So while I'm not quite ready to reveal to the world the big news.... (I know some of you already know so Shhh!!!! ;) lol)... I HAVE been feeling the need to lighten the mood around these parts...
I was reading something at my friend Rose-Anne's place which really resonated with me http://currentsbetweenshores.blogspot.com/2009/08/kindness-of-strangers.html
And it reminded me of some similar amusing experiences I've had...
I remember it was around the time of September 11.... Actually, on second thought, it was no where near September 11... It was more like April 5th... 2005!!!.... I arrived in Sydney, Australia on a plane bound from Johannesburg...
I arrived in the baggage carousel and was stopped by a spectacled customs official... "Good afternoon sir, may I see your passport please" - I showed him my AUSTRALIAN passport...which he spent at least an hour browsing through...
Now let me digress here for a moment, and say my passport photo at the time wasnt the best... whose is really? None of us are models here am I right?... Well ok maybe you are... but thats beside the point...
"Where do you live Sir?"
Melbourne - I replied....
"Melbourne, Australia? "
"No, Melbourne, Switzerland." (Ok thats not what I said, but you get the picture...)
Do you have a job?
"Yes I do."
What is that job?
I'm a doctor...
A doctor of what?
"Meat."
OK again not what I said....
Whats the postal address of the place where you work?
"What????"
I can tell you the suburb...
"Only the suburb...
"Well I can tell you the street...."
"What about the post office box number?"
"You're joking right."
"I'm a customs official sir. I dont joke."
"Clearly." I nodded
After a similar barrage of questions which went on for at least 10 minutes... he left me alone...
I walked two steps towards the baggage carousel, when another suited up customs official approached me...
"Good Afternoon sir, Can I see your passport please...."
Sigh...
For the next half an hour I was interviewed by 6 different people....
Eventually I gave up and said to the one with asparagus stuck between his teeth...
" Look, Do i really look THAT scary????"
With a shrug of his shoulders he said four words which have stayed with/haunted me ever since.....
"Maybe its your jacket."
45 Whispers of Hope:
Kia ora Maithri,
Your jacket eh! Must have been some jacket.
Aroha,
Robb
You, Sir, ARE a model. A model of a perfect, beautiful man, a beautiful soul, a model of Christianity. I wish that the apology of one could repair all the damage done in the name of ignorance. Know that should I ever meet you in person, I would humbly bow and kiss your hand.
I know and am thankful that you can see the funny side of this but I am appalled. I do not think I would ever face the same inquisition at Sydney airport even if wearing your jacket but then I am a white anglo Australian in my 60's. Yet Australia should be far prouder that you are one of its citizens.
You have the patience of a saint. :) I wish you could have really answered him the way you were thinking, but alas, that would have made the interview process even longer. Here's to a future where our 'jackets' no longer matter. :)
Robb,
Ha! Brother it was an ordinary brown jacket...A little trendy perhaps but it wasnt a military uniform by any means lol
Always great to see you here brother,
Peace and love, M
Deborah,
My friend you humble me!
Thank you for your kindness.... I'm a very ordinary guy but yeah airports arent the best for me... Always seem to get the 'random explosives check' - 'completely random'... lol
Thank you again for your loving words,
Sending you the light,
M
Brian,
Thank you friend for your kind words. I'm not sure I deserve them.
I've learnt the only way to deal with this kind of thing is to laugh about it... otherwise it makes you really angry...
I really get off very lightly...
My muslim friends are treated so atrociously... Its quite appaling... In fact its my friend Suze who i've written about on these pages before who coined the phrase "Flying while being Brown" ;)
Heres to the opening of minds and the coming of harmony,
Blessings on you brother,
Maithri
Yoborobo,
"Heres to a future where our jackets no longer matter"
I love that!
Heres to that my friend...
I've so often wanted to answer the way I feel...but I know that like you rightly say it just prolongs the agony...lol
My friend Suze told me about an instance where her daughter asked "Mummy why are they taking you and daddy away to examine you..." And Suze who couldnt take it anymore yelled "BECAUSE THEY"RE RACIST!!!" ;)
Love to you my friend, heres to that dream of equality for all,
Maithri
How horrid. Our world society has become so fearful and even disrespectful that I sometimes wish I were from another world. Of course, that isn't possib;e. I apologize for those feeble minded people that seem to think they can act as if they have no sense because they have the "power" to pull you aside. If they only could see what we see. ::smiles::
I have missed you M. Now what is this news and why am I in the dark? ::smirk::
soft love,
T
Beautiful Tara,
I've missed you and that unmistakeable fragrance you leave whereever you go,
Things are moving forward my friend... getting better each day... as love finds its way into the crevices... into the cobwebbed shadows and musty halls of fear...
