New 2011 LAND DOWNUNDER, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi

[Dave and Shannon 9]

new thread huh???? no wonder i wasn't getting emails any longer when people posted lol.... well my petition got sent to california for processing about a week ago, anyone have any idea how long that usually takes???

hope everyone is doing well, I had my first haloween party in years last night, fancy dress, had a awesome time (haven't done haloween since i left england in 1987)

haha yeh the old one exceeded its amount of posts.... my petition got sent to california too a couple weeks ago so im really not sure! i had my first dress up party too last night!! haha they love halloween over here!

[VanessaTony 3,567]

new thread huh???? no wonder i wasn't getting emails any longer when people posted lol.... well my petition got sent to california for processing about a week ago, anyone have any idea how long that usually takes???

hope everyone is doing well, I had my first haloween party in years last night, fancy dress, had a awesome time (haven't done haloween since i left england in 1987)

Hopefully you will be approved in November (3 month from filing) however sometimes you need to wait 5 months. Sorry i can't be more specific. You should get your EAD soon though.

Edited October 30, 2011 by Vanessa&Tony

[VanessaTony 3,567]

haha yeh the old one exceeded its amount of posts.... my petition got sent to california too a couple weeks ago so im really not sure! i had my first dress up party too last night!! haha they love halloween over here!

They certainly do! I keep reading friends on FB in Aus planning on dressing up and trick-or-treating.. that kinda bugs me because it's an American holiday.. it would be like suddenly celebrating Thanksgiving. We're becoming too Americanised!

[Dave and Shannon 9]

They certainly do! I keep reading friends on FB in Aus planning on dressing up and trick-or-treating.. that kinda bugs me because it's an American holiday.. it would be like suddenly celebrating Thanksgiving. We're becoming too Americanised!

yeh australia does copy america in alot of things... but oh well.. its fun! hopefully our ead card dont take too much longer! my 2 months will be the 14th of november so hopefully with me doing a walk in a week and abit earlier for my biometrics might help speed it up..

[Wayne-Rachel 8]

They certainly do! I keep reading friends on FB in Aus planning on dressing up and trick-or-treating.. that kinda bugs me because it's an American holiday.. it would be like suddenly celebrating Thanksgiving. We're becoming too Americanised!

Umm, actually both Halloween and trick-or-treat (or Guising as its called in Scotland) are both Scottish in origin

From the wikipedia Halloween page

The word Halloween is first attested in the 16th century and represents a Scottish variant of the fuller All-Hallows-Even ("evening"), that is, the night before All Hallows Day. Although the phrase All Hallows is found in Old English (ealra hālgena mæssedæg, mass-day of all saints), All-Hallows-Even is itself not attested until 1556.

And further down the page...

Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat?" The word "trick" refers to a (mostly idle) "threat" to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. In some parts of Scotland children still go guising. In this custom the child performs some sort of trick, i.e. sings a song or tells a ghost story, to earn their treats.

In Scotland and Ireland, Guising — children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins — is a traditional Halloween custom, and is recorded in Scotland at Halloween in 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visit homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit and money. The practice of Guising at Halloween in North America is first recorded in 1911, where a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario reported children going "guising" around the neighborhood.

Just saying

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Umm, actually both Halloween and trick-or-treat (or Guising as its called in Scotland) are both Scottish in origin

From the wikipedia Halloween page

The word Halloween is first attested in the 16th century and represents a Scottish variant of the fuller All-Hallows-Even ("evening"), that is, the night before All Hallows Day. Although the phrase All Hallows is found in Old English (ealra hālgena mæssedæg, mass-day of all saints), All-Hallows-Even is itself not attested until 1556.

And further down the page...

Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat?" The word "trick" refers to a (mostly idle) "threat" to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. In some parts of Scotland children still go guising. In this custom the child performs some sort of trick, i.e. sings a song or tells a ghost story, to earn their treats.

