Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Middle East and North Africa	Henia, how's Algeria?	I think I know someone who secretly loves Kumbaya! His name starts with D and ends eith EREKKJ. Oh, #######. Now everyone on VJ knows.	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2006-09-08 15:54:00
Middle East and North Africa	Henia, how's Algeria?	Are we ready for a verse of ?kumbaya? yet?!! wrong forum... I'm ready, Robert! Someone's crying, my Lord...... Kumbaya... Someone's crying , my Lord...... Kumbaya... Someone's crying, my Lord...... Oh Lord, Kumbaya...	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2006-09-08 15:51:00
Middle East and North Africa	Henia, how's Algeria?	Are we ready for a verse of ?kumbaya? yet?!! wrong forum... I'm ready, Robert! Someone's crying, my Lord...... Kumbaya... Someone's crying , my Lord...... Kumbaya...	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2006-09-08 15:48:00
Middle East and North Africa	Henia, how's Algeria?	Are we ready for a verse of ?kumbaya? yet?!! wrong forum... I'm ready, Robert! Someone's crying, my Lord...... Kumbaya...	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2006-09-08 15:44:00
Middle East and North Africa	Henia, how's Algeria?	wow, can anyone come here and just post away?! Is this like the new OT forum? Only if you are wearing a cup. It's pretty rough in here.	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2006-09-08 15:00:00
Middle East and North Africa	Good Friday morning!	Kilts are SCOTTISH not [size=3][color=#008000][b]IRISH. Umm, actually kilts are both Scottish AND Irish. More common in Scotland perhaps, but worn in Ireland too. Apparently in Wales too, though I never saw a Welshman wearing one when I was living in Swansea. Oh, just a little St. Patrick Day factoid for you - Patrick was actually Welsh. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilt But of course the age old question remains - what are they wearing under their kilts?	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-16 15:44:00
Middle East and North Africa	GUESSSSSS WHATTTTT	a dry tea bag?? im not bleeding anymore, but my gum is still VERRRY swollen and sore. Hmmm, it was awhile ago so I can't remember exactly. But I think I wetted it a little bit with some cool water. Not so that it was dripping, just damp. Something about caffeine restricting blood vessels and limiting bleeding so it might also work for swollen gums too. At the very least, if the tea bag is cool, it should feel good!	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2007-06-26 15:14:00
Middle East and North Africa	GUESSSSSS WHATTTTT	the hole in my mouth is doing alright. had a bit of a scare late last nite. it started bleeding again and i freaked out. i just put some gauze back in it to catch it and put an ice pack on my cheek for 25mins, then fell asleep...woke up and it seems okay. i havent taken any pain meds since b4 bed.........i may take an advil just for good measure. Hey Jess, when I had my wisdom teeth out years ago, my dentist recommended biting down on a tea bag to help clotting and slow bleeding. Didn't taste great, but it seemed to work. Feel better!	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2007-06-26 14:10:00
Middle East and North Africa	82,000 year old jewellery found in Morocco	Thanks for the post Henia! This is why I learn something new everyday!	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2007-07-03 19:37:00
Middle East and North Africa	Yo! Happy Wednesday!!!!	Lord, there was a time that I was almost as addicted to the Curly Girl forum as VJ! Sorta fell off the no poo wagon awhile back, but am still using the shampoo and conditioner that I found there. It's called Activate (created by Latina's who apparently also have dry, frizzy, kinky, hard to manage hair), it's not expensive, has great slippage, is Curly Girl friendly, and while I usually can find it at RiteAid, they also have a website, http://www.activateb...m/eng/index.cfm. ETA: #######! I just noticed that Activate has almost tripled it's price online! Don't think it's worth that so it's back to the CG Forums to find something new. Might not be back for awhile. I have heard that Trader Joe's line is actually pretty good and inexpensive so that will probably be what I try next. Edited by derekkj, 02 August 2007 - 02:11 PM.	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2007-08-02 14:09:00
Middle East and North Africa	The women that marry mena men?	And some of those gals in the Canada forum are WILD I tell you.... just WILD! Missed this the first time around. Thank you for my laugh of the day!	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2007-08-10 12:41:00
Middle East and North Africa	Wake up sleepy heads!	QUOTE (Jenn! @ Oct 22 2007, 01:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (derekkj @ Oct 22 2007, 01:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Jenn! @ Oct 22 2007, 12:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm not really into purses, or shoes, or shopping in general. Today I have a black bag and brown shoes. Horrifying, I know. Sarah I like your ziploc bag idea.... Please tell me you aren't wearing white after Labor Day too! LOL, I couldn't care less! I just looked down and realized I was wearing a black belt with brown shoes. My grandmother is probably rolling in her grave.	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2007-10-22 12:15:00
