Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Malta and Greece

The joy and agony 2 - 喜乐与痛苦 - 完结篇 
(English version at the bottom)



我们拿到了罗马尼亚大使馆的紧急通行文件后,从雅典直接飞回吉隆坡。原本行程是完成了雅典之行过后,飞回马耳他,休息几天后,再飞往意大利的西西里,游玩几天。

雅典之行,只携带7天的行李,其余的留在马耳他。我们直飞吉隆坡,这些滞留行李如何带回去吉隆坡, 是一个头疼的问题!(一个大,两个小)

我们本来计划请陈亿赐神父把行李里面的衣服,看看有人适合,或慈善机构需要的,就分发出去。这样就不必为这行李而烦恼。

陈亿赐神父也在绞尽脑汁,想办法如何协助我们把行李弄回到马来西亚去。其中一个办法就i是他将在七月大学暑假期间回马来西亚,顺便把我们的行李带回去。但他自己本身也有行李啊!

天主巧妙的安排,刚好陈神父一对新加坡朋友,到了拜访,需要大行李箱装载他们的东西。神父就把他的大行李箱借给他们。他们在回到新加坡之后,交给陈神父在新加坡工作的教友,带回槟城还给他,而陈神父则使用我们的行李箱,在暑假装载他的行李回马来西亚。

听起来都好像很复杂,但天主的恩典,很容易就实行了!

我和太太,在1/7 星期六早上,见到了陈神父,终于领回了我们的行李。马耳他之旅画上了终止符。阿肋路亚!

在雅典,我们的护照、驾照、登记、信用卡都被盗了,所以需要重新申请。这个过程,也清楚看到了天主恩典的处处照顾。

从雅典回来后的第三天,最重要的第一件事情就是到警察局报案,叙述我们在雅典被扒的经过寄遗失的文件及现金,以备申请文件及保险赔偿之用。 

首先是申请马来西亚登记 (IC) 。申请程序很简单,高龄人士也有优先服务之便。不到45分钟就办理好了,拿了收据,一个星期后就可以领取。(可能是遗失,所以不能同一天领到)

有了登记,就立刻申请护照。之前有很多迷失及忧虑。听说回受到移民局刁难、有等3或6个月才能拿到、有效期可能很短等等。

我们直接到布城移民厅申请。同样的高龄长者有优先,一切都很顺利,不到90分钟,一切都办妥。没有刁难,没有盘问,但因为是遗失护照,不能当天拿到。我们需要在五天后(28/5)再次到回移民厅,就可以取得新护照。三天后,我们前往诗巫参加圣母军交流会,直到6/6号,才去领取新护照,五年有效期!收费是RM100,这包括罚款及新护照费(高龄者护照是RM00)。

最后申请的是驾驶执照。这个申请手续更快,当然又是拜高龄者优先所赐。不到半个小时,我就申请到10有效期的驾照。

信靠天主,相信他的恩宠,让我们度过各种的挑战与困境。感谢天主。


After obtaining the emergency travel documents from the Romanian Embassy, we flew directly back to Kuala Lumpur from Athens. The original plan was to return to Malta after our trip to Athens, take a few days of rest, and then fly to Sicily, Italy, for a few days of sightseeing.

During the trip to Athens, we only brought 7 days' usage of luggage, leaving the rest in Malta. Now, the challenge is how to bring the stranded luggage back to Kuala Lumpur – one large and two small bags – which has become a headache!

Initially, we intended to ask Father Aloysius to go through the clothes in the luggage, see if anyone could make use of them, and distribute them to charitable organizations, so we wouldn't have to worry about them.

Father Aloysius was also trying hard to find a way to help us get the luggage back to Malaysia. One option was for him to bring our luggage during his summer break in July when he returns to Malaysia. However, he also had his own luggage to carry!

In a stroke of divine intervention, Father Aloysius happened to have a couple-friend from Singapore visiting him, and they needed a large suitcase to carry their belongings. Father lent them his own large suitcase. After they returned to Singapore, they would hand it over to Father's Penang church member, who works in Singapore, to bring it back to Penang. Meanwhile, Father would use our luggage to carry his belongings back to Malaysia during the summer break.

It may sound complicated, but by God's grace, it all worked out easily!

On Saturday morning, 1st of July, my wife and I finally met Father Aloysius and received our luggage. Thus, our journey in Malta came to an end. Alleluia!

In Athens, our passports, my driver license, Identity card, and credit cards were stolen, so we needed to reapply for them. Throughout this process, we could clearly see God's grace taking care of us in every aspect.

On the third day after returning from Athens, the most important thing to do was to go to the police station and report the theft, detailing the loss of documents and cash, to prepare for filing applications and insurance claims.

The first step was to apply for a Malaysian Identity Card (IC). The application process was straightforward, and as a senior, I received priority service. It took less than 45 minutes to complete the process and issued with a receipt. We could collect the new IC one week later (perhaps because it was a loss card replacement, and they couldn't issue it on the same day).

Once we had the IC, we immediately applied for new passports. There were many worries and anxieties, such as possible difficulties with Passport Office, have to wait for 3 to 6 months, or having a short validity period.

We went directly to the immigration office in Putrajaya to apply. Again, with priority given to the elderly, everything went smoothly, and in less than 90 minutes, everything was done. There were no difficulties or interrogations, but due to the loss of the passport, we were not able to get our new passports on the same day but were asked to return to the immigration office after 5 days (28 of May) to collect the new one. On the 30th of May, we went to Sibu to attend the Legion of Mary gathering and then collected the new passport on 6th of June. It has a validity of five years! Being seniors, we paid RM100 for the fine and the new passport. (Passport fee for senior citizen was RM100)

Finally, I applied for the driver's license. The application process was quicker, and once again, priority was given to the elderly. In less than half an hour, I obtained a 10-year validity driver's license.

By putting our trust in God and believing in His grace, we have overcome various challenges and difficulties. Praise and thanks to our Loving Father.

(English version was translated by Chatgpt  OpenAI)


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