The music always wins ;)
You're living proof of that,
Maithri
That is what it was! You got mistaken for a model instead of a Doctor! Listen my friend you have patience and grace few people will ever attain. How are you doing? What is moving your soul as we are about to enter Fall?
Maybe it's your jacket!! Now, is that a punch line or what? I'm glad you handled it gracefully.
My Dear Sister Yoli,
Its always so good to feel your presence here...
Something so beautiful is happening in my life..
I am working in a hospital by the sea...
At the end of my street there is a pathway through a quiet wood which leads to a sandy staircase...
I stand there with the surf below...watching the sky turn into shades of azure possibiity...
I cant wait to share this news with you!
Much love dear friend,
Maithri
Sister Shell,
I'm pretty sure you'd have handled it with more grace than me my friend...
I was tired that day lol... but then again sometimes just keepin your mouth shut is the soul of grace,
Warm love to surround you sister mine,
Maithri
Maithri I love this story because of the way you told it.
Unfortunately I know the story well as my husband is Indian and my children's last name is Khan so can you guess how many times they are stopped at the airport or even at the U.S. border.
Nathan was playing soccer in the Canadian championships and in one city they took his baggage off the plane or never sent it or whatever, anyway when he gets to the destination, he is the only one without his equipment and suitcase. He had to miss the first game. We are sure because of his last name or maybe his darker skin.
Angelique was held at customs once where they kept saying what is your name, she tells them. Do you have an alias. What is your name. Do you go by this name. What do you do for a living. I'm a teacher. What is your name, etc.
People never quite believe it, but its true.
Love Renee xoxo
Dear Maithri,
I am appalled at this story, even if I hear many of them, all over the world.
You handled it gracefully, and told the story with humor and a light heart. But I am ashamed that people have to go through such hard times because of their "jackets."
PS: As far as passport photos, yours can't be that bad, especially since I think you look hot! Perhaps Asparagus Teeth, Four Eyes and the rest of the Questioning Squad were jealous of your looks...
Happiness,
Lola xx
Yes, they sense something subversive about you. Further investigation will uncover that you plan to love the world into change and carry WML (weapons of mass love)...lol
True there is something different about your aura and those people doing their job can't put their finger on it.
Love the world into change!
LOL my friend.. I can so relate.. I am a brown Hawaiian gal, adopted and raised by very pale East coast of the United States parents ! LOL our trips to my parents hometowns were always full of incidents just like this! Wish i would of KNOWN it was my jacket! LOLOL=0)
Snort!
xxx
You are too much! lol It must have been my jacket too, then. Hee~
Blessings to you, friend.
: )
Dear Renee,
I believe you!!! ;) Airports are one of those places where racism is still ok... Its all in the interest of safety right? Or so they'll have us believe...
Your stories resonate with me my sister... I remember being a skinny teenager going to germany with thirty other skinny teenagers,
Each of us had pretty much the same back pack on... and I think we were all wearing the same t-shirt... it was an exchange thing...
Anyway of all thirty of us... I was the only one who was repeatedly pulled to the side... had to open my bag...and try to explain to the customs officers exactly what 'vegemite' was... and why i was taking it to Germany...lol
Thanks for your loving presence here,
Sending you Big love today and always, M
Dear Lola,
Always great to see you here!
Thanks for your kind words... It is appalling isnt it? Surely we should be bigger than that in 2009...
But then you gotta laugh...right? Otherwise asparagus teeth wins...and we cant have that lol
Much love to you Beautiful one,
M
Dear Sister Miruh,
ROTFL!!!!!
"Further investigation will reveal you plan to love the world into change and carry weapons of mass love".... AHAHAHAHAHHA!!!
Thank you for shining your beautiful light into my world today,
Big love and laughter,
Maithri
Sister Leilani,
Aint it good to know?? All these years we thought it was cos we were brown...and now we know it was our jackets the whole time...
Maybe if i didnt change the TV channel every time a fashion show came on... id not get myself into these predicaments ;) lol!
Lots of love to you my sister,
Hope the weathers keepin good for you over there...
M
Dear Michelle,
Welcome to this humble space, Glad it gave you a giggle..and a snort..;)
My love to you, M
Dear Christina,
"It must have been my jacket too"
Let the church say Amen my sister ;)
Its kinda comforting aint it ;)lol
Lotsa love,
M
Ok, Maithri, my dear, I don't know if I should laugh or cry. Really, the reactions that went through your head were so familiar to me and made me chuckle so hard. But it is also frustrating. We must never forget to laugh my friend, it is a process in our own healing.
Love,
Rose-Anne
maithri, while i scringe hearing this story, i can;t help thinking how handsome and gentle you are ! those custom guys....
i can hardly wait much longer for your big news.
i miss singleton. i want that butterfly over my head.
xoxo
kj
Obviously, customs agents are afraid that someone as handsome, kind, and radiant as you are must be hiding something. After all, why don't you look like the...tired, depressed, angry and disheveled?
