Post a bad thing that happened in your life today

[Rebecca Ore]

9 hours ago, gvallee said:

Sometimes, things are so bad that we've got to laugh. Anyone else ever had a VERY bad string of things going wrong?

1. Time to renew our 4 year visa. A major hurdle sprang up. We're half destroyed with anxiety. It won't be a quick yes/no answer but stretched over several weeks, perhaps a couple of months.

2. If we can't stay in Oz beyond January, what should we do about that 5 week housesit booked for Feb? We can't let the owners down, they're flying out. It's a very large upmarket property. We might be allowed to stay in Oz or we might not. Should we cancel now just in case? Dilemma.

3. My laptop graphic card stopped working. It has to be sent for repairs 5,000km away. Great, all the documents for visa renewal are on it. They're backed up on external drives of course. Luckily I have kept my previous laptop with me. Of course nothing is in sync. Oh and some keys don't work anymore.

4. Courrier supposed to pick up faulty laptop did not show up today. We're Friday night. 3 days wasted.

5. Never mind, let's have a Happy Hour to forget. I break an incisor on the nibbles. As expected, the dentist is fully booked.

6. Let's sit under the awning then. Awning refuses to budge. It's an electric one. Cost of replacement: $3k.

And you know what? Life will go on. Many people would like to be in our shoes, it's a matter of perception. Now if we have to leave Oz..... That's another story. Wish us luck!

 

Y'all are legal.  So many of my fellow country people in the rest of the world bend or ignore the rules.  I'm believing that if I can get renewed after moving without telling the Nicaragua government where I was, you two won't have serious trouble other than waiting for a while.

[Betty LaRue]

 Have another systemic thrush infection. Symptoms, cough, runny nose, headache & white furry tongue, tiredness. I’ve had so many of these. Started on meds, though, so should rein it in pretty quick.
Before I knew how to recognize it, it would develop into a severe lung infection, oxygen level dropping, and the sorest, nasty-looking throat you can imagine. Once I went through a box of tissues in a few hours, so the worst runny nose I’ve ever had.

it should start getting better tomorrow.

This does the job. An anti fungal. I keep a supply on hand, because I always seem to get sick on the weekend.

Edited November 5, 2022 by Betty LaRue

[Bryan]

22 hours ago, gvallee said:

. Wish us luck!

 

A sad tale of woe Gen,  luck duly wished !!

 

Should your adventure come to a premature end, you will have the memories and be glad that you made it happen, but let's hope they allow you to stay.

[sb photos]

22 hours ago, gvallee said:

Sometimes, things are so bad that we've got to laugh. Anyone else ever had a VERY bad string of things going wrong?

1. Time to renew our 4 year visa. A major hurdle sprang up. We're half destroyed with anxiety. It won't be a quick yes/no answer but stretched over several weeks, perhaps a couple of months.

2. If we can't stay in Oz beyond January, what should we do about that 5 week housesit booked for Feb? We can't let the owners down, they're flying out. It's a very large upmarket property. We might be allowed to stay in Oz or we might not. Should we cancel now just in case? Dilemma.

3. My laptop graphic card stopped working. It has to be sent for repairs 5,000km away. Great, all the documents for visa renewal are on it. They're backed up on external drives of course. Luckily I have kept my previous laptop with me. Of course nothing is in sync. Oh and some keys don't work anymore.

4. Courrier supposed to pick up faulty laptop did not show up today. We're Friday night. 3 days wasted.

5. Never mind, let's have a Happy Hour to forget. I break an incisor on the nibbles. As expected, the dentist is fully booked.

6. Let's sit under the awning then. Awning refuses to budge. It's an electric one. Cost of replacement: $3k.

And you know what? Life will go on. Many people would like to be in our shoes, it's a matter of perception. Now if we have to leave Oz..... That's another story. Wish us luck!

 

 

A stressful time, hoping all goes well for you both.

[gvallee]

Thank you for your good wishes. The Forum is a terrific community.

