The one where I almost got deported

My jolly conversation with US immigration officer went like this. For dramatization purposes, let us call him Joe1 and Joe2 (there were two of them).



Joe1: Good am. Had a long flight?
Joe2: (just grunted and took my travel documents. He was the one inputting all the details into the system)
Me : Really long flight. I'm glad to be on solid ground now (attempt at building camaraderie)
Joe1: So where you come from?
Me : From Singapore. But had a Hongkong layover.
Joe2: (turns to Joe1 with a frown) Is this passport ok? It is handwritten
Me : (cringing with humiliation. my passport should really be the new one now)
Joe1: (to Joe1) Yeah theirs is like that.
Me : Sorry I was supposed to get the new one. But I got so busy and they had to send me here so I didn't have time (grabe. why do I always have to be so chatty at the wrong moments! Rochie shut up like now na!)
Joe1: (he just smiles. He was actually very nice to me).
Joe2: (just frowns some more. He wasn't nice to me at all).
Joe1: So you work in Manila?
Me : I used to for two years. Then I moved to Bangkok.
Joe1: So you live in Bangkok?
Me : For 4 years. Then I moved to Singapore a year ago. That is where I work and live now. I am homeless that way. (I was trying to make a joke and I ended up just incriminating myself! waaaa...akala nila mag TNT ako!)
Joe1: Hey, you shouldn't joke like that with the big man here (points to Joe2 who still looked serious and, oh dear, was he angry???).
Me : (now nervous after realizing faux pas and just smiles and has now resolved to be silent)


What can I say? I have an irritable foot-and-mouth disease -- I always put my foot in my mouth every chance I get.


Good thing I wasn't deported or else I wouldn't have worn my new (and only) Zara wintercoat that hubby bought for me as a gift. I have experienced winter in other countries three times previously. And always ALWAYS I look like a little 12 year old girl bundled up in thick jackets (I think even 12 year olds dress better than me for winter). So this time I was so excited to actually look like a grown up!

I stayed at the Wyndham Andover in Boston. Three things I loved:


1. free wi-fi (chatted with hubby and family during the night!)
2. the flat screen television
3. the nice, comfortable bed (which I was so grateful to sink into after my near-immigration fiasco)

Although on the eve of my departure, I was woken up by a screeching fire alarm and had to wait in the freezing cold in my sleepwear (with jacket of course) and there wasn't even any staff around to explain what was going on! And my great big sendoff was a nice blackout in the middle of my packing. ;) It was as if Boston wanted me to go back to Asia already. hahaha.