ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Asia: East and PacificInterview Schedule HELP!!!!
In our case, it was more than two months between when she sent in Packet 3 and the interview date. However, keep in mind that's for the Ho Chi Minh City consulate, which we all know is busy to the extreme with these immigration cases. Your mileage may vary elsewhere.

I would look at the timelines of other Indonesia people on VJ. If the timelines are complete, you should be able to deduce the answer to your question.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-08 05:07:00
Asia: East and Pacificpassport photo size
Yes, it is true that the U.S. wants a 2" x 2" (5.1 cm x 5.1 cm) photo, and in the end that's what we have to give. However, I believe that this requirement is mere fetish, and can be used for an excuse to reject photos according to the whim and mood of the person with that peculiar power to do so. Here is the reason for my belief:

I was curious. I have heard about the 4 x 6 (cm) thing before. I was thinking maybe Vietnamese passports are different. I dug out my own passport (U.S.) and my wife's (VN). I measured the photos. They are EXACTLY THE SAME. Furthermore, they are neither 5.1 x 5.1 nor 4 x 6. They actually measure about 3.5 x 4.5. Obviously, they cut them down some. If they do that, I'm thinking that 4 x 6 is rather closer to the final product than is 5.1 x 5.1. So why does the U.S. require a square photo when that's not what ends up on your passport? I'm sure someone somewhere has an explanation.

And now for something somewhat irrelevant, but not completely (and in light of the unofficial forum police these days, I am hesitant to post ANYTHING irrelevant). I just got my driver's license renewed a couple of months ago. Iowa now requires that all Driver License photos be taken without eyeglasses. Even if you're blind as a bat without them. This is the opposite of the passport rules, which state that you should wear glasses for the photo if you normally wear them. My wife now looks at my driver's license photo and says, "Who is that handsome man?"
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-08 21:37:00
Asia: East and PacificCase Complete (HCM)
Congratulations on your interview. One of your questions has been answered, now you know when to buy your plane ticket for because you have an interview date. I sure wouldn't buy one for your husband until the pink slip is in hand. I fretted over that issue myself, buying a one-way ticket on short notice for my wife. It's not a problem. The major airlines have offices there in Saigon, and you'll most likely be able to get a ticket on your same return flight. If you're lucky, like we were, you'll even be able to sit next to each other!

Good luck! Let us know how things go.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-09 16:41:00
Asia: East and PacificIf you have completed a MEDICAL in HCMC
That place is a piece of work, isn't it? I'm frankly not surprised that this happened to someone eventually. During my wife's medical, they made her run up and down the hallway for about 15 minutes in very high heels, and then told her she had high blood pressure. This even showed up at our Port of Entry interview. It's hogwash. No one before or since has been able to get a blood pressure reading anywhere close to what they were claiming. And I actually believed them for a few days. Maybe they felt like picking on my wife 'cause she's on the heavier side and from Hanoi.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-09 05:12:00
Asia: East and PacificBlue Slip Help
Theoretically speaking, the CO in question should definitely recuse himself from the case. To interview a former girlfriend would definitely be unethical.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-13 22:00:00
Asia: East and PacificIs it imperative to do so
I am unclear as to whether you are man or woman. You call your honey "him, " but refer to "him" as your "fiancee." Anyway, I'll assume you are a woman, as that is the most usual.

You are very lucky that some of his family came to your L? ?n H?i. Yes, by all means, get copies of their airplane tickets and passport stamps/visas. Believe me, they won't mind the intrusion if they went to all the trouble to come to Vietnam just to meet you. I believe our own case went through easily because I had such evidence.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-13 22:22:00
Asia: East and PacificThe 'Japanese Cooking/Remedies for Japanese Homesickness' Thread
QUOTE (Uncle Wally @ Apr 12 2009, 02:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I apologize preemptively if my tone sounds patronizing, but from what I've gathered by reading this website, many of you may not be very familiar with Japanese food and cooking. I consider myself to be relatively knowledgeable on the subjects, and especially considering the threads that pop up here seeking advice for helping a Japanese spouse overcome homesickness, I wish to share what I know.

You are correct. Being pretty heavily Vietnamese in this forum, we don't know a lot about Japanese food.

**********************************************

QUOTE
I'm of the opinion that when a couple from two cultures cohabit, the food they eat ought to be proportionate to that arrangement.
If your spouse is from Japan, you should find a source of Japanese ingredients for your spouse to use, and you should learn to cook some basic Japanese dishes yourself.

I wish you could convince my wife of that. The proportionate part of that anyway. We eat about 95% Vietnamese, 5% from any other part of the world. I wonder if you have observed the same as me--that Americans tend to be more "omnivorous" than people from older parts of the world. I cannot personally imagine eating only Vietnamese food every day for the rest of my life. The thought is actually kind of depressing. Yet, that is exactly what most Vietnamese eat. Every day. For all their lives. We really are the Great Melting Pot.

Luckily, we found an Asian Supermarket which is owned by Vietnamese. Not Thais, not Laos, not Chinese. That is definitely a boon to us. And you would be shocked to find out how cheaply we eat. In today's economy, that makes up for a lot of things that are lacking in Vietnamese cooking.

QUOTE
Seek out a local Asian or international foods grocer. Mixed in on the shelves amongst the Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese products and whatnot, you should find an assortment of non-perishable Japanese basics to combine with fresh ingredients from the American supermarket. American supermarkets often have an 'international foods' aisle where you can find a few of these items, but they will likely be domestic versions of lesser quality and higher price. For example, the Stop & Shop nearby has packaged sheets of nori seaweed, imported in bulk from Japan and re-packaged in California for about $5 each. The Asian market sells the same basic product packaged in Japan for half the price. Tubs of domestic miso paste at Stop & Shop are twice the price of their larger Japanese counterparts at the Asian grocer's. This is common to nearly every Japanese product the Stop & Shop has. The Asian market also has certain Asian vegetables that are simply unavailable elsewhere nearby.
If you can't find an Asian grocer, and if you live in a part of America where even the most basic Japanese ingredients are unavailable, seek out a source on the Internet. There are many Japanese import companies in the United States from which you can mail-order these products from an online catalog.


