It happened! The visa was approved! What a relief!
It's been a hard 7 1/2 months waiting for this visa to come through. I've had difficulties with jobs, stress, fear, loneliness and isolation. A big part of the whole horror of this process was that I gave the immigration department my blog address as part of our relationship evidence. What I didn't realize until later was that by giving them my blog address, I would have to self-censor this place--my place. My place for self expression.
Out of fear that they would deny me the visa if they knew how unhappy and dissatisfied I am with life in Australia, I decided to either post relatively neutral posts (I tried but usually failed) or say nothing at all. Which is why I went so many weeks without saying anything.
Life here has been hard and so many of you will never know the extent of it. It's not just the finances. I would say my number one problem with Australia is the people and for that reason, we will probably leave. Soon. As in, likely before January. I'm not 100% sure where we will go. I've been working on my visa documents for Korea since August and they're almost ready. We also applied for jobs in Japan back in September with ECC and have been put into a pool of accepted teachers waiting for placement offers.
But the main thing is that I don't have to keep silent in solitary confinement anymore. It's been hard. I haven't made any close friends here at all save one German exchange student who left Sydney and returned home a year ago. Instead, I've met a lot of really "nice" people. "Nice" as in, not really interested in knowing you or being your friend but will happily pretend they're interested as long as it doesn't require too much effort. When I tried to reach out here on my blog, watering down my feelings of isolation for immigration but still looking for some support, I got a surprising range of responses: a bit of loving encouragement, a bit of ambivalence, a bit of denial, a bit of hope, a bit of "you should just get happy," and even one glorious piece of hate mail.
Thanks so much to those of you who knew what was really going on and stood by with a metaphorical arm around my shoulder. I can't thank you enough. I'm not sure how much I'll be blogging here anymore but I'll try to post the random update here and there so you at least know what's happening for the next few months.
Ciao my faithful readers!
Showing posts with label visas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label visas. Show all posts
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Catching Up
Sorry I've been such an absent blogger. A lot has happened in the last few weeks and yet at the same time, not much has happened either. Let me explain.
Work: My current visa status only allows me to work up to 6 months with any one employer and so I had to quit both my jobs earlier this month in order to avoid deportation and fines. I didn't really expect much but my two employers gave me such warm and loving good bye parties that it made me feel like maybe I did fit in after all. CRG wrote me a very nice reference letter and gave it to me along with a delicious cake, book I wanted to read on Feng Shui and some very nice bath stuff from Body Works. Not to mention they gave me a very nice speech and told me all the work I've done there on their marketing materials has actually helped them land and retain contracts--one of them being a multi-million dollar deal. Apparently the CEO of this international pharmaceutical company was very impressed and even mentioned he would like to do the same sort of thing for his company! It was a sad day to leave though and they kept telling me that as soon as my visa is approved to please, please call them--they want me back! That sort of praise really lifted me up and made me feel good for a whole week.
My other job at Thomson Reuters was a sweet parting as well. Since my team there was really small (three of us), I invited out almost everyone I knew for a farewell lunch so it wouldn't seem so empty. And it was glorious. We had a beautiful Cambodian/Thai lunch and afterwards they gave me a cake shaped like a dog (laso apso to be exact) and a beautiful card wishing me well. I went around and thanked everyone personally before packing up my desk and leaving my final instructions for the next temp. It was a sad parting because I'd been there off and on for almost a year and had grown really close to my boss, Alysia, in that time. When I felt like I had no friends, seeing her at work reminded me that I do. Even though it wasn't always easy working there, being gone has shown me a little hole is left in it's place.
Housing: Since I was no longer working and was free to scour real estate sites, Jeremy and I decided it was time to start looking again for a new apartment. We abandoned our search a few months back after repeatedly failed attempts to secure a home but it felt like the right time to look again and since I had all this free time, it would make moving easier. So, last weekend we started house hunting. It was a long, long day of walking for hours all over the Inner West. We saw 8 properties and applied for 4 before collapsing on the couch with blistering feet (me).
This week we heard back from one of the agents notifying us we didn't get the property (it was actually the one we really wanted) and so I headed out yesterday to see more. I was waiting for the agent at a complex in Kirribilli (with harbour views!!) when Jeremy called to tell me we were approved for one! In fact, the one we were approved for is about a 3-5 minute walk from our current place! Obviously we accepted and on the 13th, we'll pick up the keys to our new palace! It's not quite a palace but it is a bit bigger with two balconies and a window in the shower which means less mold! Yay! We put in our deposit on Friday and then it's time to start packing! I can't wait to move!
Visas: Nothing has happened. Did I mention before that I was once told I had a case officer sometime back in June? Well, turns out that was a farce which was quite the surprise for me--I had her name, phone number and email address given to me from the immigration department! When I never heard from her after several months, I decided to call up immigration and I've since learned that in the 6 months since I applied for my partner visa, nothing has happened. Absolutely nothing. They gave me the usual spiel about how it takes 6-9 months to process visa applications and that I'll have to wait until 9 months has passed to escalate the issue. The most annoying part though is that I have no direct contact with whom I can talk to. It's a real pain. It's keeping my whole life on hold. I can't get permanent work, I can't go to school, I can't leave the country and I can barely find work at all. But more so, it hurts Jeremy too because it puts an unfair financial burden on him and keeps him from returning to school as well. I wish some consideration was put into the lives of the people applying--especially considering that we've all paid $2,500 to apply for this stupid thing! We're going to stick it out but I'll admit, sometimes I wonder if it was ever worth applying...
Looking for Work: I've had a weird past two weeks of job hunting. First, I interviewed for a manager's position for a Santa photography set in the mall this Christmas. I actually applied for this same position last year and was even offered it--but the offer came the day after I accepted a different job and even signed the contract. This year though, I am definitely taking the job. I got the call Monday with the offer which wasn't unexpected but definitely appreciated. I'm really excited that this is actually a job as a photographer (even if it's just Santa stuff) and that it's a management position in sales which means I could probably break into retail as a second in charge with relative ease after this (a very good segue position). The downside: it doesn't start until the last week in October which means I've still got three weeks on my hands. It's unlikely that I'll get any work in that time because most people want someone for a month or at least someone available for a month's work. But I'm trying to look at it positively: I'll have plenty of time to pack and move all our junk up the road and I'll be able to take advantage of the pre-searing heat known as "Sydney Summer" by galavanting around the city on small adventures.
Before I got the job though, I also got a call from the recruitment agency I work for asking me if I'd like to work for them as a recruiter. Now, I've always been fairly suspicious about their business practices and not so appreciative of their customer service skills, so I was already fairly certain I wouldn't take the job but I went in for an interview anyway. The result? The manager, whom I've spoken on the phone with many times, was exactly as I expected her to be: aggressive, defensive, domineering and a bit pushy. She was everything I've known her to be on the phone just in a power suit. She continued to tell me how hard the job is, that it takes serious drive and dedication, that it'll be long hours (generally 7 am - 7 pm) and fast paced. The hours were my most obvious concern (I do have a life, you know) and so when I asked about the compensation, she refused to tell. She said she would tell me the salary if I was successful as an applicant. Ha! I thanked her for her time and left. No way would I seriously apply for a job with those sort of hours without first knowing the pay! Ridiculous... Not surprisingly, my new recruiter who came two months ago quit on Friday. I remember actually saying in my interview that it sounded like the sort of job with a high turn over rate and she tried to tell me no, that most stay for 3-4 years... Whatever. It was the sort of interview like the one I had from Curves where they weren't seriously considering me but just wanted to sell me a membership!
