Polaroid Shot

Yesterday, I made a trip to the immigration to renew my passport. As always, the immigration is packed. I queued up at the counter to get a number. When it was my turn, I handed my form along with my ID and photos to the immigration personnel for preliminary approval and to obtain a queue number. The migration personnel looked through my "documents" then asked : " when was this photo taken?" . I replied " last year". He then told me to go to the photo booth outside the immigration to take my photo. Out of curiosity of why he didn't approve my photo I asked " why? Is it because of the different hairstyle?". He then said that the photo can't be taken more than 6 months. I then went to the photo booth in the immigration vicinity to get my instant shot. Bummer. My hair was like a shaggy dog covering my eyes and I didn't have makeup on. I wasn't even wearing a collared top. My hair has always been stubborn. It never appears how I want it to. To make things worse I didn't even have a comb nor any pins in my bag. I tried sweeping my fringe to a side but it refuses to stay put. There wasn't a tap around hence I couldn't make it hold temporarily while the photo is taken. When the booth operator opened the door, I asked her whether I can borrow a hairpin. She handed me one and I pinned my hair to a side. I was telling my mum that I resembled a aborigine or a maid. I suppose the booth operator heard me. When it was my turn to have my photo taken I asked her whether my hair was ok. She replied " those 2 outside have worse haistyle". She then pushed the token in and my photo was taken. She then asked me to return the hair pin and pay prior to giving me the photos. There were a lot of people queuing up at the booth to have their photo taken. Almost 90% of the people that went to the immigration that day were told to have their photo retake at the photo booth that day. When I went back into the immigration building to get my number, I overheard 2 uncles in front if me say to each other that hey were made to retake their photos too. Very smart way of monopolizing.