Kolkata FRRO

So, after arriving home on Tuesday, we head off to the FRRO on Wednesday and we talk to the DC (the Deputy Commissioner of Police, the guy over Immigration in Kolkata) and he listens to our story and calls up one of the guys from the FRRO. DH had printed off this page, and shows it to the DC and the DC asks if he can spare this copy, to which DH replies sure, and the DC writes a few lines on it and signs it and tells the guy from the FRRO to pass it around the office, making sure everyone understands it and signs it.

Then we go down to the FRRO and we find out that on the 30th (the day we left for Delhi) that the FRRO had gotten the intimation letter from the MHA, and had the guy been in possession of our phone number he would have called us and told us not to go (but anyways..we got to spend time alone, for like the first time in a year, so totally worth it), so it was pretty much just a problem of wires crossing at the wrong point, nobody's fault really. Then he gives us a small slip of paper and tells us to go to the first link and do the online application for Registration and Visa Extension. We fill out the online application and submit it. We go Monday to give our papers.

The guy in the FRRO has also advised us to apply directly for the FRRO after we get the extension because there is a chance that the government will get rid of the PIO, to which he didn't tell us anything more, so what will the option be for us who-got-ours-by-being-married-to-Indians I don't know. Let's see how things pan out :D

The "un"fruitful Delhi trip

Well, DH and I found some train tickets available on the Sealdah Rajdhani for the end of August and decided to go to Delhi and visit the MHA. So, we bought the up and down tickets and then waited. The week we were to leave I went around and did all the normal errands, like xeroxing, buying personal items, etc, etc.

Then comes Thursday, well...thanks to some work the night before everything had to be done Thursday morning and we were rushing. So...we leave our house at around 4pm (the train was at 450pm, and might I say, DH has a habit of getting on trains like with only a few seconds to spare, or missing them altogether?) so we get in the taxi and DH tells him where we are going. Thankfully the taxi driver takes 2 shortcuts and gets us to the train station in 25 minutes. YEAH!! Plus, the way he went was like Rs 40 (like 80 cents) cheaper...so since the driver managed to get us there so we didn't miss our train DH gave him like Rs 100 for the fare...(that included whatever change there was to be...) so we get on the train and go.

Well, let me backtrack a bit, Wednesday we had gone to the FRRO since they had told us earlier that when we go to the MHA to give them a copy of our documents and they will start on our file as soon as they get the email from them. Well, this day they were saying that they would not accept them and we had to go to Delhi. Anyways no big deal, we were going the next day.

So, then we get to Delhi Friday morning and as DH is stepping down from a island he twists his ankle, no good. So, we get an auto and go to our hotel, and rest a bit, since neither of us slept very well on the train. We eat a huge lunch of rice, daal, egg curry, and some other veggie. I sleep and DH works, we wake up and go out to the market next to our hotel to pick up the required necessities, and while I go back to the room, DH goes for booze (*that* story is here...).  We drink, eat dinner, then sleep.

Saturday, DH still has pain in his ankle so we don't go out. We stay in our room watching TV, and reading. We go to the market again for lunch and this time have chinese. Yummy chicken chow mein, chicken in oyster sauce and a veg spring roll. So, then by this time its like 430pm and DH wants a drink, so we start drinking again. Then we sleep some more and just hang out and then go to get dinner.
We had some rumali roti with some amazing butter chicken, a chicken reshmi kebab and some chicken leg kebabs with some *AMAZING* green chili chutney.

Sunday, I meet up with a friend for lunch, then we go shopping a bit, mainly to buy books. Where I find a store that has, wait a minute, did I see that correctly? DR. PEPPER. At Rs 85 ($1.70USD) a 12 oz can, I buy 4...so then we go to the book store and I buy 2 books (since DH stole my laptop and read his Game of Thrones e-books on the way to Delhi and I knew he would do it on the way home too...) and then we go outside to wait for DH to show up. I popped open a soda and am hit with memories, it tasted amazing lol.

So we go to The Hard Rock Cafe for dinner and drinks...so not worth it. But had fun with my friend I met on the airplane when I moved here, and haven't seen since.

So, then Monday we get up early, by early I mean we're up by 730am...so we get ready and jump in our taxi at 930am, and head to MHA. Well, here we find out that just a week ago they implemented a new policy. Now the MHA will only accept applications (or even *SEE* anyone, for that matter) if your local FRRO hasn't done anything within 30 days or for medical emergencies. We talk to the people at the reception desk and are told we need to go to Kolkata and submit our papers there. *sigh* So we leave the MHA and on the way home we are both silent, contemplating what we have just learned.

So, we both decide the best option is to see if there are any train tickets available (since plane tickets are going to be super expensive last minute) and luckily we find some taktal (last minute) train tickets so we buy them and are off to the train station.

Booze for Auto Fare?

Yesterday DH and I left Kolkata to go to Delhi to go to the MHA for my visa problem. We arrived today and spent most of the day recuperating (since neither of us can sleep very well on the train...we both had upper berth's and the swaying was insane!)

