My F1 Visa Interview Experience

When I got my I-20 from my desired University it was all thrills at home which followed with the onset of procedure for Visa Interview. I bought the HDFC receipts and then registered for the visa date. I got a date that was almost two weeks away from the registration date. That gave me ample of time to prepare for the interview. I had checked out on google for "F1 Visa Interview Questions" and got sufficient enough questions to prepare.

In the mean time I had been to VFS office to submit the photocopies of documents that they had asked for. There was one I-901 fee payment which I missed out on and was not even aware of till I had been to VFS office for photocopies submission. This year I-901 fee was $200 which is supposed to be paid through http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/index.htm.

After weeks of preparation for the D-day, finally I arrived at the VFS office that took me to the US Visa Consulate.

Prior, I bought the lounge coupon given by VFS office for Rs 250/- which proved to be helpful as I didn't have to stand in the big queue to go inside the consulate. Plus they provided a locker to keep my bag and stuff which helped me since I din't have anyone accompanying me for the interview. It helps even more if your interview is in the afternoon. Not that I'm promoting it, but I had seen some people standing in a big queue that was hardly moving as the time went beyond 10 o'ck. So I felt it helped because I got to get inside the office and sit there a bit earlier. But I had also seen some people who hadn't brought this coupon and yet managed to get in and finish with their visa interview before me.

During my time it was drizzling and single ladies were given first preference for going into the office. So even when my time was scheduled to be 8.15am, we were in the bus outside VFS office by 7.45 am. By 8.15am the ladies queue was ready to go inside the consulate. Before going in, your plastic bag and you go through a thorough check. Unfortunately, I had left a glue stick in my plastic bag which became a problem. They asked me to go out and throw it and then again I had to stand in the queue. Though it was a small one but my number jumped behind from 105 to 127 straight and that caused me a delay for interview call by almost an hour.

So never carry any electronic items, pens, glue sticks etc for your visa interview. You won't require them inside. Just carry papers.

Once inside, first you stand in the queue for taking your electronic finger prints and then you are asked to take a seat till they call your assigned number. I sat on a chair and it was past one hour. I was a bit tensed by now because all numbers before and after my number had been announced. I was afraid if I missed out on hearing my number. But soon the lady on counter number 13 called out my number along with the others which were in the series of number 300 and I rushed in first. It was 10.15am. By now I was a bit tired and thirsty because I din't have water since morning and there was no facility to have a glass of water in the consulate.

But the moment I met the interviewer I simply forgot all tiresomeness and thirst :) I was very glad. I greeted her "Good morning". She first asked me "Which course are you going there for?" , when I told her she looked at my I20 and told me that I had partial funding. I was surprised because I had a full funding. But this question popped up because my college had also put in the amount which they asked me to show as family funds during application in the column 8 of I20.

She asked me how was I going to make an arrangement for the rest of the money. I told her through family funds and told her that I could show her the papers. She refused to see the papers and asked me only to answer her questions. Then she asked me "What does your father do?", "What does your mother do?", "How much does your dad earn per year?" When I answered these questions she said "Well, your Visa is granted. Wish you a pleasant stay in the United States."

I came out with a smile . You can see that on everyones face who gets a visa.

I had also seen some people since morning whose Visa was rejected. Reasons varied. One girl was refused because she wasn't funded by her college and she couldn't prove that she had sufficient funds to go to the US.

I felt that it was better to be very well prepared and then not been asked for the documents rather than not taking some documents and then been asked for them by the interviewer.

Overall my preparation for the interview paid off. It's a nice experience and as my dad says it, "No one troubles you for any unnecessary reasons. And when you have a valid reason to go there then the question of rejecting your visa just doesn't arise."

Why are you still carrying her?

Two monks left on a pilgrimage leaving their temple of silver,
On their long and tiresome way they came across a river.
Near the banks they saw a lady in her own worry,
She was dressed in finery, emeralds and jewelery.

One of the monks went to her to ask her cause of tension.
She said,"There is only one that I would like to mention.
I want to cross the river wide and move on the other side,
But with the finery that I have worn it's difficult to cross the river wide."

The monk agreed to drop her on the other side of the river,
And so they crossed the river wide within almost an hour.
The monk left the lady on the banks and did forget,
The two monks together began their journey ahead.

After an hour the other monk began to complain,
"How come you walked with that lady in your alms in vain?
Why didn't you want the rules of monks to abide?
Why did you lift her to the river's other side?"

The monk initially decided to continue his quiet walk,
But the other monk had no intention to stop his talk.
The monk then replied with a small laughter,
"My friend I left her an hour back but why are you still carrying her?"

When The God In Your Own Heart Lurks With Hunger

There is a temple close to my house. As a kid I have played on this land where today the temple stands tall. There was a garden in that space where my granny used to take me to play. It's the place where I first began crawling on the soft grass.

Today the land is thronged more with crowd of people and many idols of Gods.

