“I’m and Alien – I’m an Illegal Alien”

In my previous blog I mentioned that it has been a happy 5 months so far but a bit worrying and stressful and unsure….all I am going to say is: Ministry of Home Affairs – need I say more?

As I am sure all of you know how efficient, fast and effective the Ministry of Home Affairs are? (SARCASM!) Everyone has been asking me when I am coming to visit…well here is our answer: your guess is as good as ours!!

Ricardo applied for his VISA and Permit the first week of February and to date he has not heard anything from them…I applied in June and have also not heard anything to date. We have to apply for a VISA first because our visitors’ VISA has expired (you are allowed 90 days in the country per year as a visitor) so have had to apply for another 3 months, now this should only take a few days to come out and we are both still waiting...months later! Once the Ministry of Home Affairs grants you your 3 month VISA only then can they apply for your 1 year work permit!! So Ricardo has been ‘illegal’ in the country for nearly 6 months and me for 2 months…this makes no sense at all right? We have no idea what the delay is all we can do is wait and wait and wait. The reason we can’t come back right now to visit is because we won’t be allowed to re-enter Namibia, the officials at the airport or borders are going to tell us to wait in our homeland for the documents to come out and we can’t take that chance right now because we both have jobs and other commitments in Namibia at the moment!

The Ministry told us on Tuesday that they are slowly receiving some documentation…so let’s hold thumbs that one of them is our work permit!! So as soon as I receive some documentation, that’s makes me a ‘Legal Alien,’ I’ll be coming home for a visit!! Hold thumbs....

My First 5 months in Namibia....

Wow...5 months already!! Yes indeed it has been 5 months already since i left the hustle and bustle of JHB, the road works, the insane traffic, the night life, my friends and pooches...and most importantly, my beloved family! I was recently thinking of when it all began; the impossible task of packing my life into a suitcase and putting on the brave face that I could do this...although i had the brave face, deep down it has been difficult, stressful, emotional and worrying...but in the end it has been a happy journey so far!!!

I will never forget the morning my family dropped me off at 6:00am at OR Thambo International....it was a cold, rainy and miserable morning! First of all i was about 40kg's overweight (no jokes!!) and thanks daddy for paying for the extra weight, then my plane was delayed by 2 hours (because of the weather) so i had to occupy myself for 2 hours...what did i do? There was this little restaurant near the terminal I had to board, that was surrounded by glass, where I sat, I looked onto the runway and could see all the planes. While i was drinking my latte and eating my muffin all by myself on the couches....i remember how emotional i felt...i experienced such an emotional overload; mixed feelings both happy and sad! I think that waiting at the airport for 2 hours forced me to calm down and take everything in and how my life in the past 6 months had changed...wow! I couldn't believe that i was actually doing this...leaving the comfort of home to start a new and exciting journey with one amazing person..Ricardo!

Eventually it was time to board the plane...and lucky me, i got upgraded to first class....I don't know why...but I did and trust me, i did not complain!! (Jet Settttter!!) I sat right in the front of the plane all by myself!! The chair was so big that i could put my feet up and fall asleep... i didn't have to eat out with plastic out of metal....i got to eat out of porcelain with metal!! :) After eating and dozing off...it was time to put my seatbelt back on and prepare for landing! At this stage it was about 12pm and it was HOT...i remember getting this excited feeling rushing through my body because i knew....i was about to land in my new home!! 

After waiting nearly an hour for my luggage to come through the conveyor belt, I was finally able to re-unite with with Ricardo....I rushed through those doors and ran into his arms...it was the best feeling in the world!!! 

"Adelia.....welcome to Namibia and your happily ever after!!"