Wednesday, August 29, 2007

A conversation with my mean boss...

Boss: "Good morning. When is your interview with the US Embassy?"

Titoki: "Yesterday."

Boss: "And? Approved or denied?"

Titoki: "Approved. 10-year Visa. It'll be ready today."

Boss: "WOW. Good."

Titoki: "They saw your name and they straightaway approved it. No choice."

Boss: "Italian = mafia"

Titoki: "Yes."

Boss: "When are you arriving?"

Titoki: "31st Aug 2007 US time around 11.36PM at SFO."

Boss: "OK. You can arrive earlier if you take your bags in LAX, walk to terminal 7 (United), re-check the bags for an earlier flight. But you may have to run a lot for nothing."

Titoki: "LOL. Do you do that all the time? Run a lot for nothing. But exercise."

Boss: "Yes. I need it anyway. So I lose nothing."

Titoki: "It doesn't seem to work on you at all. Hahaha. But seriously, is that what you do when you arrive at LAX?"

Boss: "Yes. That is what I do. I get on the 19:20 flight to SFO. I arrive 3 hrs earlier. BUT... I go to the fast immigration process. Yours will be looooooong. 2 hrs+."

Titoki: "Will there be any additional/hidden cost to change to an earlier flight?"

Boss: "Usually not. But I am 100K member so I never pay fees. I think it is 20 USD for you. But you can expense it. Also, talk to Nancy about getting a limo to pick you up from the airport. At that time it is safer and cheaper."

Titoki: "Wow, a limo. Anyway, since I'm holding a M'sian passport, your counterparts in the immigration counter there will make the process long and painful for me."

Boss: "Well, I have a secret... You can sneak into the US citizen lane. They usually do not send you back to the other line. But it is a gamble. They may get nasty and ask you to re-queue."

Titoki: "Well, if I'm caught, they will question me, "Do you NOT read any English?""

Boss: "You say "No I do not" in Bahasa."

Titoki: "And they will give me more questioning hell time."

Boss: "Possibly. They did that to my mom. They sent her to secondary screening."

Titoki: "Oh my. Poor thing."

Boss: "Yeah. She really does not speak English."

Titoki: "You are so mean. To your mom. Asked her to sneak into the citizen lane."

Boss: "Yes I am. Because I am an Italian (=mafia). Also, Monday is a holiday. But I'll get the team to work."

Titoki: "WHAT?! That's so mean can die."

Boss: "Yes I know. Everyone has to come to my house for lunch on Monday. It's my wife's order. You have no choice."