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   GeePawHill (geepawhill@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 27-Mar-2025 13:04:52 JST GeePawHill

   True Canada story. I once had a gig outside Toronto, and I was not independent then, and I was sent to the gig. And for whatever reason -- this was back in the oughties, before everything got so crazy -- I was randomly pulled for a passport inspection.

   And the woman asked me why I was there, and I said, I have a gig. And she perked up her ears. "You have no work visa."

   I said, "No what?"

   Yes, I'm aware that was all very naïve.

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     GeePawHill (geepawhill@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 27-Mar-2025 13:04:51 JST GeePawHill

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     So she grilled me. I had to show her my business card. I had to show her my company's website that mentioned my name. I had to describe the kind of work that I did.

     So she leans back in her chair, and she fixes me with her deadly Canadian glare. She asks, "And are there any Canadian persons who could do this work?"

     I'm thinking of Dave Astels, Joe Rainsberger, and several others. I had many Canadian friends who were in the same trade as I, some of them world-class at that trade.

     Kim Scheinberg repeated this.
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     GeePawHill (geepawhill@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 27-Mar-2025 13:04:51 JST GeePawHill

     in reply to

     I said, "Oh, sure." I even named some of them.

     She says, "So then why can't *they* be doing this work? Where are *they*?!?"

     And I said, swear to God I was not tryna be clever: "They're all gigging down in the states right now."

     She *burst* out laughing, filled out a six-month work visa, stamped it, and sent me on my way. :)