Adventures in Australia

Its done ... and now the headache

So, today I mailed in my application for an Australian student visa. Wouldn't it really suck if I got denied? No, no, thats not going to happen, just my scary thoughts about the future on what could happen.

This is the final paperwork needed. Now, its still not done. Once they get it and process it, they are going to need my medical records and possibly a chest x-ray. The officer over the phone told me not to send it in with the paperwork, as they only need it if the assigned officer asks for it. I'm almost positive with my luck, I'll be asked for it, and it will just take more time.

Now, the headache. I shipped my financial aid paperwork almost a month ago. I paid extra for it to get there in 4-6 business days and of course there was a US Holiday, so add on an extra 2 days. Now, even with that, it should have been delivered last week at the latest! Now, I can only hope that it was delivered, and the guy was just so swamped that he forgot to shoot me an email letting me know that he got it. Hopefully, I'll hear back from him today, so if he hasn't gotten it yet, I can call the US Postal Service and find out what the hell is taking so long.

Oh, the headache. The only good thing is that this Friday, the 30th, is my Birthday.

I did nothing today...

So, I did absolutely nothing constructive today. Nothing at all. This past week I was so busy with work that I did not have time to mail my application for my student visa. I have to go and get a pre-paid envelope so they can return everything to me - most importantly my passport - and I don't know when I'm going to go get the chance to do that. Hopefully soon.

So today, instead of reading or watching a film, I played a video game for roughly 10 hours! I don't know what is wrong with me. I never play video games, yet for the past few days I've had an urge to sit down and play a game. So there goes one day I won't get back ...

Hell Yeah!

It is complete! I now have in my hand, my Certificate of Enrollment! There has been a lot of head aches involved in getting this complete, and I'm so very excited to have it done. There was a small scare when my Advisor emailed me to let me know that my credit card had been declined! It ended up that it wasn't declined, but that their system had an error and the charge never even went to American Express for approval. After calling American Express, and my advisor, he went back and talked to the cashier, and everything worked out just fine.

I am now going to be filling out the last parts of my student visa application and sending that in on Wednesday as I'm working all day tomorrow and just don't have the time to do it tomorrow.

I am so very excited, now I'm just going to have to wait on the visa application, as well as the finalization of my financial aid paperwork, but that should all go quickly.

I can't believe I'm at this point! I'm frickn' excited.

Post 100!

I cannot believe that this is my 100th post. Normally, I've seen people really get into their 100th posting. I really do not know what to write about! I'm drawing up blanks.

Now that my paperwork for Australia is almost done, I'm going to really be focusing on my thoughts as well as my artistic work. I started cutting together a rough reel. I realized that I haven't updated my reel in over two years, and there is a lot of stuff I've done in the past few months that I'm really proud of and needs to go on my reel. There are also some shots that I have in my head that I want to put on my reel. I have this great camera for work sitting next to me, so I'm going to have to go out in the little free time that I have and get some of these shots, like a time lapse of the sun setting over the city and rising over the lake.

Anyways, for those of you who have been reading this blog, thanks a lot. I truly appreciate it. It has been great to read so many of your blogs and its been a great help talking to other students in Australia, especially Sarah, thank you so much for all the advice, I really appreciate it!

Finally

I am so very excited. FedEx delivered my package at 2:11PM. Now, I'm just waiting for my international advisor to process my paperwork and email me my Certificate of Enrollment. Yay!

Wow, I cannot believe that I'm almost done with my paperwork. Once I get my Certificate of Enrollment, I just have to mail in my application for my student visa, which is almost complete anyways. I wonder what I'm going to do once no more paperwork is left?

Big Sigh of Relief

I just let out a big sigh of relief. FedEx finally updated their online tracking system.

This means that my advisor at Griffith will get my final paperwork for Griffith today and can send me the Certificate of Enrollment by the end of the business day, as it only takes him no more than a half hour to issue me my Certificate of Enrollment.

I've already started filling out the application for my student visa, so this means that I can quickly send in everything on monday or tuesday, and then be done with all paperwork!

FedEx

So I shipped my final documents for Griffith on Monday. I paid extra so the documents would arrive on the 15th by 5PM local Brisbane time. Did they arrive? Nope!

I really can't blame FedEx for the issue as the documents got delayed in customs, but you would think that you would have trucks at different times of the day leaving customs. It officially cleared customs at 11:05PM on the 14th. Now, you think that they would have trucks during the day to take the package? Nope, it didn't even leave the customs house till 8:30PM on the 15th, a whole 3 and a half hours after it was supposed to be delivered!

It better get there today otherwise I'm calling for a refund...

Design

I've decided to apply a new design to my blog. I like the orange, but I feel that the blue just looks a little better. I needed a change.

I also went through a lot of my old posts last night, just browsing through them, and I've noticed that I'm not posting as many pictures as I've used too. So, the pictures are going to have to return, and I'm going to try to put them back in.

I've also noticed that I have no section setup with any of my work. This is something I am going to be working on over the next week or two, and hopefully I'll be able to get up a quick web video of my reel.

Points

So I have an American Express card with Membership Rewards. Basically, I put down my credit card info for my Australia down payment, so I'm going to be earning 6000 rewards points, which rocks.

Today I got an offer in the mail. Because I have been an excellent card member, I could sign up for this exclusive bonus offer. For all purchases from now till October 31st, I earn double points, and triple points on all purchases I already earned double points for. So after checking that no fee was attached, I quickly signed up for the bonus offer.

The best part is that since the paperwork has not arrived yet in Australia, I am going to be earning double points on my down payment, so I'll be getting 12,000 points instead of 6,000!

I also found out that Qantas has a program with American Express for me to transfer my points into miles. However, this is an Australian only card ... bummer. So I called up Customer Service, and they informed me that when I move, call them up and they'll approve me for the Australian card, and transfer all my existing points from my US card over! So, I won't be able to cash in my points for my initial flight, but at least I'll have it for future flights!

Paperwork

Today I shipped the final paperwork for my Certificate of Enrollment. I was able to ship it FedEx. It cost me a little more, but it has a tracking number and I want to make sure this package gets delivered. Once they get it, they will have gotten everything needed to send me my C.O.E. Then, I can do the last paperwork process, the student visa.

I was able to put the down-payment on my credit card. I went ahead and called them to make sure they would accept the charge and to let them know that a large charge would be seen in the next week or so. They approved the charge and wished me luck in my studies. Best part is that I earn rewards points on this purchase!

The package will be delivered on the 15th local time, so hopefully he'll be able to process everything and get my C.O.E. back to me before the end of the week. I'm excited that this paperwork process is almost done.