Getting Australian visa evidencing in our passports

We got our Australian visas evidenced on our passports yesterday.

I would be more upbeat about it, cos this finally we get an actual tangible item from the Australian government that we're now their permanent residents, but frankly, after holding the Australian PR for a total of 2 months now, the reality of it has set in, and it has stopped feeling so unreal.

Yes we are going, this is for sure, just WHEN!?!?!?!?!?!

Also, it could have been because this was our 2nd try getting in the Australian High Commission in Singapore to get our Australian visa evidenced.

The Australian High Comm.
The Commission has got very short working hours. Or maybe they just have very few people working for them.   Basically they open counter services from 9am to 12noon, and then their phone lines to the public from 2pm to 4pm.   So if you try calling at say 10am, you get a message which says "We are closed blah blah blah please call back from 2pm to 4pm in the afternoon."  Guess they don't multitask too well.

Our first try to get our visa's evidenced took place on 3rd May, a Monday and an off day in lieu of the Sat May day holiday for hubby and I.  We knew that the opening hours were till 12noon only, but somehow, only left the house at 11.30am that day.   Needless to say, after including parking (off-site) and the 5 min walk to the Commission, we dint make it.  We were pretty disappointed.

The Australian High Commission is fortified like that of a military base.  To get in, you need to surrender a photo ID, and any cameras or phones with cameras, or any sort of photographic or video recording equipment.  Vehicles are not allowed to park/wait/drop off passengers right in front of the gates, but rather need to let passengers off about 10 meters away.  An old grandmother trying to get in, would prolly need to spend at least 5 mins navigating her way up the hill and between barriers.

We left at 10.45am on a Friday morning.  Despite the last failed attempted, lesson wasnt learned and we only managed to get parking at the Gleneagles hospital opposite the Commission at 11.25.   We hastened to the high comm and surrendered a total of 3 mobile phones and 4 ids.  (Grandparents tagged along too).  The baby dint need an ID.  In return we received bright yellow lanyards with "VISITOR" emblazoned boldly in front.   Of course the baby wanted to wear the lanyard, which he dint get cos he dint have any ID, and we were stopped by the sharp eyed guard, and told that the baby is NOT to wear the lanyard, only the adult.   Ooops.

Getting the passport evidenced with the Australian visa was pretty easy.  There were probably less than 20 people in total waiting at the immigration area for various High Comm services.  We passed our passports along with the grant letter to the chinese lady at the counter, who surprised me with her strong Aussie accent.  The passports and letter were accepted with a blithe "thank you, please take a seat" and no further instructions. 
10 minutes later, she waved at us to come over and passed back to us the passports with the visa sticker.
This is what it looks like below.  Its basically a sticker that has your name, type and date of Australian visa grant and initial entry into Australia requirements date.

Woohoo.. another step on the road to Australia!