Oh my passport!

The first thing I did today when I got frustrated in the passport office was to search my blog for the post I wrote when I was frustrated earlier. To my surprise I found none. I think I was very forgiving the first time! So anyway, here goes.

The Bangalore Passport Office on Outer Ring Road (Devarabeesanahalli) is one painful place to visit. You are given an appointment time which is usually around a month later from the date you book. Compare that to Hyderabad where appointments are available the next day!

Then, the appointment time has no sanctity. You go there at the scheduled time, or earlier, or later (for it does not really matter) and then wait in line for about an hour to get a stupid token! I mean, what the hell? Why go through the whole appointment process?!?!

At the token counter, today especially, BWSSB bill is rejected on the basis that it is an e-bill. Really? Are we hi-tech or what? I called Subhash and he came to deliver a paper bill, which (drum-roll!) is exactly the same as the e-bill but in colour! I told the guy at the counter - that they should really stop being ridiculous - and stop wasting our time. He said that is because e-bill can be modified by anyone. Really! That was news to me!! Phew.

Then there is three counters. A, B, and C. A is presumably TCS-staffed, 20 counters, reasonably fast and out. Then starts the struggle. All the 20 counters lead to 4 B counters. Which are staffed by government guys. This takes forever to get to. After waiting for about an hour, your turn comes. You go, he checks all the documents and signs off.

Then comes C. This is easily the worst part. All A and B counter folks crowding the very narrow space - and C has 4 counters but both times I went there, there was just one or two that were manned. So naturally, one more bottleneck leads to one more congestion. Not to mention by this time all kids are cranky, sleepy, hungry and what not. And after waiting for an hour or two to be seen by the counter C lords, all you get is about 30s of their time, that too while being pre-occupied with something else, talking to someone else on the phone, etc, they take a barely cursory glance at your documents, nod to their sub-ordinate (yeah they have a secretary) and ask you to go. I mean, is it worth two hours? I just do NOT get it. And to me, there is absolutely no difference in what B and C do, so consequently why there should be two entities there except for that the government wants to provide more employment to needless folks is just beyond my comprehension.

I hear appointments in Hyderabad hardly take 15 minutes. Why the hell does it take so long here? is it just this centre or is the story same everywhere in Bangalore? God only knows.

When I went for the younger one's passport, he was sleepy and cranky and I had to carry him all the while, imagine carrying a very active infant in your arms for about 4 hours - yes, you guessed it, sheer torture. He just wouldn't let me sit, I had to stand and carry him all the time.

Today was much better, older ones passport renewal. Simply because I did not have to carry him. But the guy doesn't eat anything outside, so he went 6 hours straight without a meal, and that was another kind of torture. He was hungry and sleepy by the time we were done - but thank god for him being a well behaved child - at least he didn't throw a fit or pester me about being bored!

I had called ahead of time and asked if minors really need to show up for applying - they said yes. And so all parents endure the torture of trying to hold their kids back in a government building for a few hours!

Bachelor, Officer and a Gentleman (Ha????)

This series from ABC is the most shameless piece of American Television I have watched. It makes Elimi"date" look holy.

Basically, its about this shameless officer (from the Navy) ! I didn't even like him. And then there is the yet more shameless women. The deal is that this moron is going to shortlist and pick one of the [25, I think] "ohh-my-gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad" candidates and make her his wife. (Huh? did you say?)

Thank God I don't watch TV. Else I would have watched this piece of crap at the beginning when there would have been all those women falling all over this guy. I watched the final episode which was thankfully just two women. And even with that, at the end, I was nauseated and felt sick. Yuck! Both of them are all over him and he takes both of them home (separately of course), takes both of them on "serious" dates (yeah, thank god this is done separately too), both the gals tell him they want to live the rest of their lives with him and he goes and discusses with his family which one he should marry bla bla bla bla bla. All that crap. And each of the girls is hoping she has told him in enough and convincing-enough ways that she loves him. And separately tells the camera that she is hoping he would pick her. Man! What happens when you don't get picked? Do you star in the next season?

It is like what John Tucker does in "John Tucker Must Die" only all his girlfriends (all 25 of them, mind you) are aware that he is seeing another 24 and going on "romantic dates" with all of them. And its like brazenly practicing polygamy on National TV. Sans the vows. Even the family is so shameless as to let him date all these women together and pick one. And then forget not, he is a gentleman (my foot!)

This is what the description on their website reads:

>>>>>>>>>>
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Andy Baldwin, M.D., 30, an undersea medical officer for a special operations dive unit stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, has been selected to star in the tenth edition of ABC's popular romance reality series, when The Bachelor returns to the network in the Spring of 2007. In addition to his professional accomplishments, this Bachelor is also a world-class triathlete. Now this real-life 'officer and a gentleman' faces the most exciting mission of his life -- finding true love.

Andy's achievements are matched by his good-natured personality, stunning good looks and self-deprecating sense of humor. He's an unabashed romantic, has watched the series and believes that the show can help find him the woman who could become his wife. Who doesn't love the movie 'An Officer and a Gentleman'? We're bringing the best parts of that romantic film to real life, said Mike Fleiss, executive producer of The Bachelor.

Hosted by Chris Harrison, The Bachelor is produced by Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television. Mike Fleiss and Lisa Levenson are the executive producers. David Bohnert and Martin Hilton are the co-executive producers.
>>>>>>>>>


Watch more shamelessness here:

http://abc.go.com/primetime/bachelor/index


Guys, get a grip. What else must we see in the name of "reality television" Oh God!!

Can you get this shameless, ABC? And it calls itself the "ABC Family" channel!

Sigh!!

Roasted Onions and Green Beans..or Beans kura;)

This recipe had me in splits. I came across this when I was reading somewhere about the nutritional benefits of Onions ;) Another reminder to the world about the evolved Indian cuisine?:D

Recipe

Roasted Red Onions and Green Beans

Makes 8 servings

5 medium red onions
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper
2 lbs green beans or French green beans, trimmed

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Peel the onions and cut into lengthwise quarters. Toss with the vinegar and olive oil. Add the salt and pepper.
3. Place on a baking sheet lightly oiled with cooking spray. Roast the onions until golden brown, about 20 minutes, then sprinkle lightly with water and continue roasting another 20 minutes.
4. Rinse the green beans in cold water, then drain. Place in a covered dish and microwave until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain.
5. Combine the roasted onions with the steamed green beans. Adjust seasoning, if needed, and serve.

Per serving: 92 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 0.5 grams saturated fat, 14 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams protein, 3 grams fiber, 305 milligrams sodium. Calories from fat: 31.5% or 34%.