Passport Efficiency

I mentioned a few days ago how efficient the UK passport system is. Well it surpassed my expectations as Leo's passport arrived this morning, less than a month after he was born and less than a week after Emma and I posted the application.

Contrast this with the South African system where there are so many forms to complete and so many additional complexities that I have yet to get hold of the South African Consulate here in London to understand what exactly I need to do. And even then I've been warned the passport will take up to 6 months to arrive!

Speaking of passports, we are stuggling with making travel arrangements forour planned trip back to South Africa in December 2006. British Airways is really letting me down by not making available the required seats on the dates we need them. This despite my travelling thousands of miles with them each year. I continue to chase them though and hopefully my badgering will do the trick even if nothing else does.