Monday, November 26, 2007

My kinda town

What is it with the clamour for a flu vaccine here? Personally I would rather have my leg chopped off than have to queue for ages to have someone stick a needle in me. It seems as if everyone gets one here. "Come on, we're going to lunch and going to get a flu jab while we're at it." Er, no thanks.

Signs sit in shop windows: 'Get your shoes rehealed and a flu-jab while you wait.' Honestly! That does remind me that my Green Card process means that I have to have all of my vaccinations up to date. That will not be a pleasant day in the Chicago Addick household, that is for sure.

A Green Card has been proposed to me by my company, in fact it was proposed a while ago, it's just that it's taken me ages to trawl through the hundreds of pages of questions. But a Green Card is a good idea, whether long-term I stay here or not because it gives me more freedom particularly regarding employment and coming in and out of the country at any stage in the future. It also doesn't insist on me giving up my British passport, not that I would have anyway. Neither does it mean I have to take the Oath of Citizenship, you know the bit about "absolutely and entirely renouncing all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign sovereignty" or "that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States, so help me God" etc, etc.

Anyway these were the kind of questions that I was asked in the green card:

1) Have you ever within the past 10 years engaged in prostitution or procured anyone for prostitution, or intend to engage in such activities in the future?
2) Have you ever engaged in, conspired to engage in, or do you intend to engage in, or have you ever solicited membership or funds for, or have you through any means every assisted or provided any type of materials support to, any person or organization that has ever engaged or conspired to engage, in sabotage, kidnapping, political assassination, hijacking, or any other form of terrorist activity?
3) Have you ever engaged in any unlawful commercialized vice, including, but not limited to, illegal gambling?
4) Did you, during the period March 23, 1933 to May 8, 1945, in association with either the Nazi Government of Germany or any organization or government associated or allied with the Nazi Government of Germany, ever order, incite, assist or otherwise participate in the persecution of any person because of race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, or political opinion?
5) Do you plan to practice polygamy in the U.S.?

I'm struggling with 3). Question 5) is a definite no, as I'm still paying for the first one. 4) I think I pass purely because of my age. I'd have to check my work contract for question 2) and 1) I'm not ruling out in the future but if I have in the past, it wasn't very lucrative!

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