The only questions I remember were about toothpaste and our kitchen.
After we got married, my application for permanent residency in South Africa was expedited. Having a South African husband put me into the fast-track category. But before I’d be granted permanent residency, the government wanted to make sure I wasn’t faking our relationship just to stay in the country. They wanted proof that we were really married.
It was like a scene from a movie.
Niel and I were interviewed separately by government officials. They asked us questions that would supposedly help them determine whether or not Niel and I had known each other as long as we said we had.
I was seated across from a large man behind a desk. I was nervous, fidgeting; I felt like I was on The Newlywed Game Show. Things went smoothly until the kind sir asked, “What is your favorite toothpaste?” I started to sweat. Do I answer with what I’d really say or with what I think Niel might say? I mumbled something about my favorite being an American brand that isn’t in South Africa. “Just answer the question,” he snapped. “Crest…?” I said, with a question mark at the end. He nodded and moved on.
Phew.
I was asked to describe what our kitchen looked like. I’m way more detail-oriented than Niel is, so I wasn’t sure how Niel might have answered that question. I gave vague, general details first—the guy’s face remained expressionless—and then I started to give more specifics. When I told him that the top of our cabinets were lined with Starbucks travel mugs, he interrupted me and told me that would be enough. I smiled, and wished I could high-five Niel right then and there.
Needless to say, I received my permanent residency a few months later.
And if we were quizzed with the same questions today, I guarantee we’d both still get them right.
Residency stories are the best! (or the worst if they go South, if you know what mean).
I am glad to know it worked out for you. Those questions are too funny!
By: @ngie on August 26, 2008
at 12:50 pm
Wow, talk about getting grilled on your marriage!! That’s funny.
By: annie on August 26, 2008
at 1:07 pm
good thing i didn’t have to do anything like this…my starbucks travel mugs are in use EVERY DAY!!!
By: jon mark on August 26, 2008
at 1:17 pm
i LOVE the fact that i already knew this story.
when are you leaving my timezone? :(
By: mandythompson on August 26, 2008
at 1:44 pm
ahhh… the proof’s in the details isn’t it?!
Speaking of governmental red tape… remind me to fill you in on all of our visa schleps… hopefully we’ll have passports back in hand in 15 days.
By: Amy on August 26, 2008
at 1:51 pm
love the new banner… you must have JUST changed it? Are you online?!?
By: Amy on August 26, 2008
at 1:53 pm
This is dang cute!
By: Amy Joy on August 26, 2008
at 1:55 pm
I think I have seen this very scene in a few movies! Too funny that it actually happened to you! Will you ever become a citizen of SA?
By: faithstart on August 26, 2008
at 2:00 pm
I would have asked about the bathroom and your favorite breadcrumbs.
By: Andrew Ronzino on August 26, 2008
at 2:11 pm
WOW
These questions are just like my mother in law asked me..
My sons bum is sensitive, you need to use tide.. (( GAIN.. momma))
Can you cook? ((NEVER EVER))
Are you use to my son yet?? (that question still puzzles me after 19 years??)) hmmm
I love this post!!!!
Lovin and prayin
By: Heidi on August 26, 2008
at 2:17 pm
that is a great story! :)
By: danielle on August 26, 2008
at 2:19 pm
how funny… and sad that you had to go through such interrogation about your marriage. lol.
By: Anna on August 26, 2008
at 2:22 pm
Yay. I am glad you made it through. I wondered that about you…the visa/residency situation…maybe we can get in on that…probably not, we will probably have to stick with the 2-5 year visa thing.
By: kristiapplesauce on August 26, 2008
at 4:52 pm
St. Arbucks strikes again! They should fill up your express card for the free advertising. :)
By: Hope on August 26, 2008
at 5:26 pm
mandy — mmm… i love that too. and we share the coastline until september 6. sigh.
kitty — do tell, do tell! (we are so overdue for a talk!)
faith — no, i won’t become an SA citizen; permanent residence is all i really need.
bean — bathroom and breadcrumbs?! that went way over my head.
heidi — she asks you those things? still? oh shame!
applepie — if you’re planning to be in SA long term, you can get permanent residency. i’ll email you.
hope — that would ROCK.
By: alece on August 26, 2008
at 5:42 pm
I like this one. I’d not heard the story before… bleargh. I like your writing. I can’t even think of more to say… though what I said doesn’t begin to cover what I want to say. :-)
By: roo on August 26, 2008
at 6:49 pm
oh but dual citizenship would be so cool, or am I the only one who has wanted that? hehe
By: faithstart on August 26, 2008
at 6:50 pm
You owe your beautiful SA home to Starbucks! Who would have thunk it.
When my step-mother immigrated to the US, from a displaced person camp in Germany, after WWll, her friends told her to make up a story so the American Officer questioning her would feel sorry for her. Being very honest she just told him the truth. He thanked her for being the first honest person he had talked to and put her name on the top of the list.
By: edfromct on August 26, 2008
at 7:15 pm
Very cute! And strange about the toothpaste!
I love that you line the top of your cabinets with Starbucks mugs. Whenever I have a kitchen with space a the top, I put all my rooster stuff up there. ;-) :SHOCK: haha!
By: Bran Muffin on August 26, 2008
at 7:36 pm
Very cute! And strange about the toothpaste!
I love that you line the top of your cabinets with Starbucks mugs. Whenever I have a kitchen with space a the top, I put all my rooster stuff up there. ;-) :SHOCK:
(If this posts three times, delete me twice!)
