I've Got My New Passport!

I had been postponing the renewal of my passport, waiting for the school holidays to be over, waiting for better weather ... you name it, any excuse under the sun. Mainly because I didn't want to wait for hours inside the Immigration Office. But it wasn't that much of a hassle after all.


I finally went this morning to have it renewed and it took me about 45 minutes from the time I submitted the renewal form to the time I made payment. Yet there was still a big crowd and the airconditioning wasn't working! I was given a number under the senior citizens' queue and there were only 13 people ahead of me, so there are times when it is definitely an advantage to belong to the s.c. club.


I was told to collect the new passport at 2.00 p.m., something like 3 hours away. I thought of visiting my ex-colleagues in the old office to while away the time but in the end decided to drive home where I had lunch, relaxed a little and returned at about 2 to collect my passport. It was ready ... I had some doubts about that in view of the large crowd in the morning but it looked like the Immigration people had worked hard and done their job.


If you want to renew your passport, please take note that your photograph has to be taken with your hair swept well away from your face leaving it exposed. If you have protruding ears, they must be allowed to protrude and not covered up. People wearing glasses are also not allowed to be photographed with them on. I couldn't recognise myself when I saw my finished photos. The lady in the picture resembled more like one of the odd characters in Alice in Wonderland!


I would also advise that you do not procrastinate as I did especially if you need to use your passport. The week before, I heard two incidences of the system being down resulting in an angry, disappointed and impatient crowd hanging out in the I.O. One should never trust computers (or human beings if I may add) because they will only let you down in the end.