ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
United KingdomThe World’s Best Candy Bars? English, of Course

I'm not with you on the Mallomars, but you reminded me of Mallow Cups, which I do think are the bees knees! Talk about yum! Might need to pop down to the tiny store in my building and satisfy my craving in a minute!


More Mallowmars for me - woot!

Of course now I need to find some Mallo Cups as well.

*Rummages through desk drawer to find any bit of chocolate that might tide me over*
derekkjNot TellingCanada2007-07-16 12:35:00
United KingdomThe World’s Best Candy Bars? English, of Course
Thank God I have a Canadian Wonderbar at home. If D has eaten it by the time I get home tonight, it might get ugly! :devil:

And while I agree that in general UK sweets are far superior to US ones, you will have to pry the Mallomars out of my cold dead hands. :lol:
derekkjNot TellingCanada2007-07-16 12:24:00
United KingdomThe World’s Best Candy Bars? English, of Course
I would kill for a Hobnob right about now!

July 11, 2007
The World’s Best Candy Bars? English, of Course
By KIM SEVERSON
A TELEVISION news producer from Atlanta recently made a deal with her boss, who was traveling in London. The producer promised she would submit her script for an investigative story ahead of deadline in exchange for two British Kit Kats and a Curly Wurly bar.

The woman, who did not want her name revealed for fear of being teased endlessly by her colleagues, so loves her British chocolate that she takes an extra suitcase when she travels to London just to bring back a haul.

“Should I admit I am carrying two U.K. Kit Kats with me in my briefcase right now, just in case I get into a bind on my trip?” she e-mailed this reporter from the road.

At this point, it would be easy to take a long, clichéd side trip into a discussion of the relative inferiority of British food. But for the rarefied palate that can appreciate the soft, immediate pleasure of an inexpensive candy bar, it’s not difficult to give the edge to sweets from the realm of the queen.

That’s why Malcolm Smart takes his son, Rowan, for a stroll to Blue Apron in Park Slope, Brooklyn, twice a week for a proper British candy bar. Rowan is 6 years old, and tends toward the mint Aero bar.

Mr. Smart, who grew up in Birmingham, England, home of the chocolate manufacturer Cadbury-Schweppes, is a Flake man himself. The Cadbury Flake, a crumbly bar of compressed ribbons of chocolate, was invented in 1920. It is thrust into swirls of soft ice cream at parks all over London, creating a dessert called a 99.

Alan Palmer, who is an owner of Blue Apron, said the British candy bars have been strong sellers since he opened the shop five years ago.“Anybody who went to school there or had any kind of business or family connection over there is totally addicted to them,” he said.

Mr. Smart, who has lived in the United States for 25 years, learned early on in his life here that British and American chocolate bars are different, even if they share a name and a look.

“One day I was eating a bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk and I thought, this has absolutely no flavor,” he said. “I looked at the label and saw it was made by Hershey. I was outraged.”

Cadbury Dairy Milk is the iconic British candy bar, the one most likely to be tucked into the suitcase of a Yankee tourist looking for an inexpensive souvenir. Versions are filled with caramel, whipped fondant, whole nuts or pellets of shortbread cookie.

It’s a different bar from the Cadbury bar available in the United States. According to the label, a British Cadbury Dairy Milk bar contains milk, sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, vegetable fat and emulsifiers. The version made by the Hershey Company, which holds the license from Cadbury-Schweppes to produce the candy in the United States under the British company’s direction, starts its ingredient list with sugar. It lists lactose and the emulsifier soy lecithin, which keeps the cocoa butter from separating from the cocoa. The American product also lists “natural and artificial flavorings.”

Tony Bilsborough, a spokesman for Cadbury-Schweppes in Britain, said his company ships its specially formulated chocolate crumb — a mash of dried milk and chocolate to which cocoa butter will be added later — to Hershey, Pa. What happens next accounts for the differences.

“I imagine it’s down to the final processing and the blending,” he said. After consulting with chocolate manufacturers in each country, Cadbury tries to replicate the taste people grew up with, he said. In the United States, that means a bar that is more akin to a Hershey bar, which to many British palates tastes sour.

Kirk Seville, a spokesman for the Hershey Company, declined to explain the manufacturing process, saying the company preferred not to take part in a discussion about the manufacturing differences between a British and an American Cadbury bar.

For people here with a taste for British candy, no explanation is necessary. Their opinions are already formed.