Adventuring: We don't actually get out too much but we do love trying new restaurants! A couple weekends ago, Owen and Rachel took us to this glorious Lebanese place out in the middle of nowhere (Greenacre) where I seriously had the most amazing food of my life. No joke and no exaggeration. It was that good. Which got me thinking: I need to blog about some of these awesome eateries here because Sydney is an awesome city to eat out in. Seriously, Aussies love food and there is such a large migrant population in Sydney that you can find some really great authentic dishes easily. So that will be up next--along with my super cool birthday weekend adventure!
Family: I haven't asked but I hope no one minds me talking about this on my blog--Jeremy's sister is having a baby! Karen is a couple years older than me and is due in February. We just found two weeks ago that she's having a boy (her preference) and everyone is excited! It's a huge blessing because she lost a baby just a few months before this little miracle came along and we are all so grateful that he's healthy and growing strong. Doug, Karen's fiance, is a tall, tall man--as in 6.5ft--and so far it's looking like this boy's going to be big too! Can't wait to finally be around for a birth! I missed the births of Ally (niece), Mason (nephew), McKenna (niece) and Serenity (niece) because I've been away but hopefully this time I'll be around!
So, as you can see, I haven't exactly been busy but a lot has happened. I'll try to keep everyone updated over the next month because there will definitely be stuff to write about--birthdays, adventures, moving, starting a new job and a few other little surprises. :)
Work: My current visa status only allows me to work up to 6 months with any one employer and so I had to quit both my jobs earlier this month in order to avoid deportation and fines. I didn't really expect much but my two employers gave me such warm and loving good bye parties that it made me feel like maybe I did fit in after all. CRG wrote me a very nice reference letter and gave it to me along with a delicious cake, book I wanted to read on Feng Shui and some very nice bath stuff from Body Works. Not to mention they gave me a very nice speech and told me all the work I've done there on their marketing materials has actually helped them land and retain contracts--one of them being a multi-million dollar deal. Apparently the CEO of this international pharmaceutical company was very impressed and even mentioned he would like to do the same sort of thing for his company! It was a sad day to leave though and they kept telling me that as soon as my visa is approved to please, please call them--they want me back! That sort of praise really lifted me up and made me feel good for a whole week.
My other job at Thomson Reuters was a sweet parting as well. Since my team there was really small (three of us), I invited out almost everyone I knew for a farewell lunch so it wouldn't seem so empty. And it was glorious. We had a beautiful Cambodian/Thai lunch and afterwards they gave me a cake shaped like a dog (laso apso to be exact) and a beautiful card wishing me well. I went around and thanked everyone personally before packing up my desk and leaving my final instructions for the next temp. It was a sad parting because I'd been there off and on for almost a year and had grown really close to my boss, Alysia, in that time. When I felt like I had no friends, seeing her at work reminded me that I do. Even though it wasn't always easy working there, being gone has shown me a little hole is left in it's place.
Housing: Since I was no longer working and was free to scour real estate sites, Jeremy and I decided it was time to start looking again for a new apartment. We abandoned our search a few months back after repeatedly failed attempts to secure a home but it felt like the right time to look again and since I had all this free time, it would make moving easier. So, last weekend we started house hunting. It was a long, long day of walking for hours all over the Inner West. We saw 8 properties and applied for 4 before collapsing on the couch with blistering feet (me).
This week we heard back from one of the agents notifying us we didn't get the property (it was actually the one we really wanted) and so I headed out yesterday to see more. I was waiting for the agent at a complex in Kirribilli (with harbour views!!) when Jeremy called to tell me we were approved for one! In fact, the one we were approved for is about a 3-5 minute walk from our current place! Obviously we accepted and on the 13th, we'll pick up the keys to our new palace! It's not quite a palace but it is a bit bigger with two balconies and a window in the shower which means less mold! Yay! We put in our deposit on Friday and then it's time to start packing! I can't wait to move!
Visas: Nothing has happened. Did I mention before that I was once told I had a case officer sometime back in June? Well, turns out that was a farce which was quite the surprise for me--I had her name, phone number and email address given to me from the immigration department! When I never heard from her after several months, I decided to call up immigration and I've since learned that in the 6 months since I applied for my partner visa, nothing has happened. Absolutely nothing. They gave me the usual spiel about how it takes 6-9 months to process visa applications and that I'll have to wait until 9 months has passed to escalate the issue. The most annoying part though is that I have no direct contact with whom I can talk to. It's a real pain. It's keeping my whole life on hold. I can't get permanent work, I can't go to school, I can't leave the country and I can barely find work at all. But more so, it hurts Jeremy too because it puts an unfair financial burden on him and keeps him from returning to school as well. I wish some consideration was put into the lives of the people applying--especially considering that we've all paid $2,500 to apply for this stupid thing! We're going to stick it out but I'll admit, sometimes I wonder if it was ever worth applying...
Looking for Work: I've had a weird past two weeks of job hunting. First, I interviewed for a manager's position for a Santa photography set in the mall this Christmas. I actually applied for this same position last year and was even offered it--but the offer came the day after I accepted a different job and even signed the contract. This year though, I am definitely taking the job. I got the call Monday with the offer which wasn't unexpected but definitely appreciated. I'm really excited that this is actually a job as a photographer (even if it's just Santa stuff) and that it's a management position in sales which means I could probably break into retail as a second in charge with relative ease after this (a very good segue position). The downside: it doesn't start until the last week in October which means I've still got three weeks on my hands. It's unlikely that I'll get any work in that time because most people want someone for a month or at least someone available for a month's work. But I'm trying to look at it positively: I'll have plenty of time to pack and move all our junk up the road and I'll be able to take advantage of the pre-searing heat known as "Sydney Summer" by galavanting around the city on small adventures.
Before I got the job though, I also got a call from the recruitment agency I work for asking me if I'd like to work for them as a recruiter. Now, I've always been fairly suspicious about their business practices and not so appreciative of their customer service skills, so I was already fairly certain I wouldn't take the job but I went in for an interview anyway. The result? The manager, whom I've spoken on the phone with many times, was exactly as I expected her to be: aggressive, defensive, domineering and a bit pushy. She was everything I've known her to be on the phone just in a power suit. She continued to tell me how hard the job is, that it takes serious drive and dedication, that it'll be long hours (generally 7 am - 7 pm) and fast paced. The hours were my most obvious concern (I do have a life, you know) and so when I asked about the compensation, she refused to tell. She said she would tell me the salary if I was successful as an applicant. Ha! I thanked her for her time and left. No way would I seriously apply for a job with those sort of hours without first knowing the pay! Ridiculous... Not surprisingly, my new recruiter who came two months ago quit on Friday. I remember actually saying in my interview that it sounded like the sort of job with a high turn over rate and she tried to tell me no, that most stay for 3-4 years... Whatever. It was the sort of interview like the one I had from Curves where they weren't seriously considering me but just wanted to sell me a membership!
Adventuring: We don't actually get out too much but we do love trying new restaurants! A couple weekends ago, Owen and Rachel took us to this glorious Lebanese place out in the middle of nowhere (Greenacre) where I seriously had the most amazing food of my life. No joke and no exaggeration. It was that good. Which got me thinking: I need to blog about some of these awesome eateries here because Sydney is an awesome city to eat out in. Seriously, Aussies love food and there is such a large migrant population in Sydney that you can find some really great authentic dishes easily. So that will be up next--along with my super cool birthday weekend adventure!
