(Not) Getting My Passport

in #palnet5 years ago

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Going to the dept of Home Affairs in Africa is always fun, I mean who wouldn't want to go stand in a line for 7 hours, just to be allowed into the building to cue...

Seriously it felt like camping outside a ticket sales office to get into the next best show!

But I guess if yo need a passport in order to go visit the love of your life or simply have a plan to get out of the country in case the shit hits the fan - I guess this is your only option.

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I started out in the cue at about 7am, that is an hour and a half before they opened, and I finally managed to get into the home affairs cue inside just after 2pm.

But at least the wait was entertaining, I made some friends and and at least had some entertaining posters to read while I stood.

Like lovely advertisements from local sangomas (African witch doctors), promising to rekindle lost love, improve luck or grow a bigger penis!

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Or these lovely manikins, with their drawn on eyebrows and lashes - done so realistic if I can say so myself :D

But over and above the fear of getting mugged or sold for spare parts - another fear was if the roof of the building above us was going to collapse and crush us all to death making the stand in the line a futile effort.

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And then of course this lovely finishing school that certainly pays a great deal of respect to detail, cleanliness and neatness.

What are we if we are not finished - hey?

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This little high end add on the other hand was completely convincing - this had to be real, because there was pictures and everything!

Just in case you feel like calling from an international line, the South African code is (+27) so youd have to substitute the first zero with that.

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After a few weeks of waiting - I finally got the call to collect my passport, sadly, when I got there the offices were closed due to covid, guess you win some you lose some.

I will have to wait until after the new year and try again.

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You do well to make the best of a difficult situation.

Well, if you are in my shoes, you have two choices, sit in the corner and cry... OR... find something to laugh about. The latter seems like a better option to me.

Absolutely!
I hope 2021 is a better year for you.

Hahahaha.... Some truly great ads, as you pointed out at the start of your post already! {LOL}

D*rn: no passport pffff But, when you arrived for this closed office, there was no line! Not that it did something good for you, but you didn't have to wait, which is a good thing {LOL}

hahaha, yes, Not waiting for nothing is always a good thing.

guess I will have to go back, at least Ill have the adds to keep me entertained :D
But for now, it sounds like we are going to go back into a hard lock down, patience is a virtue I guess...

But for now, it sounds like we are going to go back into a hard lock down, patience is a virtue I guess...

That basically means no travels anyway pfffff Hope that hard lockdown will be over soon!