Day 1 – Brazenness

Sunday 21st July 2013

I think I’m developing my inner African “big man”! At the airport I saw everyone else starting to dutifully fill out their immigration forms. I just went straight up to the desk and asked if I was in the right place for a business visa. The lady happily started issuing me one, even though I hadn't filled out the required forms. (Result!)

I then discovered that I should have brought some dollars, so the lady at the desk told me that I should pop over to the bank and get some. When I went to do this, I realized that I would have to go past arrivals and that I wouldn’t be allowed back in. So as I was exiting I just told the security guard that the rules didn’t apply to me because it was very important for me to access dollars for visa purposes. The security guard told me I would have to go round and check in again at a separate entrance.

Having got my currency, I just brazenly disregarded his guidance and went back the way I came, and ignored the protests, or quickly dismissed them saying that I had already agreed this. I kept up my African big-man swagger throughout, and got away with it. I then walked right up to my lady at the visa desk, who now had a massive queue behind her, and went to the front of it to finish off the visa application that I had already started. It’s amazing how much you can get away with if you’re confident enough. Fortunately I was less brazen than this picture!

My flight was scheduled to arrive at 1425. I was out and ready to be picked up by my taxi driver at 1445.