Family: I haven't asked but I hope no one minds me talking about this on my blog--Jeremy's sister is having a baby! Karen is a couple years older than me and is due in February. We just found two weeks ago that she's having a boy (her preference) and everyone is excited! It's a huge blessing because she lost a baby just a few months before this little miracle came along and we are all so grateful that he's healthy and growing strong. Doug, Karen's fiance, is a tall, tall man--as in 6.5ft--and so far it's looking like this boy's going to be big too! Can't wait to finally be around for a birth! I missed the births of Ally (niece), Mason (nephew), McKenna (niece) and Serenity (niece) because I've been away but hopefully this time I'll be around!
So, as you can see, I haven't exactly been busy but a lot has happened. I'll try to keep everyone updated over the next month because there will definitely be stuff to write about--birthdays, adventures, moving, starting a new job and a few other little surprises. :)
Friday, September 3, 2010
Back on the Job Hunt
It's that time again!! (You can't tell, but that exclamation is DRIPPING with sarcasm.)
I finished my last day at CRG yesterday. It was sad. I really liked the people I worked with there and they really liked me. I wasn't sure up until yesterday but they gave me a really nice going away party with the world's most delicious chocolate cake, a book and a nice bath set from the Body Shop. And the general manager even made a nice speech about me and how I'd added value to the company and helped them win back some major pharmaceutical company contracts. It was a good way to go.
Why am I going? It's complicated but I'll try to explain. My first visa in Australia was a Working Holiday visa which allowed me to stay for a year and work up to 6 months in any work place (ie. I can work for 6 months at CRG and simultaneously 6 months at Thomson Reuters and then do another 6 months somewhere else if I want to). Just before that visa expired, we submitted an application for a Temporary Partner visa which essentially means I'm become Jeremy's common law wife and he remains my sponsor. However, that visa application is still in processing and yet to be approved and so, in the meantime, I am on a Bridging Visa (type A).
What is that? A Bridging Visa does as it says--holds you over during processing until your next visa comes through. It carries all the work rights of your previous visa which, in my case, is the Working Holiday visa. So, even though I'm not technically on that visa anymore, I'm still restricted as though I were.
So, having been at CRG for 6 months, I had to quit lest I break my visa restrictions (and risk deportation). Same goes for Thomson Reuters though my last day there isn't for a couple more weeks.
Thus, the hunt begins. I've already turned in a few applications and I need to do more, but we'll see what happens. It's hard to find the energy to keep trying when you've had such rotten luck in the past.
I finished my last day at CRG yesterday. It was sad. I really liked the people I worked with there and they really liked me. I wasn't sure up until yesterday but they gave me a really nice going away party with the world's most delicious chocolate cake, a book and a nice bath set from the Body Shop. And the general manager even made a nice speech about me and how I'd added value to the company and helped them win back some major pharmaceutical company contracts. It was a good way to go.
Why am I going? It's complicated but I'll try to explain. My first visa in Australia was a Working Holiday visa which allowed me to stay for a year and work up to 6 months in any work place (ie. I can work for 6 months at CRG and simultaneously 6 months at Thomson Reuters and then do another 6 months somewhere else if I want to). Just before that visa expired, we submitted an application for a Temporary Partner visa which essentially means I'm become Jeremy's common law wife and he remains my sponsor. However, that visa application is still in processing and yet to be approved and so, in the meantime, I am on a Bridging Visa (type A).
What is that? A Bridging Visa does as it says--holds you over during processing until your next visa comes through. It carries all the work rights of your previous visa which, in my case, is the Working Holiday visa. So, even though I'm not technically on that visa anymore, I'm still restricted as though I were.
So, having been at CRG for 6 months, I had to quit lest I break my visa restrictions (and risk deportation). Same goes for Thomson Reuters though my last day there isn't for a couple more weeks.
Thus, the hunt begins. I've already turned in a few applications and I need to do more, but we'll see what happens. It's hard to find the energy to keep trying when you've had such rotten luck in the past.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Visa Updates
My application has been received and later today I will have my visa health check. From what I can tell, all it entails is a chest x-ray and me answering a few questions. Nothing too exciting but your well wishes are appreciated none the less.
Hopefully this visa is granted quickly because I really want to go home and we are (surprisingly) close to having all the money we need to purchase tickets! One of the stipulations of the bridging visa is that you can't leave the country until your status has been resolved (lest you wish to forgo any and all work you've done up to that point) which means we can't buy tickets, even if the flights are six months in advance. It's unlikely that the visa processing will take that long but it's certainly not unheard of and I'm not taking any chances.
I'm also quite anxious to start looking for full time work! Even though temping is varied and interesting, I would really like a bit more consistency. Not knowing if I'll have a paycheck in a couple weeks scares me (which is why I pay my student loans 3 months in advance) and stresses me out to the point where I'm grumpy and jumpy. Just another reason to get this visa stuff done quickly!
Hopefully this visa is granted quickly because I really want to go home and we are (surprisingly) close to having all the money we need to purchase tickets! One of the stipulations of the bridging visa is that you can't leave the country until your status has been resolved (lest you wish to forgo any and all work you've done up to that point) which means we can't buy tickets, even if the flights are six months in advance. It's unlikely that the visa processing will take that long but it's certainly not unheard of and I'm not taking any chances.
I'm also quite anxious to start looking for full time work! Even though temping is varied and interesting, I would really like a bit more consistency. Not knowing if I'll have a paycheck in a couple weeks scares me (which is why I pay my student loans 3 months in advance) and stresses me out to the point where I'm grumpy and jumpy. Just another reason to get this visa stuff done quickly!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Tales from the Seven Seas
Update on my Grandma
A few more bits of bad news: my grandma's doctors have returned with test results. The prognosis: a Granulosa-Theca Cell tumor. Treatment for this kind of cancer is almost always surgery however my grandma just had sugery about 6 months ago to remove tumors and her doctors don't think she can handle another so soon. So, they'll be doing more tests this week to find out how fast the tumor is growing. Please keep praying for us.
A Temp-ting Opportunity
I've been working this week at ThomsonReuters (which is where Jeremy works) and have found myself more challenged than I previously expected. I really wasn't sure what I going in to when I said yes to the position because it was just described as "administrative assistant" but I've since learned that I'm doing quite a bit of web work and html coding. FYI: I don't do web work or html. No better time to learn though, right?! It's been a challenging week as my supervisor wasn't really ready to train me once I started and then she had to unexpectedly leave halfway through my second day and I ended up doing the entire third day on my own. Wahhh! It was a bit stressful and extremely slow going because I was trying to figure everything out on my own. I had angry phone calls from clients who we disatisfied with their listing and wanted it fixed (ha, that was fun to figure out!), we ran out of purchase orders, I found several inaccuracies in our web holdings, and I ran out of work all together on Wendnesday. I keep repeating in my head, "Sink or swim. Sink or swim. Damn it, I'm gonna swim!" I'm glad to say that I did figure it out and somehow managed to work through nearly everything I had to do yesterday (even if it was slow going). Let's hope next week goes better!
The Future's so Bright...
