Passport

Last week, we took Jesse down to Immigration and made the boy his very own International Passport.

Mae and I awoke at the crack of dawn. Our past experiences with the Immigration Dept. had been hours spent in line waiting, and waiting, and more waiting. Despite knowing that there was a special counter to serve children under two, senior citizens and handicapped folks, we decided not to risk it. And so by 8:15am, we were at Wilayah Kompleks in downtown KL.

"Ah, it's pretty quiet today," I tell Mae smugly, pleased at my own cleverness for picking the most efficient Immigration office. With that we quickly got down to business. We found a shop that took passport photos and also did the paperwork. After struggling with Jesse a little, we were done in no more than 15 minutes. As soon as we paid the elderly woman at the shop, she dropped the bomb on us.

"You'll have to go to Pusat Bandar Damansara," the little old lady says, "this Immigration office has been closed since September."

%@^&#@^&!!!!

Anyway, despite having to drive a good 30-ish km to Pusat Bandar Damansara, we were all done by 11:30am. Service was as good as can be expected. The document was done in two days. Mae picked it up today and that was pretty painless too.

So, parents, if you haven't done your kid's passport, go now. After he turns two, you'll be waiting in line just like everybody else. Also, note that you won't need both parents present. And your kid won't have to be there when you collect the passport. Oh yeah, they also get their own passports these days.

So yes, the experience was a reasonably pleasant. Jesse was cooperative most the time, except for the photo session when he fidgeted around like a monkey. And so, just like Mae and I, he's got a shitty picture in his passport too. I was gonna post up a picture, but I'm not that cruel. :)