I walk off the plane in a semi comatose state, I make it about a hundred metres before I am faced with the queue of Biblical proportions that is Immigration. After what was easily a half hour wait, I finally make it to the desk. Despite the seven shades of not very nice words that I feel, I manage to give the guy at the counter a grin and a good morning, to be greeted in turn with icy icy silence. I hand over my passport and documents, only to receive a 20 minute lecture on how my passport is damaged and that I need to replace it.
This is how I know I'm back in Australia.
Almost 8 months ago when I left Australia, the girl at Immigration gave me a 10 minute lecture on how my passport was damaged and that I needed to replace it. She also mentioned how I would be really lucky if any of the countries that I was going to would accept it in it's present condition. At the time I thought this was a bit funny, seeing that the Japanese Government had been happy enough with it's condition to affix my visa to it. Long story short however, she let me out of the country.
Considering this incident I expected to have trouble, at some stage throughout my trip, I walked in and out of Korea, nothing.
I walked into Japan, nothing.
I applied for my alien card, changed addresses, twice, and extended my visa for another six months, nothing.
I even applied for a re-entry pass, in case I decide to go back to Japan, and nothing.
When I left Japan and went back to Korea, complete with pink hair, and taking into account the heightened security, I was expecting someone might say something, but nothing. They didn't even flinch.
It was not until I arrived all the way back home that anyone said anything, at all. So I'm standing there, exhausted, looking blankly at this guy lecturing me, wanting to say all of this, but definitely being smart enough not to talk back to the annoying Immigration man, when his manager walks over, takes one look at my passport, gives the annoying Immigration man a look that says "Really? You called me over for this?", and lets me straight into the country.
Only in Australia.
This is how I know I'm back in Australia.
Almost 8 months ago when I left Australia, the girl at Immigration gave me a 10 minute lecture on how my passport was damaged and that I needed to replace it. She also mentioned how I would be really lucky if any of the countries that I was going to would accept it in it's present condition. At the time I thought this was a bit funny, seeing that the Japanese Government had been happy enough with it's condition to affix my visa to it. Long story short however, she let me out of the country.
Considering this incident I expected to have trouble, at some stage throughout my trip, I walked in and out of Korea, nothing.
I walked into Japan, nothing.
I applied for my alien card, changed addresses, twice, and extended my visa for another six months, nothing.
I even applied for a re-entry pass, in case I decide to go back to Japan, and nothing.
When I left Japan and went back to Korea, complete with pink hair, and taking into account the heightened security, I was expecting someone might say something, but nothing. They didn't even flinch.
It was not until I arrived all the way back home that anyone said anything, at all. So I'm standing there, exhausted, looking blankly at this guy lecturing me, wanting to say all of this, but definitely being smart enough not to talk back to the annoying Immigration man, when his manager walks over, takes one look at my passport, gives the annoying Immigration man a look that says "Really? You called me over for this?", and lets me straight into the country.
Only in Australia.
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