The penultimate moment of an emotionally exhausting 5 months hard work climaxes today. Sleeping in, I suddenly realised it was do or die. I had to get there.
Traversing the London underground, there was no margin for error. Yet, I kept missing connections, and panicking that I'd blown the whole interview, I finally arrived fully suited at the embassy over 25 minutes late.
Thankfully, it didn't matter.
After being shepherded through security I took a number, sat down, and then sat some more. My advice for anyone about to go through these interviews: bring a good book!
So how does it work? The whole process has two stages.
The first is to check you have the correct documents, passport photograph and everything outlined in the interview letter. Once this has been submitted you are told to take a seat while the information is processed.
Take a seat and get comfortable, you'll be waiting another hour.
When you're number is called again (in a vein not too dissimilar to a doctors surgery) you meet a clerk through a glass window that brought memories of banking at Natwest. I was asked some very straightforward questions, job title, where I went to college at etc. And then I was good to go!
I submitted my passport, stood in line to pay the mandatory additional fee to have it mailed back with my visa stamp and I was good to go.
It took the whole afternoon for less than 10 minutes of interaction, but who cares. My US H1-B Visa is now APPROVED!!!
Time to Celebrate!!! :D
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Return to Reading
Back in the Summer of 2006, I caused some major mayhem in the city of Reading. In fact a week later, Bavers had called me to tell me never to come back again - so severe was his hangover, it had lasted four days!!
This time they were prepared for me, well almost. Turns out they'd never heard of an Irish Car Bomb, described by urbandictionary.com as a "potent mix drink" involving Guinness Stout, Irish Whiskey, and Bailey's Irish Cream.
Having now been on the move for well over 24 hours, covering 3000+ miles from Toronto to Manchester, and an additional 253 miles through road and rail, it was nice to reach my latest final destination.
After a few more drinks it was time to call it a night: My crucial US Embassy interview was just 12 hours away and I hadn't been to bed yet!
Keys to the house and a home cooked meal too... Bavers you're a legend!
Continued... Forthy's Visa Interview...
This time they were prepared for me, well almost. Turns out they'd never heard of an Irish Car Bomb, described by urbandictionary.com as a "potent mix drink" involving Guinness Stout, Irish Whiskey, and Bailey's Irish Cream.
Having now been on the move for well over 24 hours, covering 3000+ miles from Toronto to Manchester, and an additional 253 miles through road and rail, it was nice to reach my latest final destination.
After a few more drinks it was time to call it a night: My crucial US Embassy interview was just 12 hours away and I hadn't been to bed yet!
Keys to the house and a home cooked meal too... Bavers you're a legend!
Continued... Forthy's Visa Interview...
Monday, August 6, 2007
Manchester, UK
Arriving in Manchester, UK to connect to London, one of the first sights to greet me was this telephone box. It's full functionality, despite the smashed exterior, I found strangely reassuring.
Not even a "welcome home" sign could have beaten the immediacy that this represents of being back in the UK.
Walking onwards, I was perhaps naive to believe that the new 24 hour drinking laws had extended to 7 a.m. Monday mornings, finding Yate's closed.
I would have loved a pint at this point to mark my homecoming, but would have to wait till after the 4 hour national express bus ride.
Not even a "welcome home" sign could have beaten the immediacy that this represents of being back in the UK.
Walking onwards, I was perhaps naive to believe that the new 24 hour drinking laws had extended to 7 a.m. Monday mornings, finding Yate's closed.
I would have loved a pint at this point to mark my homecoming, but would have to wait till after the 4 hour national express bus ride.
Continued... Return to Reading...
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Leaving Canada...
Calling ahead to my next destination, former roommate Dangerous Dave sounded quite grim, "Err... Forthy, I may have some bad news..."
He sounded quite serious.
"Well, basically you haven't got a place stay. I'm really sorry, but I couldn't find you a place. I might be able to find you a floor, but thats the best I can do... I'm really sorry."
With my flight boarding shortly, and now with nowhere to stay ahead of Tuesday's crucial US Embassy interview, where would I shower, dress, even leave my luggage? There's no way security would let a scruffy (smelly) individual into the US Embassy with two black suitcases!
