Paspok?

Except for the occassional sabre-rattling from the two witches and their one (rather cowardly) thug next door, work on the wall is proceeding unimpeded. It is coming up beautifully.

But the real news is that Jackie went to do her passport today. She said she wasn't too annoyed by the whole process. (Usually she is ready to chew bits off the wall off after a JB immigration passport experience because everyone goes out of their way to give you a foretaste of Purgatory)

Firstly, the guy who did her passport looked at her date of birth and said: "I can't believe you're that old, you still look like you're 18."

And if that wasn't enough, the old auntie at the photo shop (she had to take a paspok picture with a blue background as her pictures had a white background, a little idiosyncrasy of the Malaysian Immigresen) said she looked like Preity Zinta.

When I went to pick Jackie up, she asked me who Preity Zinta was.

"Bollywood actress," I answered laconically.

She then told me that the immigration officer who was doing her passport, on finding out that she lived in England, asked her for a JC Bola (ball) the next time she comes back.

"OK," agreed Jackie, amiably. She asked me later if JC Bola was a brand of football she hadn't heard of. I told her he probably said jersey bola (as in football jersey).

"Oh," said Jackie, "that makes more sense."

Anyway, she thinks Badawi's government is a vast improvement, if only because the immigration flers have become that much nicer.