So I have finally landed in this land of which everyone is deemed to be happy to be a citizen and those without it, strive to be citizens.

I have no such desire I merely want to get my ass to Cancun and not have to freeze in the cold winter of New York. But then again I would not have gone through such trauma either way as they announced on arrival that the weather is 10 degrees. So yes, so far so good.

Standing in the customs queue I notice the same gent who was standing behind me at the Colombo airport. I make no conversation with him till a South Asian lady who speaks no English wants to clarify if the gent who was behind me, who is clearly over 55 yrs of age is my husband. Either I look old, or in her surroundings it is normal for people in their 20s to end up marrying those who are approaching their 60s.

Anyhow, such be the starting point of the conversation. His and mine that is. He being a lawyer is on his way to visit his wife and daughter living in DC. We strike a conversation and in the course of it, I discover that he is soon to sue my cousin for a medical negligence case! Have to admit this world is far too small and is rapidly shrinking at a pace which is in most cases very hard for me to keep up with. Someone from office goes to a conference in DC and meets up with an African I know. An Indian intern drops in at my office and then she has been the roommate of another Indian of whom I was the roommate (yes a too long sentence did I complete just now) Ain’t all these a little too strange when it keeps happening way too often that you expect them to?

Anyhow the story does not end there. I stand finally at the custom officer number 1 who tells me to put my finger prints on the scanner. Out of nowhere a 60 plus gentleman stands beside me. Surprise for both! Not for the man who is standing next to me, but the custom officer and I. He asks the man what his purpose of intrusion was, to receive the answer that he is there to help me to understand what the custom officer says. Nice act of generosity (I guess) but not very well received. The custom officer tells “that was strange!”

Custom number 2 (admittedly quite cute) wants to know what my purpose of visit is. I tell him I am in transit and that I am on my way to Cancun. He wants to know where my friends are! I am like “sorry”. His response, “aren’t you going to Cancun to party, with your friends?” well I tell him that I am headed for a conference and he wants to clarify what be my profession. On hearing he says he believes me. I notice the smirk. Quite cute again! (I have to admit that most black American men are exceptionally cute. Specially this one.)

Yeah so on a mission to kill time till my tomorrow morning flight I stroll around begging for information from all forms of airport personnel. Finally being directed to spend time till early morning in the airport shops as terminal 5 where I am supposed to fly out from have no place or to sit and wait! (not my discovery but information provided by the check in counter person)

So I search for internet next. Need to contact those I could and figure out what has been happening since my departure. I am sure nothing much, but it makes an internet addict such as me relieved to be connected rather than excluded from internet access. So what do I do, following the direction in which one’s index finder be pointed, I head to a cafe to grab a hot chocolate so as to access internet.

Surprise! The stupid server does not function and I have spend double the amount I would normally spend on a drink to buy what I consume as I type this, to be duped with an illusion of access to internet and the global community.

And the next surprise awaits me shortly. It feels damn hot in this cafe where the heater seems to be turned up to the maximum. Sri Lanka be less hot during this season than in this cafe in the winter season. Surprise! Surprise! Tropics have hit terminal 4! So I end up taking off my sweater in a spectacle of cleavage. Cannot be bothered, die of heat of survive being taken for a freak. The latter. You people around me, I do not know you, you do not know me, so we are cool!

Yes I shall put a stop to this rant now and try to get some knowledge on climate negotiations to my rapidly dying brain cells.

Ciao!