I see a lot of people gathering to gain peace of mind and blessings from the God. At occasions even I used to go and sit there. But over a period of time the crowd of Gods within the temple has grown with popularity. Today it looks more of a business than place of spirituality.

There are some people that beg on the roads. Many near the road. Losing their self respect. Some out of poverty, some out of helplessness, some out of laziness. Then there are some who donate - heavily to the God and to the poor and some meagerly to both. While some have enough only to give it to the God in return of a favor fulfilled by Him.

It's quite an irony...while the idol sits nicely in the temple, it gets bathed and prayed by the Pandits, and the temple gets closed for God to take rest but people are least cared about.

I wonder if God really resides in any of the temples we know when the one in the hearts of men is more asleep than awaken.

You feel sad about a lot of worldly happenings but all you can do is be a mute spectator.

While in the turmoil of these thoughts, I heard this beautiful bhaktigeet song by Sudhir Phadke, mused about its meaning and just felt, 'let me try to awaken the God in my heart'.

कुठे शोधिसी रामेश्वर अन कुठे शोधिसी काशी
हृदयातील भगवंत राहीला, हृदयातून उपाशी

झाड फुलांनी आले बहरुन, तू न पाहीले डोळे उघडून
वर्षाकाठी पाऊस धारा, तुला न दिसला त्यात इशारा
काय तुला उपयोग आंधळ्या, दीप असून उशासी

रुद्राक्षांच्या गळ्यात माळा, लाविलेस तू भस्म कपाळा
कधी न घेऊन नांगर हाती, पिकविलेस मातीतून मोती
हाय अभाग्या भगवे नेसून घर सन्यासून जाशी

देव बोलतो बाळ मुखातून, देव डोलतो उंच पिकातून
कधी होऊनी देव भिकारी, अन्नासाठी आर्त पुकारी
अवती भवती असून दिसेना, शोधितोस आकाशी

Link to the song is as below (Please press the play button once the site opens) :
http://www.mazafm.com/marathimusic/details.php?image_id=1231

For those who don't understand marathi, here's what it means:

Where do you search for in Rameshwar and Kashi
when the God in your own heart lurks with hunger

While the tree looks full with blossoms, you don't even care to see it with open eyes
Every year it rains and there are showers, but you can't even understand what they convey
What's the use O blind folded man, when you have a lamp but you keep it under your pillow

You wear a garland of Rudraksha, and apply a tilak on your forehead
Without taking a plough in your hand, you reaped pearls from the soil
But ultimately, you are so unfortunate that you leave your home and your people despised, just to become a hermit

God speaks through baby's lips, God shakes through tall peaks
Sometimes God becomes a beggar, and pleads for food
What a pity that when it's all near you, you can't see it and search for it in the skies

Unending Love

"Love is an endless mystery, for it has nothing else to explain it."
- Rabindranath Tagore

While his thoughts reflect beautifully in the lines above I managed to find from his collection, a heart touching poem that simplifies the connotation of love and spirituality of soul over and over, again and again. Here it is:

Unending Love

I seem to have loved you in numberless forms, numberless times…
In life after life, in age after age, forever.
My spellbound heart has made and remade the necklace of songs,
That you take as a gift, wear round your neck in your many forms,
In life after life, in age after age, forever.

Whenever I hear old chronicles of love, it's age-old pain,
It's ancient tale of being apart or together.
As I stare on and on into the past, in the end you emerge,
Clad in the light of a pole-star piercing the darkness of time:
You become an image of what is remembered forever.

You and I have floated here on the stream that brings from the fount.
At the heart of time, love of one for another.
We have played along side millions of lovers, shared in the same
Shy sweetness of meeting, the same distressful tears of farewell-
Old love but in shapes that renew and renew forever.

Today it is heaped at your feet, it has found its end in you
The love of all man’s days both past and forever:
Universal joy, universal sorrow, universal life.
The memories of all loves merging with this one love of ours –
And the songs of every poet past and forever.

- Rabindranath Tagore

Amritsar

Amritsar means "Lake of Holy Nectar". It's one of the oldest cities in Punjab and has a proximity to Pakistan. You can see acres of land irrigated for farming. The land is prolific with abundance of air, water, wealth, health and willingness of people to work. The mesmerizing view of Golden Temple and the Wagha Border parade are the few instances which give Amritsar an opportunity to take pride in itself.


The Golden Temple :


A night view of Golden Temple (or Harimandir Sahib) which is a home to Guru Grant Sahib which is the last guru of Sikhs. The shrine is the most fascinating one as for its history as well as its present. The entire top portion of the temple and its fencing are made up of pure gold, the work of which was accomplished under the great Maharaja Ranjit Singh.