This week I had an interview for a managerial position with Scene to Believe which operates Santa Photography kiosks in malls throughout November and December. Much to my delight, the interview went really well and I feel confident I'll get the job. It'll be full time, 6 day a week work managing a team of about 5 people and it should be fun! I'm super excited about the opportunity to be working in photography even if I'm not going to be the photographer. :) I'm also supposed to hear back from Mission Australia about my application for employment with them--I hope that works out too! I would be full time for atleast the next 6 months but I imagine that would be extended as soon as I get my temporary visa approved...
Will I be able to shop with this? Speaking of visas, I haven't said it yet just because I've been busy and still trying to wrap my head around it, but Jeremy's parents loaned us the money to pay for the visa application and the taxes. It really is such a blessing and has taken quite a bit of worry off our minds. We've already been talking with the immigration office about what we need and today (assuming I'm on top of things!) I'll be ordering my background checks, finishing the application, contacting our references, and starting my statement regarding our relationship. There is A LOT of work to do but I hope that we can get it all in by the end of the month--wouldn't that be great?
Visitors
A couple weeks ago, we had Jeremy's dad over for the night while he was in Sydney for some reunions. It was really great to see him and spend some time catching up and eating delicious food! He took us out to a great restaurant in Sydney for what is undoubtably the BEST meal I've ever had. Wow. Amazing. It was also pretty cool to hear his dad call me his son's "fiance." I mean, we haven't been referring to ourselves as engaged but I guess that is essentially what we are. It's just wonderful to be accepted as a part of his family, to be seen as a serious couple, and to feel like this life we want to make together has already begun. What an exciting time!
Free Photos!
I recently posted an add on Gumtree (the Australian CraigsList equivilant) offering my photography skills for free in order to get some new stuff into my portfolio as well as some valuable contacts. Man, I feel like a stinking genious! I have has such a HUGE response from people: models, landscapers, athletes, people graduating, mothers who want pictures of their kids, local artists, musicians, and the best one is for a local business man who runs some city cruises on his 1918 colonial-style ship! Ahhh!! I am SO EXCITED about all of this! My first shoot is tomorrow with a couple of girls who need some new modeling shots for their portfolios and then I have some more set up for next weekend. This is going to be great. Honestly. I'm getting good exposure, going to have my stuff displayed on websites, making some good, professional contacts, building good references, getting some free stuff, and having fun! I'm also getting some free training and experience with professionals who need assistants. I seriously feel so proud of myself for coming up with such a good idea. I can't say all of the responses have been good though... I have had a few requests for porn photos and such. Ick. Even though I got a good response for awesome opportunities, I also got a good reminder that there are lots of sick people out there on the internet... Hopefully I'll be posting some cool photos in the near future.
When the Dust Settles
I'm not sure if you've heard (Australia is pretty removed from everything) but two days ago we had a giant dust storm roll through the city, leaving the entire place covered in orange and red particles. It was so strange... Jeremy called me to the door shortly after we work up telling me that everything was orange outside. And sure enough, it was. The whole city was covered in the dust which had blown across the state from South Australia and south-west New South Whales where a major drought has left the red earth prime for a big gust of wind. It all cleared up by mid afternoon but for the majority of the day it felt like a scene from War of the Worlds. You better believe that car wash companies are making big sales this weekend!! But aside from Sydney's crazy dust storm, there was also some wild weather elsewhere in Australia. That night, there were wind storms, bush fires, tornadoes, earthquakes (especially odd since Australia isn't really on top of any fault lines and doesn't have any volcanoes), thunderstorms, and massive rain fall. What a crazy planet!!
Here's a photo of the street outside from the orange morning. Unfortunately--of all days!--I had to work Wednesday morning and wasn't able to go out and take some really good photos of the crazy weather. But this gives you an idea of what it was like.
A few more bits of bad news: my grandma's doctors have returned with test results. The prognosis: a Granulosa-Theca Cell tumor. Treatment for this kind of cancer is almost always surgery however my grandma just had sugery about 6 months ago to remove tumors and her doctors don't think she can handle another so soon. So, they'll be doing more tests this week to find out how fast the tumor is growing. Please keep praying for us.
A Temp-ting Opportunity
I've been working this week at ThomsonReuters (which is where Jeremy works) and have found myself more challenged than I previously expected. I really wasn't sure what I going in to when I said yes to the position because it was just described as "administrative assistant" but I've since learned that I'm doing quite a bit of web work and html coding. FYI: I don't do web work or html. No better time to learn though, right?! It's been a challenging week as my supervisor wasn't really ready to train me once I started and then she had to unexpectedly leave halfway through my second day and I ended up doing the entire third day on my own. Wahhh! It was a bit stressful and extremely slow going because I was trying to figure everything out on my own. I had angry phone calls from clients who we disatisfied with their listing and wanted it fixed (ha, that was fun to figure out!), we ran out of purchase orders, I found several inaccuracies in our web holdings, and I ran out of work all together on Wendnesday. I keep repeating in my head, "Sink or swim. Sink or swim. Damn it, I'm gonna swim!" I'm glad to say that I did figure it out and somehow managed to work through nearly everything I had to do yesterday (even if it was slow going). Let's hope next week goes better!
The Future's so Bright...
This week I had an interview for a managerial position with Scene to Believe which operates Santa Photography kiosks in malls throughout November and December. Much to my delight, the interview went really well and I feel confident I'll get the job. It'll be full time, 6 day a week work managing a team of about 5 people and it should be fun! I'm super excited about the opportunity to be working in photography even if I'm not going to be the photographer. :) I'm also supposed to hear back from Mission Australia about my application for employment with them--I hope that works out too! I would be full time for atleast the next 6 months but I imagine that would be extended as soon as I get my temporary visa approved...
Will I be able to shop with this? Speaking of visas, I haven't said it yet just because I've been busy and still trying to wrap my head around it, but Jeremy's parents loaned us the money to pay for the visa application and the taxes. It really is such a blessing and has taken quite a bit of worry off our minds. We've already been talking with the immigration office about what we need and today (assuming I'm on top of things!) I'll be ordering my background checks, finishing the application, contacting our references, and starting my statement regarding our relationship. There is A LOT of work to do but I hope that we can get it all in by the end of the month--wouldn't that be great?
Visitors
A couple weeks ago, we had Jeremy's dad over for the night while he was in Sydney for some reunions. It was really great to see him and spend some time catching up and eating delicious food! He took us out to a great restaurant in Sydney for what is undoubtably the BEST meal I've ever had. Wow. Amazing. It was also pretty cool to hear his dad call me his son's "fiance." I mean, we haven't been referring to ourselves as engaged but I guess that is essentially what we are. It's just wonderful to be accepted as a part of his family, to be seen as a serious couple, and to feel like this life we want to make together has already begun. What an exciting time!
Free Photos!
I recently posted an add on Gumtree (the Australian CraigsList equivilant) offering my photography skills for free in order to get some new stuff into my portfolio as well as some valuable contacts. Man, I feel like a stinking genious! I have has such a HUGE response from people: models, landscapers, athletes, people graduating, mothers who want pictures of their kids, local artists, musicians, and the best one is for a local business man who runs some city cruises on his 1918 colonial-style ship! Ahhh!! I am SO EXCITED about all of this! My first shoot is tomorrow with a couple of girls who need some new modeling shots for their portfolios and then I have some more set up for next weekend. This is going to be great. Honestly. I'm getting good exposure, going to have my stuff displayed on websites, making some good, professional contacts, building good references, getting some free stuff, and having fun! I'm also getting some free training and experience with professionals who need assistants. I seriously feel so proud of myself for coming up with such a good idea. I can't say all of the responses have been good though... I have had a few requests for porn photos and such. Ick. Even though I got a good response for awesome opportunities, I also got a good reminder that there are lots of sick people out there on the internet... Hopefully I'll be posting some cool photos in the near future.
