Where to begin ..... ever heard that the British invented bureaucracy, but the Indians perfected it? TRUTH.
We left the office in HiTec City at 9 AM, bound for the old Hyderabad airport in Begumpet - about 30 minutes away. After Rajiv Gandhi International Airport was opened, the old one was closed and converted into government offices, without benefit of much renovation or repair. The FRRO, as it's known, looks and operates much like a DMV (Division of Motor Vehicles) in the States. Procedures and attitudes are much the same as well.
I will conceded that ours was not an "everyday occurrence" and that our letters of recommendation concerning Bangalore "were not appropriate" to our work in Hyderabad, but it was an honest mistake, over which we had no control. I will further stipulate to being a little annoyed at being passed from desk to desk, window to window and becoming especially concerned when "guy at desk #8" disappeared with my passport. But after several, sometimes tense conversations, punctuated by dashing back and forth to the hallway to consult with Soujanya and my three immersion colleagues, understanding was finally achieved and registration completed. In slightly over three hours, it's four down and two to go. Good luck, Kalie and Jon. Two additional notes:
I'm very pleased with the status of Villanova recruiting! A late evening conference call with the rest of the team in Philadelphia confirms that we "good to go" with invitations for interviews to Villanova candidates. Go Cats!
Kalie has contracted a bug of some sort. She and I had the same thing for lunch and dinner yesterday, so despite having no medical degree, I have ruled out food poisoning, BUT she is a little less careful about the water here. Regardless, she simply must rebound in time for Kerala!
