Cp Experience I
CP Interview on 7/7/04 Experience
I reached Delhi on 1 July 04, by Air India from JFK. Uneventful flight except that before the aircraft began its final descent to Delhi some passengers took out their luggage from the overhead compartments and put it on the aisle in anticipation of deplaning. So when the aircraft came in to land we had luggage rolling all over the place. A very comical situation. Checked into the Samrat Hotel at Chankyapuri because of its proximity to the US Embassy. The lobby of the hotel was OK, but the room was a total disappointment, it was very dirty, there were mosquitoes and bed bugs, the bedsheets had not been replaced for some time, etc. The next day checked into the Ashoka which is next door to Samrat. This was marginally better but the corridors stank and the bathroom was dirty. Also, the attitude of the staff was not good, as they were sarkari karmacharis, they did not seem to care about the guests. I had to wait for about 45 minutes for the bell boy to come and take my luggage (5suitcases and 3carryons) to my room, and this was only after three visits to the reception and a good scolding in pure and chaste Bhojpuri. Also, one staff member (in suit and tie) actually snatched a glass from my hand at the breakfast buffet because according to him i should have used a smaller glass for the orange juice. Also, all the sarkari karmacharis seemed to be staying at the hotel and there were some suspicious women moving around the corridors at odd hours.
After two days I moved to the Taj Palace located next to Maurya Sheraton. I got a delux superior room, this came with a complementary (kingsize) breakfast, and at Rs.6100 per day was 400 cheaper than the Ashoka. The Taj Palace is a world class hotel and is the best among the hotels I have stayed anywhere in the world. The complementary breakfast buffet is so sumptuous that it obviates the need for lunch. However, the air conditioning could be better. Also, the fitness center is a bit small for such a hotel though it has a hot tub and a steam room. On the plus side, while exercising in the US i always felt puny in comparison to others, while at the Taj i felt as if I was a body builder. I would strongly recommend the Taj Palace to any CPer, especially (like me) if you have a family and children.
I had not received the packet 4 but had asked a friend to go to the Embassy between 2 and 3 to pick it up. Waiting time 30 minutes. No problems in the pick up.
I had an appointment with Dr Davesar at 4PM on 1st of July, Friday. I reached at 4:30 and there were no patients at that time. However, by the time he was done with us there were about 3 families waiting for the CP medical. He charged us Rs.1,200 per head and extra for innoculation. We had to go to Jorbagh for the Chest Xray and had to pay Rs.200 more. The voluptuous lady at the reception at the XRay place is a flirt and if you play her game, your Xray might be done sooner. (Forewarned is forearmed). In my case i had to inform her that my wife was sitting across the room and she would get very upset if she heard us. This sobered her a bit. The blood test was done at Dr. Lal's (i think this was the name) residence, actually the garage, in Greenpark Extension. All the tests were done promptly and did not take much time and the medical staff was professional and was accustomed to doing this. You require three photos, frontal shot, for the medical at Dr. Davesar's. One for Dr Davesar, one for the Xray and one for blood test. There is a photo lab next to Dr Davesar and they can give you copies in about 30 minutes. Also, I would recommend that you either rent a car with driver or have a friend drive you around. The entire medical tests and check up took about 2hours for the three of us.
I was told to collect the report on Monday. Anyone with the payment receipt can collect the reports. I phoned before going and the advantage of calling is that if you ask if all was OK you will get a Yes or a No answer. If you go to the clinic and ask the person if all is OK, she will simply nod her head, whcih could mean anything.
P_L