“Hershey’s tastes like ear wax,” said Kevin Ellis, an Alaskan-born designer with Adobe Systems in San Francisco. Mr. Ellis, who says Canadian and British chocolate bars are comparable, anticipates with delight the boxes of imported chocolate bars his wife's family sends.

The appeal of British chocolate is powerful. When the Ellis family moved not long ago to another Bay Area house, a burly man from Birmingham who was helping to haul the sofa spied a box.

“Do you mind if I have a Curly Wurly?” he asked with the tenderness of a hopeful child.

The Curly Wurly, a thick strip of braided caramel covered in chocolate, is a sibling to the discontinued Marathon bar, which any American who was in high school when Jimmy Carter was president will remember fondly.

The Curly Wurly is not as popular in Britain as the Crunchie. With its crisp honeycomb interior, it’s what a Butterfinger might be if it went to finishing school and married up.

But neither rivals the Mars bar, the prom queen of British candy bars. About three million of them are made daily in Slough, just west of London. It’s like a less sweet version of the American Milky Way, rather than the almond-stuffed American Mars bar. The smart set in London melts it over ice cream for a fast dinner party dessert. Mars bars are also fried in the same sort of batter used to coat cod.

And then there is the television producer’s beloved Kit Kat, invented in York, England, in the early 1930s and available in versions that match the tastes of, variously, Japanese, Germans, Australians, Canadians and Americans.

Nicky Perry has sold chocolate bars from her home country for more than a decade at her store, Tea and Sympathy, in Greenwich Village.

Her theory is that the bars from the United Kingdom are made from a better recipe, containing fewer stabilizers. They melt more quickly than a Hershey bar, which is why she cuts back on the amount she stocks in summer.

“I can’t afford to keep the A.C. on all night or a chocolate bar would cost $10, wouldn’t it?” she said.

At the London Food Company in Montclair, N.J., about 17 percent of the store’s sales are British chocolate bars, said Samantha Codling, the owner.

Ms. Codling, who is from Essex, offers a range of Cadbury Milk bars, including the mint crisp, whole nut and Turkish delight with rose jelly. The British Smartie, which resembles an M & M but has a thicker shell, and the Malteser malt ball, also sell well.

“All the ex-pats definitely know the difference already and the Americans soon figure it out,” she said.

Bryn Dyment, a Web developer in the Bay Area who grew up in Canada, said he was shocked when his parents took him to a candy counter in the United States. He found out that not every child in the world was eating the same chocolate bars he was.

It wasn’t until he moved to the United States as an adult that he realized just how vast that divide is.

“You get in these religious arguments with people,” he said. “I haven’t met a Canadian who likes a Hershey bar, but Americans think you’re crazy when you say that, because they think everyone loves a Hershey bar.”

http://www.nytimes.c...amp;oref=slogin


derekkjNot TellingCanada2007-07-16 11:56:00
United KingdomFriday whinge from the maven

tuesday weather winge - if you don't hear from after tonight it's because i've drowned trying to cycle home - the weather here in Wales is a little damp.

I've been thinking about bottling the rain water and selling it - if i give it a welsh name like 'Glaw Cymraeg' (welsh rain) i think people might buy it - there's a guy out there who sells Welsh air in bottles, so why not rain water!


lol. I lived in Swansea for 4-5 months and I think it rained every frickin' day I was there! I think I had moss growing on me by the end of my stay. But I loved it though!


That had me cracking up Lou Lou! Only in Vermont! :lol:

My Mom has had bears, moose, fishers, what she thinks might have been a bobcat, and a cow in her yard. But never a skunk and never in her house.


What the heck is a fisher? I haven't seen a bear yet, but have seen several mooses. Nearly crashed the car out of excitement though. Damn furreners. :blush:


Posted Image

Don't let the cuteness fool you though. I think they are related to the wolverine and are pretty vicious. They were reintroduced into Vermont awhile back and have been wreaking havoc on cats and small dogs ever since. My Mom actually lost her cat Andy to one a few years ago. :crying:

More from Wiki: http://en.wikipedia....Fisher_(animal)
derekkjNot TellingCanada2007-07-17 15:04:00
United KingdomFriday whinge from the maven
That had me cracking up Lou Lou! Only in Vermont! :lol:

My Mom has had bears, moose, fishers, what she thinks might have been a bobcat, and a cow in her yard. But never a skunk and never in her house.
derekkjNot TellingCanada2007-07-17 09:31:00
United KingdomJust popping in!!
Congrats!