When the Dust Settles
I'm not sure if you've heard (Australia is pretty removed from everything) but two days ago we had a giant dust storm roll through the city, leaving the entire place covered in orange and red particles. It was so strange... Jeremy called me to the door shortly after we work up telling me that everything was orange outside. And sure enough, it was. The whole city was covered in the dust which had blown across the state from South Australia and south-west New South Whales where a major drought has left the red earth prime for a big gust of wind. It all cleared up by mid afternoon but for the majority of the day it felt like a scene from War of the Worlds. You better believe that car wash companies are making big sales this weekend!! But aside from Sydney's crazy dust storm, there was also some wild weather elsewhere in Australia. That night, there were wind storms, bush fires, tornadoes, earthquakes (especially odd since Australia isn't really on top of any fault lines and doesn't have any volcanoes), thunderstorms, and massive rain fall. What a crazy planet!!
Here's a photo of the street outside from the orange morning. Unfortunately--of all days!--I had to work Wednesday morning and wasn't able to go out and take some really good photos of the crazy weather. But this gives you an idea of what it was like.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Headlines of late...
WE'VE BEEN ROBBED!!!!
Yes, the unthinkable! Lucky for us, nothing of significant value was stolen, just those precious mementos. We didn't even realize it had happened until nearly a week or two had passed. We've narrowed the incident down to the location (The Top Inn off Khao San Road in Bangkok) but are a little fuzzy on which night it occured. The thief took our souvenir money from each country on our trip (but only the bills--not the change) as well as J's Swiss Army knife. It's particuarly unfortunate because Jeremy has had that knife since grade school when he was in Scouts. It has been with him for many years and has lots of memories attached to it. He was pretty upset to see it was gone. He noticed it was out of place a few days ago when he couldn't find it but just assumed it was lost in the black-hole backpack. But when we both had to unpack and re-pack all our stuff the other night due to ant problems, we discoved these things missing. Luckily, the entire time we were in Bangkok we kept our day packs on us which carry all of our valuables and electronics. But who knows if the thief would have been smart enough to take them had we left them anyway. They passed on his binoculars and camp stove and other expensive items but went straight for the money (of which most are controlled currencies and can't be exchanged except in a few countries). There were no signs of a break-in though and the hall had a video camera just outside the door. We guessing perhaps house keeping was involved. We intend to make a report of it with the hotel but of course don't expect anything to come of it. But for future reference: don't stay at The Top Inn!!
SLOW Chang
Jeremy and I just left the island of Ko Chang yesterday after 4 days of bliss in the sun (with few bliss-ters). We stayed in a pretty rustic bungalow just off the beach and ate better there than at anytime on our entire trip: salad bar, ginger and sesame eggs for breakfast, corn on the cobb, and the BEST chicken shish kebab barbeque! YUM! We were there for Valentine's day too and spent the evening watching a fire dance show on the beach and chilling out with a live DJ. Jeremy built several sand castles (one of which was destoryed by a little Irish girl who did a belly flop on it--photo to come later) and I burried him in the sand, making him into the shape of a mermaid. :) So funny!!
No-man's Land (between countries)
After leaving Ko Chang, we headed out into the unknown for the Cambodia-Thailand border crossing at Pailin. We had heard this one is less used and that the Cambodian border officers were a lot nicer (read: less corrupt) so we took our chances. We ended up in a mini-buss from Chonaburi filled with Thais who fed us fruit and asked us lots of questions. When asked if we met on this passed Valentine's Day, Jeremy said, "No, I love her long time!" (a common phrase used among Thai prositutes). Everyone laughed. :) At the border, the driver just kind of dumped us all at the immigration post and took off without pay. I thought he was going to pick us up on the other side but he wasn't there and I guess we got a free 300 Baht mini-bus ride. I feel a little bad about it though... They were so nice... More good luck: the border officer tried to tell us the visa was $25 when it's actually $20; we called his bluff and got away with it. The rest was smooth sailing.
When the Dust Settles...
The difference between Thailand and Cambodia is immidiate and schocking. At the Thai immigration office there are concrete buildings with windows and queues. At the Cambodia immigration office there is a shack with wood benches, no windows, a cot, and a map on the wall from before the Khmer Rouge. On the Thai side is pavement and people drive on the left side. On the Cambodian side there is dirt and people drive on the right. But the biggest difference is the dust--orange dust that covers everything. Not even the trees are green. Dogs are orange and white cars are a myth. Even with the windows up, we were still eating dust in our taxi from Pailin to Battambang. And the road was terrible!! Poor Jeremy nearly lost his lunch in the car while bouncing up and down through pot-holes, trenches, over rocks, and through the weeds (yes, this taxi ride included a little off-roading as well). 90 kilometers later we tumbled into Battambang and Jeremy spent the rest of the night puking in the bathroom. Turns out he wasn't just car sick. I felt so bad for him. He was miserable all night and our room was super hot up on the fourth floor of our hotel. But he's feeling better today and hopefully we'll make it out to Siam Reap tomorrow.
A lesson in Smokin' Pot
Today we took a Khmer and Thai cooking course at a restaurant called Smokin' Pot. (What were you thinking? ;) ) Everything was fun from the trip to the market to buy our fresh ingredients to Jeremy's stove catching on fire (the chef helped us put it out). For a paltry $8 each, we got to make 3 Khmer dishes and a take home recipe book. Hopefully there will be a Cambodian dish on the menu at Chez Kortney soon!! Sadly, Jeremy was still feeling a little too sick to enjoy his food but I'll vouch: it's delicious!!
Yes, the unthinkable! Lucky for us, nothing of significant value was stolen, just those precious mementos. We didn't even realize it had happened until nearly a week or two had passed. We've narrowed the incident down to the location (The Top Inn off Khao San Road in Bangkok) but are a little fuzzy on which night it occured. The thief took our souvenir money from each country on our trip (but only the bills--not the change) as well as J's Swiss Army knife. It's particuarly unfortunate because Jeremy has had that knife since grade school when he was in Scouts. It has been with him for many years and has lots of memories attached to it. He was pretty upset to see it was gone. He noticed it was out of place a few days ago when he couldn't find it but just assumed it was lost in the black-hole backpack. But when we both had to unpack and re-pack all our stuff the other night due to ant problems, we discoved these things missing. Luckily, the entire time we were in Bangkok we kept our day packs on us which carry all of our valuables and electronics. But who knows if the thief would have been smart enough to take them had we left them anyway. They passed on his binoculars and camp stove and other expensive items but went straight for the money (of which most are controlled currencies and can't be exchanged except in a few countries). There were no signs of a break-in though and the hall had a video camera just outside the door. We guessing perhaps house keeping was involved. We intend to make a report of it with the hotel but of course don't expect anything to come of it. But for future reference: don't stay at The Top Inn!!
SLOW Chang
Jeremy and I just left the island of Ko Chang yesterday after 4 days of bliss in the sun (with few bliss-ters). We stayed in a pretty rustic bungalow just off the beach and ate better there than at anytime on our entire trip: salad bar, ginger and sesame eggs for breakfast, corn on the cobb, and the BEST chicken shish kebab barbeque! YUM! We were there for Valentine's day too and spent the evening watching a fire dance show on the beach and chilling out with a live DJ. Jeremy built several sand castles (one of which was destoryed by a little Irish girl who did a belly flop on it--photo to come later) and I burried him in the sand, making him into the shape of a mermaid. :) So funny!!
