Thursday, February 14, 2008

Permanence

15th,February

A birth that was-
Of a new life & of innocence.
It grew.
Life it gave-
To beauty & to Love.
To You & Me!

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Sarkaari kelasa..(Part 1 - Post office)

"Final yearraa??Passport maadskondbidi..kelsa bere sikbittide,aamele time sigolla.."
/* Relaxx,Boss..onsitella innu doorada maatu.. */

I ,anyway, decide to get it done-all alone(not willing to drag in my dad 'n uncles 'n neighbours 'n 'bekaadavru' into it)
/* Ille maadiddu, mistakuu */

Day1 : Some friend tells me that i'm saposed to go to the post office 'n get the form.
I get there on my scooty(which is almost 5 years old),pay 10 rs more than the actual amount(it was boldly printed right in the first line that it costs Rs.10/-..aadre,adella manege bandmele kaansodu..)

I keep it safely in the drawer 'n blissfully forget that i've decided to get it done myself.


Months later....
Exams've just got over..'m highly jobless at home..no nice novels to lay my hands on..nammoralli no 'hang-out' places either..bored to the core..
what better idea to kill time than to go get my Passport done!!

Day2:I take my half filled application form to the postmaster.

He poses to be the busiest person on earth,though,all he does is collect 100-500 bucks(100 for SC/STs,500 for GM) from every person who gets a form to get it signed(checheche..lancha alla,that's saposedly the fee for applying).

He makes me wait till 12:50(that's 10 min to lunch break) and..

Postmaster:Enri aagbeku?
Me: Passportu..
PM: Sariyaag fill maadiddera??ration card tandiddira?Telephone billu,Gas Booklettu,Birth certificateuu,markscardu-ella idyaa?? white backgroundnalli 15 photo idyaa?Ella kodi illi..

/* The waiters at 'Upahaara darshini' are slower & better understandable */

I hand over to him the half filled application form..

PM: Naale-naalidd banni..ella documentsdu 2 xerox beku..1000 rs DD Passport officer hesralli,gottalva?

I get back home,put the form back into the drawer,too lazy to look for the ration card & the gas booklet & the birth certificate & the markscards & etc,etc..


Weeks later..
Classes are almost about to begin & i suddenly realize that i'd be busy with my projeKt work once the college re-opens..

(Me 'n my projeKt mate were the last ppl to start worrying about where to find a project..We were not even bothered till our placement officer called to tell us that Tata Elxsi[namma would-be annadaataru] has assigned us a project..Co-incidentally,that was a few days before our 8th sem began)

Hmmm..'n i again decide not to laze around;make my mom search every nook 'n corner for the toota-phoota ration card;find all the etc,etc documents;fill up the form without giving a damn to the instruction leaflet attached;take my 5yr old scooty 'n rush to the post-office..


Day3:There's already a girl getting her passport renewed..

/* Aa hudgige sakkhath attitudu..she noticed that i'm a first-timer..avlu obblige form fill maadlikk barodu anno tarah feelingu avlige.. */

She gets her work done in 10 mins 'n leaves. /* Hmph */

PM: Ella documentsuu tandraa madam?
Me: Hoon..(hand him over my big,faat file)
He goes thru everything 'n' times(Literally),hoping to find atleast a mistake..

He finds 'n' mistakes;gives me a bottle of whitener(one hell of an invention this corrector-ink is)'n asks me to correct them.

I correct them & give it back;he again scans thru 'n' times and finds 'n-m' mistakes.

Too embarrassed to ask for the whitener again,i go,buy a new bottle for myself(a li'l too impressed,i was,that i felt i should own one);correct all the mistakes & submit it.

Time: 12:50(10 min to lunch break)
PM: Ok..get 2 copies of all the documents & see me in the noon.

Too hungry,i get back home,have a heavy meal & lay down for my afternoon siesta.Murphys' law strikes as ever-i get up sharp at 5:30.


Day4:I start to the post-office determined that i've to get done with it at any cost & my 5yr old scooty takes me to the service station instead.(Murphy's law always goes against ur determination,u see)


Day5:
PM:Ella sari ide..ee xerox copy mele self-attestation maadi,photo antsi..

It took almost an hour for me to put my signature on 20+ etc,etc documents & attest the white background (3.5x3.5 cm) photos,with the kind of glue u find in the post offices.

Finalllly,PM goes thru it 'n-6' times;/* 'n finds No mistakes :) */
PM: All's OK.150 rupaayi kodi..

/* Me fullll thrilled..a Government official ask for extraa duddu..['d previously decided how to behave if asked for a bribe]..but,still,not wanting to spoil the fun in having an argument,i decide to be a li'l polite in the beginning..sketch prakaara i'm to get all rash 'n bold after a few minutes*/

Me:Hmmm..DD 1000 Rsge ashtey alva?
PM:Illa,innu 150 kattbeku.
Me:Receipt kodteera?
PM:Idakke Receipt sigolla..

/* I drag it a li'l longer hoping for it to get a li'l hotter..*/

Me:Andre..??
PM:Nodidralla esht kashta passport maadsodu anta..
Me:Adakke...?

He takes out a CD with the picture of some-bird-which-i-cudn't-recognize.
"Karnataka Forest Department presents Ranganathittu-an Avian Haven" written on its top.
At the back of the cover it said-

"Marketed by India Post"
M.R.P. Rs.150/-

/* Nann sketchella Fullll tusssuu.. */

PM:1 week bittu,Police address verificationge karitaare.Neevu hogbahudu.
Me:/* Too ashamed to say anything else */ Thanks.



/* Part 2 - Police Station
Part 3 - Taluk Office
I shall post them as soon as i get my residence proof(a.k.a. 'vaasasthala dhrudeekarana patra')
'm again hoping to meet the aslee sarkaari officials atleast here :)*/