Fast Lane

Jip hasn’t been outside Thailand since we returned here more than three years ago. At that time I thought she’d never use her passport again. But she announced recently that we should make sure all her travel documents were up to date.

We don’t have any solid plans to take a trip. She was simply thinking about an open invitation we have to visit Australia, where several old friends of ours are living. It’s another measure of how stable her condition has become that she would consider taking on the challenges of an international journey.

I was happy about the idea of renewing her passport, but nervous about the process itself. I expected several long queues, based on my experiences at the Thai government office that handles foreigners’ visas.

No sweat. Three employees collaborated on the paperwork and the photography, not even flinching when they realized Jip couldn’t see, stand, or sign. The whole thing took less time than it took a taxi to drive there. Maybe sometime in 2009 we’ll go down under.