Thank you for showing us the 'humor' within this horrific incident. No matter what happens, they cannot take that away!
I wonder, if you showed up in plaid pants, white shoes, polka dotted shirt and a purple (I love purple) striped jacket, if they would have still bothered you??? Hmmm does make one wonder!
Love you!
Maithri, I suppose they could have interviewed the jacket six times? You are a patient (and not scary) person! <3
Being fair skinned and blue eyed I have not encountered this.Yet being human surely I am more than capable of violence and horrific deeds. It is something I have witnessed and felt sick watching. Embarrassed and ashamed for my fellow beings. Perhaps one day they will come up with a cure for myopia, by making the patient colour blind. Works for me.
You are a saint..xx
It must have been one fugly jacket, my love, as you are the least scary person. Ever. And I don't believe for a second your passport picture is bad. You're too gorgeous to take a bad photo. Unlike me, who actually 'lost' my driver's license (twice) because the pictures were that bad. THAT bad. Lordy, lordy.
Big love to you, Gorgeous! I've missed you!!! XO
And PS... I know mum's the word but I took a look at your 'news'... impressive. Really impressive. It gave me some ideas...
Visiting you with a calling card from our mutual friend Gillian. As a fellow traveler, I can understand how necessary it is to summon one's best sense of humour when dealing w/ customs officials - no matter what continent you're on. The place I received the harshest treatment was Vancouver, B.C. - and I don't think it was my jacket. :)
Hello Mum! *waves*!~ Hello Tara! *waves*~!
Hello Maithri!!!! ***waves***!
Wow, surely they detained you to deplete you of all your positive chi, the vampires! They want what you got! They kept you a long time to figure you out. :)
But God broke the mold when he made you, Doctah!! xoxo
Love you! thanks for renaming my blog!! You didn't even intend to!
I think your link has been pushed off the edge...the platform has limits. I'll shave a few and maybe it will appear again...the W's are completely missing.....
xoxo
p.s. Good news? You are moving to Toronto, perhaps??? Hmmmm????
Thank you dear friends, I'll be back tomorrow to respond!
Love, M
Dear Rose-Anne,
My friend your posts always resonate with me... Thanks for the inspiration for this one!
You're so right about laughter being essential to our own healing process...
We cant afford to take it all too seriously...its not good for us ;)
Much love, M
Dear KJ,
Thanks for your kind words.
I miss Singleton too!!! But she is the yellow butterfly... we are blessed just to have felt the gracious touch of her wings...
My love to you my friend,
M
Dear Linda,
"I wonder, if you showed up in plaid pants, white shoes, polka dotted shirt and a purple (I love purple) striped jacket, if they would have still bothered you??? "
LOL!!!
MY friend, seeing me in the outfit you describe...would be pretty scary i'm sure!!! ;)
Lots of love my beautiful friend, M
Dear Cynthia,
THanks for your kindness my friend...
I'd have been more than happy for them to interview the jacket...
I'm sure he would have been a lot more gracious than me ;)
Love, M
Dear Sheila,
"Perhaps one day they will come up with a cure for myopia, by making the patient colour blind."
My friend these words are genius!!
Thank you for the gentle glow of your presence, I am blessed to call you my friend,
Much love to you and yours,
M
Dear Diane,
HAHAH! I really should've lost my passport too for that photo...its pretty darn 'fugly' as you call it ;)
As for the jacket i'm gonna defend it... lol...
I'm so excited to get you involved in the 'news'... we're so mysterious.... lol!
Lotsa love,
M
Dear Paris Parfait,
A warm welcome to you here,
Any friend of Gill's is a friend of mine ;)
Airports are one of the last (thankfully) institutions where racism is not only tolerated...but justified...
I'm sure that as we walk the craggy road towards the eradication of all prejudice... we will soon see airports also becoming places where people are welcomed instead of 'alienated'.
Love to you, Maithri
Dear Gill,
Always, Always so great to see you here...
I wish i could move to Toronto! You know my beautiful cousins live there... whom i miss like CRAZY!!!!!
Your blog is a place of love, humor, inspiration and light my friend... I am so blessed to know you,
Holding you in the light
Always,
M
I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry or be angry at this. I choose laugh, but only because I know you'd rather us laugh than be angry. I can't help but cry a little though, because no matter how you laugh, it has to hurt. Some days I think, "Bah! People!" And then. And then I look into the faces of the children who fill me life. And I think, "Oh, yes. people"
hahaha, your jacket! Well at least it wasn't your shoes or because your had asparagus stuck in your teeth! Too bad you just couldn't refer the latter 5 guys over to the 1st one.
A reminder of why publishers put gold rims and leather bindings on the bible...
Post a Comment