The Voice Within

Sitting with my back to a tree, I look at the birds playing hopscotch In the patterns formed by water running out of a hose pipe.

I said “Brunei, The Sultanate of Brunei…” To my surprise, she replied “I am asking you the name of the country.” This time the answer left my lips slowly, and I was careful to enunciate; I also added “It’s in South East Asia. Near the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak”. She nodded disapprovingly when I showed her my visa letter. I sensed soon enough that she had never heard of this country. A phrase I had heard on Discovery channel swam into my head. According to them the island of Borneo is “one of Asia’s best kept secrets”. While I stood there, amused at the immigration officer’s ignorance, I also felt truly blessed to be able to travel to one of the worlds least travelled to destinations. Soon enough the officer returned from a room she had briefly retired to and ushered me on, apologising for the delay. Earlier, Passport and boarding pass in hand, travel magazines under my arm, I had approached the Bangalore International airport wearing a warm smile. Fresh o