Yesterday (Monday) we left after school to go downtown to try and get our residency permits. After fighting rush hour traffic, we arrive at the necessary office at 4pm and take a number. I was holding #97 in my hand, when I look up at the screen and see the Chinese equivalent of "now serving #67." Oh boy.
4:05 Enough sitting around. Thankfully, I had some papers with me to grade.
4:20 My coworkers' children are screaming and running around the waiting area. I pretend not to know them.
4:30 Now serving #72, and I'm done with my grading. This is not looking good.
4:35 A quick check of wireless shows no signals in range. Desperation setting in, I start playing Spider Solitaire.
4:38 Another one of my coworkers is slumped over, completely asleep. I begin to imagine the potential pranks I could play.
4:39 Sensibility returns to me and I re-engage in Spider Solitaire.
4:50 Still at #76. One of the guards walks in, closes the windows, and draws the shades. Hope is fading fast.
4:54 The crowd around me begins to shift from impatience to agitation as the reality of the ending work day sets in. Frantic counting of calendar dates begin as people look at deadlines on their visas.
5:00 As the top of the hour hits, the lights turn off and the workers at the desk stand up and exit the room without a word. I pretty sure that means we have to leave.
5:05 The confused, tired, and agitated group of foreigners stumble out of the building wondering what to do next...
Doesn't matter what continent you are on - a trip to a government office is the same!
[update - we returned today to the office and were able to get our paperwork processed with tremendous efficiency, within 15 minutes. It looks as though we just went at the wrong time!]
-alan
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1 comment:
hahaha. i love that they just turn off the lights and figure you'll get the message.
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