Non Impediment

Getting married abroad is a great idea I think. There is nothing better than having something that is relatively simple and taking it to Africa to making is a little more complex and hence, interesting J And what better thing to make interesting than the most important thing in your life; Marriage to your life partner!

So Farah and I are in the process of getting the necessary forms for becoming man and wife in Arusha, Tanzania. Our marriage will take place on the 18th of August 2007 and all are welcome! That same day we will be heading off the climb the world’s highest free standing mountain, which is kinda like Toronto’s CN tower, the world’s tallest free standing building….

So anyways…. We have to get certificates of non impediment to marry from our respective local authorities, mine the Australian Consulate in Dubai and Farah from the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Department in Ottawa. It’s funny, mine takes 30 minutes and Farah’s takes 10 – 15 working days and has to be sent via mail, same outcome different process. On top of this I have a standard form to fill out provided in .pdf on the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs website, whilst Farah has a vague statement on a hard to find website, which basically states that a lawyer has to draft up some affidavit, which then needs to be signed and sent via mail with a certified copy of Farah’s birth certificate….All this for a form to allow us to get married!? Imagine what must be required to have children…. Well that’s the funny thing isn’t it. We have to jump through hoops, fill forms etc to say we love each other and stick together for life. But to bring a new human being onto the planet requires nothing, no Government involvement whatsoever. How did the bureaucracy ever miss this jurisdiction?

Well it is a funny process to organise and who knows if it will work in the end. I am still relying on Geofrey Kimaro from Tanzania on ensuring that the Government Official is available and organised to marry us on the day. But this is part of the adventure. One of many we will have in our lives together. Let’s face it. We could get married in Toronto, and honeymoon in some western run resort, but would this be real and true to ourselves? No. Yellow fever injections and dealing with foreign bureaucracies is much more fun, annoying yes, but these things stretch you and help you learn more. I cannot imagine a better way to start our married life together… Our honeymoon will be climbing Kilimanjaro together. We truly are a lucky couple!

This is the plan then. Married in 53 days, at the top of Africa 5 days later and then saying our vows in front of friends and family two weeks after that. It’s going to be a blast!

Competing and eating in Estonia

Blue, blue sky…. Green, green grass…. And beautiful, beautiful Farah… that is what I am left with after our trip to Estonia. It was our first time seeing each other since March, so after two and a half months apart the joy of seeing each other at the airport is something only long distance relationship goers can understand.

We both flew multiple connections to get there. Farah via London and Helsinki and myself via Amsterdam (oh the land of clogs, cheese and space cakes J but we got to Tallinn in the end. During the flight I even managed to read Harry Potter – Chamber of Secrets, which I know has made Farah a much happier person…

Our first day in Parnu, which was a 2 hour bus ride south of Tallinn the night of our arrival, involved a lovely sleep in, long breakfast, riding bikes around the town and swimming (for about 1 min) in the Baltic Sea. Then it was off to the Opera and a nice performance of Carmen, which I was to find out later from those more expertacious in the Opera field was a below par performance at best? Hmmm well I thought it was lovely and Farah got drawn as number five to sing the next morning….

Game day: Well I think I will let Farah explain this one, but I will note that she sung beautifully but I was to learn the hard fact of a career in performance, which is you just cannot be sure of anything. So we found out that evening that Farah would not progress and we then decided to go out drinking and eating, something Farah and I always get first place in :-P We were also joined by another Canadian singer, Krista and an evening of outside dining ensued.

The next day we got a car and drove off into the wilderness, which in Estonia means flat green land, either cultivated for agriculture or trees, which are later cut down and used for paper etc. I managed to give Farah her first driving lesson and she mastered friction point with ease… Oh yes I have myself a fast learner… this makes Lucas, the easily frustrated teacher, very, very happy.
The next day we were off to Latvia and a day of eternal driving, which was finished with some trampoline jumping, more eating and drinking, some pool and a night in a hostel with the worlds best and most impressive snorer, and a homeless family and their daughter who started crying every time the snorer started snoring…

Next day back to Tallinn and walking and sight seeing… oh and more eating, but no drinking this time. Which was contrary to what most of the other Estonians were into as looking at their supermarkets one gets the distinct impression that they are a nation of hardcore drinkers (note 45% of Russian middle aged males die due to alcohol related illness - 35% of Estonians are Russian by descent and Russia is right next door...). A supermarket with rows and rows of cooled drinks and not one of them non-alcoholic!!!!

All in all a great trip I have to say. I mean okay we went there to compete but at the end of the day we had great fun exploring and eating and just spending time together. And now only eight weeks away from our next adventure… Marriage!!! It’s odd how comfortable I feel about all this, I am not worried or stressed at all. I just never knew I would meet a Farah before. Now having met her the decision to marry her is a no brainer.. Let the adventures continue….

Also: Check http://lucas.intercate.net/gallery/Estonia for some pics of the trip :-)