Taiwan Trip (Part 1)
Thank God for April that I get to go on this trip. Hip hip hooray!
And thank God also that one of the leaders in my zone was going and I found out that a few of them were going earlier and I joined them. :)
We reached Taiwan at around 6pm.
And I nearly couldn't enter Taiwan... :(
I went to the immigration counter to get pass and enter into Taiwan. But I was stopped cos they said they did not have records of me in their system. Y? Not cos I am a illegal immigrant or anything, but cos I hold a Taiwan passport but was not born in Taiwan nor have stepped into Taiwan before. So in their system, I am non-existent. Oops, I start to realise that something is not right.
Then they brought me to the Immigration counter. Then this lady asked me to fill up a form, looked thru my passport, asked a few questions and was preparing the receipt for the visa when her supervisor/head appeared. He looked through my passports and heard from the lady that I have not entered Taiwan before. Then he told her that can't issue me the visa and that I shouldn't even be allowed to board the plan. He then showed me a fine liner in the passport saying tht I need to apply for a re-entry permit in order to enter Taiwan.
Then they asked me to wait for the JetStarAsia (the airline I took) person to come. Then this guy told me that no choice that if the immigration doesn't let me in, then I have to go back to Singapore. Tht was despite me trying to reason out with the people for quite a while.
So I told the leader friend (Alice) who was waiting for me outside that things don't sound good.
At 1st I was still hopeful, but after all they say, it seems hopeless... And Taiwan is just so near (in fact I was in Taiwan) but can't enter. Made me think of the Movie where the guy was trapped in the airport for a few years. :P
Thank God, one of the officers allowed Alice to come back in the area to help me. She asked me to call Taiwan embassy in Singapore and I said, "Are they open on Sundays?". But she said just try. Then we went to ask for the contact number and they refer us to a book. And so thankfully, they had a mobile number in the book for the Singapore contact. So Alice called for me, and I talked to the guy. He was very helpful and nice and said he will help me.
Following that was some thru and fro stuff between the immigration dept at Taiwan, the Singapore contact and the international relations dept at Taiwan. Finally, the international relations dept's head talked to the immigration dept and they issued me a temporary visa at S$20. PTL! I could finally enter into Taiwan.
What did I learn?
1. Ask and you shall receive.
You may not receive immediately but as you persevere on, doors will start to open. Of cos, it will be impossible w/o God. I prayed silently while all my friends who already entered Taiwan prayed for me. *Thanks* to all who prayed.
2. Relations is important
Without Alice's help of talking to the different parties nicely for me, I think I wouldn't be able to enter Taiwan too. She talks, listens to them, reacts accordingly and reasons well with them too.
*Many thanks* to Alice!
Think many has shared this as a testimony to others. I actually tot it is quite a paiseh thing, cos it made me feel silly... like I should have checked properly before I went to Taiwan. But eventually I tot, I do not mind being humbled to bring glory to His name. :) But I promise to be more careful in future ok?
What did I do in Taiwan in the 1st few days?
Shop, eat, shop, eat, rest... Haha!
My favorite place to shop is 五分脯 cos it is a distributer area so prices are lower.
But I think as tourists, they still don't allow you to bargain much. Did do very good bargaining, else can get even better deals. :P
Actually 1 guy actually asked me where I open shop, haha! Shld have told him some area. haha!
Would be fun if I can open a shop in Singapore?
Went to Xi Meng Ding and Shilin Night Market and part of Danshui also.
And thank God also that one of the leaders in my zone was going and I found out that a few of them were going earlier and I joined them. :)
We reached Taiwan at around 6pm.
And I nearly couldn't enter Taiwan... :(
I went to the immigration counter to get pass and enter into Taiwan. But I was stopped cos they said they did not have records of me in their system. Y? Not cos I am a illegal immigrant or anything, but cos I hold a Taiwan passport but was not born in Taiwan nor have stepped into Taiwan before. So in their system, I am non-existent. Oops, I start to realise that something is not right.
Then they brought me to the Immigration counter. Then this lady asked me to fill up a form, looked thru my passport, asked a few questions and was preparing the receipt for the visa when her supervisor/head appeared. He looked through my passports and heard from the lady that I have not entered Taiwan before. Then he told her that can't issue me the visa and that I shouldn't even be allowed to board the plan. He then showed me a fine liner in the passport saying tht I need to apply for a re-entry permit in order to enter Taiwan.
Then they asked me to wait for the JetStarAsia (the airline I took) person to come. Then this guy told me that no choice that if the immigration doesn't let me in, then I have to go back to Singapore. Tht was despite me trying to reason out with the people for quite a while.
So I told the leader friend (Alice) who was waiting for me outside that things don't sound good.
At 1st I was still hopeful, but after all they say, it seems hopeless... And Taiwan is just so near (in fact I was in Taiwan) but can't enter. Made me think of the Movie where the guy was trapped in the airport for a few years. :P
Thank God, one of the officers allowed Alice to come back in the area to help me. She asked me to call Taiwan embassy in Singapore and I said, "Are they open on Sundays?". But she said just try. Then we went to ask for the contact number and they refer us to a book. And so thankfully, they had a mobile number in the book for the Singapore contact. So Alice called for me, and I talked to the guy. He was very helpful and nice and said he will help me.
Following that was some thru and fro stuff between the immigration dept at Taiwan, the Singapore contact and the international relations dept at Taiwan. Finally, the international relations dept's head talked to the immigration dept and they issued me a temporary visa at S$20. PTL! I could finally enter into Taiwan.
What did I learn?
1. Ask and you shall receive.
You may not receive immediately but as you persevere on, doors will start to open. Of cos, it will be impossible w/o God. I prayed silently while all my friends who already entered Taiwan prayed for me. *Thanks* to all who prayed.
2. Relations is important
Without Alice's help of talking to the different parties nicely for me, I think I wouldn't be able to enter Taiwan too. She talks, listens to them, reacts accordingly and reasons well with them too.
*Many thanks* to Alice!
Think many has shared this as a testimony to others. I actually tot it is quite a paiseh thing, cos it made me feel silly... like I should have checked properly before I went to Taiwan. But eventually I tot, I do not mind being humbled to bring glory to His name. :) But I promise to be more careful in future ok?
What did I do in Taiwan in the 1st few days?
Shop, eat, shop, eat, rest... Haha!
My favorite place to shop is 五分脯 cos it is a distributer area so prices are lower.
But I think as tourists, they still don't allow you to bargain much. Did do very good bargaining, else can get even better deals. :P
Actually 1 guy actually asked me where I open shop, haha! Shld have told him some area. haha!
Would be fun if I can open a shop in Singapore?
Went to Xi Meng Ding and Shilin Night Market and part of Danshui also.
posted by c@@lbue @ 7:18 PM
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