I had to call around and think fast. How do I not know anyone else who lives in London? Everyone from uni who had moved there has now moved on, or I've lost contact with them. There had to be someone...
Suddenly it hit me.. Bavers!!
I called him up and the legend pulled through, "Of course you've got a place to stay Dom - I'll leave the key out!"
RESULT!
This was a double bonus. Not only do I now have a place to stay, but theres never a dull moment in the presence of Bavers - we've had some quality nights out over the years! Like this night for example.
So, with a little detour, Forthy now has a place to stay and is off to Reading, Wahay!
Bavers: Pulled through (Picture taken June 22, 2006)
He sounded quite serious.
"Well, basically you haven't got a place stay. I'm really sorry, but I couldn't find you a place. I might be able to find you a floor, but thats the best I can do... I'm really sorry."
With my flight boarding shortly, and now with nowhere to stay ahead of Tuesday's crucial US Embassy interview, where would I shower, dress, even leave my luggage? There's no way security would let a scruffy (smelly) individual into the US Embassy with two black suitcases!
I had to call around and think fast. How do I not know anyone else who lives in London? Everyone from uni who had moved there has now moved on, or I've lost contact with them. There had to be someone...
Suddenly it hit me.. Bavers!!
I called him up and the legend pulled through, "Of course you've got a place to stay Dom - I'll leave the key out!"
RESULT!
This was a double bonus. Not only do I now have a place to stay, but theres never a dull moment in the presence of Bavers - we've had some quality nights out over the years! Like this night for example.
So, with a little detour, Forthy now has a place to stay and is off to Reading, Wahay!
Bavers: Pulled through (Picture taken June 22, 2006)
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Toronto Weekender
Arriving in Toronto during the Caribana festival weekend you'd think there would be a buzz in the air from the ensuing festivities. After all, Caribana has been billed as North America's largest street festival, frequented by over 1.3 million visitors each year for the festival's final parade.
A Buzz?? Not likely though!
As one local barman put it, "All the locals leave as soon as they see Caribana weekend is approaching. And, to be honest, I would have left too if I hadn't been forced to work!"
Charming! But why??
According to other locals, the festival causes a huge surge in crime -- something exemplified by the non-stop sirens we could hear all weekend. The majority of bars and restaurants were dead.
As a result, the full-blown crazy weekend we had lined up was scaled back somewhat. Not even David Beckham's arrival with the LA Galaxy could shift our emphasis from visiting theme parks and sight-seeing, rather than the all-night parties that Toronto is globally renowned for!
I still had a fantastic time though and the highlights of the trip were:
Canada's Wonderland (often referred to locally as Wonderland) is the 330 acre theme park located in Vaughan, Ontario -- 30 kilometres north of Toronto, Ontario. It is considered one of North America's premier amusement parks, with more than 200 attractions.
With Canada's Longest Wooden Coaster - The Mighty Canadian Minebuster, Canada's First Inverted Coaster - Top Gun and Canada's Only Flying Coaster - "Tomb Raider: The Ride," the owners claim North America's largest variety of coasters can be found here. If roller coasters aren't your game though you can test your level of thrill by being spun 360 degrees on Cliffhanger, free falling 230 feet on Drop Zone, or be courageous enough to catch some 120 foot hang time on Psyclone.
The CN Tower, located in downtown Toronto is a communications and tourist tower standing 553.33 metres (1,815.39 ft) tall. While they were still building it in 1975 it became the tallest free-standing structure on land in the world. However, on September 12, 2007 (after holding the record for over 30 years) the CN tower was surpassed in height by the still-under-construction Burj Dubaia - a hotel, residential and commercial building being built in Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- which, take note folks, is most importantly one of forthy's future destinations!!
This is a must visit, and while the wait to get to the top is a looooong time - nothing can beat standing on top of the world.
The Toronto Blue Jays @ Rogers Center. Sightseeing around the city, I was amazed at the abundance of spare tickets for Saturday's Blue Jays game against the Texas Rangers. Over the course of the weekend, the Blue Jays defeated Texas in all three games, only to lose to the NY Yankees on Monday.
