11 September 2008

My Canadian Bacon is Fried


too many passports for a thirty eight year old?

Dear Readers,

What a wild and crazy day today.
I may not be a Canadian anymore.
I just can't believe it.
Me?
Not a Canadian?

Anyways,

I had so many 'government' things to do and I hit them all one by one, thanks to my great friend who spent the day being my personal dwiber.
Health care, my work insurance number, a banking appointment, and laundry among other duties. I needed a TON of patience today and a chunky chocolate chip cookie came in handy half way through the ordeal. Thanks again to my dwiber.

Needless to say I snapped a few times at various people throughout the day.... (including dwiber, hahahaha).
It's inevitable.
Public servants drive me crazy. I know it's not their fault (most of the time), but I want to scream with all the bureaucracy and paperwork they throw at you. I'm not designed to sit in a small office with no color, window or plant life, filling out forms. I need to bust out after ten minutes.
I HATE forms. I'm a total retard when it comes to anything remotely serious that requires memory jogging and a pen or pencil.

Working for the government must be soul destroying.
Peter looked destroyed. Deflated.
Like a barfly with no more booze.
Poor public servant Peter needs a long holiday.
And I have been away for twenty years.
So we tangled to get things done.
And then he told me this.

"You may not be a Canadian Mr. Gorrell", he said about three times before it registered.

I was told that I may no longer be a Canadian citizen because I've not lived here since 1988, and because I was born before 1977 (?).

I was like, "WHAT did you say?"
"How could that be considering I entered the country with my Canadian passport"?, I said.
Public servant Pete looked at me with a dazed and confused look on his face.
He said, "You have **** passports"?
I said yes.

He was in shock.
Apparently its very rare for anyone to have so many passports.
But I've lived all over the world , on my own since I was a teenager, so to me, it makes perfect sense. I set my sights on a goal, and I achieve it. No matter how long it takes.
Patience is indeed a virtue.

I've always earned my passports with hard work, devotion and dedication to the country where I lived.
It's simple.
"Their mine because I earned them" I said to him.

So I find out tomorrow whether or not I am in fact a Canadian anymore.
If not I have to apply again as an Australian.
Like anyone else.
I can't believe it.
Stay tuned.


I'm an International citizen
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