A Headache And A Half

I toddled down to my District Office appointment in sunny downtown Newark today to get my temporary work permit issued (as I had been advised by the USCIS customer service center after my 4th call to them to find out what the deuce had happened to my permit) as I was on the understanding that it was outside the regular processing time and now serious things must be done.
I arrived and after filling out multiple forms and seeing 3 different people was then told by the silly bint behind the counter that a J2 visa does not allow one to work.

I remonstrated "I have a piece of paper here, a manual put out by the Department of Homeland Security that explicitly states that I can."

Well, this woman would have none of it, and I went back twice. She had some slip of paper that she had gotten from an internet site that claims that I can't work. Lets not dwell on the fact that she toldme this information was available online and we have not been able to find it.

Well bollocks to her, and bollocks to the whole darn country I thought. In the face of rightous ignorance one can only play the gentlemen and leave quietly.

I called the USCIS customer service center and was informed that YES! I can work.

"Huzzah!" I exclaimed. "So how does one get a temporary permit when the woman at the office refuses to sign the piece of paper?" (we will just ignore the fact that she had said it would probably take 3 weeks for the temproary permit to be issued and focus on the matter at hand)

I was informed that there wasn't much that could be done, and possibly the lady wouldn't issue the temporary permit as it is something they are trying to phase out (they are easily forgeable or some such malarky) and that I would need to wait 2 weeks before I could them back and have something done.

Well bollocks to the lot of them I thought.

There is one comforting thought. I can leave the country during the processing of my work permit without any affect on the process.

Job's ahoy!

Well, last Friday was an action-packed mayhem-filled charge on the front lines.

I had a job interview for the position of Librarian with the esteemed fellows at the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising. It was a strange interview, conducted in two parts (and in two different places, firstly on 52nd st and then down to 45th st) and lasted a good 90 minutes all up. They still had people to interview so I am not expecting to hear anything back until November 27th.

I'm not sure how well the dashing Sgt M went in the face of their relentless questioning (particularly since I balked at their 'name your strengths and weaknesses question') but I'm moderately optimistic as I believe you don't waste 90 minutes on a complete prat.

I also managed to talk to the POP (Persons Of Importance) at the Virgin Megastore at Union Square (14th Ave) - the result of knowing someone who knows someone - and today had a call back that confirmed they want to put me on and will do so as soon as I have a work permit.

Which puts one in a strange position. I essentially have a job but no work permit. I suppose stranger things have happened.

Sir G came over on Friday evening and we all clambered aboard a wild taxi ride into Newark city at night (oooerr!) for a pleasantly surprising club called QXT's (and I think we shall be going back) where we saw the band Razed In Black.

Unfortunately, this was also the weekend that saw the Reverend Horton Heat, Bloc Party and the Gotham Girls Roller Derby in NYC....but I guess some sacrifices must be made.

Attached is a photo of the band, courtesy of Sir G.

Hell-o-weenie

Ms T and I were very curious about Halloween in the country that invented the costumed trick-or-treat so it was with much enthusiasm that we ventured out on Halloween night to see the Halloween Parade down 6th Ave in the Village.

We were uncostumed as the cash flow from the tea plantations in Ceylon was a trite stifled but went armed with camera and smile.

We met Msr Golby and acquaintances in the Slaughtered Lamb (a mere block away from the parade) for some libations and Halloween cheer. This was the highlight of the night (and was very enjoyable). Everybody gets into party mood (regardless of the fact it was Tuesday night) and the streets are thronged with costumed lunacy. There were some very inventive outfits but unfortunately the wrong choice of lens meant that the photographs did not come out as desired.

We then attempted to view the parade.

It is possibly my naivete, brought on by watching American films, that a parade in New York City is a grand and stately affair, with huge floats, giant balloons tethered to slow trundling cars whilst extravagantly dressed people wave from lofty perches.

I have yet to see anything in NYC that resembles this.

The parade consisted of a handful of flat bed trucks with some poorly designed things sitting on the back. There were plenty of people marching for the parade (or sauntering..whichever..), the only disappointing thing was that they were all the same people you could see stumbling around the streets. The most exciting part of the parade was the white shirted policeman who kept control by screaming into his megaphone which he would hold 1 inch away from the person he was talking to. Quite amusing.

Shaving graces

For the last 10 days I have been on a shaving strike until my work permit was presented.

Well, I prematurely shaved. I was under the mistaken impression that the information you get from the government website was accurate. I foolishly believed that after 90 days since my initial application I was able to get an interim work permit.

"We don't do that anymore."

Apparently I either go to Chicago (I have no idea what she meant by that!) or I just wait. I subsequent phone call also did little to improve my mood with a mention of 60 days since new information was recieved, and another mention of "if you don't hear anything in 45 days please call me back".

It's kind of annoying to think it has taken so long I actually need to seriously consider a contingency plan. The 24th of November is the crunch date. If no permit is presented by this time I am booking my flight home. I shall work in Australia till Ms T comes over next April for her cousins wedding and then I shall be looking at getting a job in Canada (yes...it seems to be much easier to move permanently to Canada than get a temporary work permit for the United States) or England.

Anyway, for those of you who are curious as to what I would like with a goatee...this one's for you.





I actually like this next one, but Ms T would not acknowledge my existence until it was removed....