Time: Aug 1st-2nd,2019
Place: Chennai
Company: None
Highlights: And I thought I was done with US visas & visit to Chennai consulate! After having been to Chennai US Consulate so many times -
(2009 for wife's visa,
2010 Jan for stamping,
2010 Apr for spouse passport notary for US income tax filing,
2010 Dec for daughter visa,
2013 for stamping,
2015 for stamping, which is when I wondered & hoped if it was the last time) -
I thought I was done with Chennai, and here I am again! The same rigmarole about Visa docs, preparation for the interview, etc. But this time, for the first time, I was entering into the consulate all alone. No wife, no kid. And for the first time, I had no desire for US visa too! So I was perfectly ok if it had got rejected! In fact, a part of me was even hoping my visa would get rejected so that I don't have to travel. Only reason for my visa application was Business related, asked by company and I wasn't too keen on it anyways.
Day 1: Took the Shatabdi morning train to Chennai. Had a taxi pick me up from home at 4:30 am and drop off at Railway station. Didn't get a nap entire 5 hour journey. Surprisingly. Taxi to Chennai Marriott hotel. Wow, such grandeur! Hadn't stayed in such a hotel in India before. Even the room was classy - with digital switches. While this room too resembled the Swissotel in Switzerland where bathroom was separated only by a transparent glass, the design was one notch better because there was blinds to it, in case privacy was deemed necessary. Anyways, reached hotel at about noon. Went out for lunch since the rates in the hotel were way too bloated. Even though company would have paid for it all. The Veg fast food right beside was ideal - in terms of taste, cost and quantity. Thats the middle-class me!
Back to room for some rest. Then dressed up to go for the OFC appointment. Google Maps showed 15 min walk, so thought I might as well walk instead of getting ripped off by auto or taxi. The route was interesting to say the least! It was through a slum area filled with fleas and fishes, people sitting outside their 10-by-10 houses preparing fish curry while other members were washing clothes right beside. Imagine me walking dressed in full formals walking amidst all of this! I felt I was the odd one out. Thank God it lasted only 5 minutes! OFC was quick affair. Then I walked back. It was still 4. I did a reconnaissance for morrow's consulate visit to check if it was feasible to walk the distance. Positive. Returned back to the room. Second bath of the day. It was sweltering hot and I was filled with sweat. As usual in Chennai. Checked some mails, watched TV, went out to same restaurant for dinner, back home and slept at 9 pm.
Day 2: Up at 6, breakfast at the hotel itself because it was complimentary. Not only was it like how we have it in European hotels, but in addition we also had Indian breakfast items like Poha, Dosa, Idli, Upma, etc. What to eat & what not to eat! So many options! Anyways, stuffed myself and walked to US Consulate. My appointment was at 8 am and I was at the Consulate at 7:30 am and there was a serpentine queue already! Thankfully I didn't have to wait for a long time. Within a few minutes I was inside the Consulate.
At the counter, questioning was very brief. My previous visit, stay in US was all too evident - and even how I had left it all (GC) and returned home to dear motherland. So, getting B1 visa was a cake walk. I was out, and back at the hotel by 9:30 am. Watched another movie or few scenes of couple of movies - just to kill time until noon. Had curd rice for lunch at the same Veg restaurant and took the taxi to Railway station. 1:30 pm Lalbagh express was waiting for me. Boarded. Uneventful journey. Got down at Cantonment, another taxi was waiting for me. Reached home by 9:30 pm. And that was the end of that.
Place: Chennai
Company: None
Highlights: And I thought I was done with US visas & visit to Chennai consulate! After having been to Chennai US Consulate so many times -
(2009 for wife's visa,
2010 Jan for stamping,
2010 Apr for spouse passport notary for US income tax filing,
2010 Dec for daughter visa,
2013 for stamping,
2015 for stamping, which is when I wondered & hoped if it was the last time) -
I thought I was done with Chennai, and here I am again! The same rigmarole about Visa docs, preparation for the interview, etc. But this time, for the first time, I was entering into the consulate all alone. No wife, no kid. And for the first time, I had no desire for US visa too! So I was perfectly ok if it had got rejected! In fact, a part of me was even hoping my visa would get rejected so that I don't have to travel. Only reason for my visa application was Business related, asked by company and I wasn't too keen on it anyways.
Day 1: Took the Shatabdi morning train to Chennai. Had a taxi pick me up from home at 4:30 am and drop off at Railway station. Didn't get a nap entire 5 hour journey. Surprisingly. Taxi to Chennai Marriott hotel. Wow, such grandeur! Hadn't stayed in such a hotel in India before. Even the room was classy - with digital switches. While this room too resembled the Swissotel in Switzerland where bathroom was separated only by a transparent glass, the design was one notch better because there was blinds to it, in case privacy was deemed necessary. Anyways, reached hotel at about noon. Went out for lunch since the rates in the hotel were way too bloated. Even though company would have paid for it all. The Veg fast food right beside was ideal - in terms of taste, cost and quantity. Thats the middle-class me!
Back to room for some rest. Then dressed up to go for the OFC appointment. Google Maps showed 15 min walk, so thought I might as well walk instead of getting ripped off by auto or taxi. The route was interesting to say the least! It was through a slum area filled with fleas and fishes, people sitting outside their 10-by-10 houses preparing fish curry while other members were washing clothes right beside. Imagine me walking dressed in full formals walking amidst all of this! I felt I was the odd one out. Thank God it lasted only 5 minutes! OFC was quick affair. Then I walked back. It was still 4. I did a reconnaissance for morrow's consulate visit to check if it was feasible to walk the distance. Positive. Returned back to the room. Second bath of the day. It was sweltering hot and I was filled with sweat. As usual in Chennai. Checked some mails, watched TV, went out to same restaurant for dinner, back home and slept at 9 pm.
Day 2: Up at 6, breakfast at the hotel itself because it was complimentary. Not only was it like how we have it in European hotels, but in addition we also had Indian breakfast items like Poha, Dosa, Idli, Upma, etc. What to eat & what not to eat! So many options! Anyways, stuffed myself and walked to US Consulate. My appointment was at 8 am and I was at the Consulate at 7:30 am and there was a serpentine queue already! Thankfully I didn't have to wait for a long time. Within a few minutes I was inside the Consulate.
At the counter, questioning was very brief. My previous visit, stay in US was all too evident - and even how I had left it all (GC) and returned home to dear motherland. So, getting B1 visa was a cake walk. I was out, and back at the hotel by 9:30 am. Watched another movie or few scenes of couple of movies - just to kill time until noon. Had curd rice for lunch at the same Veg restaurant and took the taxi to Railway station. 1:30 pm Lalbagh express was waiting for me. Boarded. Uneventful journey. Got down at Cantonment, another taxi was waiting for me. Reached home by 9:30 pm. And that was the end of that.
