True Blue

Damned, winter in the dessert. Its almost that i was back in Belgium. Freezing temperatures at night and in the day, no shorts, no singlets and no thongs. Together with my 40 years midlife crises and the weather i felt almost depress. It`s a good thing alcohol can keep you warm.

The days are filled, waiting for the post, my passport would arrive soon. And it did. I`m now the proud owner of 2 passports, 2 Belgium ones, the new one for another 5 years and the old one with my permanent visum inside. Mmmh,? No, they couldn`t put the visum in the new one. That's another department who deals them out. So, that means , paperwork !, and because the lost month, i start specializing in this kind of business, maybe a career movement, who knows.

But we getting there. I did the citizen test. And i`m proud to say i`m a true blue. Twenty questions, and twenty correct answers. But i didn`t had my passport, so i have to go back, not to do the test, but to show that i`m really Hans Hertsens. After that , it takes a couple of months before they invite me for the ceremony, where i `ll become an Australian citizen. But for certain reasons i think, a not official true blue test will follow .

I went for the first time to an Australian court. Yep, quite amazing, two years in Australia, and already a hearing. It`s was pure sci-fi in the middle of the dessert. We entered the courtroom, a lot of people seems to wanna have a divorce nowedays. Sitting with about 11 people in an oval room against the wall, a big tele screen in the front and a web cam. Waiting till the judge appears on the screen, and then suddenly start talking to you. Damned , he has a web cam too. Mr Hertsens would you be so kind to approach the bench? It talks too. Are you Mr Hertsens? Are you Mr Hertsens ? Again. You can speak in the micro if you please! Damned, Yes, I am, your honour. He can hear me too. I didn`t felt anymore in the middle of the dessert, where i cook my meals in the camp oven, and heat my billy above the campfire. The divorce was granted, so officially, i will be divorced after one month and one day.