Applying for a visa? Take everything with you

Lining up under the pouring rain and snowflakes in Prague's winter days in the front of British consular office might give you a chill. Seriously, a chill! This long queue reminds me of old times when I applied for Czech visa, Polish visa and Australian visa. Belgium and French on the other hand were quite nice and welcomed you in immediately so at least you could wait inside.
Anyway, not only did the reception remain the same almost everywhere (confusing:-)), but also the consulars opening hours differences were still the same:-). You better take with you patience and big heart when realizing that you can never rely on the website and the automatic phone.
You also need to bring pen just in case you need to change or have a second thought on some things in the application form but for mobile phone I suggest you not insist on taking it up with you to the second floor coz the officers will persistently suggest you to leave it with them on the ground floor. Dont ask me why:-). Also dont ask me why they charge you 50 pounds whether you get the visa or or not. Yeap dont forget to take some money, just take it or leave it.
Also dont ask me why some of the questions in the application form makes you...well.. uneasy to say yes or no:-).

First question:
If select "civil partnership" please confirm current status of relationship
1. existing civil partnership 2.dissolved civil partnership 3. surviving civil partnership.

Boy Im glad that Im married. At worst, I will have "widow" status not a "surviving" one:-).

Second question:
Where is your spouse now?
Hmmm..... do they really want to know? In the toilet, maybe:-)))))))))))))))))))))))?

Imagine if Bali bombers, terrorists, and Milosevic were asked these third to sixth questions:
Have you ever been refused entry to, deported from,or otherwise required to leave, another country? hmmmmm.....Nope:-)

Do you have criminal convictions in any country? mmmm..... Nope:-)).

Have you ever been concerned in the commision, preparation, and organisation or support of acts of terrorism, either within or outside of the United Kingdom, or have you ever been a member of an organization which has been involved in or advocated terrorism in furtherance of its aims? Hmm.you mean except of illegaly trained to make a bomb? Nahh:-)))

Have you ever been concerned in the commision, preparation, and organisation of genocide or crimes, including crimes against humanity and war crimes, committed in the course of armed conflict? mmmm... you mean out of those bosnian killing? naaahhh:-)))).


So please take your guts when you have to fill in those scarry and intimidating questions:-))).
Take also your book or games or whatever when you submit the form to the lady over the counter. After submitting it, we were simply asked to sit and wait for...ages! I dont know why we should wait there without knowing anything. I mean, I dont know why and for how long I should wait there. No one raised any questions, no one wanted i guess. I was wasting my time by sitting there and do nothing except studying czech map. Not even single brochure about England available around..sighh....
Three hours passed then I run out of my patience. I asked how long will it take and couldnt I just return later? The lady over the counter was not happy and tried to patronize me by asking why cant I just wait and sit as everybody else. I replied calmly that I need to get back to work. She asked impatiently"when?", I said less calmly " when? anytime.. because this is working day i suppose.". Then she said I should wait. Oh boy, I dont need this repetition, i just need to know what's going on and why I cant just go and return few hours or few days later?
She responded that she doesnt know how long it will take. I responded back " Please ask someone, your colleague maybe?". She went in and got back and said:" in 5 minutes, please wait." Fiuhhh...
The visa was finally issued. Dont know whether they gave it because I was so annoying:-). Anyway, I have to admit that they are smart in processing the visa application but not really smart in asking people to stay and wait there hours long.
Since they get the upperhand, you cant do anything but humblely waiting for their mercy:-).
So other tip is to take your time there coz you will never know how long you should stay.
I dont know whether an embassy's culture or values represents the nation's culture, but
this sort of easygoing and not time-oriented regime makes you wonder whether british are really laid back like Ozzy? even Australian bureaucracies are stricter, clearer, and in order:-).
Just a thought. SO finally take with you cheer and good mood. You really need it, mate.

Right person for the right job

Working in Prague hasnt given me much inspiration of what sort of ethics back europeans endeavours. Some may say that europeans or "white" in general are hardworking,honest,and more focused. I prefer to say that people, no matter where, no matter when, are the same. Some are ambitious, some are easygoing, some are high achiever, some are self contented, some are with praisable mission, some are crooked and corrupted.

The difference lies in the system. In the european countries, they set up a system
which provides check and control and majority support it. Humans are not angels, that's for sure:-)and the system helps to reward and punish those who are irresponsible and damaging others.
While maybe in some countries, the system is just a formality and the majority has no power and access to it, in the end, chaos and distrust are created and lead to distruction. The quality of human resources and how it fits the job also matter to support the so-called "european" system.

What I would like to note is that somehow, no matter how good are the system and procedures,even in a big company, good candidates might lose their chances, and not the right person chosen. Here are some tips that my friend gives when it comes to recruitment (have fun!!)

HOW TO RECRUIT THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB?

Put about 100 bricks in some particular order in a closed room with an open window.
Then send 2 or 3 candidates in the room and close the door.

Leave them alone and come back after 6 hours and then analyze the situation.

If they are counting the bricks,
Put them in the accounts department.

If they are recounting them,
Put them in auditing.

If they have messed up the whole place with the bricks,
Put them in engineering.

If they are arranging the bricks in some strange order,
Put them in planning.

If they are throwing the bricks at each other,
Put them in operations.

If they are sleeping,
Put them in security.

If they have broken the bricks into pieces,
Put them in information technology.

If they are sitting idle,
Put them in human resources.

If they say they have tried different combinations, yet not a brick has
been moved.
Put them in sales.

If they have already left for the day,
Put them in marketing.

If they are staring out of the window,
Put them on strategic planning.

And then last but not least...

If they are talking to each other and not a single brick has been moved.
Congratulate them and put them in top management.

enjoy the life

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together
to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned
into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests
coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large
pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass,
crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite -
telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor
said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were
taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but
normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the
source of your problems and stress.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you
consciously went for the best cups and were eyeing each other's cups.

Now if life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society
are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the
quality of Life doesn't change. Some times, by concentrating only on
the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."

So, don't let the cups drive you... enjoy the coffee instead.