PART 66: Farewell to Another US Trainee & My Departure

 

 

 

JANUARY 8, SATURDAY

 

 

 

          Bayu picked me up from Surabay bus station and brought me directly to the restaurant where there will be another farewell party for their trainee bound to India (I’m sorry again I forgot her name).

 

          This was my second farewell to Aiesec University of Surabaya (US) members as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JANUARY 10, MONDAY

 

 

 

          “All my bags are packed I’m ready to go… I’m leaving on a jet plane; don’t know when I’ll be back again. Oh, babe, I hate to go…”

 

 

 

          Bayu, Fadil, Marshell & Fego delivered me to Surabaya International Airport which is just a 15 minutes ride from Fadil’s place. I got one more hour before departure.

 

          After checking in the airline counter, the Immigration Officer won’t let me in. He told me that I have to pay the Fiscal Fee of Rupia 1 Million (USD 117)!!!

 

          I called on Fadil to help me explain. We argued that I am a foreigner and fiscal fee is only for Indonesian. But he said that I stayed more than 6 months with KITAS Visa (Temporary Resident Blue Card) so I have to pay. Fadil said that a few months ago, they had a Chinese Hong Kong girl who stayed more than 6 months in Surabaya and left without paying any.

 

They checked all the references, books and laws inside the office because the man in-charge is not on-duty during that time. I said I’m running out of time, the plane might leave without me. So I ran to an atm to withdraw some cash (because I have no Rupia bills anymore, I have changed all in to US dollars already) and Fadil’s mother gave me USD100 which is no help also at this time. But I was happy that I can replace this “unexpected last-minute illogical bureaucracy expenses” with the money that Fadil’s mother gave me when I get back to manila to deposit it to my bank account.

 

 

 

          I left Indonesia with a slight grudge.