Figuring Out "The System"

Several people have asked me what I do all day while Briton is at work. Well, I read, study, blog, and ... I go out on the town. Going out on the town can be very time consuming.

For example, yesterday I was charged with the task of obtaining a "Demand Draft" to pay for our airline tickets to Delhi next week. A "DD" is sort of like a money order. I didn't mind doing this because it is also a way to just be "out there" where it's all happening (like I saw a tree being pruned on the way to Bank #1. That was exciting. I may even blog it).

I walked to the nearest bank and found the lobby packed with people. Waiting in a claustrophobic line (no concept of "Wait here for next available teller"), it didn't take long for a steady stream of sweat to start trickling down my spine. After 30 minutes, I was at the "front" of the line. "Front" meaning that men are hanging off of my elbows, and mashed against the teller window, waiting for their turn. The teller says I need cash to do the transaction, she cannot do it directly from my card. "But maybe that lady over there can help you," and she points me to an employee across the room. This employee tells me, "Yes, you need cash first; no, we don't have an ATM for this card; but maybe the manager can help you." She points to a glass-enclosed office against the wall that obviously has air-conditioning. I'm not sure the manager can help me, but I'm sure his office is more cool than where I'm standing. So I wait 10 minutes to see if I can't have a chance to cool off. The people inside are also waiting for something, too. Nothing is happening. So I leave.

Thus began my quest for cash, which involved two auto rides and 6 banks total.

The first 3 banks (Canara, Bank of India, and Citibank) either did not have an ATM at that branch or their ATM didn't work. The 4th bank (I forget the name) only let me withdraw a maximum amount of less than we needed. Plus, the 4th bank is just an ATM so I can't use the money anyway to get the DD. So now I'm walking around town with a significant sum of cash in my backback. Not a safe feeling. I'm on full alert. I tried my card at a 5th bank (HDFC) ATM and was able to get the remaining sum. So, now that I had the money, I thought the rest would be easy. Not so!!!! HDFC wouldn't issue a Demand Draft because I did not hold an account with them. I went back to bank #2, but they had, meanwhile, closed for lunch. And, of course, I had to go to the bathroom. Luckily, the church meetinghouse was just around the corner ... so I waddled over there, waved to the guards at the gate and tried to look like I was a member in good standing, and used the church's bathroom. It wasn't a squatty potty. And it was cool inside. It was nice to rest.

When the bank #2 opened, they informed me it would cost Rs200 for the Demand Draft because they would need to issue two different drafts. The guy in "front" of me at Bank #1 had obtained a Demand Draft for a 36 rupee fee (I know this because India doesn't have HIPPA and I was hanging off of his elbow when I was mashed against the teller window, to make sure I would be next, and observed his entire transaction). So, knowing 200 rupees was a rip off, I declined the services of bank #2. I went to an entirely new bank (bank #6), who had closed 15 minutes earlier, but had open doors still. They wanted to charge Rs78 to issue the DD, which is fine, I guess. However, they informed me I would have to wait until the next day when they were open to process the request.

And that's what I do all day. Now, I'm about to leave to go get that Demand Draft. From bank #1 (well, I'll try there first, and if that doesn't work, I'll go to bank #6, which is on the way to bank #2, which is near where I am meeting Sister Jensen, the CES missionary, for an afternoon of Silk Awareness Instruction).

P.S. (April 6) ... Mission accomplished ... the check is in the mail.