After several weeks of preparations, it was time for me to go the German embassy. I woke up as early as possible, prepared my son and left for the embassy. I wanted to get there as early as possible because being late was not an option. Besides, even if you are 30 seconds late, the guards at the main gate have instructions never to let in late comers.
As in many buildings in the city, you will find a lot of security measures in place. Not only do they frisk you, but you also have to leave your cellphone and laptop in some locker which key you are given until your session is over.
On this particular day, the embassy was crowded by both foreigners and local people. Everyone seemed to be in a pensive mood, probably contemplating on the questions that they would be asked, or generally what lay ahead. I noticed that there were three counters, one for long term applicants, the other for short term applicants and a third one that seemed to be pretty private. I had a feeling that this particular section of the embassy looked tiny on the inside. It was very easy for me to follow all the interview sessions of all the other applicants who were being interviewed before my turn. This was very unpleasant for me and for the applicants I guess. I thought it would be more private, or rather I wished it be so. The tellers have microphones which they use to interview the applicants. The two were separated by a transparent glass which seems to be so thick that the tellers have to make the use of the microphones. I do not know the reason behind this but I would imagine that some of the information shared between the interviewer and interviewee could be sensitive and therefore would call for a little more privacy.
From my experience, it would be very important to prepare well in advance if you intend to apply for any kind of visa and from whichever country. As most consulates probably have a website, read through the information contained therein before you make any bookings. You would also be better off by organizing all your original documents in advance. This entails making several photocopies and carrying all relevant documents that you feel you might be asked for.. Make the required photocopies in town because like me, you might feel the pinch of having to pay 7 times more for the copies there. It is actually very convenient to prepare everything in advance because it allows you to maintain your calm while you are there. You can find different forms online which you can print out and use prior to your appointment. This will probably save you trips to the embassy just to get forms which could actually turn out to be more costly. In a time and age where almost everything has gone digital, it is only convenient to look up information that might help you with your visa application process and several other things in life.
Discovering On Our Way 