I had my interview in Vancouver on Aug. 23, and praise the Lord, everything went very well. I had everything in order so they didn't make me do anything over, and they asked me a few questions about me and my fiance, what we did, how we met, etc. and that was it. I picked up my visa the next day!
The guards and the interviewer were all very friendly to me, which I very much appreciated. The day before, Aug. 22, I had my medical exam with Dr. Ian Morgan, and that went very well too. Not that I had anything to worry about, but they were very pleasant and proffessional. We stayed at the Days Inn for 3 nights, just a couple of blocks away from the consulate. From the hotel to the Dr. was quite a walk, but easily done. We did take a taxi there because it was so early in the morning, but then we walked back afterwards, and then walked there again to pick up the results in the afternoon. Anyway, it's a great hotel to stay at. Our room was small but clean. It has good security, and the staff were friendly and provided very good service. In between appointments we had plenty of time to explore the city and do some shopping. Thankfully it's a really nice part of the city, with lots of restaurants, shops, and interesting stuff to see within walking distance. The thing I was most nervous about was that I have conscientious objections to immunization. I 've never been immunized in my life, and I was really worried they'd make a fuss about that. So when I phoned for my medical exam and explained that I didn't immunize, Laura, the secretary, told me to bring a letter from my family doctor to confirm. My doctor willingly wrote a letter saying that I had moral objections to vaccines and that I was very healthy. I gave Laura that letter in place of immunization records and they accepted it. During the exam, Dr. Morgan asked me all about my family and my religious background, but didn't pressure me or disrespect my beliefs in any way. Of course, I never got to see the results because I wasn't supposed to open the envelope, but at the interview the next day, the man didn't even mention immunization. Whew!
My main reason for writing is let all you VJ'ers know how thankful I am for this forum and how much I appreciate your help. We've been able to find so many helpful tips on here and elsewhere on the net about various procedures, forms, etc. that would have been very hard to figure out on our own. When we went to Vancouver we already knew a little of what to expect. Looking back, it wasn't nearly as hard as I was afraid it would be.
Thanks again everyone,
Mopsie