As it turned out, we were able to avoid the touts and managed to catch some of the action for free from the CN Tower (as this picture shows :)
Chinatown. Toronto has the second largest Chinatown in North America. And, driving by, there were dozens, maybe hundreds, of restaurants serving not just authentic Chinese, but also Vietnamese and other Asian fare.
The Hockey Hall of Fame is home to hockey's greatest players. With an unrivalled collection of photos, statistics, profiles, global coverage, trivia, games and Cyberstore merchandise.
Other worthy mentions are: The Hummingboard Center/Sony Centre for the Arts (below, top right) The Air Canada Centre (home of the Toronto Maple Leafs) (below, bottom left) Bravo! (below, top right) - the Canadian English language cable television specialty channel owned by CTV, and the Scotiabank theatre (below, bottom right).
Overall, this was a great trip. With over 2.5 million residents, Toronto ranks as the fifth-most populous municipality in North America (and the 46th most populous in the world).
Toronto also ranks as a city I'd highly recommend to visit. More shots from around the city are below, including the Roy Thomson Hall, home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (below, top left) and the view from the CN Tower (below, top right).
Finally, this part of the city offered arguably one of the best views of the city...
...And was a great place for a last lunch before catching a flight to the next destination: London...
A Buzz?? Not likely though!
As one local barman put it, "All the locals leave as soon as they see Caribana weekend is approaching. And, to be honest, I would have left too if I hadn't been forced to work!"
Charming! But why??
According to other locals, the festival causes a huge surge in crime -- something exemplified by the non-stop sirens we could hear all weekend. The majority of bars and restaurants were dead.
As a result, the full-blown crazy weekend we had lined up was scaled back somewhat. Not even David Beckham's arrival with the LA Galaxy could shift our emphasis from visiting theme parks and sight-seeing, rather than the all-night parties that Toronto is globally renowned for!
I still had a fantastic time though and the highlights of the trip were:
Canada's Wonderland (often referred to locally as Wonderland) is the 330 acre theme park located in Vaughan, Ontario -- 30 kilometres north of Toronto, Ontario. It is considered one of North America's premier amusement parks, with more than 200 attractions.
With Canada's Longest Wooden Coaster - The Mighty Canadian Minebuster, Canada's First Inverted Coaster - Top Gun and Canada's Only Flying Coaster - "Tomb Raider: The Ride," the owners claim North America's largest variety of coasters can be found here. If roller coasters aren't your game though you can test your level of thrill by being spun 360 degrees on Cliffhanger, free falling 230 feet on Drop Zone, or be courageous enough to catch some 120 foot hang time on Psyclone.
The CN Tower, located in downtown Toronto is a communications and tourist tower standing 553.33 metres (1,815.39 ft) tall. While they were still building it in 1975 it became the tallest free-standing structure on land in the world. However, on September 12, 2007 (after holding the record for over 30 years) the CN tower was surpassed in height by the still-under-construction Burj Dubaia - a hotel, residential and commercial building being built in Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- which, take note folks, is most importantly one of forthy's future destinations!!
This is a must visit, and while the wait to get to the top is a looooong time - nothing can beat standing on top of the world.
The Toronto Blue Jays @ Rogers Center. Sightseeing around the city, I was amazed at the abundance of spare tickets for Saturday's Blue Jays game against the Texas Rangers. Over the course of the weekend, the Blue Jays defeated Texas in all three games, only to lose to the NY Yankees on Monday.
As it turned out, we were able to avoid the touts and managed to catch some of the action for free from the CN Tower (as this picture shows :)
Chinatown. Toronto has the second largest Chinatown in North America. And, driving by, there were dozens, maybe hundreds, of restaurants serving not just authentic Chinese, but also Vietnamese and other Asian fare.
The Hockey Hall of Fame is home to hockey's greatest players. With an unrivalled collection of photos, statistics, profiles, global coverage, trivia, games and Cyberstore merchandise.
Other worthy mentions are: The Hummingboard Center/Sony Centre for the Arts (below, top right) The Air Canada Centre (home of the Toronto Maple Leafs) (below, bottom left) Bravo! (below, top right) - the Canadian English language cable television specialty channel owned by CTV, and the Scotiabank theatre (below, bottom right).
Overall, this was a great trip. With over 2.5 million residents, Toronto ranks as the fifth-most populous municipality in North America (and the 46th most populous in the world).