 

But I'm sad to report that the bad luck continues. Hubby is very sick. Like me, he's rarely ill, apart from our Covid bout. I think it's the stress and shock that we might not get our visas renewed. He has been fighting so hard for such a long time to get us permanent residency.

 

Meanwhile, my previous 'old' laptop has been stored in a cupboard, shaken around over corrugation, stored in extreme heat and now humidity. A few keys won't work anymore. I know about '1' in the keypad but apparently also some letters. Hence some accounts not accepting my password. As they display only ****  I don't know which letter is not working. I will test it tomorrow. So I have only 2 attempts left to log onto my French pension before being locked out. I need proof of pension for our visa. Imagine if I get locked out having to call France with the time difference to wrestle with their rigid bureaucracy while struggling to hear... Please stars, align for us.

 

 

[Allan Bell]

44 minutes ago, gvallee said:

Thank you for your good wishes. The Forum is a terrific community.

 

But I'm sad to report that the bad luck continues. Hubby is very sick. Like me, he's rarely ill, apart from our Covid bout. I think it's the stress and shock that we might not get our visas renewed. He has been fighting so hard for such a long time to get us permanent residency.

 

Meanwhile, my previous 'old' laptop has been stored in a cupboard, shaken around over corrugation, stored in extreme heat and now humidity. A few keys won't work anymore. I know about '1' in the keypad but apparently also some letters. Hence some accounts not accepting my password. As they display only ****  I don't know which letter is not working. I will test it tomorrow. So I have only 2 attempts left to log onto my French pension before being locked out. I need proof of pension for our visa. Imagine if I get locked out having to call France with the time difference to wrestle with their rigid bureaucracy while struggling to hear... Please stars, align for us.

 

 

 

I'm trying to push a few stars around so they line up for you.

 

Allan

 

[gvallee]

10 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

 

I'm trying to push a few stars around so they line up for you.

 

Allan

 

 

Thank you allan 😄

[NYCat]

Ah Gen, I hate it that you are having so many troubles. I don't know how isolated you are right now but surely a neighbor would let you use a computer. Our libraries here have them. So hoping for the best on everything.

 

Paulette

[Mr Standfast]

1 hour ago, Allan Bell said:

 

I'm trying to push a few stars around so they line up for you.

 

Allan

 

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐   Jus like that!

[spacecadet]

13 minutes ago, Mr Standfast said:

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐   Jus like that!

Got 5 on my dashboard...........⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Allan Bell]

5 hours ago, Mr Standfast said:

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐   Jus like that!

 

5 hours ago, spacecadet said:

Got 5 on my dashboard...........⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Only got one ⭐.  It is a good 🌟 one though. But Gen can have it if it helps her.  'Course you could lend me some of yours to help Gen along the road to success.

 

Allan

 

[gvallee]

8 hours ago, NYCat said:

Ah Gen, I hate it that you are having so many troubles. I don't know how isolated you are right now but surely a neighbor would let you use a computer. Our libraries here have them. So hoping for the best on everything.

 

Paulette

 

This is a great idea Paulette! We're back in Cairns to prepare our visa, so we could try the library. We also have friends here. I am so independent that it hadn't crossed my mind to ask them for help! 

[NYCat]

So glad to help. And, yes, it can be easy to forget that people usually do want to help. And I don't know if this would help with your visa or permanent residence but you are such an asset to Australia with the way you are documenting the country in all it's amazing facets. They would be nuts to let you go.

 

Paulette

Edited November 6, 2022 by NYCat

[gvallee]

18 minutes ago, NYCat said:

So glad to help. And, yes, it can be easy to forget that people usually do want to help. And I don't know if this would help with your visa or permanent residence but you are such an asset to Australia with the way you are documenting the country in all it's amazing facets. They would be nuts to let you go.

