A Day that Made Me Mad

The venue for today’s class was the Kallang classroom. Though I’ve been there once, I didn’t know the way from the Kallang station. The last time I visited there, I was given a ride by Angela. Some days ago, she e-mailed me describing how to get there from the station. Out of the station this morning, I believed I was walking the right way. However, it turned out that I was going to the completely wrong direction. In her e-mail, she said “turn left from the station.” I’m not sure but it seems that it should have been “turn right.” Having walked a rather long distance and been unable to find any shop that should be familiar from the last visit, I called her. It was already about six minutes past 10:00 am. I walked back to the station and started all over again. This time, just across the station, I noticed a structure that I believed I had seen last time. After 10 minutes, I managed to reach the classroom. Good walking exercise!!

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Coming back from the class, I checked my application status of a stay extension. I had not doubt of the result. It must be positive. But what I found was this message “your application was not successful. You are required to leave Singapore on or before the expiry date…” I immediately prepared to go out again to the Woodlands Checkpoint as the ICA office had been already closed.

At the checkpoint, a thin old Malay man with a stern face and mustache said to me, “We can’t explain why here, but rejection means rejection. You must go to lavender.” “Can you talk to my course director?” “Why?,” shaking his head. Very unhelpful and he was even not looking at me. I was worried because my visa had been already expired. “Then, I must wait until Monday?” “Yes, and let me say for the last time. You must go to Lavender…” Does it mean the amount of fine for overstay I have to pay accumulates over this weekend? The man said, “Don’t worry about it.” Quite unfathomable. I’m deeply worried and what does he mean by “Don’t worry”?

Worried, frustrated, even angry, I came out of the office and started walking down. The police man stopped me. “Where are you going?” “I’m going home!!” “You can’t go this way. Show me your passport. Hmmm, nihonjin desuka…” I told him what happened and he said, “You must register yourself at the office.” I went back to the office to talk to the unfriendly man. “Just outside, I was told I needed to register…” “No no. just tell him about your case.” “I told him the whole story!!” He stamped today’s date and scribbled on the envelope of the letter from the director “OF ST OFFICE.” I don’t know what it means but anyway showed it to the policeman outside. He said, “Maybe I shouldn’t tell you this, but you should get another letter from the school to ask for a stay extension.” Then, he let me through.