Jul 7, 2012

| CRP...

OOoh yes I've got it!!! mon esti de Canadian Permanent Residency, stamped after a stressful 28 months struggle of administrative nightmare, it couldn't have been worse but it's finally over. It went a bit like this if i recall:
----
Int. room
Lacolle, QC, Canada July 1st 2012 around midnight, the agent tells me the words i have been waiting for so long.
Customs officer
(cold as hell)
Vous êtes maintenant un résident permanent du Canada, et bla-bla-bla... (babbling for interminable minutes, he eventually smiles).
Thierry
(shitting in my pants)
Ho merci, merci! Enfin je n'arrive pas a y croire, c'est fou! et bla-bla-bla...

Snap to black
----
Aahaha i couldn't believe it, soOoo much relief, imagine that they did send me the corrected documents (Certificat  de Résidence Permanente) only a week before i had to leave the country for good ahaha! Oh yes i forgot to say that the NYC bureau made a mistake when they sent me the CRP 2 months ago, while in the meantime my work permit expired - which means that one can't work and officially becomes a tourist - really not cool! Btw, thank you Ken for driving me to the border in your brand new car during Canada Day. Being a resident will be easier, for everyone :-)
----
(Edited 10.20.2013 - Important!)
I would like to add something about being a permanent resident of Canada, not needing to go through all the immigration paperworks to find a job is much more comfortable and it is definitely an improved temporary status at all levels. However, i do need to acknowledge the fact that i have also immigrated on a stolen land and was given the privilege to stay and work in a place managed by an imperialist, post-colonial government.
In that regard, i would like to apologize to all the First Nations for previously ignoring this fact and wish things could be different concerning their say in the global immigration policies of this country, i believe things are changing and that it is important to understand the responsibilities and consequences of our coming here, so i support Idle No More.

| Snowskate quiver...

This winter has already broken all the records in terms of cold, snowfall and ice storms, thank you  El Niño ! We have been snowskating quit...