Middle East and North Africa	Wake up sleepy heads!	QUOTE (Jenn! @ Oct 22 2007, 12:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm not really into purses, or shoes, or shopping in general. Today I have a black bag and brown shoes. Horrifying, I know. Sarah I like your ziploc bag idea.... Please tell me you aren't wearing white after Labor Day too!	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2007-10-22 12:06:00
Middle East and North Africa	My journey with a Moroccan is over	QUOTE (charlesandnessa @ Oct 24 2007, 04:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (derekkj @ Oct 24 2007, 03:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I almost hate to jump in on this thread, but I was under the impression that he was referring to the OP. it can be taken several ways, it would be nice for him to clarify this. of course, i just find it odd to be hugging and kissing someone else while professing love for another. Indeed, especially after he had already posted this: QUOTE (FFFFF-rrrrr @ Oct 24 2007, 03:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I didnt not cheat I was looking for an external listener since no one want to listen to me , i was looking for friends since i dont have any friends, I didnt do anything, I have proves for that which the court will see it of course. And I will let you all know about it I guess he really meant he was looking for an external kisser. *shrugs*	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2007-10-24 15:37:00
Middle East and North Africa	My journey with a Moroccan is over	QUOTE (charlesandnessa @ Oct 24 2007, 04:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (yassmine2878 @ Oct 24 2007, 03:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (charlesandnessa @ Oct 24 2007, 03:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> sure got quiet in here Everyone's at the 3pm coffee break, methinks. We only post when we're working. oh ok, i thought maybe i asked too difficult a question in post 103 I almost hate to jump in on this thread, but I was under the impression that he was referring to the OP.	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2007-10-24 15:29:00
Middle East and North Africa	Egypt puts King Tut on Public Display	QUOTE (yassmine2878 @ Nov 5 2007, 01:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> OMG! I went online to see if I could advance order tickets for the Dallas showing and its not scheduled until October 2008. I went to the show in Fort Lauderdale a few years back and really enjoyed it, so I think it's worth the wait! Just be forewarned that it's not at all like the show from the 70's. While there are overall more objects in this one, a lot of it is from the family of Tut, not Tut himself. Things like the death mask and some of the other well known objects from the 70's are not in this one. I thought the current show was very well done and didn't mind in the least, but I did overhear a few other visitors express their disappointment. And Jimmy Hoffa is in the Meadowlands. Edited by derekkj, 05 November 2007 - 01:59 PM.	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2007-11-05 13:56:00
Middle East and North Africa	Sunday- It's Superbowl!!	Could not have put it any better Deyounting! Go BIG BLUE!	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2008-02-03 20:09:00
Middle East and North Africa	Tuesday	QUOTE (just_Jackie @ Jul 15 2008, 08:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You are so right, my life went from losing everything (yes, i thought the world revolved around mohammed) to surviving. It was not easy, if it were not for some really special people, I'm not sure I would have ever gotten up off the floor. Lal, amal, dawn, charles, wahrania, maggie, and 100 more wonderful people stayed close to me and it was their words and actions that kept me alive. VJ friends rock jJ eta: yes going back was awesome! thx for asking Jackie, The fact that a former employer immediately snapped you up when came back on the job market speaks volumes for the kind of worker you are. Congrats! And when I got my new job a few months ago, I used it as an excuse to go shopping and get me some new work clothes!	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2008-07-15 08:24:00
