Register II

got the 19(!) pieces of paper required to register, we (my Indian guide in the bureaucratic maze and I) handed over my file to the appointed person for my country (see my previous post). Unfortunately the file had not been "checked". This means that the employee at the front desk needs to check all pieces of paper handed in as well as make sure that the passport information is correctly filled in. This involves, in between regular yaws, the counting of sheets, and then a large black tick next to each passport detail entry with a sleepy scan of my passport. Next I had to present myself in front of the FRO (foreign registry officer) who's task was to sign the first page of my file confirming that the photo on the front was me. Now we were ready to hand it over to the concerned person who then told us to move to counter number 4 where we were to hand it in for processing. We paid our contact a 100 Rs, not so much for his work which was minimal in this case, but rather to make sure we get his attention next time we come. Counter 4 is inhabited by 3 Indians with generous pot bellies. Two of them sitting at a desk and processing your request, i.e. one receiving the file while the other enters the data in their computer system (remember my file contains triplicate or even quadruple documents, and now the information is also entered into a computer). The third employee stands at the back supervising the other two.

I got to come back next week at 4 to get my registration number.