So...anyways, around 730pm we went for a walk and decided we wanted some booze, namely Old Monk rum, since we consider it the best. I bought some Chicken Reshmi Kebab while DH went to go pick up the booze.

Apparently there was a jam and so the autowallah (the auto driver) told DH "I will park and wait for you here, there is the booze shop around the corner" and gave him 10 rupees so DH would buy him some liquor too (Haveldaar, whatever that is...). Apparently the autowallah was going to trade the booze for the fare. LOL

But...then DH fucked up and bought a 30 rupee quarter of the WRONG BOOZE (the one the driver wanted should have been 60 rupees). Hehehe! The autowallah commented "This is the 30 rupee the 60 rupee one is better to drink, but never mind." and brought him back.

Then DH proceeded to try to give the autowallah 50 rupees, which the autowallah tried to tell DH he didn't want, but DH told the autowallah to take it because of his fuck up. :-)

The start of many of our adventures in Delhi, since we are here at least until Tuesday-ish...let's see :)

Marriage Certificate Apostilation

After 4 attempts by DH and I to submit our marriage certificate for apostilization at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), since the submitting hours are 11am-1pm, it was submitted Friday. We had always been just a few minutes late. DH submitted it and he was given a receipt to pick it up Tuesday between 4-5pm. We received it today. :-)

This took us 1 month and 24 days. The guys at the FRRO said it should be a 15-20 day process. Now, if all goes well we should be going to the MHA in Delhi shortly! :-)

Back door...man

Well, the other day DH got the marriage certificate attested from NRI/Home/Foreigner's office FINALLY!! So, next step is to take it to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), so off he went over to the  office. He gets there and is told he needs to bring a Rs 50 postal order ($1USD), a copy of both of our passports, 2 copies of the ATTESTED marriage certificate and our original marriage certificate (stamped and signed). So he goes to the post office near the office, they don't have the Rs 50 postal order, just Rs 100 and above. So he goes to 3 other post offices and none of them have it, so he asks where he has to go to get it. Well, they tell him the Tollygunge Head Post Office.

**NOTE** DH has dressed messily on purpose for the day...you'll know why later...

So, he goes to the Tollygunge PO and it's closed...well, DH is not to be deterred, since he planned to go back today. So, since the front door is open, he decides to go in the back door, AKA employee enterance. So, he inquires to a man standing there if they sell Rs 50 postal orders, and he says yes, and DH replies, do you have stock? I know you are closed, I am just looking to see if you have stock so I can come back tomorrow. He is told he does not know, but to go talk to the Deputy Post Master, "Didi" (elder sister, term of respect...) who is sitting at a desk a bit away.

DH goes over and approaches her and she looks at him, and she can't figure out if he is an employee or what he is. He asks her if they have stock and she says yes. Then DH inquires what time he can purchase them, to which she says, "10am-330pm..." and scratching her head a bit, she then replies "no, come at 10:30am, nobody will be here at 10am."

So we went today, and got the postal order, and head over to the MEA, and we miss the window to give the documents in today by 20 minutes. DH will have to go tomorrow.

Then we went for lunch, shopping and a movie. :D

Tomorrow, DH has a doctor appointment and hopefully will get in for surgery before the end of the week. Here's to hoping!

Tests, tests and more tests

Hello!

Sorry, for not posting much lately, just to give you an update I have been spending the last few days going back and forth between home and the hospital. DH was hospitalized for severe stomach pain Friday morning. He was diagnosed with a gall bladder stone after having many tests.

According to DH I have not had any horrible experiences with the hospital, but I still found it quite overwhelming.

First off, we went to the ER and the ER was not something I would have imagined this way (I imagined more of the US version) but it was small with a desk in the front and a few doctors just sitting there. The triage rooms were slightly bigger and only given privacy by a curtain (which was not closed). There didn't seem to be the same sense of urgency here, seeing as how the doctor was getting the symptoms and story from DH when he took a phone call in the middle. They had me fill out a form and they gave DH some medicine and then decided they would need to admit him to run some tests. I was sent to the Registration office where I filled out about 4 papers of the same information. Then I was given 2 visiting passes and was shown to where he was. Once I had seen him and visited with him until 1130. (They only allow visitors between 1030-1130am and 5-7pm) I had gone home to get the insurance papers.

I went and got the insurance papers and while I was giving them to the people at the Registration desk I was called by someone in the ward telling me I would need to come up and sign a consent form for one of DH's procedures, (being the one who admitted him I would have to sign all of these, well...the 2 that I had to sign) after signing this paper I was then informed I would have to come back between 1-130pm and be present in the hospital while they were performing the test. So I went home for an hour and ate some toast and then returned to the hospital and sat through the test and then again went home.

I returned at 5pm with my MIL and SIL for visiting hours. We stayed and while we were there he had another test.

Then again I had to sign another consent form before I went home and was to return at 830am for another procedure. I arrived and went to the front desk to ask about the test results from the previous day (since they did not have them earlier when the Dr came to visit) and was told that he had a gall bladder stone.