Middle East and North Africa	Thursday!!	QUOTE (MrsAmera @ Jun 25 2009, 09:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi Everyone. Boiling hot here in DC today. Tomorrow afternoon I'm going to New York with my husband for the weekend. I'm trying to plan stuff for us to do for the 2 days we'll be there. His Brother and sister in law live there but will be working all weekend and I don't plan to sit in the apartment all weekend long. We're thinking about going to Coney Island but I have a feeling it will be loaded wiht people. We've seen some stuff (quite a bit actually) but I was thinking of taking him to Ellis Island. I think it would be interesting for him to see how my family came here and the difference between his immigrant situation and those of the past. Other suggestions welcome Defintely go to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum - http://www.tenement.org/index.php. It's an apartment building that housed over 7000 immigrants in only a few decades. The building got closed up with much of the furniture and interior intact, basically became a time capsule and is an amazing look at how immigrants lived during the late 1800's and early 1900's. Ashamed to admit as a native New Yorker that I have never been to Coney Island or Ellis Island.	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2009-06-25 10:49:00
Middle East and North Africa	Today we lost a MENA jewel	I have no words. The world is a lesser place without you, Dawn.	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2008-06-20 21:08:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	A question about marriage and crossing the border...	We don't really like the K1 or the K3 visas (for a number of reasons, one of which being that she has to spend several months or longer unemployable while within the country). The IR1/CR1 is more to our liking, depsite the fact we'd be seperated and she'd have to go back to Canada after the wedding. The thing we're looking at is the fact that she'd immediately be a permanent resident and able to work once everything was finished processing. Derek and I did exactly what DeadPoolX is considering for exactly the same reasons. We just couldn't afford to have him unemployed for as long as it would take to get the AOS. So Derek crossed the border, we got married in Vermont by a JP and he returned home 2 days later. We filed our IR1/CR1 a few days later and he finally got approved less than a year later. I can understand how homesick_american is (mis)reading the USCIS instructions (must be the same people who write the tax codes ), but as far as I know Canadians don't need "tourist visas" to cross the border, so that's a moot issue for them anyway. As far as other countries, like Yodrak, Kezzie, and Marilyn have already stated, as long as the fiance is planning to return to their home country after the wedding, I don't think it's illegal to cross the border, get married and then return home. Their intentions are good and they are not attempting to circumnavigate any laws or stay here illegally. That being said, like Macburt, Derek did not lie to the border guard and didn't offer too much information either. He simply said he was going to Vermont for a wedding. I concur that your fiance should also bring as much evidence as she can that she is indeed returning afterwards. If you are still unsure, you may also want to call the border crossing and see what they say.	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2006-10-04 12:27:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Fiance visa advice	Guys (everyone), seriously thanks so much. I need to get cracking on researching all of my possibilities. I just hate government websites (I feel like they purposely make them unclear). I think I'll also look into finding an lawyer. Any suggestions as to where a good one might be hiding? We live in northern Virginia. If finding out more about my story would help you to advise me, please by all means - ask away... Just sent you a PM.	derekkj	Not Telling	Canada	2007-04-25 14:24:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	We got our NOA2 today I am so happy even cant describe how I am hapy guys ohh Allah thank you so much	Congrats! Our NOA1 date is July 24 - just a few days after you - so I hope we will receive a notice soon! Ours is in Vermont though so I don't know if it is slower than California.	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2010-12-19 21:33:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	July Filers Unite!!	I would turn around an RFE very quickly just to able to take some action! That has to be better than just waiting helplessly! Did you meet with the immigration officer and if so, where was his office?	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2011-01-06 23:16:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	July Filers Unite!!	It is very frustrating to see so many approved in a 1 to 3 month timeframe if they were submitted in May/June but mine which was submitted in July is still waiting for more than 5 months now! Maybe if everyone emails to Vermont with a copy sent to the headquarters someone at headquarters will get the message that a lot of us are waiting for action, check the situation in Vermont and tell them to get it done! (Maybe...) USCIS Service Centers If you contacted the National Customer Service Center with a case-related inquiry and more than 30 days have passed and you have not received a response, you may email the appropriate USCIS Service Center with your inquiry: California Service Center: csc-ncsc-followup@dhs.gov Vermont Service Center: vsc.ncscfollowup@dhs.gov Nebraska Service Center: ncscfollowup.nsc@dhs.gov Texas Service Center: tsc.ncscfollowup@dhs.gov If you do not receive a response within 21 days of contacting the Service Center, you may contact the USCIS Headquarters Office of Service Center Operations by email at SCOPSSCATA@dhs.gov. http://www.uscis.gov...000b92ca60aRCRD	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2011-01-06 21:31:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	K-1 Approved! Now it's prep for the interview!	