This waiting-for-my-residency thing is a little nerve-wracking. I was reading this article on mail-order brides today (more on that in a minute) and was surprised to see that only 191 Australian spouse visas were granted to Russian women last year. That places them fifth on the country list and the US is ranked even lower. I know I don’t really have to worry but I was surprised to learn how uncommon my situation is. I figured the number would be in the thousands.

On a related note, The Age has a story today on green card marriages of convenience. Last year almost 10% of applicants got rejected for lack of evidence. We haven’t had to go through the interview process they describe but I know all about trying to prove your relationship is “genuine.” It’s hard enough for legitimate couples; I can’t imagine trying to fake all the necessary documents.

Going back to the Russian bride article… It made my blood boil, all that crap about how Western women have been somehow “ruined” for marriage by feminism. WHATEVER. If our desire to be treated with respect and equality by society and our partners precludes the Neanderthals of the world from proposing to us, LUCKY US. Finding a wife shouldn’t be about choosing a mother-substitute to cook your food and iron your shirts. I just feel sorry for the women in bad circumstances – economic, political, whatever – who are so desperate that they feel the possibility of domestic and sexual violence at the hands of a man they hardly know is a gamble worth taking.