Toronto also ranks as a city I'd highly recommend to visit. More shots from around the city are below, including the Roy Thomson Hall, home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (below, top left) and the view from the CN Tower (below, top right).
Finally, this part of the city offered arguably one of the best views of the city...
...And was a great place for a last lunch before catching a flight to the next destination: London...
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Around the World in 60 Days: Toronto, Canada
Starting off the world tour in Canada, I expected the Canadian officials to greet me with open arms (what with me being from the Commonwealth and all!)
What I soon discovered however, was the complete opposite, and very quickly I faced the tricky task of explaining that yes my US visa had expired, no I wasn't exactly 100% sure where my friends in Toronto lived, nor what they did for a living, and yes two huge suitcases did seem slightly excessive for just a weekend stay in the city.
The next thing I knew, I was being led away and off to a separate area to face further questioning from the border patrol. Suddenly the burden of proving the truth was now on me!
Could the trip be over before it had even begun?
Fortunately, the second interview/interrogation went a lot better than the first, and quickly making up/guessing that my host was a fitness instructor, I managed to buy enough time to convince them that the whole reason for this trip was merely an extended layover on the way to London to get the new US visa that they were so concerned about.
Apparently many British have used Canada as an escape route from the states when their Visa's expire.
Not Forthy though, and after charming the officials at the second attempt, this was to be the beginning of the trip of a lifetime!
What I soon discovered however, was the complete opposite, and very quickly I faced the tricky task of explaining that yes my US visa had expired, no I wasn't exactly 100% sure where my friends in Toronto lived, nor what they did for a living, and yes two huge suitcases did seem slightly excessive for just a weekend stay in the city.
The next thing I knew, I was being led away and off to a separate area to face further questioning from the border patrol. Suddenly the burden of proving the truth was now on me!
Could the trip be over before it had even begun?
Fortunately, the second interview/interrogation went a lot better than the first, and quickly making up/guessing that my host was a fitness instructor, I managed to buy enough time to convince them that the whole reason for this trip was merely an extended layover on the way to London to get the new US visa that they were so concerned about.
Apparently many British have used Canada as an escape route from the states when their Visa's expire.
Not Forthy though, and after charming the officials at the second attempt, this was to be the beginning of the trip of a lifetime!
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Mum's Birthday: The start of a trip of a lifetime...
My mum would have been 59 today. Its quite fitting that since her death her birthday has grown greater in significance each year. Not just because it marks the birth of such a remarkable woman, but also because each birthday has signified the start of a new beginning for me...
Last year, August 1st marked the last step in completing my MA and the first day of my optional practical training in the United States - something I had been working towards since 2002.
What started on this very day last year led to me landing the job I had dreamed of, and fulfilled the exact goal of where I wanted to be in my career and in my life.
What starts today is even better: a trip around the world for 60 days, during which I receive my H1-B visa, allowing me to continue working in the US for another three years.
Is it just a mere coincidence that my mothers birthday also marks arguably two of the most important dates in my life so far? Of course not. While my heart continues each day to ache and long to be with my mother again, it is also indescribably comforting to know and feel her presence on days like these, and all the good days that come as a result from these milestones.
Sacrificing your happiness for the happiness of the one you love, is by far, the truest type of love. My mother sacrificed everything she ever had for me. And I will always truly love her. I love you mum.
Last year, August 1st marked the last step in completing my MA and the first day of my optional practical training in the United States - something I had been working towards since 2002.
What started on this very day last year led to me landing the job I had dreamed of, and fulfilled the exact goal of where I wanted to be in my career and in my life.
What starts today is even better: a trip around the world for 60 days, during which I receive my H1-B visa, allowing me to continue working in the US for another three years.
Is it just a mere coincidence that my mothers birthday also marks arguably two of the most important dates in my life so far? Of course not. While my heart continues each day to ache and long to be with my mother again, it is also indescribably comforting to know and feel her presence on days like these, and all the good days that come as a result from these milestones.
Sacrificing your happiness for the happiness of the one you love, is by far, the truest type of love. My mother sacrificed everything she ever had for me. And I will always truly love her. I love you mum.
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Friday, August 24, 2001
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