I've always been proud and grateful to be an American. I grew up admiring the spirit of America and the rights of privileges of being a US citizen. I was reminded of this just yesterday.
As you know, I'm going to be taking off soon for a stint in Southeast Asia, including some time in Laos. In order to enter Laos, I need a visa. So yesterday, I took some time at lunch to apply for my visa at the Embassy of Laos. First off, the Embassy doesn't really look like an embassy but it really more of a large house/estate and isn't located on Embassy Row in Delhi (a/k/a Chanakapuri).
I arrived around 2 pm (post lunch) and waited about 15 minutes for the Embassy to open back up. Apparently, they've adopted IST as well. I gave the representative my passport, a copy of my passport and visa to be in India, two copies of my application and two visa photos. He looked at the paperwork and asked me for copies of my airline tickets. Now, I was a bit prepared for this since I had been asked for ticket copies at the Vietnam Embassy - but I explained to him that I didn't have tickets because I was flying into Thailand and then driving into Laos and out of Laos (into Vietnam) by bus. He then asked me for my tickets to Thailand. I looked at him puzzled and asked him how that would help since they were tickets to THAILAND! He pondered this a moment and then asked me for my bank statement.
WHAT? I protested. Sharply. I told him that I wasn't giving him a bank statement and that I had never been asked for one before. He said it was part of his rules - I of course asked him where this was written. As we stared each other down (and I told him that I would just wait and get a visa at the border where I wouldn't need to provide this), he looked back at my papers and said, oh, you have a US Passport, are you part Indian? are you visiting here? I told him that with that passport I was 100% American. Lo and behold, he backed down.
He advised me that for other countries (India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and others) a bank account statement was required but not for the US. I assume it is because the countries want to know that their visitors have the means and desire to return to their home countries and that if you are a US citizen (and I'm assuming this is true for other European countries) that you would of course want to return. I can't imagine turning over such sensitive statement to a foreign country (with no obligation to maintain the information as confidential). It once again reminded me how grateful I am to be an American - with all of the rights and privileges that follow.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
What's next
I've just met with two moving companies about moving my things and bringing Jai back home. It is making it more and more real that I will be leaving India in about 30 days. A year has just about passed. I can hardly believe it.
So, what's next? Hmmmmm. Well, I can only answer that in the short term. After leaving India, I am going to travel in Southeast Asia for about 7 weeks. In fact, I will be finishing my last day of work on September 7 and getting on a flight to Phuket, Thailand that night. Yippee! After spending a week in Thailand, I'm going to Cambodia for a week with a friend I've met here in India.
I'll then return to Thailand to join a tour of about 23 days, visiting Bangkok and Chaing Mai in Thailand and then touring Laos and Vietnam. After the tour is complete, I'll fly to Malaysia for a day, meet another friend and spend a weekend in Singapore and ending my trip in Malaysia. At which point, I will finally be flying back to the US. I am really excited about being able to spend some time to see this part of the world. I certainly never expected to be able to visit so many places at once, but, since I don't have a job waiting for me in the US, it seemed opportune to take advantage of the break. and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I won't be unemployed for too long. (if only that were enough to find a job).
I'm of course a bit nervous that this may be the wrong economy to take a break from job hunting, but, I figure, you only live once, and who knows if and when I'll have the opportunity or time to come back and travel here - so I'm chucking my normal practical nature aside and taking a leap. I've not regretted taking leaps in the past and I hope to look back on this in the same way.
I'll try and keep posting as I travel!
So, what's next? Hmmmmm. Well, I can only answer that in the short term. After leaving India, I am going to travel in Southeast Asia for about 7 weeks. In fact, I will be finishing my last day of work on September 7 and getting on a flight to Phuket, Thailand that night. Yippee! After spending a week in Thailand, I'm going to Cambodia for a week with a friend I've met here in India.
I'll then return to Thailand to join a tour of about 23 days, visiting Bangkok and Chaing Mai in Thailand and then touring Laos and Vietnam. After the tour is complete, I'll fly to Malaysia for a day, meet another friend and spend a weekend in Singapore and ending my trip in Malaysia. At which point, I will finally be flying back to the US. I am really excited about being able to spend some time to see this part of the world. I certainly never expected to be able to visit so many places at once, but, since I don't have a job waiting for me in the US, it seemed opportune to take advantage of the break. and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I won't be unemployed for too long. (if only that were enough to find a job).
I'm of course a bit nervous that this may be the wrong economy to take a break from job hunting, but, I figure, you only live once, and who knows if and when I'll have the opportunity or time to come back and travel here - so I'm chucking my normal practical nature aside and taking a leap. I've not regretted taking leaps in the past and I hope to look back on this in the same way.
I'll try and keep posting as I travel!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Visiting Family
I've just come back from spending 5 days in Ahmedabad in Gujurat, India. It's a state in Western India where my family is from. It is not high on the list of tourist vacation spots - only partly because it is a dry state (and I don't mean that it doesn't rain).
For me, however, it is where I think of when I think of India. While Delhi may now be the India of my adulthood, Ahmedabad will always be the India of my childhood.
My family used to come to India every couple of years when I was young so we could visit relatives. On my father's side of the family, there are 3 brothers (other than him) and two sisters. Each of whom has had two kids, and each of whom are or have been married and now have one or two children. On my mother's side, I have one aunt and her son's family. That's alot of people to visit in 5 days but I managed to visit with each of them. It was exhausting. and that's just from spending 5 days doing nothing but eating.
In reality, although I spend a lot of time "complaining" about my family, visiting them often brings me back to my childhood. From the smells and tastes of food or the city to recognizing the streets of the town, or remembering visiting my grandfather in the heart of the city. It reminds me in part of whom I or at least from where I've come.
Although I often feel like there is so much distance between us - not just of space, but of experience, I also feel a closeness to them. That they understand and know a part of me that can only be known because of our shared history and heritage.
I'm fortunate that I've had the opportunity to see each of my cousins over the years, share experiences, and attend their weddings. And while I'm not ready to see their children get married (since that would make me old), I know the time for that is rapidly approaching (I've already been told that my eldest cousin is "looking" for a bride for her son) and I look forward to seeing the history and heritage of my family grow.
For me, however, it is where I think of when I think of India. While Delhi may now be the India of my adulthood, Ahmedabad will always be the India of my childhood.
My family used to come to India every couple of years when I was young so we could visit relatives. On my father's side of the family, there are 3 brothers (other than him) and two sisters. Each of whom has had two kids, and each of whom are or have been married and now have one or two children. On my mother's side, I have one aunt and her son's family. That's alot of people to visit in 5 days but I managed to visit with each of them. It was exhausting. and that's just from spending 5 days doing nothing but eating.
In reality, although I spend a lot of time "complaining" about my family, visiting them often brings me back to my childhood. From the smells and tastes of food or the city to recognizing the streets of the town, or remembering visiting my grandfather in the heart of the city. It reminds me in part of whom I or at least from where I've come.
Although I often feel like there is so much distance between us - not just of space, but of experience, I also feel a closeness to them. That they understand and know a part of me that can only be known because of our shared history and heritage.
I'm fortunate that I've had the opportunity to see each of my cousins over the years, share experiences, and attend their weddings. And while I'm not ready to see their children get married (since that would make me old), I know the time for that is rapidly approaching (I've already been told that my eldest cousin is "looking" for a bride for her son) and I look forward to seeing the history and heritage of my family grow.
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