Congrats to you! Maybe the warmer weather in California makes it easier for people to get work done. Vermont seems to move like maple syrup..... Lots of us on the east coast are still waiting......	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2011-01-06 12:08:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Survivor's Guilt	God, Allah, Buddha, Barack - anyone who will listen! Glad we've got them covered! Thanks so much!	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2011-01-11 18:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Survivor's Guilt	We filed our neatly organized application on July 23rd. Now we are counting everyday! I want to go over and help her move before I get into a busy work season which could start soon. Congrats - don't worry, be happy - blah, blah, blah - the only thing you owe us is to include us on your prayer list or karma list or whatever!	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2011-01-11 17:03:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	K1 VISA WAIT: 4 months and 25 days...	My 5 month mark was December 23rd.... (NOA1 date of July 23rd). I have no idea what their excuse of the day may be but it is ridiculous!	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2011-01-12 12:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	so desperate to hear a word from USCIS	OMG - Congrats! But OMG! Our NOA1 date is July 23rd and still waaaaaaiiiiittttting........ Congrats to you but don't forget about us who are still stuck!	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2011-01-12 11:16:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	How is your NOA2 waiting time?	I got an email and a text. The email mentioned that the status had been changed online so then I checked and it had been.	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2011-01-14 11:14:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	How is your NOA2 waiting time?	Just got my NOA2!! Finally!! (NOA1 of July 23rd)	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2011-01-14 10:34:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	How is your NOA2 waiting time?	If you are as frustrated as I am go to the website of your member of Congress and send them a letter similar to what I sent today. Feel free to cut and paste mine and use it as a template if you'd like - totally up to you. Obviously you should personalize it to your situation. This last election should have taught us all that we need to voice our concerns if we expect any action. Go to house.gov - enter your zip code in the top left corner if you aren't sure who your representative is. Their website should have a contact page. Go to Senate.gov and search for them by going to your state in the menu. Immigration Reform I support comprehensive immigration reform. Our failure to secure the border and the number of illegal immigrants in our country is absolutely ridiculous! I am currently involved in helping my fiancée navigate the immigration process legally! One vital part of immigration reform needs to be drastic improvement in customer service at USCIS! I applied for a fiancée visa last year in July! We're closing in on six months waiting for approval and getting more frustrated by the day! The purported 5 month wait for 15 minutes of work is ridiculous in itself but the absolutely unacceptable part is the "customer service!" If we want immigration reform Congress really needs to grill this agency for their ridiculous service and demand improvement! It is not at all unreasonable to expect an agency of the US government to approve applications in order and give you adequate notice if they are running behind and a good estimate of how much the delay will be. But instead they are approved in a random order and cannot give you any real indication of when to expect action, even after they are running behind schedule. Seeing applications approved which were submitted after yours being approved before yours is very frustrating. Telling you to call back in 30 days after you have already waited more than 5 months for them to do 15 minutes of work is ridiculous and absolutely unacceptable! I, and my lawyer fiancée, worked hard to complete the application and get everything right. We have waited. I have asked your office for help with my specific case. Your inquiry has yet to produce any real action. While I am most concerned with my own application real improvement is needed in the management of USCIS! Thank you for your attention to my concerns!	