 

Paulette

 

Thank you paulette. Because we move around a lot, I am very active on the Toyota Coaster Lovers of Australia FB page. On it are lots of people like us, either permanently on the road or travelling for a few months. It's a great community. I have lost count of how many times over the years people have  commented 'you're such a great ambassador to our country'. Some people actually try and follow our itinerary. When we bump into other Coaster owners I don't know, it's not rare for them to introduce themselves with 'I love your photos'. It happened again 2 days ago. They recognise our bus.  But Immigration can't be sentimental, older people cost money, medical expenses, even if we are forced to have a private health insurane as part of our visa grant. 😪

[Allan Bell]

On 05/11/2022 at 03:16, Betty LaRue said:

 Have another systemic thrush infection. Symptoms, cough, runny nose, headache & white furry tongue, tiredness. I’ve had so many of these. Started on meds, though, so should rein it in pretty quick.
Before I knew how to recognize it, it would develop into a severe lung infection, oxygen level dropping, and the sorest, nasty-looking throat you can imagine. Once I went through a box of tissues in a few hours, so the worst runny nose I’ve ever had.

it should start getting better tomorrow.

This does the job. An anti fungal. I keep a supply on hand, because I always seem to get sick on the weekend.

 

Get well soon.

 

Allan

 

[spacecadet]

9 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

Thank you paulette. Because we move around a lot, I am very active on the Toyota Coaster Lovers of Australia FB page. On it are lots of people like us, either permanently on the road or travelling for a few months. It's a great community. I have lost count of how many times over the years people have  commented 'you're such a great ambassador to our country'. Some people actually try and follow our itinerary. When we bump into other Coaster owners I don't know, it's not rare for them to introduce themselves with 'I love your photos'. It happened again 2 days ago. They recognise our bus.  But Immigration can't be sentimental, older people cost money, medical expenses, even if we are forced to have a private health insurane as part of our visa grant. 😪

Reminds me of something that's just happened to the UK............something about only being able to stay in the EU for 90 days..........it's on the tip of my tongue.........B,r, something.............

[Rebecca Ore]

17 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

Thank you paulette. Because we move around a lot, I am very active on the Toyota Coaster Lovers of Australia FB page. On it are lots of people like us, either permanently on the road or travelling for a few months. It's a great community. I have lost count of how many times over the years people have  commented 'you're such a great ambassador to our country'. Some people actually try and follow our itinerary. When we bump into other Coaster owners I don't know, it's not rare for them to introduce themselves with 'I love your photos'. It happened again 2 days ago. They recognise our bus.  But Immigration can't be sentimental, older people cost money, medical expenses, even if we are forced to have a private health insurane as part of our visa grant. 😪

 

How many times have you been renewed?  If you're paying for private insurance, then that's pretty much most of the expenses of being old.  I wouldn't know about permanent residency/citizenship there, but it's easy enough to get a Nicaraguan passport here and the US doesn't (at this point) recognize renunciation outside its own consular system (that NI requires, sort of) of your native country passport in the gazette that posts the names of new citizens.   I haven't tried for citizenship here because the US turning a blind eye to a renunciation they currently don't recognize may change later.  Residency is a hassle, though.  

 

I don't know if you're being unduly pessimistic or not, but the result will calibrate your pessimism/realism set point for me :).  

[gvallee]

48 minutes ago, Rebecca Ore said:

 

How many times have you been renewed?  If you're paying for private insurance, then that's pretty much most of the expenses of being old.  I wouldn't know about permanent residency/citizenship there, but it's easy enough to get a Nicaraguan passport here and the US doesn't (at this point) recognize renunciation outside its own consular system (that NI requires, sort of) of your native country passport in the gazette that posts the names of new citizens.   I haven't tried for citizenship here because the US turning a blind eye to a renunciation they currently don't recognize may change later.  Residency is a hassle, though.  

 

I don't know if you're being unduly pessimistic or not, but the result will calibrate your pessimism/realism set point for me :).  

 

Our visa is very complicated and I wouldn't base your expectations on our results. It wouldn't compare.

We came to Oz on a 457 work visa, then switched to a 405 Retirement and Investor visa.

