About a month ago, I took my papers personally to the Central Election Committee here in Baku in order to get observer credentials during the upcoming elections. It went almost too smoothly- a printed out form, filled and signed, with two passport sized photos and a photocopy of my passport. But, I didn't get anything in return- like a receipt or a paper confirming my application. The guard (who was extremely kind and also surprised that I was applying for an observer credentials to begin with) took my papers and assured me that I should have them ready in three days. So imagine my surprise when I showed up at the CEC this afternoon and was told that they never received my papers.
The man on the phone (I had to stand outside of the entrance and call from a phone attached to the wall) took the liberty of making a few jokes- your last name means "lost" (yes, if you take the first four letters of my last name it does have a meaning as such but really?) so maybe it was natural that papers got lost somewhere. Numerous times he asked me whether I applied individually and perhaps there was simply a problem. He then told me to call another extension number. I did. No one answered. I called back the man I spoke earlier. I asked him how is it that if there were any kind of issues with my application they never called the number provided on the paper. He first was surprised. "Which number?" he asked, I said the number that you asked me to provide on the paper when I came here. "Are you sure you came here yourself?" he asked again. No, I teleported my self-double.
Anyhow, surely I was frustrated. In the back of my head, I thought there was a slight little chance that I was never going to get it. But then SURPRISE!
The man who joked with my name called back and said the credentials were actually ready. I am heading there now to get it. I will take a photo- it feels like a historic moment.
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