HJCHRISTIANS.nl presents

WebLog India 2010. Working 7000+ km from home…

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Finally, I have setup the weblog and it is now a fact. I have put much effort into it the last couple of evenings, Saturday morning and the whole Sunday. I was not familiar with WordPress and it was supposed to be a good tool for creating a weblog. Though because of all the possibilities and plugin tools it seemed a maze of functions.

Besides the layout and setup I have also written the first content. The default pages have received content. Both the page for India as Pune will receive some content at a later stage for I am reading some books as foundation for that content. The first book is ‘een leidraad voor gewoonten & etiquette – INDIA‘. I also have two others, but I will start with them later.

Of course my won observations and experiences will be written down. I have already started with the weeks of preparation before I came to India. This post includes the first pictures of my Visa story. The experiences and impressions of the last week I will write in the upcoming days since I have already experiences so much :) !

Have fun reading my stories and drop by sometimes. For today I will conclude my internet activities as the temperature drops I think Ill head outside. A whole day inside does not feel right!

Cheers, Hendrik Jan – 17:30

What had happened before the actual trip? A lot!
Here is a story about getting my Visa arranged with some visuals.

The arranging of the visa was quite a difficult task. January 25th 2010 I received the request if I wanted to go to India for my new project (an extension at the same client, but different project). The date for travel was set on February 7th 2010. This seemed like some time, but I was still concluding my old project and would start on the new one as of February 1st 2010. At that day I started arranging the stuff needed for a Visa. Here is a short summary of the arrangements for the Visa:

    After many friendly and perhaps less friendly requests to colleagues and other parties;

  • Loads of email;
  • Lots of phone calls;
  • (sorry, but thanks so much for the assistance!);

    After being chased a couple of times by our manager ?;

  • Manager…;
  • and Manager…;
  • o yes and Manager…;
  • (Of course with good intentions);

    After loads of paper work;

  • And this was still not all?!;
  • Official papers needed to arrive from India and so the trip got postponed with one week;

    After a lot of bad jokes;

  • Yes I am still here;

    After two trips to The Hague;

  • The first trip it seemed still documents were missing;
  • The second it seemed my copy documents needed postal’s or stamps from the courthouse to make them valid (or something, but they let me off the hook on this one);
  • Payment needs to be in cash at the moment you give the papers for processing which of course I had not enough with me (my foot still hurts from putting it in the opening as they tried closing up);
  • And of course our Dutch traffic jams..;
  • Our Dutch weather…;

    After a fine for wrong parking ?;

  • No comments;
  • (no parking sign, yes today I found it);


    And a lot of stress moments;

  • Perhaps this is one of the reasons that all team members were aware of my Visa status?;

I finally received my visa at February 10th 2010 16:14!

The same evening I booked my flight and Sunday 14th 2010 I will head to India.

Now thinking everything was in order and wanting to focus on me packing, I received word that I received the wrong Visa! I received a Business Visa instead of the Employment Visa. Arg…

Trying to call the Embassy in the Netherlands has no use. There is simply no response or if there is, they will hang up or patch you through till you hang up.

So now for my third ride to The Hague…
Luckily the desk of the Embassy will try and help and they could. I had delivered enough paperwork the while receiving the Business Visa that they could change the Visa. After the Official had signed on the changes I was relieved and could now focus on the packing.
By this time it was already Friday and I was leaving that Sunday!

No matter, I have the Visa. If I would not pack I could at least travel. They do have shops in Pune!

As the good guy that I am, I had finally complied to all rules, regulations and policies.

Good guy (or as we call it in the Netherlands: Brave Hendrik).

Welcome to my WebLog.

I am trying to maintain a small weblog for my travel in India while I am working there for 8 weeks.
Via this weblog I want to keep the family back home update, my friends, my Dutch and Indian colleagues.

I hope you have fun reading my updates and please leave a message behind on occasion via the Guestbook or a comment.

Hendrik Jan