I received an answer to my application for a Schengen visa, via the Belgian Embassy at New Delhi, yesterday. It was a rejection letter saying that documents to support my claim of being "Self-Employed" were not sufficient, and that I would be granted a visa if I up-date and resend the said documents!
It felt like my face had been smashed on a concrete wall!
But these are the realities of International Travel, and a visa is a very real thing: without which I cannot travel. I do intend to apply afresh for the visa, but my plans for attending steemfest is over now as I cannot get one in time.
But these realities are painful, even if I get the logic behind the rejection. My hotel was booked, my air tickets for the 10th were done, and I had set aside SBD 144 for the fest tickets, and now I do not get to leave on time.
The world has become a suspicious place, unlike the days I used to travel, when things were simpler and a visa was the last worry for any traveler. Also those days, there were fewer travellers with malicious intent or radical ideologies who wanted to "degrade western civilization from the inside", and most were just simple tourists, or someone like me who just wanted to see the world.
What pains me is, as a young man I have worked extensively around Europe and England and developed friendships which have endured over the years. The last I traveled to Europe was around 14 years ago, a fact I mentioned in the application, but unfortunately did not have the old passports with the stamped visas. And now I have to prove my case all over again if I am to travel there again.
But this is also a reflection of the changes which has happened to the world in the last two decades. The countless wars and the crisis of refugees has overwhelmed most countries, and I do understand their stringent rules which apparently would help weed out undesirables from visiting their country.
And normal people, like me, do get caught up in this complexity, while complacency on my part regarding a simple document, has denied me attendance at the fest. And this was something I was really looking forwards to, as nothing like stemit had happened to me before, and I really wanted to meet the good people I have made friends with on here.
My new plan
I will re-apply for the visa with up-dated documents, and I will visit my old friends in Europe, who are expecting me and will be fun to catch up with. But it will be too late for me to attend steemfest and meet with you all.
But I will meet my steemit friends whenever I get the opportunity next, but for now I am cancelling my hotel booking and my air-ticket and I wish the very best to all who shall be attending, and hope you have the time of your lives!
A bit disappointed, I shall unpack my bag, make a cup of tea, but wear something I had bought for the trip, and which will get me in a festive mood never-the-less.
My double-knitted woolly hat!
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