This is how the switch happened: while idly googling, hubby was horrified to read that the applications for the 405 visa we were contemplating were going to close the following day evening. It was the only alternative visa we could get to stay in Oz.

 

In utter panic, we spent the evening gathering all the documents needed. We lived in Cairns (top north of Oz) and Immigration was in Tasmania (top south). I booked and jumped into the 6am flight to Tasmania (6h with a stop over in Sydney). One document was still missing and hubby obtained it while I was flying. He e-mailed it to me along with the address of a shop doing printing. Jumped in a cab, got caught in solid traffic jam, started to panic. Immigration was closing in 45mn. Rushed to the shop: closed down. More googling, found another shop. I'm walking as fast as I can but my problematic knee is killing me, I'm beginning to think I'm not going to make it. Burst into new shop almost in tears. Woman takes pity on me and doesn't charge me.

 

With a searing pain in my knee and limping, I charged towards Immigration. There you are. File handed over with half an hour to spare before the end of that visa. Since then, it will be our 2nd renewal (not telling the eyewatering sum we have to pay for renewal). Then it got more complicated. People who had applied for this visa before the 8th May were eligible for permanent residency. We applied on the 31th May. We have been campaining ever since for PR (again an eyewatering sum) through our MP, a lobbying group and direct contact with Immigration. Our MP took our case to Canberra but to no avail. This visa has a sunset clause when it will cease to exist. Government refuses to tell us what will happen then, cos they haven't decided. So for now, we are 'permanent temporary'. Now there is a last complication for this renewal but I will not get into details. We just have to hope for the best.

 

Yesterday, our string of bad luck continued. We went to our storage place in Cairns to retrieve some documents. It's a big warehouse with self access. Our locker is on the first floor. Got in OK but no electricity! So lift not working either and I had boxes of heavy books to carry. Had to carry them over the stairs. I retrieved my precious documents by torchlight in the suffocating heat, sweat dripping in my eyes. The 'build up' has started in Cairns, that massive amount of humidity before the monsoon.

 

Edited November 6, 2022 by gvallee

[Ed Rooney]

 

Oh my. I was about to tell you all that I stubbed my toe on my work table. But I think I'll skip it. 

[gvallee]

22 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Oh my. I was about to tell you all that I stubbed my toe on my work table. But I think I'll skip it. 

 

When we realised that we might not get a renewal, we were so shell shocked that we couldn't speak for half a day. We started to think about which other country we might want to live. There isn't any. Then I thought about you, how you have managed to find another country and settled down. No way our situation compares to the one you were in. As Aussies would say 'you're an inspo' Edo.

[John Mitchell]

Yikes! Good luck, Gen. It's amazing how difficult huge, rich countries like Australia and Canada with relatively small populations can make things for people who are seeking residency through legitimate channels. It's not like there isn't plenty of room for newcomers, especially ones who are going to enrich society in various ways.

 

P.S. Illegal immigration problems in the US are another story. Best not to discuss. 😬

[sb photos]

1 hour ago, gvallee said:

 

Our visa is very complicated and I wouldn't base your expectations on our results. It wouldn't compare.

We came to Oz on a 457 work visa, then switched to a 405 Retirement and Investor visa.

This is how the switch happened: while idly googling, hubby was horrified to read that the applications for the 405 visa we were contemplating were going to close the following day evening. It was the only alternative visa we could get to stay in Oz.

 

In utter panic, we spent the evening gathering all the documents needed. We lived in Cairns (top north of Oz) and Immigration was in Tasmania (top south). I booked and jumped into the 6am flight to Tasmania (6h with a stop over in Sydney). One document was still missing and hubby obtained it while I was flying. He e-mailed it to me along with the address of a shop doing printing. Jumped in a cab, got caught in solid traffic jam, started to panic. Immigration was closing in 45mn. Rushed to the shop: closed down. More googling, found another shop. I'm walking as fast as I can but my problematic knee is killing me, I'm beginning to think I'm not going to make it. Burst into new shop almost in tears. Woman takes pity on me and doesn't charge me.

