Hmm, or maybe not.
I am sure that i'll still be blogging about what happened after, especially how i am gonna be tortured by the Malaysia High Commission here for a passport replacement.
In fact, i've called them up today to make an appointment for the passport replacement. Uh huh, one will have to call and make appointment with our country's High Comm for renewing passport. Imagine that.
When i was on the phone with the High Comm officer this morning, she sounded very 'sian'. She told me that i'd need to fill out a form for reporting the lost of my passport, and the form cannot be downloaded from their Website. I must go there personally to fill out the form and submit the other heaps of documents. I bet they aren't gonna make my life easy and i'd have to go there more than once, as many others who had the same experience had shared on the Web.
Anyway, back to the last bit of my series of posts. Where was i? Oh, my thoughts on this incident.
Well, as i've mentioned, i did feel very upset at that moment, and was rather down for the following day too. I am a normal human being after all, and i bet everyone would feel the same if in my shoe.
However, the more i think about it, the more i realised that the situation could have been a lot worse. Amidst the mishap, i saw countless blessings and things to be grateful for. And for that, i truly thank God for it.
First of all, thank God that not all were lost. Whatever that i've lost are things that could be replaced eventually (despite being troublesome), and those are also things that have the least impact to my daily life here.
You see, my job does not require me to travel overseas anymore and hence not having my passport with me does not impact my job or my life here. I know how difficult it is for getting the replacement, but all i have to do is just to run around a few times, spend a few hundreds dollars, and then just wait for it. On a lighter note, i hated the photo in that passport anyway; so now i can get it changed.
As for the Malaysia and Singapore ICs, those are basically useless here because they are not generally accepted as a form of valid identification for foreigners. I can't re-apply them here anyway and so i'll just have to report the lost to the relevant departments, and then apply for the replacement when i'm back in Malaysia and Singapore for holiday next year.
Driving licence, on the other hand, is a valid identification and not having it may pose problem for me driving here. However, i'd have to get a NZ licence sooner or later anyway (we are only allowed to drive with a foreign driving licence for a year here). So the worst case would be for me to just go and get a NZ licence earlier.
Furthermore, i have photocopies of all these identifications and the previous expired passport with me. My birth cert is also still kept safely in JB. Therefore, it isn't really as bad as it appears to be.
As for all the credit/debit/bank cards, i managed to cancel all in time without any losses. I do not have any use of those ATM or debit cards here, and i can ask for new credit cards to be mailed to me here (which i already did last night). In the meantime, i'd just have to use cash, which i do have in my bank because the pay was deposited just in time.
And talking about the bank cards, the unexplainable non-delivery of my bank card here actually was a blessing in disguise! If i had received it as expected, i'd have put it in my wallet and lost it too. Instead, because of the undelivered mail, the bank sent out a new bank card to me with urgent courier service (at no extra charge - i would have to pay for a new card if it was lost), and i got it already yesterday.
Then, there are also things that i REALLY must be grateful for - i did not lose the car key, apartment key and access cards, and my three mobile phones. If these were lost, then my life would surely be greatly affected.
I mentioned in the earlier post that my Danish boss lent his wife's car to me even without me asking. I seriously can't imagine how it would be if i were to lose the car key too. They will only be back from their holiday around mid-January and there is no way for me to get another set of car key from anyone here. This would mean that the car will have to sit at the Briscoes parking lot for weeks, and probably with potential risk of being stolen or towed away, or could not be started when my boss is back (as the battery would probably be drained already). And how am i supposed to explain to my boss about me losing the car key when he entrusted it to me? Now, need i elaborate further how bad it is gonna be if the car key was lost?
(And still having the car now really facilitates my going around settling the issues during these few days.)
Then it is the apartment key and access card. Even though there is no address indicating where i live, there is still a risk that the person might find out. I'd not be able to sleep tight in the night, worrying if anyone would be breaking in to the apartment. Furthermore, i'd be fined heftily too for losing the apartment key and access card. (There is no way that the apartment management can change the lock or security access because there are lots of units in this building and it is gonna affect everyone.)
Finally, it is what really matters to me the most - my mobile phones! I would be in a lot more troubles if i were to lose the phones. Besides all the contacts information, my Singapore and NZ phones are required (for security code) to use the Internet banking for my Singapore and NZ bank accounts. I'd not be able to transfer funds or pay for any bills online, and that will surely have a significant impact on my life here.
So you see, instead of keep harping on what that were lost, shouldn't i actually be grateful for how blessed i was to still have the more crucial things with me? When i started to see things from a different perspective, i realised that i should be joyful about the greater blessings instead of getting knocked down by the minor misfortune.
I know that everything happens for a purpose and God must have His divine plan for me. I may have to learn the lesson, whatever it may be, the hard way, but at the end of the day, God will ALWAYS be looking after me. And He indeed did too this time.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." ~ Romans 8:28
As Christian, Holy Spirit dwell within us. My aunt has told me before that sometimes when we feel unsettled or something was stirring inside us, it may actually be Holy Spirit speaking to us but we often disregard it. I remember how i had thought of changing the handbag but i didn't do in the end. For all i know, it might have been a warning but then i didn't heed the advice.
As LF has kept telling me - i need to trust and depend on God more. My faith is too weak. I really need to build up my faith in Him.
There is a long journey ahead of me and i do feel depressed sometimes, thinking that i gotta walk it alone. But then, i gotta remember that i shall NEVER be alone - God is with me, at all times.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." ~ Joshua 1:9
Labels: Christianity, introspection
