You Shall Not Pass(port)!

I tried to get my Maltese passport today. It didn’t work out. I can’t say that I’m surprised that it didn’t because I think all bureaucracies hate me. There was a bit of a rush before I left Canada for Malta to get my dual citizenship and then get my passport in Canada however, the paperwork did not come through in time and I was informed that it would be fine for me to just get the passport while I was in Malta. Anyway,  the problem was that I was supposed to have a recommender, someone who has known me for at least two years and who is a person of status- priest, police officer, or doctor- and who is also Maltese. First of all, the guidelines did not specify that my recommender had to be Maltese and second of all, how many Maltese people do they think live in Canada who know me well AND who have status? And clearly I don’t know any priests so there go my options. My argument with the lady at the desk didn’t go over well, she asked me if I had any relatives in Malta that could sign my papers and I told her they were all dead! That’s not really true but those who are alive don’t really know me nor do they have status so they unfortunately can’t help me.  I stomped around Valletta feeling sorry for myself but I will figure out this conundrum in a bit.