Red letter day

Actually, the term has nothing to do with the post -- it refers to calendars, where holy days have been noted in red since the 14th century. Interestingly, on red letter days, judges of the English High Court and doctors of a university wear scarlet robes instead of black.

That said, I'm actually referring to the post -- this morning I put in the mail my resignation letter for my current job, my acceptance letter for my new job, and my work permit renewal request. Quite the trinity.

The work permit was actually my second attempt. I had printed (and filled out) the 66-page form at the beginning of the month, but they needed some bank statements so I had to wait a week before putting it in the mail. A week later, they returned the form because, on April 6, they had increased the fee by £20!

They also suggested I fill out a new set of forms, because the ones I had were only valid until the 27th, but I honestly couldn't be bothered. So we'll see if they kick it back again. If they do, I will run out of time on my visa and actually have to leave the country. However, considering they have my passport, that's going to be very difficult to do.

I also want to mention that two years ago, the work permit form was 10 pages and cost £300. Today, it is 66 pages and costs £820! Considering the sole reason I chose the UK over Australia was because the UK work permit form was easier to understand, I wonder if that would still be the case.

Amazing what small, insignificant decisions can have on your life.