My post-lockdown commute back to work

[TheMadBaron]

I wish I lived in the UK again.

Really? REALLY?

It's cold, it's wet, and it's completely dead right now. 41,385 Covid cases and 357 deaths were reported today. I'd swap lives with you in a heartbeat.

But, yeah, we have good biscuits, so I suppose that's something....

[Mendip]

Yeah I guess that was a bit of an exaggeration.

But I'd love a tea cake with some jam in.

[Mendip]

And theres 12 compared to 6

That is a real bargain, and I see you have one of OhOh's Wafer Bars.

But let's not distract from the main point... I mean, WTF are you wearing... ???

Is that a Onesie?

[David48atTD]

But let's not distract from the main point... I mean, WTF are you wearing... ???

I'm no apparel expert, but I hazard a guess a dressing gown and shorts/undies

[Saint Willy]

A onesie sounds better

[Mendip]

It was a strange night last night...


Sometime in the early hours I was awoken by a load of banging and clattering around that sounded like it was coming from the kitchen.

Now, my French colleague stopped smoking a few days ago and has since been a bit on edge... so I kind of figured she'd had a disaster in the kitchen and was taking it out on the pots and pans in a fit of Gallic temper. You know what they're like... I thought best to leave well alone and went back to sleep.


I felt slightly foolish in the morning as it turned out we'd had a burglary.





Nothing obvious seemed to be missing.

I checked the freezer and even my British bangers were untouched. Obviously a burglar without a refined sense of taste.

[Headworx]

Seen broken windows like that before when girls have let out almighty shrieks mid-orgasm. Just saying like..

[Saint Willy]

It was a strange night last night...


Sometime in the early hours I was awoken by a load of banging and clattering around that sounded like it was coming from the kitchen.

Now, my French colleague stopped smoking a few days ago and has since been a bit on edge... so I kind of figured she'd had a disaster in the kitchen and was taking it out on the pots and pans in a fit of Gallic temper. You know what they're like... I thought best to leave well alone and went back to sleep.


I felt slightly foolish in the morning as it turned out we'd had a burglary.





Nothing obvious seemed to be missing.

I checked the freezer and even my British bangers were untouched. Obviously a burglar without a refined sense of taste.

Are you sure anyone entered? Perhaps it was just a rock thrown at you for being British?

[lom]

Are you sure anyone entered? Perhaps it was just a rock thrown at you for being a geologist?

FTFY

Santa threw him a piece of gneiss

[Mendip]

^ It wasn't very gneiss at all!


This is why I feel a bit foolish...

My French colleague also heard the commotion but obviously knew it was nothing to do with her having a tantrum in the kitchen. And this all happened up her end of the building, just outside of her door and it must have been loud.

She went out and confronted this burglar, who she describes as a non-Scandinavian wearing a mask. He took off down the stairs.

She seems strangely reluctant to come knocking on my door at night... I can't understand why!

Muhammed slept through the whole thing... and he doesn't even have the excuse of whisky!

[Edmond]

Nothing obvious seemed to be missing.

Have you checked the stash of TD POTY trophies under the mattress?


They know what they were after.

[Mendip]

Well, I've had some shit days in my time... and this has been one of them.

I've just finished hoovering up a load of shattered glass after getting back from work and finding that the window had been boarded up, but it was too much trouble for anyone to clear up the mess.

But this was just the icing...

I get into work at 6:45am as usual but my key pass doesn't work. I phone a security number, but no answer. I have to wait until 8am in the freezing cold for a local to turn up who has the same problem... but he knew who to contact. It turned out they rebooted all the server during the night and it messed up the alarm system.

Anyway, no biggy.... an hour less in front of the screens.

Mid morning I get an email from the Thai Embassy in London saying that they can't help me with the ammended CoE I need, since I am now departing from Sweden - these are the same guys who indicated that all I had to do to change flights from a Bristol departure to a Gothenburg departure was to send in the revised itinerary and revised ASQ booking, no problem. I can't risk going back to the UK with another lockdown looming, so cancelled my original flights, changed my ASQ booking (because I've brought it all forward by two weeks) and rebooked for a mid January departure from Gothenburg, via Amsterdam to Bangkok. Besides... I can't even get back to the UK now with most flight cancelled due to the ban on incoming UK passengers across Europe.

The London embassy did suggest contacting the Thai Embassy in Stockholm.

This I did, to get an email reply telling me they can't help me because my CoE was issued in London and they can't alter that.

So, I'm in a strange kind of situation... London can't help because my departure is from Sweden, and Stockholm can't help because my CoE was issued in the UK.

Meanwhile I've got flights and ASQ booked, but now have no CoE. I remember Thai Dhupp mentioning what a huge relief it was to eventually get off a plane in Bangkok and realise that it was all finally happening. I can see why... I'm feeling the strain of all this... there is always something to worry about, something that can go wrong... on top of the work I'm getting paid to do.

I had no fewer that nineteen emails today from a combination of the London and Stockholm Thai embassies. One thing I must say however, is that they have been extremely helpful and I just seemed to be stuck in a kind of bureaucratic limbo land.

Just as I was starting to consider an early finish and walk to the Systembologet for a bottle of whisky, I had one more email from the Stockholm Thai embassy at 4:30pm. It was a one liner and said simply...

'what is your phone number?'

