Re: We're back and good news :-)

CatNipped wrote:
> "badwilson" <badSPAMwilson@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:3kpecvFvkd9oU1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Just got home earlier today after going to Bangkok and Chiang Mai
>> with Dennis and some friends from back home. We had a great trip,
>> great to see friends again and of course great to see Dennis after
>> his usual month long work absence.
>> Our friends enjoyed their time here and definitely did their fair
>> share of shopping. They lucked out with the weather too, it was nice
>> the whole time except for the last couple of days in Chiang Mai it
>> was rainy. But they were white water rafting during the worst rain
>> anyway, so it didn't matter.
>> We took a Thai cooking class together and that was fun, we all ate so
>> much we had to roll back to the hotel. Dennis and I bought a couple
>> of shelves which are being shipped to us in a week or so. We have a
>> ton of pictures but strangely they all seem to be of the 4 of us at
>> some sort of restaurant with drinks! Can't figure out how that
>> happened ;-)
>> Anyway, here's the good news. We received an email from Australia
>> immigration asking us for the deposit of a large sum of money to hold
>> in trust for a year in order to finalize our application. So all we
>> have to do now is transfer the money into the holding account and we
>> will be getting our visa :-) Yay, double YAY!!! We're so excited,
>> now we can finally stop living in limbo and get on with our plans for
>> the future. We figure we will probably be leaving Thailand around
>> April. I'll be sad to leave when the time to leave comes but it's
>> time for a change. Need to set down some roots and Margaret River,
>> Australia is the place, woo hoo :-)
>> Anyway, enough gushing. Vino was happy to see us after our week away
>> but he's developed a terrible lying habit. He's trying to tell us
>> that he never got any gooshy food while we were away. But I know he
>> got plenty because the big container that I'd left in the fridge is
>> nearly empty.
>> I still have over 2000 posts to catch up on, so I'll just send out
>> blanket purrs to everyone who needs them for now.
>> --
>> Britta
>> "There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast." -- Unknown
>> Check out pictures of Vino at:
>> http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album
>
> Welcome back, Britta! I'm glad you guys had fun.
>
> Great news about the Visa, you must be very excited. But what's with
> the great deal of money to be "held"? They get to use your money
> (earning interest on it) just so you'll have the privilege of
> moving???! That seems a bit shady (and to think Australia used to be
> a penal colony that people tried *not* to get sent to! ;>
>
> Hugs,
>
> CatNipped

That was my first thought - kind of like the Nigerian scam emails. "Hi, you
send your money and we will send you..." Seems odd that Australian
immigration would communicate this via email rather than written documents.

Jill


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