Day 6 started just like other days. I had porridge with honey and toast with jam for a breakfast and then started hand-writing an affidavit at one of the picnic tables in the field. It was sunny. Nice to work outside.
After writing a paragraph, my styrofoam teacup was blown. It was not particularly windy but occasional wind made the paperwork a little troublesome. So I moved to the Lima compound. When I passed in front of the office, I asked a guard to make a temporary ID for shopping by printing out my photo and data. I got one. So it was the time for shopping. I headed for the Shop, namely, the canteen in the community area.
There is always a queue in the Shop. I hate a queue but I had to put up with it because there was no more hair conditioner. Small bottles of shampoo and conditioner given to me at the induction didn't last long. It is the fifth day in Villawood after all.
The person who was running the Shop was nice. She explained to me that I had 35 dollars in my account and it would expire on Wednesday. Then on Thursday, another 35 dollars. I was told that I should use the current 35 dollars by the closing time of the canteen next day. Obviously she did not know how good I am at spending money. I bought
shampoo and conditioner of the brand which I normally cannot afford to buy, cotton buds, a soap bar, facial wash, a loofah, and a protein shaker which I want to use as a water bottle. While I was happily shopping, time went by. The next job was lunch and call to my Partner.
When I got back to work on an affidavit, it was 2pm. I took the whole set of the Notice of Visa Refusal to the office and asked them to photocopy by 4pm before a JP arrives. The pile of the papers was 6 or 7 cm high. It was double-sided. I needed to be printed on single
side in accordance with the court rule. As soon as she saw the pile, the guard in the office shouted.
'I am not gonna copy the fucking document! The Immigration should give you a copy!'.
Oh dear. This guard is not used to dealing with litigation papers. The pile is not big for the litigation standard. I asked her whether there was any other person who could photocopy the papers. She said I should go to the Community to use a photocopier there. OK. Since the guard first said that the Immigration should photocopy, I first went to the computer room and sent an email request to my case manager. Then, I went to the Community to look for a photocopier. There was none. I asked a couple of people around but no one had ever seen a photocopier. Probably the guard misunderstood a printer as a photocopier. I went back and checked my emails. I discovered a reply from my case manager.
He wrote that I was supposed to be able to use a photocopier and asked me the name of the guard. He also asked me to fill in a detainee complaint form to let the Australian Border Force know. I replied to him without telling the name of the guard, asked him to sort out and
then filled in a complaint form. Since there was no possibility that I get a photocopy of the documents, I went to the Visit to see a JP without the pile of papers. I wrote an affidavit annexing some documents excluding those papers. It is not the best but still acceptable for the court.
When I came back from the Visit, the guards were photocopying the papers. It seems that the case manager sorted out the problem. Although it was too late for the purpose of swearing an affidavit, it is a good preparation for the next occasion.
It was another exhausting day. Better go to bed early...
After writing a paragraph, my styrofoam teacup was blown. It was not particularly windy but occasional wind made the paperwork a little troublesome. So I moved to the Lima compound. When I passed in front of the office, I asked a guard to make a temporary ID for shopping by printing out my photo and data. I got one. So it was the time for shopping. I headed for the Shop, namely, the canteen in the community area.
There is always a queue in the Shop. I hate a queue but I had to put up with it because there was no more hair conditioner. Small bottles of shampoo and conditioner given to me at the induction didn't last long. It is the fifth day in Villawood after all.
The person who was running the Shop was nice. She explained to me that I had 35 dollars in my account and it would expire on Wednesday. Then on Thursday, another 35 dollars. I was told that I should use the current 35 dollars by the closing time of the canteen next day. Obviously she did not know how good I am at spending money. I bought
shampoo and conditioner of the brand which I normally cannot afford to buy, cotton buds, a soap bar, facial wash, a loofah, and a protein shaker which I want to use as a water bottle. While I was happily shopping, time went by. The next job was lunch and call to my Partner.
When I got back to work on an affidavit, it was 2pm. I took the whole set of the Notice of Visa Refusal to the office and asked them to photocopy by 4pm before a JP arrives. The pile of the papers was 6 or 7 cm high. It was double-sided. I needed to be printed on single
side in accordance with the court rule. As soon as she saw the pile, the guard in the office shouted.
'I am not gonna copy the fucking document! The Immigration should give you a copy!'.
Oh dear. This guard is not used to dealing with litigation papers. The pile is not big for the litigation standard. I asked her whether there was any other person who could photocopy the papers. She said I should go to the Community to use a photocopier there. OK. Since the guard first said that the Immigration should photocopy, I first went to the computer room and sent an email request to my case manager. Then, I went to the Community to look for a photocopier. There was none. I asked a couple of people around but no one had ever seen a photocopier. Probably the guard misunderstood a printer as a photocopier. I went back and checked my emails. I discovered a reply from my case manager.
He wrote that I was supposed to be able to use a photocopier and asked me the name of the guard. He also asked me to fill in a detainee complaint form to let the Australian Border Force know. I replied to him without telling the name of the guard, asked him to sort out and
then filled in a complaint form. Since there was no possibility that I get a photocopy of the documents, I went to the Visit to see a JP without the pile of papers. I wrote an affidavit annexing some documents excluding those papers. It is not the best but still acceptable for the court.
When I came back from the Visit, the guards were photocopying the papers. It seems that the case manager sorted out the problem. Although it was too late for the purpose of swearing an affidavit, it is a good preparation for the next occasion.
It was another exhausting day. Better go to bed early...