Pictures please!
derekkjNot TellingCanada2007-07-03 19:24:00
United KingdomSailing transatlantic on the Queen Mary...
I think I would be completely pea green with envy! Pics would be mandatory!
derekkjNot TellingCanada2007-11-16 21:42:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionHusband going to CR1 interview alone?

I'm kind of worried right now.

Michael's interview is in my last week of law school, and I don't have a passport.

So, even if I really tried to buy a ticket and explain to my professor's why I will be missing a day in the very last week, I'm not sure if I would be able to get a passport in time to fly up.

Has anyone else had their spouse go alone? Do you think this will be a problem?

At first I thought it would be okay, but I'm starting to panic a bit.

Let me know what you think, thanks!!


I was not there for Derek's interview either. No problem. I think a lot of spouses go it alone.

Good luck!
derekkjNot TellingCanada2007-03-22 07:44:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussionhas anyone try calling the consulate
QUOTE (drbilldc @ Jul 14 2008, 09:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Carlawarla @ Jul 14 2008, 08:24 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (drbilldc @ Jul 12 2008, 03:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Ali786 @ Jul 12 2008, 03:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
hey all/ has anyone try calling the foreign us consulate to request an earlier interview date. Or has anyone asked them if they can pick up the passport with visa after interview rather than having it delivered.


I Sent an e-mail last week to the Kiev Consulate asking if we could pick up passport in person....got an ODD response. here it is: "Dear Dr. William Steinbach:

Thank you for your inquiry of July 03, 2008. Even if your wife's visa is approved during the interview her passport cannot be returned to her the same day.

We hope this information will be helpful."

what do they mean "EVEN IF your wife's visa is approved"??????? . sounds kinda like they prejudged there...lol chalked it up to someone who's native language is NOT English.


They mean exactly what they say. That's the whole reason behind the interview. It's not a paper decision. A visa can't be approved without an interview. It's up to the adjudicating officer. This has nothing to do with someone's whos first language is not English. That's a very disparaging comment to make.


Carla don't try to make something out of my comment that ISN'T there!! read carefully It said " EVEN IF" it IMPLIES that chances are not good upon first glance!!!!. It implies that an approval was not likely. example: my children want to go to burger king...i could possibly say something like " EVEN IF i wanted to get dressed and take you, i probably wouldn't allow it because it is bad for you" 2 hurtles, they wouldn't get passed the first one.

GROW UP AND READ THE POSTS, RATHER THAN JUST FEELING THE URGE TO SPOUT A COMMENT...EVERYBODY ELSE KNEW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT AND DID'NT JUMP ON ME FOR MAKING THE COMMENT!!!

Dr. William J. Steinbach



You asked a question and Carla answered it correctly. Not sure what your problem is, but I think you need to take a deep breath and calm down.

ETA - I also sent a few emails to the Embassy in Montreal - where I know they speak English just fine - but got strange responses back. I think it has more to do with them not really reading them then not being being native English speakers.

Edited by derekkj, 15 July 2008 - 08:18 AM.

derekkjNot TellingCanada2008-07-15 08:15:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionQuestion re Biometrics notice

I'll dance to the beat, shuffle my feet
Wear a shirt and tie and run with the creeps
Cause it's all about money, ain't a damn thing funny
You got to have a con in this land of milk and honey


Indeed. :jest:
derekkjNot TellingCanada2010-08-20 12:40:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionQuestion re Biometrics notice

I reckon we should use the email date as the mailing date as it probably takes a day or three to get to the mail room from when the computer produces it.


I reckon you are right.

But it would be nice if they could mail it out as quickly as they cashed our check. ;)
derekkjNot TellingCanada2010-08-20 11:11:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionQuestion re Biometrics notice
Agreed. I received an email on the 17th saying that the RFE had been mailed out on the 13th but it still has not arrived in the mail. And the online status only shows RFE but no FP appointment date.

