Australia

Few posts this week because we've been busy getting Josh ready to go to Australia. Dealing with things like:

• can an LG Dare phone work in Oz? No, it's CDMA, no SIM card.
• How can I make sure Josh has money? Wachovia has some quirks but I called yesterday and this morning FedEx delivered a check drawn on a Sidney bank; and tomorrow I'll get some currency as well.
• What current, and will he need a transformer? 220-240, and probably just an adapter.
• Can he take his laptop without paying customs duty? This one had us banging our heads on the wall because the information on the Australian embassy site is unclear, but eventually the answer turned out to be "yes".
• Are you actually registered for classes? Yes. Well, no. Maybe. No. Yes. Okay, really yes now.
• What size and weight of luggage can he take? Take the width, length and depth. Does that add up to 62? Wait, this is...you get 50 kilograms. No, 23 kilos. Maybe 28kg. No, it's 108 inches total between two suitcases. Wait, there are different rules for "overseas" versus "to or from the US." How about the scuba gear? You can check in extra stuff as long as you do after the preceding full moon and before two hours before checking in unless you check in electronically, as long as it's measured in cubits and pre-Revolutionary French units of weight. Grrr.