This is the interior view of the temple at night. Worth watching and admiring. Everyone is supposed to cover their head while going in. Though I could not understand the significance of it but i guess that is to mark a respect to the guru. Well, I must not forget to mention that the delicious prasad here is made up of absolutely pure ghee and is too very tasty. Infact, you get it at every spot of small temples within the shrine. After having prasads at 2 such temples we were completely full and had no place in stomach to eat it at the third one :)











We had taken this snap at around night 11 o ck when the ceremony of shifting the holy Grant Sahib to adjacent building was taking place after prayers. You can see the shining thing at the centre? Well that is actually a 'palkhi' through which the Grant Sahib gets carried. The whole night the actual place of the book in the Golden Temple gets cleaned by various people from Sikh community (it's a form of their Kar Seva, a nice concept...i feel every religion should have something like this) and the Holy Granth is restored at around 4 am with prayers.










This is the Golden Temple at day time. During day time people have a bath in the waters of the shrine. You know something surprising. This water when tested for bacteria content shows it as nil. It is that pure even when people have a bath. Well, the reason is these fishes in the waters (on the left). Nice pets. :)











The Jallianwala Bagh:



This is a famous spot where peaceful protesters were mercilessly massacred in 1919 under British Office order of Gen. Dyer. More than 1500 people were injured with close to 500 killed in the casualty.










This is the narrow lane through which the armed battalion of Britisher soilders went in to fire the protesters.















This is the place from where the firing took place. Your blood really boils when you stand here. Well, one reason could also be 'coz it was scorching 43 deg there!

















Summer Palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh - This is the entrance and perhaps the only remains of the palace now.




















Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama Museum - The museum displays the entire life of Maharaja Ranjit Singh who was a brave, powerful, wise, kind, committed and intelligent king of his time. He owned the famous Kohinoor diamond which he put on his throne and the Britishers din't dare to invade his territory till the time he was alive. A very admirable man who assumed the throne and began his ventures to capturing the enemies right since 15th year of his age.










Wagha Border :







Do I need to say anything about this spot? Its the border between India and Pakistan. Every evening there is a co-ordinated parade that takes place between the two countries. Worth watching parade where both the commanders look very aggressive, perform superb and carry the dignity of their countries with equal pride.











The time when both the country men are right in front of each others open gates. They salute each other with stamping feet and move on. A heart warming scene. The crowd on the other end belongs to Pak. A lots of seats are still empty. What made me further annoyed was that there were barely a few ladies to watch the show. You could even count them. Yes, they were only 5. A very disappointing number. Isn't it? Perhaps they need a ladies reservation bill more badly :(













And have a look at this one. This is the crowd on Indian side. Jam packed. While the parade was going on, there were comparees on both sides. The one on Indian side would scream, "Hindustan" and we replied in "Zindabaad" while the one on Pak side screamed, "Jio Jio" and they replied in "Pakistan". The patriotic feeling grew very stong at the very spot.








India, no man's land and Pakistan - The land on this side belongs to India and on other side to Pak farmers. While the one in between is that of no one. They could grow some good plants in between but weeds enjoy on the area as it belongs to no one. The fencing is shorted with High Voltage Power to avoid border crossing. Surprising that nothing can tame the air that crosses the borders. It's a strange, sad but true feeling.













Attari Station- The famous station from where Samzhauta Express to Pak departs and arrives. This was our last stop. And now we were off to our last destination, Chandigarh.

All That Remains..

At times life takes weird turns. Sometimes they are just against us. And the more we try to repeal the more they decide to become difficult.

A few days back, a friend of mine had a terrible parting with his girlfriend of a decade. It was her decision to leave. My friend was shattered. Things between the two got bitter over these days but some memories were always sweet. They had a memorable time together, both being long time friends prior. There was not a single beautiful moment that they spent without each other. Be it happiness or sorrows, everything was for both together.

Then, he couldn't understand what made her leave him when he was at a turning point of his career and when he wanted her support the most. But she didn't wait.

Questions like what was his fault? What really went wrong? Why did she leave? Was something lacking in him? began indefinitely troubling his mind. The memories of his past refused to leave him . They haunted his mind every second like ghosts and chased him like shadows. Trusting someone seemed so difficult for him.

It is right that you are either hunter or hunted. And each has their side. He was hunted and perhaps she had her valid reasons for being the hunter. May be their relationship turned out to be sour over a period of time and she couldn't bear it. May be she found a better man than him. May be she thought her life would be better without him.

But he's yet not found why. He was on the receiving side and things were more painful for him and could be a bit or equally for her too. His friends stood by his side and hers by her. And all that remains on both sides today is hurt, pain, anguish, melancholy, feeling of betrayal, anger, tears, fear, remorse, broken relationships and a lesson that the one that leaves never does so to return because that person cannot be the same and neither you or your views for that person will.

When someone decides to walk out of your life there is just nothing that remains in his or her heart for you. Perhaps that was inevitable for the girl in my friend's case. Nonetheless, things between the two will never be the same again.

My friend has tried to move on in life but the shadows of his past are still distinctly visible in his surrounding. They refuse to go or not haunt him. Nevertheless, his past has managed to change my friend, his one time girlfriend and things between them forever.