No matter what - have fun on holiday!
derekkjNot TellingCanada2010-08-20 10:21:00
USCIS Service CentersReform of K1 Approval Process
You must have missed the suggestion for people to "make your own tweaks." Maybe I should be more clear. Yes, obviously, personalize your letter to your situation. Write it in all of your own words and/or replace each personal item in my letter with the facts to your individual case. The point is that your elected representatives in Congress need to hear from you if you agree with the need for better management at USCIS. According to your timeline you have not had to deal with the same slow process and interaction with customer no-service that the rest of us adults have or you may understand the need for so many "!"
RwlairdMaleUkraine2011-01-13 21:04:00
USCIS Service CentersReform of K1 Approval Process
If you are as frustrated as I am go to the website of your member of Congress and send them the following letter (or your own version - cut and paste and make your own tweaks). 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!
RwlairdMaleUkraine2011-01-13 18:41:00
USCIS Service CentersLetter to Congress about USCIS
My immigration complaint is about ILLEGAL immigration and the difficulty of following the legal process. If they get enough letters they may start to pay attention.
RwlairdMaleUkraine2011-01-13 21:27:00
USCIS Service CentersLetter to Congress about USCIS
It's about reform of the K1 process and relevant to all those on this forum!
RwlairdMaleUkraine2011-01-13 18:34:00
USCIS Service CentersLetter to Congress about USCIS
If you are as frustrated as I am go to the website of your member of Congress and send them the following letter (or your own version - cut and paste and make your own tweaks). 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!
RwlairdMaleUkraine2011-01-13 16:52:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusTo those about to fly to R/U/B
In addition to delays because of the volcanic ash cloud are other people seeing ridiculous prices on flights? I'm trying to schedule a trip to Ukraine and just started looking at flights and they are the highest I have ever seen!!
RwlairdMaleUkraine2010-05-13 13:53:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarusmedical exam and interview in Kiev
I have the same questions. We will try to set up the interview appointment soon and then call the medical center and ask about scheduling. My fiancee may make two trips to Kiev since that is how she may prefer it.
RwlairdMaleUkraine2011-01-28 14:32:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusGot a big surprise today!!!
My wife is from Ukraine and it has been a couple of years so I may have forgotten but it seems like the police report was relatively quick and easy. My wife was a lawyer back home so it may have been easier for her that others but your girl could probably ask any Notarus office. I can ask my wife for more details if needed.
RwlairdMaleUkraine2012-09-21 09:42:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)Contacting NVC
I go through to NVC last night. I was caught off-guard when a live person actually came on the phone! By the way, what is AVR? Thanks!
RwlairdMaleUkraine2011-01-27 11:40:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)Contacting NVC
Ours is a K1 so maybe there are a lot of differences in the process since I see that yours is I-130.
RwlairdMaleUkraine2011-01-24 16:29:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)Contacting NVC
Sorry - I meant NOA2 of Jan 18, same as yours. (NOA1 was July 23.) The process is different in Ukraine. You don't send documents to them. You bring them to the interview. I guess every embassy can do it their own way. We need to know when the documents are received in Ukraine but I guess calling NVC won't make any difference for us.
RwlairdMaleUkraine2011-01-24 16:24:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)Contacting NVC
I'm with you! Same NOA2 date of July 23. I got a recording friday that said they were closed because of bad weather (snow storm) and today it's always busy! I wonder what difference it really makes anyway though. From everything I've read the documents should only stay there for a few days and then be sent on the the embassy overseas (Kiev in our case). When it arrives then we can schedule our appointment. I'll keep trying to call them but even if I talk to them I would assume that it won't really make any difference how fast it gets through their system and arrives to Kiev. Does that all sound correct? Thanks!
RwlairdMaleUkraine2011-01-24 15:55:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)CSC to TSC to NVC filers Our New Journey Next
I got our case number by calling NVC after we received NOA2.
RwlairdMaleUkraine2011-01-28 14:34:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionScheduling interview at Kiev embassy
We have been waiting more than 5 months so should be a few weeks away from the NOA2. We have a few logistical reasons to want to get it done ASAP (get her moved here before I get busy at work, get her son in school before too much of the year gets away,...). We have a few questions for anyone who has recently scheduled an interview in Kiev.

How long did it take to schedule the interview? How far out was the first available date they offered? When you called to schedule the interview were you asked for your NOA2 approval date, receipt number, etc or just name of beneficiary? The reason I ask is that I wonder if it is possible to schedule the interview in advance and in anticipation of NOA2 approval to speed the process up a little. In the Kiev instructions on the website it says that you can call and cancel and reschedule your interview so I'm wondering if it is worth trying to schedule the interview in advance and then reschedule if needed. I'm afraid they won't let you schedule in advance of receiving the NOA2 but am just curious if it is worth a shot. I guess if you called a few times you would be out the money of buying the PIN number to call the scheduling line but that maybe worth it.

Thanks!
RwlairdMaleUkraine2011-01-04 13:59:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussionmedical cost
You should read this:


http://ukraine.usemb...visa-forms.html
RwlairdMaleUkraine2011-01-25 21:45:00
IndiaPIO Card for US Citizen spouse
Hello,

I am a US citizen trying to apply for a Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card based on my marriage to my Indian husband. The instructions on the form are not very helpful.