No-man's Land (between countries)
After leaving Ko Chang, we headed out into the unknown for the Cambodia-Thailand border crossing at Pailin. We had heard this one is less used and that the Cambodian border officers were a lot nicer (read: less corrupt) so we took our chances. We ended up in a mini-buss from Chonaburi filled with Thais who fed us fruit and asked us lots of questions. When asked if we met on this passed Valentine's Day, Jeremy said, "No, I love her long time!" (a common phrase used among Thai prositutes). Everyone laughed. :) At the border, the driver just kind of dumped us all at the immigration post and took off without pay. I thought he was going to pick us up on the other side but he wasn't there and I guess we got a free 300 Baht mini-bus ride. I feel a little bad about it though... They were so nice... More good luck: the border officer tried to tell us the visa was $25 when it's actually $20; we called his bluff and got away with it. The rest was smooth sailing.
When the Dust Settles...
The difference between Thailand and Cambodia is immidiate and schocking. At the Thai immigration office there are concrete buildings with windows and queues. At the Cambodia immigration office there is a shack with wood benches, no windows, a cot, and a map on the wall from before the Khmer Rouge. On the Thai side is pavement and people drive on the left side. On the Cambodian side there is dirt and people drive on the right. But the biggest difference is the dust--orange dust that covers everything. Not even the trees are green. Dogs are orange and white cars are a myth. Even with the windows up, we were still eating dust in our taxi from Pailin to Battambang. And the road was terrible!! Poor Jeremy nearly lost his lunch in the car while bouncing up and down through pot-holes, trenches, over rocks, and through the weeds (yes, this taxi ride included a little off-roading as well). 90 kilometers later we tumbled into Battambang and Jeremy spent the rest of the night puking in the bathroom. Turns out he wasn't just car sick. I felt so bad for him. He was miserable all night and our room was super hot up on the fourth floor of our hotel. But he's feeling better today and hopefully we'll make it out to Siam Reap tomorrow.
A lesson in Smokin' Pot
Today we took a Khmer and Thai cooking course at a restaurant called Smokin' Pot. (What were you thinking? ;) ) Everything was fun from the trip to the market to buy our fresh ingredients to Jeremy's stove catching on fire (the chef helped us put it out). For a paltry $8 each, we got to make 3 Khmer dishes and a take home recipe book. Hopefully there will be a Cambodian dish on the menu at Chez Kortney soon!! Sadly, Jeremy was still feeling a little too sick to enjoy his food but I'll vouch: it's delicious!!
Monday, January 19, 2009
A Reason to Celebrate
Yay! I just got online today and found out that my visa was cleared today! Yay! I was so worried that this wasn't going to happen. This whole thing became WAY more complicated than it was supposed it. And it took two months to get done. Anyway, I'm celebrating today! I'm going to go out and buy myself a nice lunch now!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
And then there was one.
After all that wonderful time together in Egypt, Jeremy and I parted for the time being. He went to Iran where few Americans are allowed to trod, and I headed off to Singapore where I intended to wait out my visa and fly to his parents. (Notice the past tense.) It turns out that yet again my plans have been thwarted! I'm now waiting for them to approve my x-rays, a process which they say "may take several weeks." Ugh.
So, plan abandoned. As of now, I'm just going to wait here in SE Asia for Jeremy to arrive January 29th and then we'll travel together a bit more on what's left of his travel money. He's such a sweety. We've both been miserable without each other, enough that he decided even if I run out of money he'll pay for us to stay together. You would think that after 4 months of 24 hours, 7 days a week that we'd enjoy the time apart but the truth is that it's terrible.
One victory for Australia's immigration department and one for love. :)
So, plan abandoned. As of now, I'm just going to wait here in SE Asia for Jeremy to arrive January 29th and then we'll travel together a bit more on what's left of his travel money. He's such a sweety. We've both been miserable without each other, enough that he decided even if I run out of money he'll pay for us to stay together. You would think that after 4 months of 24 hours, 7 days a week that we'd enjoy the time apart but the truth is that it's terrible.
One victory for Australia's immigration department and one for love. :)
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
In Limbo
I'm stuck in Singapore. Yes, stuck.
I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for this Australian visa thing to pan out and it's been non-stop chaos. First it was x-rays in Cairo (no small feat), then getting them released to me (a bigger bureaucratic debacle), then sending them to Australia (stuck in Haj/Christmas traffic), and now waiting for their medical examiner to approve them. I seriously started this thing nearly a month ago and am yet to be approved. Now they say it may be several weeks.
Jeremy went to Tehran yesterday while I flew on to Singapore in hope that approval would be fast and that I'd only be here a bit before purchasing my cheap flight to Brisbane. But of course, nothing is so simple, is it? Along with the disappearing sand in my egg-timer, my bank account empties in a similar fashion.
Who knows how long I'll be here. Cash on hand is limited to $2,000 (actually, I think it's less). If I go home, I can't afford to fly back to Australia (not to mention it's winter and I won't find any work there). If I go to Australia as a tourist, I won't be approved for my visa because you must be outside the country at the time of approval. If I stay in Singapore for too long, I won't have money to send myself in either direction... I better start thinking of swimming. I could be one of the boat people!! (An Australian joke about immigrants--not too far from our own story with Cuba.) But hey, there are still a few things to smile about; Singapore has the cleanest public toilets I've ever seen. Anywhere.
Prayers are much appreciated.
With all this time on my hands, I'll be posting the left overs of Egypt and Azerbaijan soon plus New Years and the beginning of my life in Singapore. Don't forget to check out my 365 Degrees blog because tomorrow I'll post the first project photo.
Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for this Australian visa thing to pan out and it's been non-stop chaos. First it was x-rays in Cairo (no small feat), then getting them released to me (a bigger bureaucratic debacle), then sending them to Australia (stuck in Haj/Christmas traffic), and now waiting for their medical examiner to approve them. I seriously started this thing nearly a month ago and am yet to be approved. Now they say it may be several weeks.
Jeremy went to Tehran yesterday while I flew on to Singapore in hope that approval would be fast and that I'd only be here a bit before purchasing my cheap flight to Brisbane. But of course, nothing is so simple, is it? Along with the disappearing sand in my egg-timer, my bank account empties in a similar fashion.
Who knows how long I'll be here. Cash on hand is limited to $2,000 (actually, I think it's less). If I go home, I can't afford to fly back to Australia (not to mention it's winter and I won't find any work there). If I go to Australia as a tourist, I won't be approved for my visa because you must be outside the country at the time of approval. If I stay in Singapore for too long, I won't have money to send myself in either direction... I better start thinking of swimming. I could be one of the boat people!! (An Australian joke about immigrants--not too far from our own story with Cuba.) But hey, there are still a few things to smile about; Singapore has the cleanest public toilets I've ever seen. Anywhere.
Prayers are much appreciated.
With all this time on my hands, I'll be posting the left overs of Egypt and Azerbaijan soon plus New Years and the beginning of my life in Singapore. Don't forget to check out my 365 Degrees blog because tomorrow I'll post the first project photo.
Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Martin and Harriet Visit the Pyramids.
