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Brown in America

Lankan Travel Diaries

By: Sambol :+: Under: Brown in America, The Lankan Diaries
On: ⋅ March 2, 2007 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment
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Mexico City, Summer of 2002.

Mexicio City Immigration officer: “Welcome senor to Mexico”

Partially sober Roy from a long night prior to taking off from Orlando “Gracias”

Immigration officer “Can I see your passport, are you here for pleasure or business”

Partially sober Roy “I am here to visit my friend”

Immigration officer “aaah you are from….”

Partially Sober Roy ” Sri Lanka… (the officer looks blank)…near India”

Immigration officer “aaah Iiiiindhia..long way from home senor”

Half sober Roy “yes”

Officer has tried to scan the passport twice while we were chatting but apparently nothing is registering. He gets his fat book out of the side of the table and starts flipping through the pages. The fat book has a lot of passport pictures.

Immigration officer, “Senor is there another name for your country”

Still Partially sober Roy, ” huh!!! umm nope”

Immigration officer, “Senor your country does not exist!”

Now fully sober Roy in his head goes “what the hell!!@!”
but says “excuse me”, I forgot my Spanish by then, ” but the passport is valid, it has travel stamps to….hold on I know my country exists check again!!!!”

Immigration officer flips again through the fat book. Nothing registers in his face. Then he leans over he calls his friend from the other cubicle to come over. The officer explains to the dude that my country does not exist, there is serious cause for excitement in the cubicle. Now two officers are flipping through the big fat book. Both chatting away in Spanish. It has been 45 minutes since my arrival at Mexico City.”

Immigration officer “Senor, your country does not exist”

Fully sober Roy “What the heck does that mean, is there a superior officer?”

Immigration officer “aaah si, let me call her”

Now a big lady who looks like she will beat the heck outta anybody who would talk smack to her, walks in says something in Spanish. Takes the big fat book and flips to a page.

AAAAAhhhh relief she found my country, then she shows it to the other two goof balls and gives a big slap to my immigration officer’s head.

Immigration officer “Senor we found your country, we still officially call it Ceylong. Welcome to Mexico”

Roy “Thank you” inside my head “God help me”.

Most of my friends know the fascinating travel stories I have concerning me and the Sri Lankan passport. As I get ready to travel into unknown waters again, the Caribbean Islands is one long party but Jamaica during the World Cup will be one extensive, no ending party, I am faced with being responsible. AND I plan to travel without incident (yea right!!) This was my new years resolution. As my dear father said, “I have to buy a cell phone, Roy is traveling to visit me, which means he is going to get in trouble.” (Yes, he needed the cell phone because immigration took me into their little room in Hong Kong!!)

But I go on this journey with hope that the Jamaicans will respect my little Lankan passport. After all the they should know Sri Lanka exists….I do sincerely hope and pray!!!

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