Looks like I'm not gonna make the flight back tonight. First, we went to the Singapore High Commission to get my temporary passport. Finding the SHC was an adventure by itself. The hotel driver couldn't find the place and spent half the time asking for directions. When we finally found it, the SHC was undergoing constructio and had moved to a temporary location. So, we got directions to the temporary location and finally found it. After applying for my temp passport, I went back to do some work. After work, I went back to the SHC to collect my passport. And that's when things went downhill. Here's the simple timeline:
12 noon left to take passport photo & collect temp passport
12.30 found photo shop. Took a instant photo which was totally faded and weird. Had no choice. Paid 60 rupees for crappy photo and went to High Comm.
12.45 Arrived at High Comm, submitted photos & collected temp passport. Told to go to some Foreigner Registration Office to get my exit permit to leave India.
1.45 Arrived at the Reg Office and was told they could not issue me a permit as I had entered India via Bangalore. They had to wait for confirmation that I had entered India. If they asked Bangalore, it would apparently take 1 week for them to check the files. So, the next thing I was told to do was to get Singapore Airlines to issuee a letter to say I had flew in on SQ to Bangalore. Fine.
2.30 Arrived at SQ office at the International Airport. Guess what? No one was in the office. Waited for almost 40mins before anyone showed up. Guess it must have been some long lunch break.
3.10 SQ personnel say they can't issue letter until SQ office at Bangalore confirms with their flight manifest that I was on the flight. So they call Bangalore office and guess what? No one's there again! By then, it's already 3.30pm. And you see, the Reg Office closes at 4.00pm. So without an exit permit, I'm not gonna be able to leave India.
4.15 Back in hotel. Resigned to fate.
Yep, that's my exciting day so far. So looks like I'm gonna be here for a little while more. Hooray?
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