http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">I received an e-mail from the Canadian Embassy in Ankara today saying that they would correct the "Croatia" origins of my brother. They have been extremely helpful in the last few months.

Now we are only waiting for Adnan's health check-up results. If everything goes well, it means he will only have to wait for the date from the Embassy when he could fly out of the country...

It seems the only

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">We heard today that Adnan will be undergoing the medical examination next week! This means that he is now a step away from coming to Canada!!!

One odd thing that the UNHCR official in Istanbul noticed and pointed it out to me, as well,was that instead of Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro, Adnan's country of birth was typed as Croatia, the country that split from Yugoslavia more than a decade

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">My sister went to see Adnan last week. She was in Turkey with an organization with which she works and decided to stay an extra couple of days and see how Adnan was doing.

He is doing well, although is very anxious to come to Canada. At work, they have just extended the hours during which the bar where Adnan works for his rent and food is open, so he works from 5 pm to 4 am...serving drinks to

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">I have been meeting with friends to fill out the sponsorship application for Adnan. Our own former family sponsor, Father Andrew, is looking forward to seeing Adnan with us. He makes up the group that wishes to help Adnan come to Canada.

My friend Lois and I are getting together tonight to fill out the sponsorship application for Adnan (Joint Assistance Sponsorship). This means that Adnan will

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> Steve Aylward had a fundraiser for Adnan tonight. He and his sister Erin and Meghan, and it seemed, the whole family decided to hold a fundraiser party at their home. Mrs.Aylward was downstairs, helping set everything up. Mr.Aylward was getting the munchies ready in the kitchen, Erin was cutting fish and Meghan was getting ready to wait for a guest at the bus stop. The fact they all decided to

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">We sent Adnan's application form to Ankara today. The post office charged me $72 for a 4-7 day Purolator package to Ankara. We had to send it with rush-mail b/c it's already been more than a month since we got back....All is done now, and all that remains is just waiting..The waiting game is on again...Which reminds me, I seem to mention waiting every few entries...It must be something important

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">hello, hello

since the host i used to have [absfree.com] went bankrupt and with it, so did my files, i decided to switch to this journal [i despise the word 'blog'..it sounds like a word meant for someone who talks too much...maybe that's what it does mean...]

hopefully, this one won't go bankrupt...or start charging...if any of those happen, i am going down :(

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Istanbul is full of history. It has the most beautiful mosques and historical buildings I have ever seen. The amazement feelings I have for this old byzantine, ottoman city cannot compare with what I am feeling right now..
We have just been told UNHCR cannot help Adnan. This means Adnan's case is a responsibility of the Canadian and Turkish governments. He seems saddened and lonely, afraid

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">As i listen to songs in the internet cafe I am using to write these entries [Adnan sits next to me], I take a second to think about our outing today...It's impossible to see things as they simply are. We see them as representations of our feelings, thoughts and memories...We take long walks and are amazed at the richness of culture in Istanbul, but we hesitate to talk about anything related to our

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">It's funny how everything in Istanbul seems so inexpensive, yet you realize it is simply an illusion after spending a few hours and a few liras. I wondered how far 1 lira will take me in the city where daily expenses are growing every day. The closer the membership in the EU is, the more pricy Istanbul becomes. What can one do with 1 lira in Istanbul?

Yeni Turk Lirasi, the YTL, or the New Turkish

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">we arrived. we met adnan and were extremely happy to see him again. mother and he both cried for a few minutes at the airport. I could not, I think because I got to see the two of them cry tears of joy and tears of finally seeing each other again after seven years.
Seeing him again was miraculous and although we are here now, we are re-living the whole miracle all over every time we look at his

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">I have been finding it hard to concentrate on my studies, even though it's four important mid-terms I have to write this week (I've already had one and for now, I will keep making myself feeling good until I get the mark back).

I got an e-mail today from Adnan's friends who have asked when we are arriving. They want to come greet us and pick us up at the airport. I can't wait to meet these

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">We are leaving on february 17th at 11:55 pm to London. From there, we go to Amsterdam and then Istanbul. In all, as estimated by Veronika and Elise [my dear co-workers and friends ;)], it's a trip of around 12 hours…it’ll be a long waiting game...We come back on the 6th. Istanbul-Amsterdam, Amsterdam-London, overnight there and we get back to St.John's on the 7th of March at 1:35 pm...that will be

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">We are finally going to Turkey, after seven years of not seeing Adnan. We have our tickets booked and everything seems ready for February 17th, when we are leaving to London, then Amsterdam and finally, Istanbul. It will be an experience to see Adnan after such a long time :)
I sometimes think I should have six cameras pointing at us when it happens because I want to remember the moment…at other

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The response has been incredible. So many people e-mailed me and contacted Anne about the tickets, it sounds like we are on our way!

