Goodbye Pilgrims!

It was world youth day this weekend in Sydney. There was plenty of pope and pilgrims for everyone. A massive pilgrimage flowed through Sydney and more accurately through our neighborhood on Saturday. Our block on Bourke St. was surrounded on either side by two rivers of pilgrims.

Oh Boy!

I actually didn't mind it... even though this massive gathering of impressionable young people had undertones of "abstinence instead of condoms", "intolerance of homosexuality" and of course the idolization of a backwards thinking man appointed as the pope. Religious agendas aside it did look like a lot of fun.

Art?

I made Art

Major Update July 14, 2008

MAJOR UPDATE: JULY14, 2008

The final document required to finalize my visa application bounced into our mail box this morning. This very important letter containing evidence of all criminal acts i may or may not have taken part in over the last 22 years of my life came in a remarkably unimposing brown envelope. And with that, the very future of my Australianess in hand! I commenced my trot down Devonshire St. en route to the Office of Immigration to add the last crucial piece to my collage de visa.

...
...


...

The 2nd floor lift doors opened and i could no longer contain myself! I couldn't help but spew forth the name of the woman who held my fate in her hands!

"MONICA ZHANG!" I exclaimed. "MONICA ZHANG, IT'S HERE!"

"I HAVE THE LAST PIECE!"

"MONICA!"

...

Time stands still.

There's no movement.

It's all quiet in the reception room.

...
...

Then...

Monica reveals herself!

Seemingly uninterested it appears Monica Zhang is not nearly as excited about the current development as I.

She scans me with judgmental eyes.

Looking somehow more convinced of my identity she asks for my passport along with the very important but remarkably unimposing brown envelope and disappears behind a mysterious white door.

...

I sit.

I wait.

I watch Hi5 intently on the waiting room television.

15 mins pass.



...

Then...

Monica reveals herself again!

She presents me with a freshly stamped passport and then the words "You may now seek employment." dribble out of her mouth.

...

...


I exclaimed "HOORAY, HOORAY FOR GAYS!"

She resisted.

Then in a very firm disciplinarian tone she says, "Congratulations Mr. Halina".

... And that was that.





I'm officially a temporary permanent Australian resident!


I'm so Happy!!!

Ty