Today, we submitted our visa application for Australia. For some of you who do not know, we received a blessing last year, i.e., my Uni and scholarship application were accepted.
Everything was smooth from our trip to the Visa Application Centre in Sathorn Road up to my actual submission. Although my wife and I had a petty misunderstanding about the things I submitted and the way I handled the submission–well, under pressure, little things could look so big, I won’t go into the details. Anyway, I was thinking of going back to office as it was still early–3:00pm but Nique, my eldest daughter, asked that we go buy a toy for her because she behaved well in the Centre. After convincing her that a book might be better (well, she was asking for a doll, which was a lot more expensive!), we took a skytrain to Central Chidlom.
As usual, we strolled, had a quick snack and a short visit to our favorite section–the toy department. Now, the whammy was Nel made a smelly antic (she pooed in her diaper), so I was fuming mad as I’ve repeatedly reminded her to tell us if she’s going to pee or poo. I washed her and told my wife and daughters that we should go home, it was almost 6pm anyway.
So, we went to the taxi stand, I was still scolding Nel about her inability to learn (well, I couldn’t stop comparing as her big sister, Nira learned it–as if naturally–when she saw her Ate Nique also doing it, i.e., asking permission if she’s going to pee or poo). We were able to flag a taxi down, 5.45. We haven’t reached 700 meters and we were caught in a gridlock in front of Central World, just the next street from Central Chidlom–it was 5.55. Nel was hanging like a monkey inside the taxi as the gridlock went on for about half an hour. 6.35pm I dozed off for about 15 minutes–the traffic, while regular in Bangkok was annoying me also–it was as if something don’t want us to go home, actually I was thinking to get off and go malling at Central World.
6.55 out of the blue I just had an instinct of looking for the envelope that I was carrying, it contained our receipt for the visa application (very important! so I can claim my pre-visa advice) and all our passports (very, very, very important)! I was thinking, “how dare me forget that!” It was neither on my side nor on the floor. My wife and I frantically looked for it in the taxi but we realized that we left it. She had a hunch that I might have left it after I washed Nel.
We paid the taxi (100 baht for 600 meters ride and almost an hour gridlock!) and weaved through cars and buses to the other side of the street. A 10 baht coin dropped from my pocket, I don’t know why I have to look for it in the middle of darkness but I did! (my wife thought that I was looking for the big envelope–under the car?? hello?!) Anyway, my kids were ever cooperative they were also running and they thought it was a play, I really appreciate their faith as they said “let’s go, there that’s the mall!” “I think it was left at the toilet!” among other things. Hay naku, matatawa ka sa gitna ng tension.
Actually, I raced back to the taxi to make sure that I did not left the documents there. I got the wrong taxi at first and got an amused look from the taxi driver, then when I got the right taxi, the driver was surprised and, well, the documents weren’t there.
As we reached Central Chidlom after a walkathon/marathon from Central World, I told my wife “it’s better we lost it here, I’m quite certain we will find it.” I instructed her to ask the information while I race to see it in the toilet and in the toy department.
When I got to the toilet, it wasn’t there and when I went to the play place of my kids–I found the bag, intact–no one cared to see if somebody owned it or anything–but I was really glad that I found it. It wasn’t that heart pounding but the thought of losing all the documents and finding it made me thank God all the more.
Now the worry of losing the document is past and hurdling the visa application is our next prayer item.
Life is exciting and so how God works!
Blogbastic! 