Powers that be

(Written at 7pm on Friday 8/8/8 while waiting to depart to New York; I'm in New York now)

I usually don't like to write about my immigration tragedies, but it seems certain that forces are aligned to keep me out of the US. Strong forces. All the roadblocks that keep propping up have to be more than mere coincidence.

So after I finally got my Canadian visa to go to Toronto, and then finally got my US visa in Toronto (details are painful and in the past), I was all set to take the 8.50am flight from Toronto to Newark this morning. Here is a blow-by-blow account:

5am wake up
6am Anand drives me to the airport
7.15am I complete check in for my 8.50am flight
8am I get through the first desk of US immigration, then the second desk, and then get stuck at the third desk.
8.30am An Air Canada official comes find me and rips the tags from my luggage -- I'll have to re-book my flight once I clear immigration.
9.15am Immigration officer takes me to a private room. He asks questions about all my past US visas, and then gets to the point: my US visa was revoked in 2002. I'll have to wait.
10am It's looking bad, I am told. I need a 'waiver' against the 2002 revocation. I cannot travel to the US without such waiver. All my entries to the US since then were mistakes. The officer can't speak for why I was mistakenly admitted to the US four times since then, and why no one thought of this waiver in the 11 months of security clearance I've gone through since 2005. I will have to exit, go back to the US consulate in Toronto, get the waiver, then try again.
10.10am Shit hits the fan. Wait, no fan. Stuck. I feel cold now. Wish they would turn the air conditioning down.
10.30am Consider telling immigration to f' it. Can still find a seat on the 5pm flight back to Lahore.
10.45am No, no, it's cleared up. I don't need a waiver. Smiles. No apology. Too tired to be relieved.
11am Why, why, why me I ask? He doesn't know, suggests I get a job and a green card in the US, to avoid visa and immigration issues in the future. Jeez, thanks, now why didn't I think of that?
11.20am Re-booking my flight. Next flight to Newark is at 4.50pm. Sigh.
12pm Had a slow slow lunch. Wish I could lie down.
12.30pm Tried all available seat types in the departure area, but nothing is comfortable. Back sore.
1pm sleep?
2pm sleep?
3pm please?
4.15pm Flight canceled because of bad weather. The bright sun outside mocks me. Thank God they don't get monsoons here, or there would be no flights for 2 months.
4.30pm Am informed that I need to go get my luggage. That means I have to exit, go through Canadian Customs, pick up my baggage, re-book my flight, and then go back through US immigration again. Groan.
4.31pm mumble grumble
4.32pm back really sore now
4.40pm ##!@#!#$!@#!@@!##
5pm Canadian immigration dude gives me a hard time. Why does he care how I'm going to make a living in the US and where the money is coming from? He tells me that since I have a single entry Canadian visa, and I'm now re-entering Canada, I need to get a new visa from Immigration before I can go out.
5.05pm !@#@!$!@#@!#@!#?@#?@!$@!#@!
5.30pm Finally get through the line to the next immigration officer. Oh! I don't need a new visa. Because I didn't really leave Canada. My current entry is valid for 5 months! Aaaaaargh! No hair left to pull out. Maybe I'll pull out my nails. At least I won't feel the pounding in my head anymore.
6pm No more flights to Newark today. I don't think I can make another sodden commute on the TTC. Send me over the border please! Fly me to Boston, New York, DC, anywhere! Oh, wait. There's space on the 8.15pm flight to LaGuardia. Whew. Wait! Can't relax yet. Still have to go through US immigration again.
6.30pm OK. Made it back in. Had to go to the 'special room' again, but thankfully they remembered me and I got back into the departure area.