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2011-01-13 21:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	How is your NOA2 waiting time?	I have to agree with the other ones whose patience has run out! Our NOA1 date was July 23. We're closing in on six months and getting more frustrated by the day! The purported 5 month wait for 15 minutes of work is ridiculous in itself but the absolutely unacceptable part is the "customer service!" There are no excuses! If we want immigration reform Congress really needs to grill this agency for their ridiculous service! It is not at all unreasonable to expect an agency of the US government to approve applications in order and give you adequate notice if they are running behind and a good estimate of how much the delay will be. Telling you to call back in 30 days after you have already waited more than 5 months for them to do 15 minutes of work is ridiculous and absolutely unacceptable! Everyone should voice this to your member of Congress!	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2011-01-13 16:27:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	July 2010 NOA1 - still waiting - VSC	I filed in July and am also waiting!	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2011-01-12 16:29:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NOA2 APPROVED	I have the exact same NOA1 date of July 23 but I am still waiiiiittttttiiiiinnnnggggggggggg.........	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2011-01-12 21:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	YEEEEEEEESSS.. AT LAST N0A2!! JULY VSC..	Congrats! I agree with you regarding emails to the service center. Others here have dismissed their responses as automatic, etc. but I had a response from a person named Jen, I quickly wrote back to her and among congressional inquiries and multiple emails my approval came within a few days. Maybe it was just coincidental and it doesn't make me any difference now but if I was one of the people still waiting I wouldn't sit by passively with the assumption that such efforts do no good.	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2011-01-18 13:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	VSC Comatose Once More	Maybe Al was presumptious to think us peasants deserve better than being told "you waited 5 months, Ok, go away and wait 30 more days and then call back!" Reminds me of the guy named Peggy with USA Prime Credit in the TV commercial! My NOA1 was July 23. I look at Igor's list and see several who applied before me still waiting in line (or just haven't updated...). I'm not sure if the noise that I made the with congressional representatives and with emails to VSC made the difference and if the others waiting chose not to make any noise - and I think I'll shut up now before someone from VSC sees this and revokes it or pours maple syrup on it before they send it forward to NVC. OK - signing off to go have a drink - or several! Good luck to all the other poor peasants!	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2011-01-14 19:02:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	VSC Comatose Once More	I've also wondered why Al spends so much time on here and complains about the slow process when his timeline is not at the 5 month mark yet. I think USCIS makes it clear that you should plan on at least 5 months. But Al's activity level at this stage makes me no difference. The point that I have been trying to express to everyone the last several days is exactly what Al did a good job of articulating in his latest post. I am very happy that mine got approved today after nearly 6 months of waiting. If I had known about 3 weeks ago that it could be expected to come in the time frame that it did then I, am my fiancee, would not have had to go through the stress of not knowing what to expect the last couple of weeks and especially the last several days. I also am not sure exactly what made them finally get it done but I have been making a lot of noise the last couple weeks through my congressional representatives and directly in emails to the VSC, with increasing frequency each day. I shouldn't have had to do that if the agency was better managed. That was a waste of time and resources for everyone involved. Even if it would have taken another week or two for approval, I wouldn't have been happy, but I could have planned around it and known what to expect. Al is right for sure on at least one point. Better communication and transparency from the agency is sorely needed. The management of the agency is unlikely to improve unless enough people communicate their dissatisfaction to their congressional representatives.	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2011-01-14 18:02:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	VSC Comatose Once More	I was finally approved today and updated my profile within the hour. That's one on the 14th but I agree with others that VJ may not be a very big sample. The agency really needs improved management and communication with applicants.	Rwlaird	Male	Ukraine	2011-01-14 12:39:00