Visa - round 1

Hey ppl, well I have to say that I'm not entirely surprised that the "simple" last part of the drama that is my imminent employment in Beijing has turned out to be a nightmare :-)

It all started one fine winter's morn in beautifuh and cosmopolitan Sydney. The birds were out trying to catch worms in the dewy grass and there was almost no-one on the road as my sister and I headed into her workplace. There were runners jogging about and people were driving with courtesy and generally there was a feeling of optimism lingering in the air. We needed to print out the scans of my work permit documents that are required in support of my visa application and that was fine, nice and easy.

Once we had the print outs, we headed to the Chinese consul-general and grabbed a coffee as we were early. When I went to make the application I was rudely informed that I required yet another passport photo for yet another form but luckily there just happened to be a photo place on the opposite side of the road that did 1 minute prints especially for ppl like me. So that was done and I made my way back to the applications counter.

There, I was informed that the printouts were not in fact originals. Knowingly, I said to the clerk that I was aware of this and that they would indeed be enough to be able to support my visa - my company were very specific about this point. They then, equally knowingly and a little non-chalantly, informed ME that they would not accept them and that I would need to be sent the originals of the documents supporting my visa application. I said "Shit, I fly out Saturday!" and they said to get the company in Beijing to use DHL or something then, and that was that.

Then, I rang (not using a calling card) the HR dude in Beijing and he could not believe that my documents were not enough and he said he'd get the admin girl call me when she made it to the office (in 1.5 hours). So, my sister and I had to wait for an hour and a half for the admin girl to get into the office.

We made it back tot he consulate and by this time I knew that I would not convince her that my documentation was lacking. So, I just handed her to the consular officer and they spoke in their native tongue for a couple minutes. When I was handed back the phone she was completely irate and fuming but had to concede that I was indeed 'in the shit' by now.

Now, they can't guarantee that the documents will make it to my sister by 9am Friday morning and are trying to organise from Beijing to have a courier meet my sister in person at the Chinese consulate at 9am Friday to hand her the documents. DHL refuse to guarantee delivery prior to midday Friday (which is really a good effort if you ask me) which complicates things and Sarah needs to know when to be away from work, as it's a normal working day for her. I'm to be in Tasmania as I have to settle some things like my car's sale and saying goodbye to ppl so I cannot be here in Sydney indefinitely "until it's done".

So, what has been a battle every step of the way thus far continues to be so now and I'm beginning to seriously consider just not going. I think that even though I've resigned, sold up shop, said goodbye to ppl and am ready to leave the country, maybe it'd just be easier to get a job in Sydney :-)

Farken.

Fun in the Snow

Heheheheh - awesome :-)

http://www.yetisports.org/

Final day at WACCO

Wow, it's finally here. I had been wondering how it would go - my last day at WACCO (... for a while). I've been with WACCO since late 2000 when I started out as an IT Trainee who knew absolutely nothing about IT or life in general. Then, joining WACCO was a big adventure and I remember the feeling of excitement and anxiety about whether or not I'd fit in, whether or not I'd be suited to IT work and where I would end up. Now, 6 and a half years later I am off on my next big adventure - China.

Things in my life seem to come in chapters and here I am at a time I am sure I'll look upon as the end of one chapter and the start of the next. I've started to reflect (possibly prematurely) upon my time at WACCO and MAN I've grown up here. When I started here I was 18 and very green to the world. Since coming here I've been through Uni, grown as a person both professionally and personally, been through two long-term relationships and their eventual demise and the divorce of my parents - not to mention the experiences with friends and my ciblings!

As I am set to leave Tassie and almost everyone and everything in the world that I hold dear, I am a little nervous but also excited. So begins the next chapter - one that I hope is full of life, of good experiences and people and one that I can look back upon when I'm older with pride. That I can reminisce about and smile and that will positively impact upon the next chapter in a way that my WACCO days have positively impacted upon myself to date.

Haiku conversations

Heh, one of the dudes here at the office and I have started communicating in Haiku when we need to email each other and it's fantastic. For those that aren't familliar with them, Haiku's are japanese poems that dont have to rhyme as we know it but have a 5 - 7 - 5 syllabic line structure.

Here's an example
haiku poems have 3 lines
structured 5, 7, 5

It's a really fun way to communicate with people and after a few goes I think you get into 'Haiku-mode' :-) A conversation that has just happened this afternoon was:

Kirk:
No haikus today?
Maybe all the syllables
Won’t be Japanese

Jon:
As I just got back
I feel a little sleepy
So I'll have a Coke

Kirk:
Good work grasshopper
The caffeine will do you good
Have a chocky too

Jon:
I'm reading comics
Penny arcade and others
"You wouldn’t get it"

Kirk:
I am sure you’re right
If it isn’t the Phantom
I would be confused

Jon:
Penny needed help
about some missing photos
they were never there

Kirk:
I am not surprised
She seems easily confused
By the simplest things

And so on ... :-) It's very stimulating.

Visa B*&lsh@t

My god. Oh my god. I am in shock at the completely, trivially pedantic rejection of the validity of my latest revision of the medical report that I sent to Beijing last Thursday. The doctor stamped the form a little to the left of the expected area and as a result, the form has been deemed invalid. This means that I have now had to re-book to see my doctor again ASAP and will cost me another $60-70 by the time I've sent it to Beijing again.

Something about 'signs' lingers in the back of my mind. Oh dear, what have I gotten myself into :-) That, or I wish my doctor would fill out the damn forms exactly the way they were intended without taking liberties with their presentation.

Post Script: Big Thanks to the reception lady at my medical centre, for letting me leave without paying the consultation fee :-)

Go the T'irds!!!

As some may already know, we the PKFC T'irds won on the weekend against Riverside. This is special for three reasons:

1. we apparently haven't beaten Riverside -ever-


2. we are now clear second on the ladder


3. it put me as clear top scorer to date :-)

The game was touch-and-go at times toward the final whistle but we came back from a 2:0 first-half result to take the game 2:3. Once again, Chris had the strike of the match and continued to set the standard for scoring in style :-) This is also a good result as it shows that the training that many have been putting in each week is having a dramatic effect on the pitch.

Well done fellas, how much better do we all feel than this time last season eh.

http://www.footballfedtas.com.au/Competition/Generated/LadderNew/ND3.html