 

With a searing pain in my knee and limping, I charged towards Immigration. There you are. File handed over with half an hour to spare before the end of that visa. Since then, it will be our 2nd renewal (not telling the eyewatering sum we have to pay for renewal). Then it got more complicated. People who had applied for this visa before the 8th May were eligible for permanent residency. We applied on the 31th May. We have been campaining ever since for PR (again an eyewatering sum) through our MP, a lobbying group and direct contact with Immigration. Our MP took our case to Canberra but to no avail. This visa has a sunset clause when it will cease to exist. Government refuses to tell us what will happen then, cos they haven't decided. So for now, we are 'permanent temporary'. Now there is a last complication for this renewal but I will not get into details. We just have to hope for the best.

 

Yesterday, our string of bad luck continued. We went to our storage place in Cairns to retrieve some documents. It's a big warehouse with self access. Our locker is on the first floor. Got in OK but no electricity! So lift not working either and I had boxes of heavy books to carry. Had to carry them over the stairs. I retrieved my precious documents by torchlight in the suffocating heat, sweat dripping in my eyes. The 'build up' has started in Cairns, that massive amount of humidity before the monsoon.

 

 

Living in hope that the next post re immigration status will be in the good news thread.

[gvallee]

2 minutes ago, John Mitchell said:

Yikes! Good luck, Gen. It's amazing how difficult huge, rich countries like Australia and Canada with relatively small populations can make things for people who are seeking residency through legitimate channels. It's not like there isn't plenty of room for newcomers, especially ones who are going to enrich society in various ways.

 

P.S. Illegal immigration problems in the US are another story. Best not to discuss. 😬

 

Tell me about it! Our joke is 'we need a leaky boat!'.

 

What aggravates me is the argument that older people will cost Oz money through medical bills. Fair enough but they won't! To get permanent residency, they calculate an estimate of how much medical expenses we will incur and charge for it in the fee (currently around $100k). So we participate in the economy, spend money, pay tax and don't cost the country anything.

 

We like to travel off the beaten track. Quite a number of people following our travels said to me that they have added some remote places we went to to their list. It makes me happy to bring tourism and generate some income for them. Grey nomads are seen as 'wallets on wheels', spending money on groceries, fuel, campsites, etc.

 

There might be a lot of land in Oz but much of it is desert or arid land. One acute problem for expanding towns is water supply. 

[John Mitchell]

23 minutes ago, gvallee said:

 

Tell me about it! Our joke is 'we need a leaky boat!'.

 

What aggravates me is the argument that older people will cost Oz money through medical bills. Fair enough but they won't! To get permanent residency, they calculate an estimate of how much medical expenses we will incur and charge for it in the fee (currently around $100k). So we participate in the economy, spend money, pay tax and don't cost the country anything.

 

We like to travel off the beaten track. Quite a number of people following our travels said to me that they have added some remote places we went to to their list. It makes me happy to bring tourism and generate some income for them. Grey nomads are seen as 'wallets on wheels', spending money on groceries, fuel, campsites, etc.

 

There might be a lot of land in Oz but much of it is desert or arid land. One acute problem for expanding towns is water supply. 

 

Much of Canada is of course challenging as well, which is why most of the population lives along the southern border with the US. We're a bit like a horizontal version of Chile. That said, the habitable landscape is still vast with lots of very nice towns with small populations. I've lived in a couple that I liked in BC. The thing is most people still want to live in the big cities. However, this trend may be changing as places like Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto are getting too expensive to live in. Water doesn't seem to be an issue here. Canada apparently has 20% of the world's fresh water resources. It certainly looks that way in Vancouver today. 🌧️

 

P.S. Climate change may put a damper on things as well. For instance, devastating forest fires in the BC interior are making it a less desirable place to settle.

[Ed Rooney]

 

I'm not a positive addition to Merseyside or the UK, but Gen -- you two are an important positive addition to Australia.  The Oz governors should see that. This situation is not right!