Bye-Bye Beautiful Baby... Wednesday, August 10

Snickers has never traveled alone, even when he went to Japan he traveled with a friend. Today marked his first time and he was nervous about it. I had printed off a copy of the U.S. customs/immigration form and had filled it out for him. I even went so far as to type up a sheet of information for him, of which was a simple paragraph explaining his situation [returning to Korea from visiting his sick mother-in-law etc., etc.] to whomever he may need to explain it to like the immigration officer. Snicker’s English may have improved a lot but he still stumbles and doesn’t understand a lot. For example, when we were at the airport in San Francisco, this is the confusion he got himself into with the immigration officer.

Officer: Where are you coming from?
Snickers: Toronto [he was coming from Korea, going to Toronto]
Officer: No, where are you coming FROM?
Snickers: Oh… Korea. To Toronto.
Officer: What is your family name?
Snickers: Wife Amy, sisters Sun Hae and…. [listed off about 6 names before the guy stopped him]
Officer: What is your name?
Snickers: English name Bloom [this is where I was then waved over to help him]

My father joked with me the other day, telling him to tell Snickers to answer “I came from my mother’s womb” when they ask where did you come from… hahaha.

After I checked in his baggage and filled out the official U.S. customs form they gave him, I then walked with him to the main customs line doorway. I wasn’t allowed to go beyond that point so we stood there for a bit, hugging and me choking back the tears.

When I finally let him go and watched him continue on without me, I stood watching him. He then raced back, looking all confused and nervous. Apparently they had given him another form to fill out but he couldn’t understand even one word of it.

Turns out the form was all in French.

I asked for an English copy, filled it out and then again stood to watch him continue on without me. Little did I know or anticipate though but for the next forty minutes I’d be filling out the same form but for other Asians leaving Canada.

“You do realize you’re giving French copies of this form to people who already have a hard enough time with English, right?” I questioned the lady who was handing them out. She obviously didn’t care so I asked her for her name and for the name of her manager which then caused her to perk up and care but only for the sake of saving her own butt.
I ended up helping a Vietnamese couple with the form and a Korean couple who clearly didn’t speak a dime of English. It felt pretty cool to use my Korean language skills to help them out and they were so overly appreciative that they tried to offer me money. I refused the money and instead joked with them, telling them to save me some kimchi once I too return to Korea.

I watched Snickers as he slowly but surely made his way to through the long U.S. customs line. He kept his eye on me too and when he waved his last wave I couldn’t help but feel so sad to see him go off without me.

By the time I left the airport it was coming up to 6:30am. I still had about two and a half journey back to the hospital in my parents’ hometown so I grabbed a Tim Horton’s coffee and go going. Arrived at the hospital shortly after 9am.

Ended up staying all day at the hospital to greet various visitors coming to see my mom so I kept on drinking coffee. “Just hook me up to an IV and pump this beautiful caffeine into me please” I told the nurse. My oldest brother and his family came by the hospital so I played with my little nieces and didn’t get home till about 8:30pm.

No sooner did I arrive back at the house but then I crashed. I had been awake for 38 hours.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Why is Tim Horton's coffee so darn addicting?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
-- Author Unknown