I've Arrived
"True friends are never apart, maybe in distance but never in heart." — Unknown
Twenty six days after engaging the new immigration lawyer, I got my temporary residence papers. Unlike when I went through this process in 2020, there is no actual blue paper because it is all online, so I get to print it out myself, on whatever colour paper I want!
To recognize and honor the moment, I organised a celebratory dinner with ALL my Greece friends.
I met Alex in 1994 at Greek School. I was the student and she was the office administrator. Our first date was an orange juice at a nearby cafe. I giggle about that now knowing that coffee is the usual first date here, but I didn't drink coffee back then and I don't know how she knew that.
Our second date was to the only English bookstore in the city. And many evenings with our partners followed. Alex taught me to make fresh pasta and pizza from scratch - meals I made for over 20 years. She introduced me to raclette and taught me to drink whiskey. She took me to swim at the Ekali club, got us scuba diving, and attended our Greek wedding. She visited us twice in Corfu where we spent one entire night catching up and drinking a bottle of whiskey!
We have spent a maximum of 3 years together over the 30 years that we have known each other. And still, it is one of the most impactful and valuable friendships I have. And so of course, she was the first person I invited to my celebration.
I met George 30 years ago too. A family friend of Ian's, he joined us (Bron, Ian, and I) on our first Greek island holiday. He is the first one on the shopping list when we come from South Africa - Flakes, Tex bars and Peppermint Crisp. He has also supported us as we settle into Palio Faliro as he lives just one kilometer from us. Each week, he introduces us to a new spot to eat, recommended the barber to Ian, and shown us where to find the liaki.
And then there is (another) George, Alex's partner who is a new friend, and Yanna, Alex's mom who has become a friend in the last four years.
We had a great meal and lots of laughs at 'O Italos. I walked home (a little after midnight) feeling very grateful. And safe.
The bonus of my new status is that it comes with a work permit. I have no intention of working but it feels good knowing that I can work if I want to. But I don't want to, because I don't want to be on the Greek Big Brother radar. My status is temporary until they actually process everything and I meet all the requirements, which could take a year. Until then, I get to travel to and from SA.