Bug-Man’s Blog

So after a year of being away from little old Adelaide, Lindsay and I finally touched down on Friday night! How weird. We dropped off our bags at Mum’s place and headed out for coffee. I forgot my PIN for my ATM card, which finally came back to me. Handling currency was bizarre. Seeing all those little Aussie creatures on the coins again was quite surreal and getting back a big red $20 note and a bright blue $10 note was also really odd. I can see why it might even be weird for the tourists!

Since we’ve been back we have been seeing some friends and family as well as seeing all the Adelaide things we’ve not seen in ages. I’m driving Mum’s car, so that really helps. How easily I am reminded of the things I like and dislike about Adelaide.

My friend Adam, for instance, lives up in Mawson Lakes and while up there we had a couple of beers (yes Mum, light beer) and the pub we were in was a giant modern oaf of a pub with bright lighting and modern fixtures. It was quite unpleasant. Pubs in London are a treat in comparison because they are so cosy and ancient.

Wednesday was a particularly stressful day for us, as Lindsay and I flew to Canberra to process our Work Permits for the UK. While mine is approved on paper, I still have to go through this submission process and what’s worse is that Lindsay and I have to provide proof of our relationship akin to marriage and the likes, so that Lindsay can be approved as a dependent on my permit. This means that while my permit is basically approved and this is a formality only, Lindsay’s dependent permit is a complete grey area until we receive the permits back in the post. This means that if Lindsay’s is denied, then our plans are completely out the window.

Why might his be denied? Well, we have very little paperwork to establish our relationship from a over a year and a half ago, and we are supposed to prove a marriage-like relationship for a minimum of two years. Though we have been together longer than that, we have not lived together that entire time nor have we had combined assets or bank accounts together. We had a tenancy agreement in Adelaide on which we were both named and in the UK we are joint on most things so that’s OK. Hopefully the officer at the British High Commission can see the clues we’ve laid out.

After finishing up there, we walked through Canberra to the Old and New Parliament Houses. What a fascinating place, the old Parliament House is! It was turned into a museum during the Hawke Government and most things of the period were left, including the furniture, fixtures, House of Reps and Senate, etc. You can walk through almost the entire facility, even into Bob Hawke’s old office which is left pretty much the way it was when he left. Everything was so retro with big clicky buttons and things.

All of the rooms were much smaller as was the standard of construction for the day, so the only wide open spaces were the Senate/House of Reps and the main reception hall. Everything else was a rabbit warren.

Pictures will be on Flickr as soon as I’m able and I’ll stick some in here, too.

The current Parliament House building is not as interesting, as you can only go into the Senate and House of Reps balconies, main reception halls and on the roof. Everything else is in use for everyday governing and therefore closed!