Scratch Post

17 February 2010

[Work] The Crazy Saudi Escape

When people ask me about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I give a balanced 1-line summary "Same Planet, Different World".

When people who have actually been to KSA hear this, they nod in total agreement; while people who have not, knit their brows, and with a befuddled look ask you to explain ...to which you do try to, but it's one of those things you need to personally experience to really get it.

As in all countries and cultures there is the good and bad. But I'm just gonna share a personal story relating to the Saudi Visa ... one of the weirdest and stress inducing things in the world.

Getting a Saudi Visa is something like Calvinball where the rules keep on changing. And so is the process of getting the extension.

My Visa Start Date = 30Sept2009
My Entry Into KSA = 11Oct2009
Validity = 3 months

So there are 2 dates to consider, is my visa expiry date on
- 30Dec2009 (based on visa start date)
- 11Jan2010 (based on entry date)

But this being KSA, you always err on the side of caution, hence when I re-entered KSA on 18Dec09, I talked to the visa officer from my company to extend my visa by 2 weeks for me (did it many times before never was a problem). He told me to come back on 26Dec09.

Which I did, and he told me to come back on 30Dec09 to pick it up. I just didn't trust the bugger, so I came back on 29Dec09 to get it. He tells me it was rejected by the gov officials and shows me the paper. But he follows up and tells me it is 100% no problem he just needs to appeal and get the record straight for me. I don't trust him but have no choice.

Then I come back on 30Dec09 to get my extension. He sees me approaching and starts to panic. He talks to an Arab guy who is a in-between runner for the company and the authorities. They speak in Arabic for 5 mins in hushed tones but with spikes of "oh shit ... errm now what' (you can get that from the intonation don't need to know the language).

So they settle down after ignoring me. Arrogant visa officer from my company tells me it is too bad I have to fly off today. I am really pissed off and barks back at him. He then chats in Arabic again, and now the Arab guy takes the paper, whips out a red pen and scribbles something on it (see text in the the red box) which is actually a date in Arabic.

Here you go - they tell me and hand back the form to me. It is extended.

I am.... huh???? wtf??? since when do you simply extend something that the authorities rejected?!! The advice I get is as below:

- Oh no problem, we shall photocopy it for you so they cannot see the red ink. Here you go (photocopy is handed to me).
- Why don't you try to pass thru the immigration at the airport first.
- If you pass no problem. If you don't pass show them this paper.
- Remember, keep the paper in your pocket first. Don't show to them unless you have to.
- Don't worry.
- Don't worry. Seriously.
- OK OK we'll give you a backup number to call if you face problems.
- Remember, keep the paper in your pocket first. Don't show to immigration unless you have to.

I had to arrange to next reasonable flight out, and was lucky enough to escape without any complications! If I did not, I could have been looking at several of the possible choices below:
- Fine of 10k-20k Riyals (approx 10k-20k Ringgit)
- Deportation which would be recorded in my travel documents
- Fine by airline co. to cancel trip
- Lots of bureaucratic hassles
- Prison

There were lots of vaseline jokes made during my waiting period btw 30th of Dec to the 4th of Jan, when I finally flew off. Seriously, the visa thing was really scary as hell!!! Not something you'd want to repeat anytime soon.

04 February 2010

[Self] Coffee from Oracle

Although it was known that Oracle had finally taken over Sun, the full impact just did not hit me until I had to download a new plug in from the Sun site.



The blue has been replaced with the Oracle red, and has a nice Oracle logo on the bottom of each webpage for branding purposes.... :)