A migrant’s story – 2: Leaving Ceylon and landing in high spirits in Australia!
BY RON PIERES
My first journey out of Ceylon in March of 1974 was a very memorable one. My wife and I were migrating to Sydney, Australia. So, we sold most of our possessions as we had to pay for the tickets. We sold our worldly belongings, even clothes and my beloved transistor radio!
We had to pay 66% FEEC’s plus the cost of tickets. To purchase foreign exchange, it was called Foreign Exchange Entitlement Certificates.
Our first visit was to the Taxation Office to obtain tax clearance. I bribed the peon RS10 to ensure the swift movement of our file from desk to desk for approval!
We then had to go to the notorious 10th Floor of the CID to obtain clearance certificates to leave Ceylon. We did this without getting thrown out of the 10th floor window!!
We packed our bags and headed to Katunayake International Airport to board the Singapore Airlines Flight. We were warmly greeted by the Singapore girls and took our seats. I noticed a man attempting to put his seat belt on. He tried many a time and kept missing the slot.
Seat belts were never heard of in Ceylon and most people died of shock and not injuries when they had a collision. No indicators either we used. The norm was hand signals!!! So finally, this man got the seat belt on and once could see a smile on his face. He had conquered his first hurdle!
A while later we were served our inflight meal and settled in. We duly arrived at Singapore Kallang Airport (the old airport) which was about one mile from the city centre. We were taken by a Singapore Airlines Bus to our hotel as our flight to Sydney was the next morning.
We obtained our vouchers for dinner and woke up early, excited to see Singapore. When leaving our hotel room, I noticed a Sinhalese lady near the lifts. I guided her to the front desk to collect her breakfast vouchers. I asked her whether she had dinner. She said she brought a packet of rice and curry from home and consumed that. After breakfast she asked me whether we were heading to town and if she could travel with us as she didn’t have a single cent. We duly transported her to B.P.De Silva store in Singapore. She then put her hand in her bra and pulled out a large wad of notes!!! I was had!!
Later that way we were transported back to the airport to continue our journey. We entered the aircraft and had our inflight meal and the lights were turned down for people to sleep. I continued to have drinks (served in little miniature bottles.) There were many of us who couldn’t sleep and we continued drinking.
We then headed to the galley and continued drinking. We then began singing Waltzing Matilda, Home On The Range, A Pub With No Beer and other traditional sing-alongs while the Singapore Girls kept serving us drinks. They even joined us and we discussed love and marriage! We did this until the aircraft ran out of liquor!!!
It was 4 am now and we are nearly at our destination when the captain announces on the intercom that there is fog over Sydney and we may have to head to Brisbane!!
We disembark the aircraft and head to Immigration. I asked him where we are and he replied: Brisbane!! Then I noticed that we were actually at Sydney Airport as the officer must have thought this man is too drunk to even know where he was!! I was had again!!!
That was my memorable first entry Down Under!
—–ends——
Ron Pieres