In Scotland and Ireland, Guising — children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins — is a traditional Halloween custom, and is recorded in Scotland at Halloween in 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visit homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit and money. The practice of Guising at Halloween in North America is first recorded in 1911, where a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario reported children going "guising" around the neighborhood.

Just saying

That's all well and good. I know it's celebrated in the UK as well but Australia only does it because they see it on all the American TV shows that we get. Australia (at least in my area) never used to celebrate it. it's not OUR holiday but now people are trying to bring it in.

I still stand by it being ridiculous to be celebrating it in Australia and akin to celebrating American Thanksgiving. I can't think of any UK holidays that we don't celebrate.. but it would be like that too. It just seems wrong.

[Lainie B 465]

I am constantly amused by how shocked some Americans are that we DON'T celebrate Thanksgiving

BTW has anyone found somewhere we can watch the Melbourne Cup online?

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I am constantly amused by how shocked some Americans are that we DON'T celebrate Thanksgiving

BTW has anyone found somewhere we can watch the Melbourne Cup online?

Lol yeah! I get asked that a bit too

The Melbourne cup I found this link: http://www.melbournecuplivestreaming.com/ hopefully it work for you

[Travis and Meghan 24]

Yayyyyyyyyyyyy, my Aunt and Uncle are almost here So excited, lol. I miss my family

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Yayyyyyyyyyyyy, my Aunt and Uncle are almost here So excited, lol. I miss my family

YAY!! I completely understand the missing your family thing.

[Travis and Meghan 24]

Mmmmm, it's awful :/ buttttt, i guess i'll get used to it eventually, lol

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Mmmmm, it's awful :/ buttttt, i guess i'll get used to it eventually, lol

Hate to say it but NOPE! It's been over 2 years for me and while I no longer miss being able to call home whenever I want (well I do, just don't notice it as much) I still keenly miss family holidays. Or for instance Nov 12. Apparently my sister and her husband are going home to my parents for the w/end. It's my brothers birthday around then as well as my BIL's, not to mention my parents 30th wedding anniversary and we would all normally be home to celebrate. Chatting and what not. My sister is pregnant.. i won't be around for all that... ahh it sucks but yeah, it's not as bad as it would have been in the beginning.

[Travis and Meghan 24]

Mmmm, November sucks for me too, my brother's graduating from high school, my sister's 21st, my dad and stepmum's 50th. I'm dreading christmas :/ I had a mini meltdown last night and just cried for hours, poor Travis never knows what to do but he does good, he just hugs me and tries to make me laugh by making fun of me when my nose gets all snotty, lol. I've been emailing almost everyone and that helps except for my mum,she STILL refuses to get the internet, thinks it will take up too much of her time and is a waste of money *sigh*. Well, that's my venting for the morning, gonna go get ready for lunch with my Aunt then my violin lesson. damn violin, i still sound like a screeching cat.

Congrats on you sister being pregnant btw, even though you're not there it still must be so exciting

[Austramerican 83]

^ Congrats on your recent wedding (saw on your sig it was the 3rd ) Though I can't say I know exactly how you guys feel, since I'm the American one in this couple XD I know I would probably be feeling the same way if I were moving to Australia instead of him moving here. He did get homesick especially at first when he spent the year here, but his parents were able to visit which made it better for him

I've just started the process so I'd love any tips or advice you guys would have, got my NOA1 on the 4th, anything I should ask him to do while we wait, or anything I must do (besides collecting evidence of ongoing relationship and my paystubs?)

[VanessaTony 3,567]

^ Congrats on your recent wedding (saw on your sig it was the 3rd ) Though I can't say I know exactly how you guys feel, since I'm the American one in this couple XD I know I would probably be feeling the same way if I were moving to Australia instead of him moving here. He did get homesick especially at first when he spent the year here, but his parents were able to visit which made it better for him

I've just started the process so I'd love any tips or advice you guys would have, got my NOA1 on the 4th, anything I should ask him to do while we wait, or anything I must do (besides collecting evidence of ongoing relationship and my paystubs?)

I've got a K1 thread in my signature that should be an interesting read