Active when it comes to travelling. Lazy when it comes to blogging about it.
In 2008 , have been to 2 new cities, places which I have been on my list for a long time .London and Berlin. As per Wikipedia (bless it), 2 among the 5 most visited cities in Europe – Paris, Madrid and Rome being the others. My interpretation of make hay while the sun shines is travel as much while the expat lasts. But so far haven’t penned down anything about these visits. I will start today with how it all started for the London trip and then try to finish the rest as soon as possible.
The first trip was to London in the second week of January. And this was a trip that could have very well not happened if not for a flawed finger print recording machine at the British embassy in Stockholm. Let me explain.
The plan for London was on an extremely short notice. Till as late as Christmas there was no concrete plan. But availability of extremely cheap tickets and holidays and company of a good friend for the trip meant I was going to give it a shot. But there was the small matter of getting a UK visa. With some luck I managed to get an appointment in the British embassy in Stockholm 2 days before my flight. I took an early morning train and was there at the appointed time. The so called interview meant handing over documents to a person over the counter, answering a few basic questions and giving a scan of your fingerprints. After which I was told that IF my application was accepted, it would be couriered to me. I knew that some of my friends had obtained their visa the same day of application, so was not sure why I was getting this treatment. Also with just 2 days to go for the trip, waiting for a visa over the post was not what I wanted. Flight tickets, trip to Stockholm and all that would amount to zilch. My pleas about a confirmed flight ticket fell on deaf ears and so I trudged back to downtown with my prospects of a London visit bleaker than the Stockholm weather at that moment.
But then the luck turned its tide with a call after half an hour of so. The person at the other end was from the embassy and explained that my prints had not come out properly and I would have to come back to the embassy to give it. She profusely apologized for the fault in their finger print machine and the inconvenience I was being put in. she had assumed that I was already half way to Gothenburg. Little did they know that my train back to Gothenburg was at 8 in the night and I had another 9 hours to kill in cold, rainy Stockholm. I pretended that I was already in the station ready to board my train, put on my salesman hat and said that if I was to come there, then I wanted the visa to be given the same day itself. Since I was putting myself to inconvenience I needed this in bargain. Well, the deal was made and I returned back, gave my fingerprints and after a few hours had the UK visa in hand. That tells us another thing; they can indeed issue a visa the same day if the papers are in order, but they still want to courier it and also charge you 80 kroner for that.
Anyway I returned to GOT with visa in hand and was looking forward to 3 days in London. As my friend said when I told her the above story; Sometimes one should not be complaining about the inconveniences caused. Because it may lead to a greater good. Quite a cheesy line. But was true for me that day.
In 2008 , have been to 2 new cities, places which I have been on my list for a long time .London and Berlin. As per Wikipedia (bless it), 2 among the 5 most visited cities in Europe – Paris, Madrid and Rome being the others. My interpretation of make hay while the sun shines is travel as much while the expat lasts. But so far haven’t penned down anything about these visits. I will start today with how it all started for the London trip and then try to finish the rest as soon as possible.
The first trip was to London in the second week of January. And this was a trip that could have very well not happened if not for a flawed finger print recording machine at the British embassy in Stockholm. Let me explain.
The plan for London was on an extremely short notice. Till as late as Christmas there was no concrete plan. But availability of extremely cheap tickets and holidays and company of a good friend for the trip meant I was going to give it a shot. But there was the small matter of getting a UK visa. With some luck I managed to get an appointment in the British embassy in Stockholm 2 days before my flight. I took an early morning train and was there at the appointed time. The so called interview meant handing over documents to a person over the counter, answering a few basic questions and giving a scan of your fingerprints. After which I was told that IF my application was accepted, it would be couriered to me. I knew that some of my friends had obtained their visa the same day of application, so was not sure why I was getting this treatment. Also with just 2 days to go for the trip, waiting for a visa over the post was not what I wanted. Flight tickets, trip to Stockholm and all that would amount to zilch. My pleas about a confirmed flight ticket fell on deaf ears and so I trudged back to downtown with my prospects of a London visit bleaker than the Stockholm weather at that moment.
But then the luck turned its tide with a call after half an hour of so. The person at the other end was from the embassy and explained that my prints had not come out properly and I would have to come back to the embassy to give it. She profusely apologized for the fault in their finger print machine and the inconvenience I was being put in. she had assumed that I was already half way to Gothenburg. Little did they know that my train back to Gothenburg was at 8 in the night and I had another 9 hours to kill in cold, rainy Stockholm. I pretended that I was already in the station ready to board my train, put on my salesman hat and said that if I was to come there, then I wanted the visa to be given the same day itself. Since I was putting myself to inconvenience I needed this in bargain. Well, the deal was made and I returned back, gave my fingerprints and after a few hours had the UK visa in hand. That tells us another thing; they can indeed issue a visa the same day if the papers are in order, but they still want to courier it and also charge you 80 kroner for that.
Anyway I returned to GOT with visa in hand and was looking forward to 3 days in London. As my friend said when I told her the above story; Sometimes one should not be complaining about the inconveniences caused. Because it may lead to a greater good. Quite a cheesy line. But was true for me that day.