Martin and Harriet are two characters from a listening lesson Jeremy taught in Korea who go to Egypt, ride camels, visit the Valley of the Kings, and descend into the bowls of the Great Pyramids at Giza.
We are Martin and Harriet. (Though there's no amulet purchasing and mummy chasing in our adventure.)
Today we went to see the pyramids and it was interesting. Confusing. Smaller than expected. But memorable. We found that EVERYONE there was trying to make a buck off the foreigners. We were hit up twice in one bathroom for money (pay toilets are all the rage) though we refused to pay more than 1 pound. We were followed by numerous carriage and camel drivers. A police officer asked us to pay him some money because we stepped off the road and sat in the sand for a few minutes to read. (We told him no way and to get lost.)
Then there were the taxi drivers. The first one gave us a decent price plus entertainment as he fondly dubbed us his "babies" and told us to call him "dada," all the while cackling uncontrollably and not looking at the road ahead. He went so far to show us a picture of one of his kids and then tell us we were children number 4 and 5. Then he honked his horn to some tune and called it "Egyptian Music." Kinda true. There is no sound more synonimous with Egypt as the horn. What a goof. But then he dropped us off at some horse place with a tour guide far from the pyramid entrance and he instantly relinquished all the charm credit he had built. Darn taxi/touts.
The second ride was okay (if a little more expensive) but the driver showed us some true Egyptian driving, forcing entire families to leap for their lives in front of our speeding car.
The pyramids themselves seemed a little small (if you can believe it) and were incredibly sparse inside (as in no paintings or carvings). The tunnels into the tombs were really small and we came close to crawling on our hands and knees at some points. And it was expensive. Almost $10 to visit just one. But worth it, I guess. We walked around for a couple hours and took tons of photos but didn't really do much else. It's kind of a place you go to see but can't do much at. For what you get, I'd say it's a little over priced. I'm sure you're all just gasping on the other end of the computer and thinking, "But it's the Pyramids!" Really though, compared to so many other temples and monuments, they are just okay.
But the photos are cool and we happened to make it out there on a relatively clear day (it's a holiday atm which means little activity in the city until late afternoon; ie. no smog). I'll post some when I get a chance.
If you all have a bit of spare time, send a prayer up for me. I have to go get a chest x-ray in order to obtain my Australian visa (because I lived in Korea) and I expect it will be a pricey and lengthy ordeal. I may have to send the films to Canberra in AU for evaluation which means a hefty FedEx fee on top of the already expensive radiology visit/examination (you know they only let you visit the most "qualified" (expensive) doctors for this kind of thing). So pray that I don't pay too much and that everything can be sorted out by the middle of next week or else I'll have to extend my Egyptian visa--another annoyance I'd rather avoid.
Okay, I think that's all.
Kortney here, signing off. :)
We are Martin and Harriet. (Though there's no amulet purchasing and mummy chasing in our adventure.)
Today we went to see the pyramids and it was interesting. Confusing. Smaller than expected. But memorable. We found that EVERYONE there was trying to make a buck off the foreigners. We were hit up twice in one bathroom for money (pay toilets are all the rage) though we refused to pay more than 1 pound. We were followed by numerous carriage and camel drivers. A police officer asked us to pay him some money because we stepped off the road and sat in the sand for a few minutes to read. (We told him no way and to get lost.)
Then there were the taxi drivers. The first one gave us a decent price plus entertainment as he fondly dubbed us his "babies" and told us to call him "dada," all the while cackling uncontrollably and not looking at the road ahead. He went so far to show us a picture of one of his kids and then tell us we were children number 4 and 5. Then he honked his horn to some tune and called it "Egyptian Music." Kinda true. There is no sound more synonimous with Egypt as the horn. What a goof. But then he dropped us off at some horse place with a tour guide far from the pyramid entrance and he instantly relinquished all the charm credit he had built. Darn taxi/touts.
The second ride was okay (if a little more expensive) but the driver showed us some true Egyptian driving, forcing entire families to leap for their lives in front of our speeding car.
The pyramids themselves seemed a little small (if you can believe it) and were incredibly sparse inside (as in no paintings or carvings). The tunnels into the tombs were really small and we came close to crawling on our hands and knees at some points. And it was expensive. Almost $10 to visit just one. But worth it, I guess. We walked around for a couple hours and took tons of photos but didn't really do much else. It's kind of a place you go to see but can't do much at. For what you get, I'd say it's a little over priced. I'm sure you're all just gasping on the other end of the computer and thinking, "But it's the Pyramids!" Really though, compared to so many other temples and monuments, they are just okay.
But the photos are cool and we happened to make it out there on a relatively clear day (it's a holiday atm which means little activity in the city until late afternoon; ie. no smog). I'll post some when I get a chance.
If you all have a bit of spare time, send a prayer up for me. I have to go get a chest x-ray in order to obtain my Australian visa (because I lived in Korea) and I expect it will be a pricey and lengthy ordeal. I may have to send the films to Canberra in AU for evaluation which means a hefty FedEx fee on top of the already expensive radiology visit/examination (you know they only let you visit the most "qualified" (expensive) doctors for this kind of thing). So pray that I don't pay too much and that everything can be sorted out by the middle of next week or else I'll have to extend my Egyptian visa--another annoyance I'd rather avoid.
Okay, I think that's all.
Kortney here, signing off. :)
Sunday, October 19, 2008
JOY to the world!
Reasons to be joyful:
1. I survived the bus ride to Hopa, Turkey from Erzurum. Holy cow. Miraculously, I didn't get sick until the very end. Our driver hurled our bus up and down perilously steep cliffs next to infinitely deep ravines (yes, at times the bottom was too far away to see) all the while speeding up as he rounded corners and passed cars in oncoming traffic. On one lane roads. With rock cliffs on the other side. I survived 6 hours of this.
2. We made it in to Georgia last night without many problems (though there was some minor confusion as to why people with anything other than a Turkish visa would cross the border in Georgia). My visa was free but Jeremy--poor guy--had to pay $60 for his. Ouch! And the sucky thing is that he'll have to buy a second one on the way back from Armenia. But mine was fee. So I'm happy.
3. My pension money from Korea finally came in which means that I won't have to leave J at the end of October and instead I can continue traveling for another month or two. Yay!!
4. Georgia is BEAUTIFUL and the people are NICE! Who would have thought? After all the miscreants and vultures we met in Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, India, and Pakistan, I was beginning to wonder if all the nice people in Asia had been corralled and held against their will somewhere.
5. My student loan has been deferred. Big sigh of relief.
6. I have the sweetest boyfriend. Here's a cute story for you all: we were staying at a hostel in Istanbul and I was feeling a little sick but decided to join him while he read in the common room. But the place was full of smoke and it was making me choke up so I got up and left, crawled into my little twin bunk bed, turned on the lamp, and started reading there. About 10 minutes later Jeremy comes peeking in through the door and curls up into my bed next to me. He said, "I was wondering where you went. I thought you went to the bathroom but you didn't come back and I missed you. I wanted you next to me." Awe! Melting... I'm melting... Cute things like this happen everyday and I'm so glad that I get to share this wonderful adventure with him. It's really bringing us so much closer and showing me everyday a million new reasons why I love him so much.
3. My pension money from Korea finally came in which means that I won't have to leave J at the end of October and instead I can continue traveling for another month or two. Yay!!