My fist question is what we should put in the "Permanent Address in India (verifiable)" box. My husband is still an Indian citizen but we are both US residents and do not have an address in India. We could put my in-laws address, but they are in a village without a post number or anything, so I don't know that this would be considered "verifiable". Can I just put n/a or something here?

I am also wondering about the boxes: "name and complete address of person known to the applicant living in India or USA telephone number". Obviously the English on this does not make sense. Are they asking for a name, address and telephone number of a reference who may be living either in the USA or India? Or are they asking for an address if the person is in India and a phone number if the person is in the US? Or???? Does this person have to be an Indian?

Hoping someone who has completed this application may be able to help make sense of it. Thanks for reading!

Jillian
JBeanFemaleIndia2011-07-23 12:42:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)AP liklihood
This is probably a question which no one can accurately answer, but are there any statistics about how common administrative processing is for K1 visas? We have recently been requested to submit additional documents in our case which I suppose means that our chance is higher than average, and the fact that my fiance is Indian and is a Muslim with a common last name (although an uncommon first name) doesn't help our risk either, but should we just try to accept AP as a foregone conclusion, or is is still a minority luck of cases?
JBeanFemaleIndia2008-10-26 18:46:00
Asia: SouthPIO Card
I am wondering what the benefit is to the spouse of an Indian citizen in getting a Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) card rather than a 10 year tourist visa. It is more than twice as expensive and is only valid for 50% longer. As far as I can tell, there should not be much difference between the two in terms of ease of travel, but the PIO option presumably exists for a reason. Does anyone have any insights on this?

Thanks,

Jillian
JBeanFemaleIndia3/13/2009 15:52
Asia: Southpolice certificate guys?
QUOTE (lovica_l @ Apr 20 2009, 01:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Hi guys

how did you, or your fiance,fiancees obtain a police certificate ??

there are making it hard for my fiance at local police station

and is it true that if the passport is valid for 6 months, no certificate from local police station is needed?


If I recall correctly, the rule was that if you just RECEIVED your passport in the past 6 months than you only need a clearance from the Passport office and not the local police station(s) (because they have already recently checked up on you).

Anyway, yes getting the clearances is a huge headache. In my husband's case there were many trips to local police stations, district magistrate offices and to the superintendent of police. Lots of leg work and 'tips' to get people to do their jobs are in order - Making it "hard" is partly a way of asking for said tips, I think...it sucks, but that's the way it works over there. Eventually though, they will come through it he/she is persistent enough.
JBeanFemaleIndia4/20/2009 16:23
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-129F
QUOTE (CasandraYounes @ Nov 3 2008, 05:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Hello Everyone,

I will be sending my I-129F on Wednesday and I think that I have everything copied and ready. The only thing is I feel like I have tons of evidence that shouldn't be in there. Maybe too much isn't an issue, but I am wondering if some of this stuff should be held off until the interview. I includeed, print-outs of my tickets for each trip, emails and instant message conversations, phone call records, wedding photos, letters confirming our relationship. Should I be sending these sort of things now, or should I wait for the interview?

Casandra


You are right that all of that probably isn't strictly necessary, but there is certainly no harm in sending it. It will only help your case, so I wouldn't risk holding any of it back. They will certainly ask for it all again later, but having sent it in initially doesn't mean that you can't use it again at the interview.
JBeanFemaleIndia2008-11-02 19:40:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionHindi Interview
In case someone finds this post on a search later I should add one more update. Although there were "Hindi speakers" at the embassy for the interview, the person who interviewed my fiance spoke very poor Hindi and they had a very difficult time communicating with each other, even given that my fiance is a language instructor and well accustomed to the accents and unique mistakes of American language students. I would suggest people interviewing in Delhi hire a translator they trust and do the interview in English. In retrospect, it was foolish of me to trust in the notoriously bad language skills of US government workers...
JBeanFemaleIndia2008-10-16 07:20:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionHindi Interview
QUOTE (pushbrk @ Sep 25 2008, 08:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (JBean @ Sep 24 2008, 11:02 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Can anyone tell me what my fiance needs to do to have his K-1 visa interview conducted in Hindi at the New Delhi Consulate? I have written them twice asking for an answer on this and they have ignored the question. Thanks!


I suggest they greet the Consular Officer in English and then say, "I speak a little English but I will understand better if we speak Hindi."

