The Fingerprint Factory
Drama Drama Drama. It used to be the last dreaded event before getting your residence. You had to have fingerprints taken and it was in this big mob-scene, huge mobs of people and hot hot hot, no air, and the ink was HORRIBLE, and even if you brought your own soap and washed right away, you still had ink under your fingernails for days. It was a hellish experience.
Today was the day. It started with drama – when I got to where I was supposed to be at 10:10, the receptionist told me I was supposed to be there at 9:30, I had missed my appointment. I was really sure my husband had told me my appointment was at 10:30, so I waited while she called, and it was one of those experiences where she was NOT happy being wrong, and I got to sit out in the not-air-conditioned hall to wait for my group to go.
When my group got to the fingerprint place, there was no mob. There WAS more drama. There was only a very nice be-thobed gentleman who said that the fingerprint computer was broken. It was broken yesterday, and they got it working again this morning until 9 o’clock, but now it is broken. I asked “how long until it is fixed?” but it was one of those insh’allah things, no one knows how long it will take to get the system up again. We would have to come back tomorrow.
And then, just as we were walking out the gate back to the van, he called to us “Come back! Come back!” The fingerprint machine was working again.
Inside, it was orderly and air conditioned. Take a number, take a seat. Wait your turn. Very cool, watching people’s fingerprints, handprints, etc show up in huge prints. If there was any blur, the machine showed red – like a red thumb – and it had to be done over again.
For some reason, I had to have several done over again. I don’t know if it was me, or if the machine was just finicky. All I know is that the system was up long enough for me to get my fingerprints taken, and there was NO mess. None. Wooo HOOOO.
I still have my old Qateri driving licence. I am praying – please keep me in your prayers – that they will just renew it and I won’t have to take a road test on the roads of Qatar. Although – after driving in Kuwait – I can drive anywhere. 😀
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At least its batter than the system in Kuwait where cop twists your hand 360 degrees, dips your whole palm in black ink and then jams it down onto a sheet of paper. I guess now I know what its like to be livestock 😛
All the best with your license. 🙂
Everything ok in Qatar? We’re hearing some rumors…
I’m enjoying these posts about the residency process. (Your memories of the before remind me of our experience in Kuwait.) It must be very nice to see this progress! When we first arrived to our current workplace in China, we were whisked off to a very old building for our medical check. Everything was out of date and worn, but we figured it was all pretty good for China. The second year, we headed back for the medical check to a totally new building complete with state of the art equipment, copious amounts of personal protective devices (gloves!) and English speaking staff. We figured it was all done for the Olympics, but we were happy to have benefited from it nonetheless.
LOL, Mathai, that’s the way it used to be here, too. 🙂
Everything is very quiet here, Bu Yousef. I haven’t even heard a whisper, except from outside.
Isn’t it amazing, GlobalGal, how fast the changes can happen when there is an international event? Appearance can be everything.
I wonder why Kuwait has not introduced taking the DNA of expats seeking residency yet .It is more accurate than finger prints and it will not be covered up by Gloves.We can pin point who is doing what and even find out who has been spiting on our sidewalks and fine them when they are trying to leave the country at the airport .
LLOOLL, Daggero, I think DNA testing in Kuwait has a lot of opposition. No one wants to out the skeletons in the closet!