A stressful but fruitful Friday
Friday 17th November 2017:
Got to work and set up for the intern groups’ painting session. I got the kids out ready (ten in total) and waited for the team. Then at 9.30 Bann Feung Fah (the orphanage) tell me that they heard my visa form was signed and I needed to go straight away to get it and directly on to Immigration. Having to leave the interns to work out the project with ward mums, I felt both guilty and out of control.
The canal near Immigration was really high and scarily close to flooding, so the road was partly closed to only one lane for access, but I managed to get there. As it was a Friday, there are always more people than normal. We got the signed paper and got to Immigration. As there were 23 people ahead of me in the queue, we went to get some food. While we ate it, the number of people seen went from 114 to 119, but from 12.00 till 1.00 everyone is removed from the room and has to wait outside.
When we got back, we had to wait outside and I was glad it was not raining. My number was 140. The waiting commenced and while we were waiting we heard that a new document was required that I didn’t have and was not able to get. Thankfully the guy who usually does my visa, who has just retired, was there and helped check the rest of my papers and was able to assist me. We had filled in the new form that the website asked of us regarding the landlady, but they had not updated the website that a copy of her documents was also required. The process has been changed since I last went, but they somehow expect us to know. He was able to sort it out. Every year there is something new they don’t tell you that you need.
The intern group, ward mums and kids had to manage the painting together without me, but I believe that went well. The elephant-shaped hand printing was sweet and I’m told, messy, but all had fun – well Mr C didn’t during the last part ,as he suffered some sickness and now he is in sick ward.
Nicola Anderson