Paulkyville

Another day, another procedure. Yesterday it was the turn of the radiologists to get their hands on me. So off to a posh location in central London for my X-Ray. As always seems to be the case, there was more form filling to be done, but little waiting this time ans I was rushed straight in to a darkened room by a matter-of-fact-old-school type nurse who stood me in front of something that looked like it had just been in the latest Star trek movie, told me to take my shirt off and stick my chin on the little rest. She then positioned my hands on my hips (I thought I was about to do The Time Warp ) and then retreated behind her lead-lined screen. A few seconds later, my upper body bombarded by radiation, she goes off to check the X-Ray is clear, before coming back and telling me it's all over. I went to sign the form and then she handed my my passport with a big smile. Except it wasn't my passport. Ah. So off she goes to find mine (suddenly my mind starts coming up with all ...

Yesterday was the day of the medical. Not one of my favourite things to do, but it had to be done, so off I went to a little place in London to probed and prodded! The AHC give you a list of approved doctor's, so you can't just roll up to your GP and ask for an MOT. No, you have to spend £160 to get a stranger who has no idea of your medical history to ask you a few questions during a 30 minute exam, on which the rest of your life depends. Hmm . So first they give me a little jar in a plastic bag, and I know what's coming next. Now, on the few occasions I've had to do this, I'm always in a quandary as to how much is enough; do you fill the whole thing, or just a little? Unlike previously, when the container has been very small and you have to be very precise with your aim, this was quite a generous sized receptacle and so my dilemma was increased. Just how much do they want? So I retreat to the little boy's room (though in this case it's the little girl...

Just a quick note to wish my Dad a Happy Father's Day, wherever he may be now. Miss you.

We are pursuing a bit of the old Blitz spirit here at Paulkyville . As we will (hopefully) be moving to Oz next year, we decided to try and put up with what we have rather than replace things, such as TVs , white goods etc. Apart from the different voltage in Australia compared to the UK, things such as TVs tend to be cheaper as they are closer to the source (i.e, the Far East) of manufacture. Of course, having decided this, fate bowls a googly. First our kettle dies, so we buy a cheap replacement. This tends to make a suspicious buzzing noise when it's not in action, so we now make a point of switching it off at the mains when not needed, less the house burn down. Then our colour printer ran out of ink. Well, no problem there, buy an ink cartridge ! So off I trot to WH Smith and buy a black and colour cartridge, which cost £61! It was only when I get home that I realise you can actually buy a completely new printer for that. So I take the cartridge back and we buy a new pri...

So I've had time to digest what's required of me, and I have to make a (very expensive, I suspect) appointment with a doctor recommended by the Australian High Commission. This involves blood tests, X-Rays and other medical probings. Oh how I look forward to that. (That's sarcasm, by the way.) I also have to have Police checks carried out to make sure I am not some hardened criminal (which, as someone pointed out, used to be the only way to get in to Australia!). This costs me £35. And finally I have to provide further evidence that Mrs Paulky and I are a bona fide couple; this one enables me to skip the Temporary Residence visa and skip straight to Permanent, so it's worth doing. Just now have to gather together suitable evidence, which makes my decision to have a clear out last month of all old documents suddenly seem unwise... One good thing that all this clarifies is that, assuming I get the visa, I have to make a trip to Australia before the medical and p...

Well, strike what I said yesterday about my application being put into a big pile! Today I get an email for the Australian High Commission asking me to go for a radiological exam and a medical and to have my police checks done withing the next 28 days. I thought I might have to wait a couple of months for the request, so was a bit surprised by this. I also have to provide a bit more info on what Mrs P and I have been up to for the last five years. Still, a step in the right direction and a lot quicker than I had hoped! Will keep you posted!

According to the Royal Mail, my application has been signed for at Australia House. Even now, someone has carefully placed it in a huge in tray along with several thousand others.