Two posts ago, I mentioned going to Canada, and indeed that is where we are heading next.
So, off to the Canadian High Commission, VISA needed as again, I hold a passport that requires a VISA to visit. Why oh why, did I hang on to my Malaysian passport, why oh why, did I not get British Citizenship? 2 reasons, one, Malaysia does not allow dual nationality status, so I would have to give it up to have a British passport. I don't really want to give it up as my parents are in Malaysia still. 2, a silly reason born out of my insecurities. Let me explain... when Dave and I first met, he had told his family about me being chinese Malaysian, and one of the comments his brother made was, 'Oh, be careful she's not just going out with you in order to get a British passport, so she can stay in England!!!' He probably said it in jest, but it rankled me all those years ago, and I remain Malaysian to this day.
There must be a more efficient way to obtain a Visa for Canada... I made 4 trips to the High Comm in order to obtain it. I waited longest at the first visit, where I had to hand over my application form,passport, supporting documents and receipt for payment of Visa. I was very fortunate that day... we were in the queue waiting to get in, and the queue snaked round the pavement to the entrance of the immigration department. I chatted to other people in the queue to while away the time.. an elderly woman and her friend walked up and tried to jump the queue... we were all very polite and said to her, there's a queue. She had bad knees and needed to sit,she said, so edged her way forward in the queue to where there was a culvert where she could rest her painful knees. We carried on talking, her friend was very apologetic and embarrassed but we just said, it's OK, no worries. The said lady then moved her was up the queue and now was at the front, and others were beginning to get irate at her behaviour as they had been waiting a long time to get in. I made light of it and said, let her go, she's in a rush, her knees are hurting and she's elderly... some sucking of teeth were heard but we let her be. When I finally got in, I was told that I was lacking one form they needed, and also a photograph!!! The photo was unforgivable, I could've kicked myself for forgetting the photo! The website wasn't very clear about the forms. I had already been in the queue for an hour and a half and so was feeling down and stupid for not having the right documents and the required photograph, when someone behind me said, I have some extra, would you like it!!! I could have kissed the man... but that would have shocked him, so I refrained, hehehe. The security guard told me I had time to get some photos taken around the corner... luck was on my side, I was already mentally preparing myself to return another day to queue up again! I did get my photo and returned to sit and wait to hand in my application. I felt that a good deed had been repaid, letting the lady with the bad knees go first, I was showed kindness myself, loving kindness does really work. Moving along, went back the next day, shorter wait, no Visa, needed supporting letter form Dave's employers and also bank statements, they think I have no money, and they would be right, and want to go and stay in their country illegally- they would be wrong! I wouldn't be going if we weren't asked to go!!! So, another trip to hand in letter and a week after it all began, I queued up for the fourth time and got my passport back with the Visa in it, multiple visit Visa but only valid for 18 months.... it cost CAD150, TT- 955, £110 for an 18 month visa, the US Embassy granted me a 10 year Visa for less money...............seriously considering becoming British!!!!!
We are now leaving Trinidad, a week earlier than expected. We have nearly packed everything apart from clothing, the laptops and paperwork. Shippers have come to assess what we have to ship, school have been informed in writing about kids leaving, landlady and estate agents told about our imminent departure. Told the gardener yesterday and he said, Awww, hope the next tenants will be as nice as you.... Our housekeeper too is upset about us leaving, we have really got along well, and I will definitely miss her help, we have interesting discussions and she has become a friend....
I went to the supermarket this morning to pick up a few items, the queues were long.... I have learnt to be very patient in this country. The pace that people do things is painstakingly slow. Laid back pace, no need to rush, hurry or be stressed about anything like customers waiting. I wonder if the population of this country has the lowest rate of hypertension in the world???? Customer service almost doesn't exist here. Perhaps their point of view is this... we get paid on average £1.50-2.00 and hour... we get paid this no matter what our productivity.... the customers want what we have.... if they have to wait, they wait because they need us to get what they want! Perhaps I am being cynical...... let me illustrate this with something that happened at the supermarket checkout today.
I was nearly at the front, a French lady was in front of me, she had arrived in September, accompanying her husband who works for the UN here. She had some items that needed weighing at the till. The scales were not working. The girl at the till was flummoxed and had a fed up expression on her face, luckily she had an assistant helping her, a bag packer who also was senior to her. She carried the bananas to be weighed at another till. She said to the girl at the till, TT6.76 and enter it as food produce. Girl at till... no reaction whatsoever, still looking at the broccoli and cantaloupe melon on the conveyor belt that needed weighing. Meanwhile, queue behind us getting longer, everyone patiently waiting, or impatiently, I could not tell. Girl at till still clueless. Assistant comes back and said, you entered the 6 something I asked you to? Girl, 6 something? I piped up and said 6.76 for the bananas. French lady says, you know in Europe, if scales not working, you would just be given items for free so as to not keep customers waiting.... I said, that would be nice, she said, perhaps they will do that here, and I said, they wouldn't we would have to be patient! So girl enters 6.76 and says there's 2 other things to weigh... assistant says, we'll move tills after this customer. I persuaded the girl to cash my items as none of them needed weighing. This is one thing I will not miss about Trinidad........ poor customer service.
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