Going to the Races!

Last weekend I went to the Doomben Races with Vanessa. Can you believe I have never managed to go to any races in England! Now my first races in Australia and I did not have a suitable hat or fascinator! But there were many many others to admire. We had a great sunny day sipping champagne and admiring beautiful horses, tiny jockeys and major fashion desasters....

News from the Department of Immigration!

Today finally, exactly 6 months after we lodged my application for Partner visa and subsequent citizenship a lovely man on a motorbike hand delivered the most important letter of the year. The Australian Government has finally granted me a Partner Visa which means that I cannot get kicked out of the country anymore! HURRAH!
We are very happy and pleased we did not have to do any interviews or intergration tests etc. Just a waiting game. In two years time I should then get my citizenship and become Australian!
Apparently, my accent is beginning to reflect those changes already :-{

Now I have unlimited permission to work, get health benefits, free English classes and I am allowed to leave the country as well. What a relief! Not that I have any plans to do so...

Workwise, nothing much has changed. All moving very slowly here. I am expecting a third interview with a firm I would really like to work for and hope it will all go ahead. Wish me luck!

My parents have left again :-(

It was great fun to have my parents visit and I am very pleased that they enjoyed Australia as much as they did. They could not get over how friendly everyone is and how relaxed, how un-German I guess. And how clean Australia is and how blue the sky is every day and how delicious the lamb tastes and how this culture was able to develop in just a few centuries. And I can tell you that my parents dont give a thumbs up easily!

We had a really nice time together and the beautiful steps dad build in the garden will remind me every day that they were here.

I am sure they will be back soon!

Our little Blue Tongue

This gorgeous Blue Tongue Lizard lives in our garden and we finally made friends and had a drink of water together. Am very pleased. He is about as long as my lower arm and his tongue is blue as blue can be (as you can see).

See? Am getting used to animalis australianis. :-)