Comedy of Errors

So really moving halfway across the world should be easy (and yes its only halfway around the world, moving all the way around the world would put me back in NC, as I had to explain to someone). Since I have begun this journey, I think most things that could have gone wrong have.

First was the trip out here, if you haven’t read it I explain that one in my last post. To further complicate my assimilation into Sydney I have had issues with – Immigration, Australian Tax Office, housing, banks (both here and in the US), Carmax, and I am sure there are others. About the only thing I haven’t had issues with is work, but that might just be because I just started work this week.

So firstly, Immigration. Apparently just like the US (no offence to anyone) but it doesn’t take a genius to work for the government. I started applying for my visa a month or so before I came over. Understandably it can take longer than that to get a visa approved. However, supposedly it was going to be fast tracked since Australia has a shortage of qualified accounting and finance professionals. (Yes somehow I qualify as both qualified and professional). So about two days before I am set to leave the US, I still haven’t heard from Immigration so I go ahead and get a short term visa, just so I can get into the country. Once I got here, Immigration requested further proof of my education, qualification and what not. With help from some of you back in NC, we managed to get my education and CIA qualification documented enough to satisfy them. Then Immigration said they did not have the appropriate medical forms. The ones I had shipped over a month before. So I sent them the tracking number and said they might want to check with whoever was listed as signing for them as to what they did with my forms. I also sent them the copies I had digitized and brought with me. My copies weren’t useable since they weren’t sealed but I guess they found my original since my visa was finally approved, over a week and a half since I got here. That made my start date for work September 18th (remember I left on August 31st).

So then the ATO (Aussie Tax Office) had a small problem. Their system had my short term visa registered, which did not have work permits. So after a couple hours win the tax office, I finally am going to get a tax ID number, just not for 3 or so weeks. Now what the exact impact of this is, I am not sure. I assume that it means that until I get the number, I will be taxed at the maximum rate. As my tax ID number will help identify my for certain allowances and tax breaks as allowed by my alien status.

Housing. That one deserves its own blog or three. Banks, yes banks. Because it is truly money that makes the world go round, not the gravitational pull of the sun but because Bill Gates pays the sun to come up so he can have a reason to get out of bed. Well since I am being paid in AUS$$, I needed a AUS bank account. So it was easy enough to setup an account. The hard part was to try and get money from the US into this account without getting hit with too many fees. See none of my accounts would let me transfer money while I am here; I had to be physically in the US, small problem there. Finally I was able to get money wired into my AUS account and repaid the sender from my US account. Sounds easy enough but it was a huge pain and took several days to get accomplished.

Carmax – I sold them my car and then they didn’t pay off the correct amount to my lender. So I get a notice from my lender that my grace period for the payment is almost up and I need to pay it NOW. I emailed Carmax and after a day or two they apologized and are going to make up the difference, like they should. And if I get hit with a late payment, they sure are going to pay that too.

Oh yeah, almost forgot my first work issue. I went to setup my voicemail and managed to accidentally dial the Australian equivalent of 911, which is 000. Now how that happens is we have to dial 0 to get out and then 911 would be 000, or 0000 with the 0 to dial out. So I thought I was setting up my voicemail and thought my default password was 0000. Apparently I let the call time out. I called the voicemail number but then it timed out I punched 0 and 000, I dialed out and called the police emergency line. I assured the operator it was a wrong number and apologized.

Those are my miscues so far, but I am sure there will be more and probably sooner than later.

Random Observations of the day:
Aussies have a weird affinity for hair “product” and the “metro sexual” look as well as the Mullet and Frohawk. Someone explain that one to me.