Disaster day!!!
So, you know one of those days where NOTHING goes right? Everything that could possibly go wrong, WILL go wrong. Yep. We had one of those days last week. Saying that the past week has been stressful and busy is an understatement! Our ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK) is due next month and we are supposed to take an assessment test before our application, which requires us to study a huge chunk of UK history like a twelve year old. Not even kidding. It was like being back in school; a book, a highlighter, multiple revisions, numerous mock tests, memorising years and events. Stressful! On a complete different note: The real purpose of the assessment is to check if one has enough knowledge about the history and present living conditions of the country and is well acquainted with the law and order. The necessity to memorise time, date and year of certain events for an assessment test, is preposterous and unnecessary, and is totally beyond me. Anyway, preparations for that had been going on for a week and we were all set to take the test on Wednesday, the 20th of May.
Here is the breakdown of events that happened that day:
We had to travel down to Oxford for the day to attend the assessment test. Since the test was scheduled at 6 pm, Prakash didn't feel the need to take the day off from work. He promptly reached home at around quarter past four. It takes close to an hour; give or take ten minutes, to reach oxford. Our plan was to start at around half past four and reach there well before.
4:30 PM : The whole world seem to return home/somewhere at same time we left. Not even five minutes into the journey, we are stranded in traffic. Instincts kick in and we decide to turn around, go to station and reach Oxford by train.
4:45 PM : We reach the station, quickly grab the tickets from the kiosk, and run, missing the train by just seconds. *FACEPALM* . The next train to Oxford was scheduled half an hour later. The only possible options were to either take a cab straight to Oxford or jump in the train to Didcot and try to make it on time for the connection train. Considering our luck with the traffic, we chuck the first idea.
4:55 PM : We are in the train and on our way to Didcot. The only worry at this point was remembering things we learnt/forcefully fed into our brain in the past few days. The idea of not being able to make it on time wasn't even in the picture. Marvelling on the quick plan of taking a connection train and how we might still have time to quickly run through the book/take a mock test, we pat our backs. Optimism level: HIGH.
5:15 PM : We reach Didcot and miss the connection train by seconds, AGAIN! *PANIC* . There was no way the next train would take us to our destination anytime before 6 pm. Having left with no choice, we exit Didcot station and get a cab from there, hoping the traffic won't give us a hard time. Optimism level: OK-ISH.
5:45 PM : Still in the cab and miles away. Anxiously looking at our watch every two mins and contemplating on whether we will reach on time was all that happened in the thirty mins of the ride. To make things worse , a huge JCB(bulldozer) joins us on the road and rides in front of our cab at the pace of a bullock cart. Indian genes kicked in and all I wanted to do was honk and scream at the obnoxious slowpoke. But since we are in the UK and as learnt in the book, we should abide by the rules of the law and patiently wait for the vehicle to take it's time and take the next exit. Keep calm, keep calm. *GRITS TEETH*. Optimism level: DIPPING.
5.55 PM : We reach the place as shown by google map but having no clue where the test centre is actually located. We pay and get out of the cab and having only five minutes to make it to the test centre, we run around in circles not knowing where to go. If it was a normal day without having 150 odd pounds at stake, plus the chance of not getting another appointment for the test, we he would have been extremely calm and figured it out in a jiffy. We ask around and just run for it! I kid you not, the test centre was behind a huge Lidl(a departmemt store) which no panicking person who feels like they are going to die with shortage of breath, would manage to find.
Optimism level: NEGATIVE.
Optimism level: NEGATIVE.
6:00 PM : We make it to the test centre; heaving, panting, sweating and about to die. He was called in to get his documents checked to take the exam. All good and done; he went in for the test. I went in for the check and since it was our 'lucky' day, my documents were declined! It seems, my extremely long five-worded full name is not there in any of the supporting documents. I was asked to rebook the test and come back with proper documents. *URGE TO BANG MY HEAD ON THE WALL*. I was flustered. All the studying, running and panting for NOTHING! He comes out after the test and thankfully, made it through. Frustrated and slightly cross at ourselves for not double checking the documents, we call a cab to get back to the station.
6:30 PM : Cab arrives. We get in. Two minutes into the journey we get a text saying our taxi is on the way. Shock horror, we had actually taken the wrong cab which arrived there for someone else! I mean, really? -_-
We manage to reach the station and get the train back home.We arrive at Reading station to find only the 'onward journey' ticket with us. Turns out, we forgot to grab the return tickets from the kiosk in the hurry to get the train which we missed. *URGE TO DIE*. How we managed to get out of Didcot and Oxford station with just one onward-journey ticket is still a mystery. The only 'luck' factor for the whole day was not being checked for tickets in any of the stations. Just the thought of the irony makes me laugh. We had to buy tickets AGAIN which was already paid for! *FACEPALM GALORE*
By the end of the day all we wanted to do was get the heck out of the station, reach home and face plant on our bed. May 20th, 2015 will definitely be a day we will always remember and one that will always make us laugh and say "remember that day when..". At the time, it really wasn't funny, but we managed to keep calm and laugh our way through it.
P.S : I have rebooked the assessment test for this week. Fingers crossed.
Sunday tittle-tattle.
Weekend at Cotswold
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