Coming to India

Landing in Delhi was kinda weird. Although I have a visa, I also had to fill in the “arrival registration” document. And then another document that went about Swine Flu. I had to declare that I recently haven’t been in the countries who have reported Swine Flu, like Mexico, Germany or France…
Well, it all took like 30-45 minutes. Boy, was I happy to have a cigarette outside after all this and 6 and ½ hours flight.

The first next step on Delhi’s airport was to have a breakfast and buy a sim card. The guy from the only phone company represented at the airport said: “our network is temporarily down, I can’t sell you a sim card.”

Hmmm, well, o.k. then. It’s a good start. ;-)
… and there is more.

When I went into the city to buy a sim card, they asked a copy of my passport, a copy of my visa, one pass picture and of course, another official paper (it seems Indian folks can’t have enough of paperwork), where I had to fill stuff like: name, date of birth, nationality, the address where I’m staying (incl. persons phone number), my own address in the Netherlands, my passport nr. and — don’t fall of your chair — the name of my father! As a cherry on the top of a pie, I had to put my signature 6 times on all that. I asked the guy at the desk if he was kiddin’. He said he was not. He also didn’t laugh.

And all that for something as stupid as a sim card?!
Bling, bling… 400 Rupees (sim card) only + 250 Rupees more for prepaid.

Traffic in Delhi

Traffic in Delhi 2

I already discussed this issue with a couple of Indian people (customers) in the shop who went through the same themselves, who said that a while ago it was here as easy as in any other country to buy a sim card, but after the terrorist attacks in Bombay, like 8 months ago, and a few other places, the government took the measures.

Which I think is rubbish!

To my opinion, a terrorist doesn’t need to buy a sim card at all. It’s easier to steal someone’s phone in stead.

The same goes for (armed) police and soldiers on each metro-station who screen me each time I use metro. They are rather disturbing then helpful.

So, to my opinion, all this paperwork (even for this ’slow’ Internet Cafe I have to leave my name, passport nr. address and phone number…) and all security fuss… is nothing else then pointless bureaucratic crap. Keep the power - and give people a false idea of safety!

Eventually, when I came to a couchsurf address where I was supposed to be, I discovered that I could only send sms messages and recieve a phone calls, but I couldn’t call nor recieve sms messages with this sim card at all. Fu*kin’ great!

Did I have to go through all that sh*tty paperwork and now that little piece of crap doesn’t even work?!

Come on… I even payed for it! :p

Oh, by the way, did I mention that it’s here above 40 degrees in a day time and above 30 degrees at nights?

Alex, welcome to India. :)

That was thus day one. In the following days I’ll plan some photoshoots and try to discover nice side of India.

Perhaps I should better go sleep now. I haven’t have any sleep for almost 48 hours.

Social networks