Last classes...for now

I had my last class for the week with my favourite class, the junior students. I explained to them about the visa issues. It was hard to explain that there is no visa if you want to do volunteer work and teach for free, only a visa if you want to make money. I am disappointed. I am sad to leave the monastery. I kick myself for not applying for the 3 month meditation visa in the first place, but the problem was, I only has 3 weeks left in Singapore before my job finished and my rental lease ended. I would have had to send my passport to Canberra and wait for a few weeks for them to process, possibly 4 weeks (2 weeks to process and 2 weeks in the mail each way). Then, I would not have been able to apply for a tourist visa as I needed to do that while I was still a Singaporean resident. So, at the time, the fastest way to get back here was to get a 1 month tourist visa. 

So, if I was to get a meditation visa now, I would have to first get my passport renewed (no more pages left) and then send my passport to Canberra. This would take 4 - 6 weeks. I would have to return to Singapore (this would cost at least $1000 for food, etc). I don't want to do this.

So my only option was to get a job. Now, the school is applying for a business visa for me. I must fly to Bangkok next Thursday to get it. I hope there is no problem as the only page I have left in my passport is the page opposite my photo. I'm hoping they will stick it there. Then, if all goes well, I'll have a 3 - 6 month multiple entry visa which will be renewed by the school periodically. Then, I can come back to the monastery once a week on my weekends to teach one lesson per class. 

I am so sad to leave my monks: but there was no other way.