Biometric Part One
Well, yesterday was a long but pleasant day out. My first time off the island in 13 months made necessary because of having to change my residency permit from a card to a card (from paper-card to plastic, which is rather un-eco-friendly). Here is part one of the adventure in brief:
Up at 3.10, off to the boat at 4.20, onto boat at 5.00 after showing a form along with the ticket. Off boat at 6.15, walk around Akandia harbour at sunrise, through Rhodes Old Town in relative silence, sit with takeout coffee on Mandraki seafront for an hour or so… Hang about, chat to godboys, eat packed breakfast, hang about it a bit more, walk about a bit more… 10.40 arrive for appointment 20 minute early, wait a bit… get called in to do paperwork.
There was mild confusion over who I was because I was with Jenine and the boys, and so it was assumed I was the father, and it took some time to convince the very pleasant (and rather good fun) officials behind the counter that I wasn’t. Only problem there was that, as I wasn’t the father, I shouldn’t have come in at the same time as the person who wasn’t my wife, but we carried on regardless. I presented a folder stuffed with papers, but they only wanted X, Y and Z, so that was handed over, and I had to go and redo my photographs because the ones I’d had done previously were not on precisely the right paper. I could use them, but others on the same paper had been rejected from Athens, so it was best to get a backup set done, just in case. The appointment took all of ten minutes, two forms to fill out and check, and my cardboard residency card was replaced by a piece of paper while I wait to be called back to be fingerprinted at the police station in a few weeks. That will be stage two of the process.
Afterwards… We had an appointment at the further-Ed college at Akandia at 13:00, so walked back there via the giros shop in Mandraki for some chips to eat on the way. I think we’d walked six miles by now. Godson #2 and I went to the supermarket while eldest godson inspected the college course he is considering. You might have seen on Facebook a photo of us in an actual supermarket (as opposed to a super market). I mean one where you had to queue to get in, and then be given a manky old piece of well-handled cardboard to show you were a customer and pick up a basket that had recently been through the hands of 35 others and then get lost in the crowded aisles. We found the wine section easily enough, paid, and got out quick.
I’ll tell you the rest tomorrow, it’s not very exciting. Not for you, but for me, it was a day out. I am now sunburned, and my legs are stiff because we walked over 10 miles, and I’ve not done that since I was in Vancouver early last year.
