It's official

We went to an event last night. While waiting in the foyer, I was watching the people around me. They came from all over the world - the only place not obviously represented, was central and southern Africa. Isn't it amazing just how small the world has become? We travel and meet and connect with each other across borders like never before.

The other thing that caught my eye was how differently they all dressed. This was an official event, not necessarily super formal but rather important all the same. The attendees were dressed in anything from suits and evening dresses to neat casual. One or two people made me smile as they had truly adopted the Australian national dress code consisting of t-shirt, shorts and thongs (known also as 'flip-flops' in most other parts of the world - I fortunately have no idea of what anyone's underwear looked like!)
That last observation is important because the event was a citizenship ceremony. I was there to finalise my Australian citizenship - yep, I am finally an officially an Aussie.

Apart from a few years in Denmark in the later 90s, I have lived here for more than 20 years, so you could say it was about time. (I did meet a chap by the name of Clive last night who has been here since '76)
Other than the fact I really, really, really don't like filling out forms and paperwork, it wasn't because I didn't want to take up citizenship that it took me so long - I have been wanting to do so for quite a long time. What I was waiting and hoping for was for Denmark to allow dual citizenship - they still don't, but a girl can only wait for so long you know. It is not because I anticipate heading back there to live but it is after all where I was born and grew up. The idea of no longer being regarded as a citizen in your country of birth, takes a lot longer to get used to than it does adopting a new place to call home. It did for me anyway.

So, here I am - happy to be Aussie number 36 253 118ish (loosely based on a statistic quoting approximately 36,25 million Australians mid-March 2014 + a few thousand since + 119 of us last night and I was second to last)

Next step is to get a passport so that I can leave the country - rather ironic really. Not for good of course. I am heading to Bangkok to teach (very exciting) then Copenhagen in August-September and still working on a possible 'dash' to the UK while I am in the neighbourhood.

...but right this minute, I think I better get back to more urgent things, such as patterns and kit and stitching... I might have finished my Brother Rabbit before Easter but I did promise I would also try and get the kits ready. I am very close to finishing the instructions, but unfortunately it doesn't look as if I will get all the threads I ordered this side of the Easter break - most disappointing!
Never the less I shall keep at it and you will be the first to know when it is all ready.

Have a fabulous week,
Anna x