Honestly, it's a miracle. Almost all of the tickets have been sold. Duane Andrews and the quartet will be by with his Django rhythms, friends will be there for a night of music and fun and we will be there for a night of hope that very soon, we will see Adnan

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Anne Fagan, a friend of mine, organized a fundraiser for our cause and only let us know a few days before she had everything finalized. I had talked with her about Adnan ever since last Fall, when she said she wanted to do something to help us see Adnan soon.

I can't believe she made all this happen without needing any help. She asked Jane Helleur, a friend of hers, if she could lend her house

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I just got off the phone from a conversation with a local CIC [Citizenship and Immigration Canada]officer in St.John's. He said the only thing left for Adnan [from the Canadian side of things], is for a visa to be sent to him. Soon, he said, the visa office will arrange with the International Organization for Migration for Adnan's visa to be sent to him.

After this, Adnan can come to

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Adnan's application for asylum has finally been accepted by the Turkish police, who are the processors of refugee claims in Turkey. His application form will now be reviewed by the Turkish Ministry of Interior and Adnan's status with the Turkish government will be determined. This means if Adnan's case is accepted by the Turkish government as a refugee, the payment of the humongous fee would be

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">We just got news from the Immigration. Adnan is arriving in St.John's on October 19th!

[It's still unknown what is happening with his asylum application, but this is super news! The Turkish government said it would speed up the processing of his application, so hopefully all will be well in time and he will get his asylum].

We're moving to a new house where we will have more space for all of

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">We just got news from the Immigration. Adnan is arriving in St.John's on October 19th!

[It's still unknown what is happening with his asylum application, but this is super news! The Turkish government said it would speed up the processing of his application, so hopefully all will be well on time and he will get his asylum].

We're moving to a new house where we will have more space for all of

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">We've been waiting for a few weeks now to hear back from the Turkish government about Adnan's exit visa. There has been no news, although Adnan is still scheduled to come to Canada on the 19th, if he gets his exit visa.

We're starting to worry and fret over what will happen if Adnan does not get his OK from the Turkish government.

On a side note, we've settled into our new house and had Adnan's

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Hello again,

Adnan's papers are all ready!

I just spoke with Fuat at the UNHCR office in Istanbul. He said he spoke with the IOM office, as well as with Turkish officials, and that everything is set for the 19th of October. The Turkish police have issued a letter about Adnan's exit permission [essentially the letter explains the situation and the reason why he does not have a Turkish entry

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">so, Adnan woke us up this morning at 5 am [which was fine, since I had only been asleep for around an hour] to tell us he was in Frankfurt and that he had to wait for five hours there before flying to Toronto and then St.John's.


where is Adnan?

A few minutes after having a one-way phone call with him [he said things that I could understand, but he couldn't hear what I was saying...], I checked

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Adnan is here!

he is sitting in the living room right now, as I type this. Every second word I type, I look at him and our joy-infected mother to see how happy seeing him here makes us.

Adnan's flight was on time today and even arrived five minutes early [4:10 instead of 4:15]. At the airport, aunt June, father Andrew, Ose and Verina and their little girl, Eliza, Veronika, Lois and the CBC

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">After seven years, Kosovo family reunited
Last updated Oct 21 2005 09:58 AM NDT
CBC News

A joyful reunion at the St. John's airport Thursday brought together a mother and two sons who were separated by war in Kosovo seven years ago.

Hafize Cej and her son Remzi, who settled in St. John's after fleeing the chaos of the war in Kosovo, have spent years since looking for Hafize's son Adnan, who was

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Reuniting with her son Adnan was once a dream for Hafize Cej. Today, in her home, seeing Adnan, Hafize is grateful to all who helped make the dream come true. In Adnan, she sees the son that went missing for years but in him, she also sees the efforts of dozens who cared enough to help make the incredible happen. She pinches her son's cheeks and treats him like a ten year-old child, almost

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It was only on Friday that we realized a month has already passed us by. It's been an incredible month of much fun, joy, nostalgia and change.

On the Friday before Halloween, my friend Elise came up with the great idea of pumpkin-carving. There were six of us, carving away the Jack-o's. For Adnan, it all had to be perfect, so he carved out a quirky-looking Jack-o-Lantern [See below].

The

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">so, Adnan woke us up this morning at 5 am [which was fine, since I had only been asleep for around an hour] to tell us he was in Frankfurt and that he had to wait for five hours there before flying to Toronto and then St.John's.


where is Adnan?

A few minutes after having a one-way phone call with him [he said things that I could understand, but he couldn't hear what I was saying...], I checked