Day 10 – Blog Challenge/Commitment
I’m sitting in a café in Singapore called Dr. Cafe Coffee. Drinking an apple juice and eating an eggplant Panini. I have come for the day to renew my Indonesian Visa. I got up at 3am, drove to the airport in my hired car. Got there in record time, funny that when there are pretty much no other vehicles on the road. Departed from the very fancy new international airport, which I had only landed in before. Got a full row to myself and slept all the way to Singapore, as I tend to do on all Air Asia flights for some reason. I tend to hop on board, pass out and awake at my destination. Very helpful indeedy.
Then I got to customs/immigration to get out of the airport. I gave the woman at the counter my passport, she looked at me, looked at my passport, looked at me and said; ‘Um, your picture is very different. How old is this?’ I said; ‘Funny you say that I just went to the toilet when I was on the plane, looked in the mirror and thought, OMG, who is that tired bags under the eyes woman? (must do those roots soon). Look, I’m very tired, I’m pregnant, I don’t look too pretty today, I have blonde hair in the picture and today I have dark hair with sparkling roots. I need to go to the toilet, I assure you that picture which is 8 years old is me. (Puts hair up in clip to show features and scar on face).
[Gets escorted over to immigration counter to get others opinions if I am possibly the woman in the picture. You come for a day trip mam? you ever been here before? How old is this photo? Yes, Yes, 8 years. Look gentleman, I appreciate you are just doing your job, I assure you I am the woman in the photo coming to your lovely city for a day to renew my Indonesian visa to return to Bali tonight and if this is going to go on much longer I am going to have to find a toilet or there WILL be a problem. ‘Would you like to sit down over there mam? No thankyou, I would like you to stamp my passport and give me my departure card and send me on my way, I have an appointment with my visa agent. [Stamps passport and card].
I’m sitting in a café in Singapore called Dr. Cafe Coffee. Drinking an apple juice and eating an eggplant Panini. I have come for the day to renew my Indonesian Visa. I got up at 3am, drove to the airport in my hired car. Got there in record time, funny that when there are pretty much no other vehicles on the road. Departed from the very fancy new international airport, which I had only landed in before. Got a full row to myself and slept all the way to Singapore, as I tend to do on all Air Asia flights for some reason. I tend to hop on board, pass out and awake at my destination. Very helpful indeedy.
Then I got to customs/immigration to get out of the airport. I gave the woman at the counter my passport, she looked at me, looked at my passport, looked at me and said; ‘Um, your picture is very different. How old is this?’ I said; ‘Funny you say that I just went to the toilet when I was on the plane, looked in the mirror and thought, OMG, who is that tired bags under the eyes woman? (must do those roots soon). Look, I’m very tired, I’m pregnant, I don’t look too pretty today, I have blonde hair in the picture and today I have dark hair with sparkling roots. I need to go to the toilet, I assure you that picture which is 8 years old is me. (Puts hair up in clip to show features and scar on face).
[Gets escorted over to immigration counter to get others opinions if I am possibly the woman in the picture. You come for a day trip mam? you ever been here before? How old is this photo? Yes, Yes, 8 years. Look gentleman, I appreciate you are just doing your job, I assure you I am the woman in the photo coming to your lovely city for a day to renew my Indonesian visa to return to Bali tonight and if this is going to go on much longer I am going to have to find a toilet or there WILL be a problem. ‘Would you like to sit down over there mam? No thankyou, I would like you to stamp my passport and give me my departure card and send me on my way, I have an appointment with my visa agent. [Stamps passport and card].
Anyway, lovely taxi driver after that and then the recall starts. It’s literally 1 year exactly I was here doing the same thing. Renewing my 1 year visa. I remember I couldn’t find wifi, what I did find was big park across the road from the visa agents office. I had my kindle and a lot of time to kill. I had read about a third of Judith Lucys book; Drink, Smoke, Pass-out. I had planned on reading some of it that day, but ended up reading the lot. I recall now, talking about that book a lot in my presentations I did in Australia a couple of months later. I remember, when finished reading that book, I went into the mall, that I am sitting in now. And was sitting in a café where a mothers group was and many 1-2 year olds. I remember writing in my journal about that and if it meant anything. As I sit here 7 months pregnant, I knew it did at the time. That day a year ago was full of insight and intrigue. I vividly remember I felt like I was in an alternate world. Maybe I was. Today, I feel grounded; present and just tired. Nothing much else. I forgot to bring my Singapore chargers for my devices, so I guess that later on while waiting for my passport visa pickup there will be some quiet time. Maybe I’ll go sit in the park. Who knows, I never know much at all. Lucky I have had a lot of practise of ‘going with the flow’.
Tonight when I land around midnight in Bali, and drive back to my home just out of Ubud. My meditation recordings from last night will be awaiting me. For that I am really excited.
Terima Kasih Tuhan…… Deep gratitude and pure love oozing from my being. Although shattered, my whole soul is vibing grand happiness through tired eyes and aching bones.
Bit of a boring Blog....... Smooches from Singapore anyway.
Nik xo
www.nikstarr.com
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