I duly replied, and ten minutes later had a phone call from a fantastically helpful chap in Stockholm. He appreciated completely the problem, but also said it may not be resolvable in the time frame... since I need the previous CoE to be wiped from the system before starting again, and there's loads of holidays coming up... and these things apparently remain on the system for 15 days. But, I'd also had an email from London saying that they had already unlocked my previous application... so maybe it was coming together?

Anyway, I have now started the CoE application process all over again through the Stockholm embassy... and at least the initial part has so far gone through and I have my six digit number which is needed to check application progress. My man at the Stockholm embassy also gave me his name to use on any emails that would then be directed towards him, and said to keep him updated.

So fingers crossed... maybe a new CoE before the New Year.

Then all I'll have to do is sort out a PCR test... which is another work in progress. They are under huge demand just now.

[Dillinger]

^ Sounds like someone, maybe that burglar has stolen the jam out of your teacake today mate Don't worry, you'll be sitting there in Thailand soon, for the start of Songkran, in the same clothes, laughing about all of this.

[Saint Willy]

That call sounds bladdy helpful, what a treasure! Keep that bloke’s number on speed dial!

[OhOh]

telling me they can't help me because

Think of it as your first visit to your local Grade C TIO. The first "cannot do" discussion.

the initial part has so far gone through and I have my six digit number which is needed to check application progress

This your grade B TIO who has accepted your application for processing

My man at the Stockholm embassy also gave me his name to use on any emails that would then be directed towards him, and said to keep him updated.

You now have TIO's name and number. Which is, as RKW suggests:

That call sounds bladdy helpful,

Now awaiting Bangkok's approval. Who has already approved your return to Thailand, albeit from the UK.

Tis just a flesh wound.

You'll have your arms around your family, your dogs baying for a pat and a bottle of Thai beer in you hand in a few fleeting weeks.

Get the test/doctor's certificate organised and some new socks bought.

[Mendip]

Don't worry, you'll be sitting there in Thailand soon, for the start of Songkran, in the same clothes, laughing about all of this.

Maybe, but I won't be wearing these socks, that's for sure.

I'm gonna burn them as soon as I get home... unless the gardener wants them.

... and some new socks bought.

What's all this about socks... I despise socks almost as much as I hate jumpers.

I'm hoping not to need any socks at all during 2021...


Anyway, this was my status with the Thai embassy in London yesterday afternoon...



I made a new application and uploaded documents for a CoE at the Thai embassy in Stockholm after close of play last night.

At 10.00am this morning I had an email saying my application had been approved, and to upload flight and ASQ documents.

At 12:30pm I had an email saying my new application was successful!



Is this a world record?

I'm a happy chappy today and will be off to the Systembologet straight after work!

[Saint Willy]

Duck yeah, I’d be getting a taxi to the airport ASAP with that printed out my friend!!!

[Mendip]

^ 14 Jan I leave... the CoE is linked to a flight and ASQ booking and I'm not gonna risk another change.

Besides, I still have work to do... but I'm definitely on the countdown now.

15 days and counting...

What with quarantine and stuff, could be home before February!

[Saint Willy]

[nidhogg]

Good news mendip.

[OhOh]

I'm hoping not to need any socks at all during 2021...

Oh so true.

Congratulations.

I was amazed similar to you with Thai Embassy service.

I'm definitely on the countdown now.

This maybe long before your time the anticipation is as real for you now as it was for our family back then.



Have a safe journey back to Thailand.

[TheMadBaron]

Excellent news! I'm happy for you.

Is a ginger chew with pomegranate not as disgusting as it sounds?

[Mendip]

^ They're surprisingly not too bad.

And thanks for the good wishes... if you're still posting from Portsmouth next summer I'll bring you a bag... I've promised me daughter a trip to see the HMS Victory.


I like to think of myself as a glass half empty kind of guy, so I'm sure something will go wrong, but for now it's all looking good so time to celebrate.

Off to the Systembologet straight after work... it just feels so wrong to be queuing for alcohol at 5:30 in the afternoon.



And this is how we celebrate getting a CoE, Swedish style.

It was supposed to be sausage, egg and chips but my oven chips seem to have disappeared from the freezer... I can't believe the burglar came for them?



I had been saving my whisky for my French colleague, but as that seems like a forlorn hope I thought I may as well finish it up meself!

[Joe 90]

I can't believe the burglar came from them?

Could have been worse and the burglar burgled your baked beans.

Congratulations and enjoy.

[hallelujah]

^ They're surprisingly not too bad.

And thanks for the good wishes... if you're still posting from Portsmouth next summer I'll bring you a bag... I've promised me daughter a trip to see the HMS Victory.


I like to think of myself as a glass half empty kind of guy, so I'm sure something will go wrong, but for now it's all looking good so time to celebrate.

Off to the Systembologet straight after work... it just feels so wrong to be queuing for alcohol at 5:30 in the afternoon.



And this is how we celebrate getting a CoE, Swedish style.

It was supposed to be sausage, egg and chips but my oven chips seem to have disappeared from the freezer... I can't believe the burglar came from them?



I had been saving my whisky for my French colleague, but as that seems like a forlorn hope I thought I may as well finish it up meself!

A (half) full English for your tea with a pint of Heineken and a glass of whisky?

I'm not sure Gothenburg has ever seen such excess!

Make sure you don't get the brown sauce, whisky and lager mixed up after one too many though.