My new and old passports are side by side.
I went to the Urban Transformation Centre to renew my passport.
The Urban Transformation Centre offers a
wide range of government services besides
renewal of passport.
The office of the Immigration Department.
You can have your photo taken here free of
charge.
My passport expired last year. As we are in the midst of a pandemic and traveling out of the country was very difficult, I decided not to renew it then. Since Sarawak has opened its doors to international travel from 1st April 2022 onwards, I renewed my passport last month.
Early last month, I went to the Urban Transformation Center to have my passport renewed. The Urban Transformation Center is a relatively new concept where government agencies offering services to the public are located in one place. It is in fact a stop center for the public to receive services from different agencies in a single location. To make it even more convenient for the public, this center is even open during the weekends and certain public holidays. Besides getting my passport renewed here, I can also renew my driving license, pay my road tax, assessment rates, and other bills as well as a wide range of other services.
The whole process of renewing my passport was a breeze, and everything was so organized despite the need to comply with SOPs. I did not even have to fill in a single form, all I had to do was to bring my expired passport. I also had my photo taken here free of charge. After about one and a half hours, my new passport was ready. Since I am considered a senior citizen, I only had to pay RM100 instead of RM150 for my new passport which is valid for 5 years. This is one of the perks of growing old.
Now that my passport has been renewed, I faced a dilemma. After two years of not being able to leave my country, should I travel now when the world is just opening or should I wait a while 9and see what happens) and only leave the country next year?
My daughter works in a factory and it so happens that during the Gawai (Dayak New Year) holidays in June, the factory is scheduled for a shut down for maintenance works. The timing is perfect as this also means that my wife need not take too many days of leave. We have more or less planned for a holiday in Thailand as it is not too far away. The only decision left to be made was to either visit Phuket or Chiangmai. My daughter has not been to both places.
If I were to follow my heart, I would immediately pack my bags and go in June. I have been stuck in Sarawak and I have been itching to go for a holiday overseas. If I am planning to travel in the future it might as well be earlier rather than later. I won't have to worry about making plans for next year and will not miss out on other opportunities that come up between now and next year.
If I were to follow my brain (the rational and logical part of me), then there will be other issues to consider. The main issue is to leave my autistic son Jonathan at home. We already have a housekeeper and she will be able to take good care of Jonathan. However, if we were to be quarantined for example, then Jonathan would be left at home for an extended period of time.
The other thing is traveling and going for holidays is now more stressful compared to previously. The pandemic is not really over yet and there is a possibility that the situation may get worse in the future.
It all boils down to us. Will we be able to fully enjoy our holidays without worrying about Jonathan who is at home or about the pandemic getting worse?
After much deliberation, we came to a decision that is a compromise. We will fly and have a holiday, but our holiday will be in Malaysia itself. Therefore in June, we will be flying off to Penang, Ipoh, and Pangkor Island. It is also good to discover our own backyard and be domestic tourists. I am looking forward to this trip and will share my adventures here.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASEAN Hive Community
The ASEAN Community is founded by the hardworking 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Follow me and stay positive.
Look me up at You Tube
Please watch my previous videos.
Motivational Quotes On Life And Success
Wednesday Motivation: Short Quotes On Family That Remind How Blessed We Are
Short Quotes To Inspire You To Lead A Healthy Lifestyle
Short Quotes To Inspire You To Be Kind
The Gifts Of Caring, Acceptance, Love and Appreciation
Spreading positivity one post at a time.
Charles
Connect with me on Facebook
If you like my writing please up-vote, share and comment. Please help me to spread the message of positivity and support on Hive by re-blogging this post.
-You might not enjoy yourself as much because of all your worries about getting back home on time. You'll be stressed out about missing planes or trains and making sure that everything goes smoothly