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Now in Melbourne, but planning to head to VN real soon.
Posts
15
Hello everyone,
I suppose it's time for another update...yes, I have been, "lười biếng quá!".
I was lucky enough to land a 12 month contract for a position in Ho Chi Minh City for most of 2008. For those of you who have followed my rantings, you'll remember that I spent six month in Perth (AU) at the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008 - where Tuyen was able to visit me for two months of that time.
After my Perth engagement, I headed for VN again to start a new job. This was supposed to last at least 12 months with an understanding that it could potentially continue (almost) indefinitely. Alas, it turned out to be a relatively short 11 months. The global economy took a nose dive towards the end of 2008, and all bets were off. The foreign company I was working for could no longer afford to maintain an onsite manager, and so my dream job was no more.
I've been back in AU for about a month now, and I am currently working in Melbourne for an IT company for the next few months. For some weeks, my dearest Tuyen has once again been applying for a tourist VISA to visit me here. We have high hopes that the VISA will be granted any day now, and that we may be reunited by early next month.
So, for now, I'll continue to plot and scheme in order to find another job in VN.
Now in Melbourne, but planning to head to VN real soon.
Posts
15
Hi folks.
I know, I know - I've been really, really slack!
3 years since my last post...so lazy...!
Let me catch you up, in the form of a rough chronicle:
2006 - 1st trip to VN
As you'll read in my first post, I spent most of the year in Vietnam working for an Australian IT company.
It was during this time that I grew so fond of VN - and this is also when I met, Tuyen.
2007 - posted some thoughts on Vdict
Started the year in VN, then ended it in Perth, AU.
Tuyen's first trip to AU - stayed with me in Perth for about 3 months.
Even took her to meet my family in Melbourne for Christmas.
2008 - back to VN to work.
This time no IT company - a completely different job in the food export industry.
Was in VN from early 2008 to early 2009.
This was also the time of the onset of the Global Financial Crisis.
Towards the end of 2008, my company's contracts were drying up and it was becoming more and more difficult to justify my presence in the VN office.
Though I had planned on staying in VN for up to 5 years, I was forced to return to AU.
2009 - back to Melbourne.
To a new IT job.
We managed to get Tuyen another tourist VISA and so she stayed with me in AU for about 6 months.
2010 - still in Melbourne, same IT job.
This year I was able to travel to VN as a tourist.
Three separate trips of about 2 weeks each.
First in Jan-Feb for Tet, then in May-June, then in Sep-Oct
Tuyen and I tried on each occasion to be married.
It took me three trips and reams of documentation, but we finally got married.
That's right! We were married in Vietnam!
Late 2010 is also when we started the ball rolling with getting Tuyen a spouse VISA for AU.
2011 - still in Melbourne, same IT job.
This year I holidayed in VN for another 2 weeks in May-June.
Tuyen returned with me and stayed in AU as a tourist for 3 months.
It is now just turned December, 2011.
Tuyen has been back in VN for some months.
We still await her spouse VISA application approval.
The AU Consulate in HCMC informs us that it could still be up to another 5 months before we know for sure.
Time flies when you're having fun, but seems to slow to a crawl when two hearts hang by a slender thread...
Now in Melbourne, but planning to head to VN real soon.
Posts
15
Hi again.
Two updates in the same month...? What a turnaround, hey?
We dared to hope, but even as the spectre of many more lonely months ahead loomed over us, clouding our everyday lives, it looks as though Santa Claus has heard our most cherished Christmas gift wish after all...
My dear wife and daughter have finally been granted their provisional residence VISAs. Who would have thought so soon...?
This means that they can enter and leave AU as they wish, and they can live, work and study here.
They'll spend Tet 2012 in VN, and then head to Melbourne in early February. So I have just over 7 weeks to get my house in order and prepare for their arrival.
That's all I wanted to post right now - some good news to share in a world where good news often seems hard to come by. I'll endeavour to post some more after the ladies have settled and perhaps I'll even be able to convince them to add some of their own thoughts to this thread...
To all a great Christmas and a fantastic and prosperous new year.
This is Marco signing off for a while - see you all again next year.
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