Kapoen Posted September 19, 2008 Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 (edited) I have just returned, from the department of Home Affairs. What fun.Armed with great enthusiasm and the latest Nora Roberts novel, I felt completely prepared for this whole unabridged birth certificate escapade. Well yay for me!Mistake number one was wearing open toed shoes; I could actually see the dirt and grime creeping up to me, eyeing my exposed toes .I’m sure people went home and told their friends of the crazy white lady who looked like she was climbing an imaginary stairmaster every time the line moved forward!There was just no way I was shuffling forward on that floor!Somehow Nora Roberts could not keep my mind occupied either, but I firmly believe it was because I had the next person in line, trying to snuggle under my arm every five minutes.I was fully prepared to handle this experience in a mature and dignified manner but when I eventually reached the right counter and was told that the completed BI-154 form (Application for birth certificate) was not the only required form. I also had to complete a BI-24- "Notice of Birth", and an Affadavit for a late registration of birth! About this time my better judgement abandoned me, but at least I got to have some funWith the certificates of my children, the notice of birth went relatively quick, but the wheels sort of dropped off when I had to fill in my husband’s parent’s ID’s. There is no rule in the good daughter-in-law book that says you have to know so much detail about your in-laws. so on to the phone calls, after explaining why I needed the numbers and also discussing at lenght the positive steps we were taking to give the children a future (Understanding in laws!) It took a turn for the worst as I turned the page; they want APGAR counts, and personal detail about the delivery!! Yikes! Mother in law goes into a lenghty 3rd party discussion with her husband at this point completely oblivious to my prepaid minutes ticking away, they fondly reminisce about all 5 birthes trying to place my husband's scores and travails. By this time I was convinced that the department only required these forms to make it dfficult for us “hensoppers†trying to leave the country, surely no one needs that information anymore. So I interrupted and told them the lady at the counter says it is not really neccesary to have the details. I did not have the energy or airtime to phone my mom so she, and my mother in law both became chain smoking slobs who had repeat C sections with Forceps and vacuum! My mother in law also drank at least 5 glasses of red wine a day and had to have assited breathing. My husband’s APGAR score was 52 (I know it’s only out of 10) at 1 min and a staggering 99 at 5 minutes. Mine was minus 2 and 5, just checking to see who checks this?All of my children scored a perfect 10 (of course), and the rest of the detail was accurate as far as I can remember. But the real fun was with the affadavit…You have to declare “under oath†that child so and so was born to Mr and Mrs So-and-so at where ever on this and that date, and …â€That I remember the event well because…Child 1: “It was my first and I was shocked to find out a stork did not deliver herâ€Child 2 “ I screamed at that +%%$#$ husband of mine who just had to have a son, and the giant just refused to come out!!Child 3: “.. the doctor commented on how well I was doing with my labour, completely disregarding the pain in my husbands eyes and the fear on the faces of the theater nursesâ€Child 4 “ because my husband had to pry his bleeding arm from my claws and slipped in the delivery room, whereupon I laughed like a loon, and told him it was his due for putting me through this again!I’m propably going to wait 5 years for the certificates, but at least Home Affairs was fun for once! Edited September 19, 2008 by Kapoen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firstworld_girl Posted September 19, 2008 Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 that should teach them to ask questions like that.Thanks for the laugh FWG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hestie tt Posted September 19, 2008 Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 that should teach them to ask questions like that.Thanks for the laugh FWGThank heaven I have all 4 of ours, but you must see all the paperwork of the in-laws that I have. There is mother-in-laws passport when they went to Maputo 35years ago, birthcertificates etc. Hubby's birthcertificate gave me nightmares!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eva Posted September 19, 2008 Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 Thanks for the giggle Hestie Did they really want APGAR etc or were you elaborating for effect? Surely they can not want that!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alida Posted September 19, 2008 Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 Oh yes, they do want APGAR !! Hubby plainly ignored it, yet we received the certificates, no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreams Posted September 19, 2008 Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 Hope your sense of humor lasts thru the "cancel TV license", "say bye to the in-laws" etc etc until you can "smile and wave" when you board the plane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirstyP Posted September 20, 2008 Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 Too funny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine and Riana Pienaar Posted September 20, 2008 Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 Glad you did not have three more - would have loved to hear the next round of explanations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deon Posted September 20, 2008 Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 Kapoen, you made me think back at my ordeal I went through earlier this year. Wait for the surprises when you received the certificates. My wife suddenly turned into a Cape Coloured and all of a sudden I have new in-laws on the Cape Flats. My first thought was that I at least have a BEE partner in the business... Her information on the children’s birth certificates was 100% correct accept on her own. On her certificate the only information that was correct, was her ID number and birth names. After a month long struggle with one of our previously disadvantage sisters, she gave it up for a bad job and told me to see if I resolve it myself.I went home and phone the call centre. After giving my mother in law’s information, I was told that she didn’t have any children. Now, we have to do late registrations with all the affidavits, wait at least another month to get it loaded on the system and then we have to apply again... As time wasting was not an option as my new employer in Aus want me to start asap, I decide to phone the director in charge of the office, throw all my toys out of the cot about the bad service and you know what.... Guess what? After two hours, they phoned me to come and pick the certificate.All I can say is: “Enjoy the struggle... It is worth it when you look back†Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kapoen Posted September 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 Eva, Serias they want all of that, I don't reallt think they need it but what can you do.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine and Riana Pienaar Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 TEn minste het ons SAners 'n goeie sin vir humor en die vermoe om enige negatiewe aspek in 'n lag te omskep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANDYL Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 We got ours with a struggle as well and believe me it is kept in a very very safe place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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