Oath Taken. I took BART and reached SF at 8.00 AM. I got down at Embarcadero and walked to the Masonic Auditorium. If it was raining, I was planning to take a cab. But it was a nice cold morning and walked to Front Street and took a left at California Street. The steep uphills was really great. Great exercise. On return also I walked, though downhill roads were slippery due to some rain in between. When I reached Masonic, Republican and Democratic party workers were giving out handouts. They were all urging people to register and get out and vote in Primary and elections.
There were huge crowd as expected inside and I entered the auditorium at 8.35 AM. The agent in front of Section 3 collected my form and greencard and I was told to sit at a location. The function started at 9.15 AM. There were several speakers, 3 videos and last thing was handing out certificates. They handed out a small flag, a american booklet, letter from GWB, etc. Lot of people brought very small infants and they were crying most of programs. I wish they left the kids at home with daycare or the family just stayed in cars or outside. Most of the people who talked was USCIS officers. The officer in fact apologized if we encountered delays in the whole immigration process and (who have not) and remarked we do not have to encounter USCIS from now on. The keynote speaker, a immigration judge backed out due to scheduling conflicts and someone from SF office talked. I felt she was boring and kept talking of her family immigration experiences from China to Fiji etc. Most was out of context. The election officer came and talked about needing to register and vote. There was also spanish and chinese translation and I felt this was unwarranted to translate. Now starts pandering! Come on, this is USA ceremony, we speak English, and this no Mexican or Chinese citizenship. May this happens only in San Francisco. The part where they were talking in Spanish and chinese really turned me off (offended me?). It would have offended me even if they talked a Indian language at the USA CITIZENSHIP oath ceremony. But this was not USCIS, it was San Francisco Election officials. That gave me a clue whom to vote, maybe. There were 1446 citizens from 100 countries all melting into one after the ceremony. They read all countries alphabetically and people get up. Starting from Afghanistan, .... belgium, ... china ... india ... italy .. russia .. ussr .. zambia. I noticed no one from Japan and also from Germany, I think. That was interesting and I think expected.
After the ceremony, I registered to vote. The passport area people were just giving the completed forms and the Passport agency guy was collecting and putting in a basket. He does not check anything. I did not use the orange form, rather filled online and it generated a PDF file from state dept website. Just to clarify, I asked him is that ok. He mentioned that is not ok. I have to handwrite on the orange form. I argued the state dept website recommended filling online as it generates a special barcode for less error. He told no and I should submit elsewhere. Looked very rude fellow. Anyway, I got out of that place. Some Obama supporters were handing out stickers, and she told me he is a agent of change. I just nodded and walked away. I did not see any other camps there.
I will submit passport at my local post office who told me in phone they gladly accept online filled forms.