Then I wanted to talk to the Dr that DH was admitted under because I didn't think that this next test really needed to be performed because they already knew what was wrong. So I spoke to the Dr and he said that he had thought too that it was unnecessary but because of some of the other symptoms he still wanted to perform it.

After the procedure I was informed that the results were fine and there was nothing wrong and that DH would need surgery. DH decided he did not want the surgery at this time, as he wanted a 2nd opinion (but he didn't tell the Dr that...) and so we went back to the ward where I was allowed to stay for a few minutes outside of visiting hours and then was told to wait outside for the next 20 minutes until it was time. At this point I had to alert the Dr on staff that he did not want the surgery and therefore they should be starting the discharge papers.

Really, it was not a bad experience except for the fact that I dislike hospitals that have certain visiting hours. I am hoping that whatever hospital we choose for the surgery has more relaxed visiting hours. :-)

Marriage Certificate Attestation...and all the drama

So, on the 29th of May DH took our marriage certificate to the NRI/Home/Foreigner's office at Writer's Building here in Kolkata. He had written a letter to the Officer in Charge telling him that we needed the marriage certificate to be attested so we could get it apostiled at the MEA (Ministry of External Affairs). So, he submitted the letter along with 2 copies of our marriage certificate and was told to come back in 7 days. The NRI/Home/Foreigner's (N/H/F) office was to forward our file and request to the Marriage Registration office (MRO), where they would check our certificate against their duly registered copy. So...7 days later he went back to N/H/F and he got the file number.




The guy at the front desk gave him the file number, and told him to only go to the MRO after 7 days. DH nicely asked him why, and he was told that other's are coming in and getting their file number and right away going to the MRO and they are being told that they don't have the file and then they are returning to the N/H/F office and are complaining to their super's that they aren't doing their work. What really happens is that they post it to the MRO. Yes people, they MAIL it to a office that is within walking distance. Why, I have no clue.




So, DH waits the required 7 days and then goes to the MRO, where he is told that they have not received our file. They have received file numbers before and after ours, but not ours. So, DH then goes to the N/H/F office and asks what happened. He is told that our file was sent out the 31st, and then is sent to the Dispatch part of the office to see what happened. So, he goes, and they look through all their registers but do not find our file number anywhere in their records.




So, what happened you ask? Somewhere between their front desk and their dispatch office (a space of maybe 50 feet here people) our file was LOST. Yes, Lost.




So, DH goes back to the front desk and asks what he is supposed to do now. They give him their office copy and have him make a xerox of it...so he goes, and makes 5 copies. He returns to the N/H/F office, where they attest the copy of their original letter and he goes back to the MRO. Well, DH being DH, he goes to the bank first and deposits the Rs 1000 ($20USD) fee and gets the receipt. He goes back to the MRO and they are kind of miffed at him for already paying the fee because they tell you to come back in 3 days and submit the fee in case they can't find your certificate.




So, he gives the file and they tell him to come back in 7 days. At this point he asks if it possible for him to transport the file back to the N/H/F office since they lost our file last time, he is told no.




Fast forward 14 days, to yesterday. DH is sick and intending to go nowhere, but he has a hunch and so he goes to the MRO and finds out they have JUST finished our report that day. Well, lo and behold, they have him sign for the papers and give him their report (didn't they tell him no before? I'm seeing a pattern here...) and off he goes to the N/H/F office to get the officer to sign and stamp our marriage certificate. Well, our luck fades fast, as the officer who signs it is out of the office and we are told to come back in a day or two since he has taken leave.

So, now we are just waiting to go back to the N/H/F office to get our original marriage certificate signed and stamped and then we'll take it to MEA one morning and then pick it up in the evening, and then we'll make plans to head to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in Delhi to get my visa sorted out. This whole attestation is needed for the FRRO here in Kolkata, but not needed for the visa conversion, as far as I know.




*Phew* I'm so glad the waiting game is over people.




For those who need to go through it in Kolkata here is a simplified list




NEED :




- 2 copies of Marriage Certificate

- Letter to Officer in Charge at NRI/Home/Foreigner's Office stating why you need it attested

- Rs 1000 demand draft from Reserve Bank (to be given to MRO)




Steps : (as it should be done, not as we did it...)




1. Give letter and copies of Marriage Certificate at NRI/Home/Foreigner's Office

2. Go back in 7 days and get the file number

3. Go to MRO 7 days after getting the file number

4. Return 3 days later to MRO and give them the demand draft

5. Return 7 days later (I suggest maybe give them 2 weeks instead...) to see if your report has been completed (at this point they should have sent it on to N/H/F office...)

6. Return to N/H/F office to find out status (probably wait a few days before going...)

7. Return and pick up stamped and signed Marriage Certificate

8. Drop off Marriage Certificate at MEA (I'm sorry I don't know the address or where it is...) in the morning with a Rs 50 postal draft (or something, I'm not sure, DH knows...) and then return and pick it up in the evening, they will have put a stamp (or glue a paper stamp on back, I'm not entirely sure which they do...) and then COMPLETE!!!