It is summer and the season of sight seeing in this country. It is like everyone is out and about and obviously I have to be out too. Even though I am still limping around with a giant leg brace. So last weekend VP, ASP and I along with RR (one of VP's friends) decided to pay the Lady herself a visit. We had to get on the cruise from Liberty Park NJ and there was a security screening set up. After having to walk for about 20 mins from the parking lot to the security screening my leg was already giving away. In the line I kept my bag in the designated tray for me. The security guards notices my brace and this is the conversation that followed.
SG : Mam you will need to take off your braces.
Me : I cannot walk if I take them off.
SG : Please stand there mam.
Then they waited for a woman security officer to come. In the meanwhile the whole line behind me was held up. A female security officer arrives. I was wearing shorts, a cotton blouse, a scarf, glasses and sandals.
SG : Mam take off your scarf and your glasses.
Me : My glasses?
SG : Yes Mam.
Me : OK.
I take all these things off and put them in a tray.
SG : Please take off your shoes mam.
Me : I need to sit in order to take my shoes off.
At this point ASP crosses over and helps me with my shoes.
SG : Do you have a belt mam ? Is there anything in your pocket mam.
Me : No
I cross through the metal detector and the female security officer pats me down. She puts her hands as far as it would go under my shirt and under my shorts. Then she gives me a chair, asks me to sit and take my braces off so that they can screen the braces through the xray machine once again.
This time while coming back through JFK my experience with the immigration was rather amusing as well. I was already in a wheel chair when the officer started asking me a bunch of question. I am just jotting down the interesting portions of that conversation.
O : So what do you do here ?
Me : I work for IBM.
O : I can see that. What sort of work?
Me : ( At this point I am thinking, just because you have a computer in front of you does not mean you will understand anything about Middleware Administration ) I am a Middleware Web Content Developer and Administrator.
O : Where do you stay mam?
Me : I give him my address.
O : Why are you going to NJ from here if you live in PA?
Me : My friend lives there and I am going to crash at her place because of the knee and all.
O : (After a minute of silence) So where are you coming from.
Me : India
O : Did something happen to you in India ?
Me : Excuse me?
O : Are you here for treatment and recovery ?
Me : No. Something happened to me here and I went to India for treatment and recovery.
O : ( Another minute of silence and then looking at the airport staff who was helping me ) She can go now.
On this Liberty Island trip we also went to Ellis Island. Not much has changed between then and now. The Amereeci sarkaar still treats the immigrants as aliens. Not good enough for human status. But as their own documentary says, America was and still is a "Country of Immigrants." That is what sometimes makes it bearable to stay away from family and friends. And just because no matter what, we should always have that sense of humour, here is a happy. smiley picture with the Lady Liberty in the background.
SG : Mam you will need to take off your braces.
Me : I cannot walk if I take them off.
SG : Please stand there mam.
Then they waited for a woman security officer to come. In the meanwhile the whole line behind me was held up. A female security officer arrives. I was wearing shorts, a cotton blouse, a scarf, glasses and sandals.
SG : Mam take off your scarf and your glasses.
Me : My glasses?
SG : Yes Mam.
Me : OK.
I take all these things off and put them in a tray.
SG : Please take off your shoes mam.
Me : I need to sit in order to take my shoes off.
At this point ASP crosses over and helps me with my shoes.
SG : Do you have a belt mam ? Is there anything in your pocket mam.
Me : No
I cross through the metal detector and the female security officer pats me down. She puts her hands as far as it would go under my shirt and under my shorts. Then she gives me a chair, asks me to sit and take my braces off so that they can screen the braces through the xray machine once again.
This time while coming back through JFK my experience with the immigration was rather amusing as well. I was already in a wheel chair when the officer started asking me a bunch of question. I am just jotting down the interesting portions of that conversation.
O : So what do you do here ?
Me : I work for IBM.
O : I can see that. What sort of work?
Me : ( At this point I am thinking, just because you have a computer in front of you does not mean you will understand anything about Middleware Administration ) I am a Middleware Web Content Developer and Administrator.
O : Where do you stay mam?
Me : I give him my address.
O : Why are you going to NJ from here if you live in PA?
Me : My friend lives there and I am going to crash at her place because of the knee and all.
O : (After a minute of silence) So where are you coming from.
Me : India
O : Did something happen to you in India ?
Me : Excuse me?
O : Are you here for treatment and recovery ?
Me : No. Something happened to me here and I went to India for treatment and recovery.
O : ( Another minute of silence and then looking at the airport staff who was helping me ) She can go now.
On this Liberty Island trip we also went to Ellis Island. Not much has changed between then and now. The Amereeci sarkaar still treats the immigrants as aliens. Not good enough for human status. But as their own documentary says, America was and still is a "Country of Immigrants." That is what sometimes makes it bearable to stay away from family and friends. And just because no matter what, we should always have that sense of humour, here is a happy. smiley picture with the Lady Liberty in the background.
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