I waited four hours at the pass office last month, and still they asked for a photocopy of the visa page I already gave them — tumba frustration. But the chikkappa who runs the chai stall opposite told me to keep a file with every page numbered and a plastic sleeve for each one, and that saved my time on the second visit. If you are starting now, make a checklist from the official website PDF — not what the agent says — and tick each stamp yourself. Rules are rules, and the only shortcut that works is preparation.

The union called a meeting about the new shift timings—tumba drama over nothing, I told chikkappa next door. They want a strike, but I need to see the math first: who pays the bus fare if we lose half a week’s wage? My chilli plants on the balcony don