From the Lab Rat’s Desk October 26, 2007

Today I went to the consulate with all the paperwork, they were very helpful and in two weeks I can pick up my new passport. The whole lot photos included was cheaper than paying the Canadian authorities for photo ID and this well do equally well and allow me to leave and come back out of the country a little something I’ve been unable to do for a long while now.

I am sick and tired of giving money to a government which abandons me whenever I have a need and leads me to live in fear, fear of poverty, (too late for that one) fear of homelessness and fear of being deported because they suddenly take a dislike to immigrants. I may even move back. I had to buy some kind of photo identification and since the passport of any country will work, maybe that mugger in some twisted way allowed me to have one choice in my life – not to give the bastards one more dime.

I am still looking for any improved housing, but so far there is little on the far horizon and nothing in the foreseeable without further loss in quality of life. My best bet is to hang in and try to not slip further down into the abyss ogf red tape and contempt.

One thing I do know, I could not have made it through the past few weeks without the help of friends and family. Thanks to them, I am feeling a lot less frieghtened and I once again feel like part of humanity having once again established to the standards of public and bureaucratic acceptance that I am Aletta Mes, I exist and I should be welcome in any country of the world that accepts Netherlanders. ATMs again say hello to me, now just the bus pass to go, literally and figuratively.

Apparently I can expect some help from my Member of Parliament’s office with the victim’s fund claim (hopefully it is not just another empty promise), and a few other forms await my attention.