By: Bran Muffin on August 26, 2008
at 7:36 pm
Or just once. Or now twice. Dang!
By: Bran Muffin on August 26, 2008
at 7:37 pm
faith — i can’t have dual citizenship as an adult. our kids will have dual until they’re 18, and then they will need to “declare” (choose) one. interesting process to say the least.
ed — wow. what a story!
raisin bran — you collect rooster stuff?!
By: alece on August 26, 2008
at 8:25 pm
way to go!!!! i would have been sweating the whole time!
By: mark on August 26, 2008
at 8:48 pm
oh wow! Thats cool, my niece was born in Mexico I wonder what that makes her.
Brandy, I would love to hear more about these roosters!
By: faithstart on August 26, 2008
at 9:10 pm
just a quick question….
kids?? dual citzenships?
Does that mean SA for a very long time??
By: Heidi on August 26, 2008
at 9:18 pm
heidi — so… which of those was the quick question! (ha!) kids? eventually. dual citizenships? they’ll have ‘em. SA for a very long time? indeed; that’s always been the plan.
By: alece on August 26, 2008
at 11:05 pm
Don’t rush into kids….
Dual citzenship is different…
Does my new friend have to be an ocean away??
Thank God for the internet!!
By: Heidi on August 26, 2008
at 11:18 pm
oh i’m not rushing, don’t worry. and thank you for saying the complete opposite of most people!
what do you mean “different”?
and… every day that passes i hate the atlantic ocean a little bit more.
By: alece on August 26, 2008
at 11:19 pm
Kids are a not always a priority…
Different.. meaning.. ie: Hi my name is Sam VanRensburg, I’m South African and Italian.
instead of.. I’m molly from San Diego.
Good friendships hold up under oceans I hear…
Hey, guess what came today??
By: Heidi on August 26, 2008
at 11:24 pm
No Tupperware…
Just roses and chocolates and my favorite dessert
Ice cream!!!
By: Heidi on August 26, 2008
at 11:29 pm
yes, true about the different. our kids will be real “african-americans”!
and yes, it’ll hold up under (over?) the ocean just fine.
roses and chocolates and ice cream?! oooh. email me about THAT! (i’m so glad it wasn’t tupperware!)
By: alece on August 26, 2008
at 11:31 pm
Yes I collect rooster stuff….for my kitchen only. ;-) My granny got me hooked. She has ALWAYS had chicken/rooster stuff and as a kid I loved it. About 5 years ago she gave me almost all of it and I’ve added to it ever since. Now it’s more out of sentimentality than anything. I’d like to change it a bit, but I love it so much. ;-)
By: Bran Muffin on August 27, 2008
at 12:12 am
off topic. but i think there will be a constant ‘dang it’ feeling in my spirit for as long as i have to go without getting to meet you in this life.
shoot.
By: tam on August 27, 2008
at 12:19 am
I wholeheartedly ditto Tam. :(
By: Bran Muffin on August 27, 2008
at 12:22 am
We need to make sure she does a West coast Dakota trip next year.
By: Heidi on August 27, 2008
at 12:27 am
awww, that’s really sweet, Alece. i don’t think i have ever heard that story. :)
By: Hannah on August 27, 2008
at 1:49 am
Thats funny! You know, those mugs are my favorite part of your kitchen!!! I loved walking in there and looking at all of them, then opening the cupboards and seeing even more. hehehe Have you gotten any more this trip to add to the collection???
By: moweezle on August 27, 2008
at 8:43 am
what?!?!? You had to go through all that? how did I not know this? Sheldon and I didn’t do anything of the sort. No interviews AT all. We sure as heck got a run around about which documents were needed to complete application procoess, so it took forever, but that was their fault! We did write some lame letter telling them how we met and got engaged. No interview. Have you seen that movie Green Card with Andy McDowell and Gerard DePardu (sp?!). wowzers… I am sad that i didn’t know this story before. :( And I thought we had so much in common with us both being 5′ 4″ and all…. dang.
By: Christen on August 27, 2008
at 8:54 am
Such a great story and I love the comment about your African American children :-)
By: Shea on August 27, 2008
at 9:45 am
bran — i’m so sentimental. i loved learning that about you… although, i must admit, i’m not a rooster fan. (sorry, gran!)
tam — your “dang it” comment came at the most perfect time. i can’t wait to meet you!
mo — i know! it’s so funny that the mugs are still on display on our kitchen. at the time of the crazy interview, we lived in a tiny apartment that used to be a chicken coop. literally. i’m not making this up! (and yes, we have some more mugs to add to our collection!)
christen — you are on a roll, friend. and i have no clue why we got the crazy green-card scene in addition to the usual run-around business. (i was thinking of that movie the entire time i was writing this post!)
By: alece on August 27, 2008
at 12:05 pm
Hysterical! Little do they know we ALL have those Starbucks Travel Mugs. muhaha.
By: ric booth on August 27, 2008
at 1:23 pm
ha!
when i first wrote the post, instead of that last sentence, i’d written, “just goes to show, you can fake your way through anything!”
By: alece on August 27, 2008
at 1:25 pm
hey, i collect starbucks travel mugs too. =]
By: tara on September 3, 2008
at 11:36 am
YAY! i’m not the only one!
By: alece on September 3, 2008
at 12:41 pm