A tryst with VISA

There, there--hello again! Tryst with VISA-s can be very irritating; as I am sure people who apply to the US already know. But even then small countries, trying to cook up austerity drives to reduce their national deficits, can be so nettling at times! Anyway I am not trying to make general statements here about big things; but I am trying to point out a small case which exemplifies some general features on a much puny scale. Okay so here's my story.

I am going to travel to Italy and Germany for some conferences and both organizers have graciously provided me with all possible documents to help me get my VISA. But of course, the problem with the Italian consulate was that the person sitting with the phone (who was unfortunately an Indian) thought it was too much to listen to what I had to say--all he could happily say was---Go the the VFS and get rid of us. Okay, I decided, that is probably the best instead of wasting my time. But then it turned out that the great VFS, whose job is to provide information on what type of VISA to provide drew a complete bank look at my covering letter. "Sorry sir",---they very politely told me,"we have to send your application to the Consulate to decide on the type of VISA"--etc etc. You cannot imagine the feelings I had after I had travelled to that place wasting so much of my time and money and in the unbearable heat. So what do I do? Nothing, but meekly go back again the next day! And what do they do then---accept the form as it is--and now all because the Consulate has told them. What a big fallacy! And why, because some stupid Indian guy at the Consulate had thought it was beneath his status to talk to the ordinary public. Maybe, I should write a proper letter of complaint to the Consul General.
But anyway---sometimes I wonder whats the point--in today's world, it is the first of the many VISA related frustrations that I am  probably going to have! :( !