They will be prepared to conduct interviews in the common local languages, get somebody who can or find an interpreter. Be prepared to discuss how the couple communicates. If a common language, no problem. If not, have a truthful plausible answer ready.


Thanks for the tips. After my third letter the embassy got back to me and told me that they keep Hindi speaking visa officers on hand for applicants who prefer that.

You are probably correct though that it would look good if he at least said a sentence or two in English first...we are both Urdu speakers, so hopefully his weakness in English won't be too much of a problem.
JBeanFemaleIndia2008-09-25 11:29:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionHindi Interview
Can anyone tell me what my fiance needs to do to have his K-1 visa interview conducted in Hindi at the New Delhi Consulate? I have written them twice asking for an answer on this and they have ignored the question. Thanks!
JBeanFemaleIndia2008-09-24 13:02:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionVoter's lists
Has anyone ever had to submit voter's lists for their visa? My fiance was told at his interview that he needs to submit voter's lists for the last five years with his name on them among many other things. He is registered, but he is registered in the village that he as born in, not at his current address, and his age is about three years off and his father's name misspelled on the rolls. I know this sort of thing is very common, especially in India, but I am concerned that they are just looking for a reason to reject him and am not sure how best to handle the situation. Should we just give them the rolls and not mention the problem with his father's name and his age or should we note them as mistakes in the cover letter? Or should we hold off and try to get a letter from a government official saying that they are mistakes? I can't even figure out why any of this is relevant when they already have plenty of proof of his identity...
JBeanFemaleIndia2008-10-14 14:44:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionDelhi based Immigration Attorney
QUOTE (DanielParul @ Oct 23 2008, 07:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
You do not need an attorney for a 221g, trust me, it will be a waste of time and money. If she got a 221g and they are asking her to submit more documents then its best to do as she has been told. Collect all the documents and submit them. A 221g is not a denial and hence petition is not going to be returned back. They need some more documents to come to a decision.
Was her passport returned to her or have they kept it? What exactly have they asked from her?



I didn't get a lawyer for the 221(g), I am just afraid that even after we submit the documents (which we did yesterday) they may deny the petition, at which point I would want one right away...we have given them far more than should be required and there is nothing about our case that should raise any eyebrows, but they were so rude at the interview that we are both pretty concerned now. I just want to be able to stop them from returning the documents to the US which I think would pretty much mean that we would need to start from scratch...

They asked for the following (some of which we had already submitted):

1. Notarized explanation of how and when you first met and why you decided to get engaged
2. List of all engagement ceremony guests, their relationship to you, their addresses and phone numbers. Please do not include immediate relatives.
3. Photos of you and the petitioner before, during, and after your engagement
4. Notarized statement signed by the applicant’s parents stating they approve of your wedding
5. Notarized copy of your fiance’s passport
6. Voter’s ID card and voter’s lists for the past 5 years for the beneficiary

They took his passport when he submitted the additional documents.
JBeanFemaleIndia2008-10-24 13:47:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionDelhi based Immigration Attorney
Can anyone recommend a New Delhi based immigration attorney? My fiance got a 221(g) at his interview a couple of weeks ago requesting more documents and I would like to find someone I can contact right away to try to stop the petition from being returned to the US if they reject the application once we get them what they've asked for...thanks!
JBeanFemaleIndia2008-10-18 17:50:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionEvidence of relationship
Load them with this. You are right that it's common for the immigration officers not to look at the material at the interview but you want to be prepared anyway...I kind of assumed that people look at the material before the interview when you hand the documents in at the vfs office, but I don't know if that's true.

What I do know is that we had tons of supporting materials for our relationship including call log, photos, boarding passes and reservations for trips together, etc. and still got a 221(g) temporary denial on the pretext that they needed more proof. If I were you I would even get notarized letters from friends and family members to support the standard stuff and make sure that they look at everything in the interview, even if they don't ask for it.

Of course, you're going through Canada, so maybe you don't need to worry as much as the Asia and MENA applicants...
JBeanFemaleIndia2008-11-02 16:04:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionEnvelope Error
My fiance received his K-1 visa in the mail today along with the sealed brown envelope that recipients are instructed not to open. Our problem is that on the envelope above his case number his first name is written next to a not just misspelled, but completely wrong last name. It seems like a pretty safe bet that this is going to be a problem once he arrives in the US and I have already e-mailed the embassy about it. But my question is this: Does anyone have any experience with how long it takes to fix these types of problems?
JBeanFemaleIndia2008-11-05 09:39:00