4. Georgia is BEAUTIFUL and the people are NICE! Who would have thought? After all the miscreants and vultures we met in Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, India, and Pakistan, I was beginning to wonder if all the nice people in Asia had been corralled and held against their will somewhere.
5. My student loan has been deferred. Big sigh of relief.
6. I have the sweetest boyfriend. Here's a cute story for you all: we were staying at a hostel in Istanbul and I was feeling a little sick but decided to join him while he read in the common room. But the place was full of smoke and it was making me choke up so I got up and left, crawled into my little twin bunk bed, turned on the lamp, and started reading there. About 10 minutes later Jeremy comes peeking in through the door and curls up into my bed next to me. He said, "I was wondering where you went. I thought you went to the bathroom but you didn't come back and I missed you. I wanted you next to me." Awe! Melting... I'm melting... Cute things like this happen everyday and I'm so glad that I get to share this wonderful adventure with him. It's really bringing us so much closer and showing me everyday a million new reasons why I love him so much.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Mis-adventures...
...in kissing.
The other day Jeremy thought it would really funny to kiss and bite a gummy in half during the act. Well, it was pretty entertaining until my lip got in the way and I was left with a mouth full of blood. Ooops. Don't try this one at home, kids. After a few days it returned to normal color and the cut healed up but ouch! Jeremy's still a little sensitive when I tease him about it. :)
...in train travel.
Last night we took a train from Goreme to...? (can't remember where we are...) and curiously found ourselves surrounded by policemen (maybe 6 in total?) sometime around 5 AM with GIANT assault rifles and machine guns. Turns out they were transporting a prisoner who just happened to be sitting behind my seat. Oh joy! lol. At one point, the leader of the armed guard walked up the carriage and started yelling at one of his men for holding his loaded gun between his legs.
...in befriending the locals.
One day, while walking to lunch in Bishkek, Jeremy and I came across a rather foul looking old lady knitting on a chair just outside the entrance to a bank. Jeremy, being a little smart, waved and grinned like the Cheshire cat. The lady, in return, snarled, glared and shook her head in silent disapproval. That was more than enough to send us into heaves of laughter--almost to the ground!--and as I looked back, the old woman was mouthing foul things at us in Russian. Oh, those post Soviets... Gotta love them.
...in LOIs.
That means "letters of invitation." We're trying pretty hard to get letters of invitation so that we can visit Uzbekistan but have been met with road block after road block. Apparently the latest mishap is a mistake in the transfer of funds?? They want more money?? Argh. Annoying. Really.
...in using the Lonely Planet guide.
Let me just put it on record that the 2007 edition of Lonely Planet Turkey is crap. Let me explain. First, the authors do little more than advise you to take taxis and join tour groups when it comes to getting around. Second, none of the prices listed are accurate. Third, on more than one occasion, we've found the maps to be inaccurate--as in incorrectly named streets, incorrectly named sites, misleading distance keys, and mis-labled bus stations. Fourth, the book is pretty thin on descriptions of the sites and the authors actually suggest visiting certain towns "for their unique boutique hotels." Um, yeah, right. Last night we got off in Kayseri at the bus station and according to Lonely Planet, only had to walk a measly 400 meters to the train station. Not so. Instead, we got off at the NEW bus station (which the book makes no reference of) and the old bus station doesn't exist anymore. Turns out we were 4 km's from the train station and completely unsure if we were even walking in the right direction because our compass didn't match the street we were on (turns out the map had the street incorrectly named and we were going in the right direction after all). But it all worked out. We found some very nice people at a super market--a young woman about my age and her mother--who called their father and asked him to drive us to the train station. They were sooo sweet. The mother kept asking us (maybe 20 times or so) if we would come to her house so she could make us dinner but unfortunately we had to catch our train and had to decline. Boo. But the good news is that we made it and made some nice friends along the way. Love the Turks. :) Oh, and complaint number five: the book fails to list true budget options. Everything it lists for the city we're in is over $20 but we found a place today for $10 that wasn't listed in the book and just happens to be closer to the transport stations. Argh. Stupid book.
The other day Jeremy thought it would really funny to kiss and bite a gummy in half during the act. Well, it was pretty entertaining until my lip got in the way and I was left with a mouth full of blood. Ooops. Don't try this one at home, kids. After a few days it returned to normal color and the cut healed up but ouch! Jeremy's still a little sensitive when I tease him about it. :)
...in train travel.
Last night we took a train from Goreme to...? (can't remember where we are...) and curiously found ourselves surrounded by policemen (maybe 6 in total?) sometime around 5 AM with GIANT assault rifles and machine guns. Turns out they were transporting a prisoner who just happened to be sitting behind my seat. Oh joy! lol. At one point, the leader of the armed guard walked up the carriage and started yelling at one of his men for holding his loaded gun between his legs.
...in befriending the locals.
One day, while walking to lunch in Bishkek, Jeremy and I came across a rather foul looking old lady knitting on a chair just outside the entrance to a bank. Jeremy, being a little smart, waved and grinned like the Cheshire cat. The lady, in return, snarled, glared and shook her head in silent disapproval. That was more than enough to send us into heaves of laughter--almost to the ground!--and as I looked back, the old woman was mouthing foul things at us in Russian. Oh, those post Soviets... Gotta love them.
...in LOIs.
That means "letters of invitation." We're trying pretty hard to get letters of invitation so that we can visit Uzbekistan but have been met with road block after road block. Apparently the latest mishap is a mistake in the transfer of funds?? They want more money?? Argh. Annoying. Really.
...in using the Lonely Planet guide.
Let me just put it on record that the 2007 edition of Lonely Planet Turkey is crap. Let me explain. First, the authors do little more than advise you to take taxis and join tour groups when it comes to getting around. Second, none of the prices listed are accurate. Third, on more than one occasion, we've found the maps to be inaccurate--as in incorrectly named streets, incorrectly named sites, misleading distance keys, and mis-labled bus stations. Fourth, the book is pretty thin on descriptions of the sites and the authors actually suggest visiting certain towns "for their unique boutique hotels." Um, yeah, right. Last night we got off in Kayseri at the bus station and according to Lonely Planet, only had to walk a measly 400 meters to the train station. Not so. Instead, we got off at the NEW bus station (which the book makes no reference of) and the old bus station doesn't exist anymore. Turns out we were 4 km's from the train station and completely unsure if we were even walking in the right direction because our compass didn't match the street we were on (turns out the map had the street incorrectly named and we were going in the right direction after all). But it all worked out. We found some very nice people at a super market--a young woman about my age and her mother--who called their father and asked him to drive us to the train station. They were sooo sweet. The mother kept asking us (maybe 20 times or so) if we would come to her house so she could make us dinner but unfortunately we had to catch our train and had to decline. Boo. But the good news is that we made it and made some nice friends along the way. Love the Turks. :) Oh, and complaint number five: the book fails to list true budget options. Everything it lists for the city we're in is over $20 but we found a place today for $10 that wasn't listed in the book and just happens to be closer to the transport stations. Argh. Stupid book.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
I can taste the naan now!
Two important news bites:
1. I received my India visa today!
2. I purchased my ticket to Delhi today!
Oh my gosh! This means I'm ACTUALLY going!! Holy cow! There will certainly be some mad Lonely Planet reading tonight!! Woo hoo!!
1. I received my India visa today!
2. I purchased my ticket to Delhi today!
Oh my gosh! This means I'm ACTUALLY going!! Holy cow! There will certainly be some mad Lonely Planet reading tonight!! Woo hoo!!
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