my family, again.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
17 comments:
oh man, that sucks big time and that too when ure planning ure vacation after 5yrs arnd diwali. first i envied u for being able to take a vacation arnd diwali time but after reading thru the whole post im very disappointed for u. dont give up yet, i hope u get it.
thanks sensibly stoned. It seems like I may still be able to workout for diwali, I'll come to know by the end of this week, hopefully!
I actually visited my family twice before this, it's been 2 years last time when i visited them.
what you said on systems.. i definitely agree...
This sounds terrible. Sometimes, we tend to make the system 'too perfect' that is stops recognising things which humans do.
So sad to hear ur account.
the way these passport systems and all function is really pathetic. I had my share just 2 days back.
Hope u will make it.
I'm so sorry, Venus. I wish you could be there.
.:a:.
I wish there was something I could have done. But I WILL visit my family this year :)
geo:
Thanks for stopping by. you also have an interesting blog!
Anu govt involvment in a process is always halting, my observation.
mermaid:
thnak you for your wish, I will visit them soon though, let's see.
no system is perfect.
i hope that it will work out in time...its a pity tht so much streamlining of such procedures can be implemented, but are not though...
I hope that things work out for you.. All the best.
-poison-:
Thank you for your wishes,
When you need to coordinate/synchronize many different systems/people one should always be prepared a failure, it's hard fact of life.
Pallavi:
Thank you very much for your wish and hope! I can not do anything about it, and that's the most terrible thing.
hmm.. it sucks at times.. particularly when u need it the most.. donno its possible now, bt still wishing u that u may reach ur family..
Jithu:
Thank you very much for your wishes! I am sitting with crossed fingers too :) I should be able to know the outcome tomorrow, let's see.
outcome? :-)
Jithu:
Thank you for asking :)
they have replied me that they have postponed my interview date to Nov 3, which is good and bad! good that I still will be able to be there on diwali, and bad that I paid $275 cancellation charges for my earlier tickets.
I have not received the final confirmation yet, so am still waiting on it, I think i should receive after they receive pictures+application form next week.
looks like everyone has covered the visa wishes... so i'll cover the other one -- hope your ear gets better!
Thanks Khakra!
Flying had never been enjoyable for me because of my ears, can't equilize pressure, and pains worse than any pain I had so far (naah, can't compare it with any incision on body though..) But this time, I am going to have a small procedure done in my ears; and hopefully, I will be able to read/sleep in the flight just like any other person.
red tape or barb wire ribbons? terrible situation. i hope you beat this particular system - it appears to need a good beating! wink.
Post a Comment