Thursday, January 26, 2006

Brooklyn Battlefield

On Tuesday I went for the second registration battle to Brooklyn College. The victory came after 3 hours of waiting in corridors, going up the stairs to the fifth floor and down to the first floor again and again, talking, listening, running and talking again. I had the first combat a week earlier, which gain me some points: I renewed my student ID; I gave some documents to International student office and I got my mails from my mail box. But by no means was I successful in getting the approval letter.

This Tuesday happily after wining the approval letter, my husband and I went to spend some time in Manhattan. We decided to see a movie, have a dinner and walk after that to enjoy the good weather and company of each other of course. None of these would have happened if we couldn’t find a good parking space which we did.

Don’t worry there will be some bad news to make it feel real and add some excitement to it, but that night every thing was so great. After we found a parking lot we walked toward Cinema Village. In the way we bumped in to the Strand Book Store. We couldn’t help ourselves not entering the book store. It was really great, especially the rare-editions section. Two years ago I bought a book from Strand online but I didn’t have the feeling that it is this cool and this huge. A History of Violence directed by Cronenberg was an interesting and thoughtful 96 minute film based on a book by Vince Locke and John Wagner. In the way back home it started to rain while Mozart L’ egyptien (Egyptian Mozart), music by Hughes De Courson, was played on WNYC-FM. The rain, the music and the darkness of night helped us ignore the ugliness of Route-1 and made the trip more romantic

On Wednesday morning 11 am I went to Graduate Center with the approval letter to register to only find out that the course, which I wanted, got canceled at 10 am the same morning. This is the bad news which I promised for the sake of reality and excitement. To go back to the beautiful and nice life that one is supposed to have I started the third battle. And to make a long story short with the help of the Chairman of the Art Department at Brooklyn College who is one of the nicest, loveliest people on the earth and the Registrar Senior Faculty who is one of the most hardworking people that I know I could win the third battle.

There are some points one should be aware of before getting into any battlefield. First: everybody around you is a victim of the same system, from doorman to chairman. Second: you should be thankful if they bother to listen to you; be grateful if they bother to call somebody to help you out and you should adore them if they are coming with you form one office to another, up and down the stairs and I adore our Chairman who cares and helps everyone in our department. Third: try to enjoy your battle. Forth: never lose your hope for a better change, changing things that are not right.

One may ask who you are battling against. Well I am fighting against the system that was supposed to make students registrations easier but doesn’t, the system that has to be easy to use for every one in it old and young but isn’t. I am fighting against endless paperwork and senseless bureaucratic regulations. I am fighting against the stairs form the first floor to the fifth floor. I am fighting to make it easer next time.




2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Roja
many times I tried to put the comments,but I couldn't.I hope this time it is realised.Your post was very interesting with a sound English.It's better you send it to your chairman of registeration

Parastoo

Anonymous said...

Very nice!

It is very amazing that here in US one does not see bureaucracy in most places; but in the few places where it is present, feels like its torment compensates for the rest.

However maybe it feels so exaggerated because one does not see it often and if it was some other country it was just part of the everyday life.