Australian Story

I just remembered; did anyone else watch Australian Story on Saturday. I think it was a re-run, but anyway it was about that Aussie vlogger (video blogger; I'd never heard that expression before) Daniel Meadows.

He's basically this shy, almost reclusive guy who ends up building a network of friends on the Internet by video blogging. And falls in love with a girl who lives in the States.

To cut a long story short, he ends up going on this long trip to see her, and to also meet up with some other friends he's made on-line. His flight goes via Japan to the USA. I can't remember which port he arrives at but it wasn't NYC or LAX. He then has to transfer to a domestic flight to fly to his girlfriend's town.

But the Department of Homeland Security singles him out, sees the videos he took in Japan, and questions him about all these friends he's going to see, all people he hasn't met before, and they don't believe his story, at first calling him a terrorist. Later his "crime" was downgraded to being a risk of over-staying and working illegally, as he hasn't got a job back in Australia. He get deported on the first available flight, never gets to see the girlfriend!

She ends up saving up and does travel to Australia, where they finally meet (and might I add fall in love in the flesh). But it's only for a short holiday and he's not allowed back into the States. Even though he didn't do anything wrong. The word of the Department of Homeland Security is absolute. You can't fight it. You have no rights. His only hope now is that an Australian Government Official asks for his case to be reviewed after vouching for him.

The things that struck me about Daniel's story was first of all, that it was such a modern day romance. And no one loves a Love Story more than me! Who would have thought that being a blogger could change a person so much? (He now holds down a job and is working towards a reunion with his girl).

Secondly it made me realise that You Tube is very useful for getting stories out there that otherwise perhaps never would have been heard. Daniel is using You Tube to get his story out there. Turns out there are so many people that have had similar experiences trying to enter the States.

I gotta run, but what do you think?

Stay Safe
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