Next chapter to soon follow…

I hope your wife is getting on well in the U.S. I used to do 80% of the cooking when I was married to my former wife. Now it is less than 5%. I am awaiting further installments of this thread. Haha, my wife will say I need to get a Japanese wife.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-12 09:15:00
Asia: East and PacificWho controls the US consulate?
QUOTE (NeedHelp! @ Apr 15 2009, 04:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
ok...but is there any way to contact these people directly, email them, phone or make an appointment to meet with them if you have overwhelming proof of illegal actions on the part of the CO's?

Very funny.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-15 17:16:00
Asia: East and PacificWho controls the US consulate?
The problem is, there is very little actual oversight of what we're dealing with. Or I should say for myself, what I've dealt with. I'm glad that part of the journey is over.

And there probably won't be a lot of oversight in the future because, from your average citizen's point of view, there ain't nothing wrong. Let's face it, there's a lot of visa fraud out there, and the consulate makes it hard to pass the interview. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The most important thing for us to do here is to make sure that you make it through this process without having a heart attack or something, Jonas.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-14 17:09:00
Asia: East and PacificEMERGENCY! Passport has no place of issue?!?!?!
Hey there Jonas, I'm glad to see your case is progressing normally. Isn't the DS-156 just plain weird? I thought so too. It just seems downright silly in places. After doing a little digging, I found out why it seems weird, and more importantly, why you don't need to worry that it seems weird.

You see, the DS-156 is the general information form that goes along with a non-immigrant visa. Technically, the K-1 (and K-3) visas are non-immigrant visas. Trouble is, every person who applies for one of these visas is really an intending immigrant. Now, suddenly some of the questions seem funny: Where do you intend to work? How long do you intend to stay in the U.S.? Questions like that. If you look at them in the context of say, a work or business visa (which was what the 156 was intended for), the questions don't seem nearly as bizarre.

Since you've already submitted it, it's really a moot point, but someone did point out that there is a sample for this form filled out in the context of a K-1. I didn't follow it. I just put N/A for all the questions like you're having trouble with. Good luck!
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-14 09:49:00
Asia: East and PacificTravel with Infant
I sure wouldn't bring a full size stroller to take to Saigon. Can you imagine maneuvering that thing on the street? I'd do an umbrella stroller at most. I really, really love my Baby Bjorn (see photo), but depending on the size of your baby and the relative sturdiness of your back, that may not be the best choice, either.

We'll be doing the same thing in a matter of months, let us know how it went.

Attached Files


Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-14 17:02:00
Asia: East and PacificInterview Passed!
QUOTE (H&H @ Apr 20 2009, 11:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (kevinbui86 @ Apr 19 2009, 08:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
did the CO speak vietnamese to your husband or was there a translator?


The COs speak English and always have translators unless the petitioners are not Vietnamese. He/She will interviews your spouse in English.

Good luck
H&H

First, congratulations to you. I always say this to everyone, because I know from personal experience--now the easy part is over, good luck with the hard part, that is, actually making a life with each other. I'm sure you are up to meeting the challenges of the hard part.

Second, your statement is not correct 100% of the time. My wife was interviewed in Vietnamese by the CO himself. He was an older white guy, and my wife says he spoke very clearly. There was no translator. From what I've gathered, this guy is the only one who does this, and maybe not for every interviewee.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-20 17:51:00
Asia: East and PacificFinally! Interview
Congratulations on the interview date she can keep. I'm glad you got that whole mess sorted without extreme delays. Good luck!
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-21 16:43:00
Asia: East and PacificRequest for Expedite Approved!
QUOTE (chuckandkim @ Apr 23 2009, 06:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Carlos and Jocel @ Apr 21 2009, 08:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Get your MED EXAM DONE, PAY YOUR FEE so when they give you interview your not walking around like a headless chicken!


Regardless of the warning, he will, like all of us, running around like headless chicken rofl.gif rofl.gif rofl.gif rofl.gif when it comes to HCMC. Don't spoil the fun in it for all of us who have been through the journey, looking back... it was FUN!!!!!!!!! scary fun! actually!

Ummmm, no it wasn't. Not even a little bit. I don't remember even one single aspect of it being anywhere close to fun. Afterwards, it was fun! Especially since there were 3 VJers celebrating together at that time.
QUOTE
Good luck Dai, just focus brother! Think Big Picture: GET me that Visa!

And me, too. Forget about your wife, do it for US! laughing.gif
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-23 22:18:00
Asia: East and Pacificupcoming medical in HCM
I cannot speak to what happens at IOM. I don't really understand about having to go three different places to complete the exam and immunizations. I don't know whether that is true or not.

Cho Ray will get the job done, but it's a nasty place. It is also a rather unfriendly place. This was true for us despite knowing the vice general director of the hospital personally. Of course, none of the staff were aware of this, so I guess our contacts weren't worth much, hehe.

Anyway, I don't like the place, and based solely upon that, I would recommend IOM, even knowing nothing about IOM.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-15 20:29:00
Asia: East and PacificBlue sheet
Wow, it was a little twisted, but you're almost there! Congratulations!

We had no surprises at our POE (which was Chicago). The Immigration Officer did remark on Mai's high blood pressure (which Cho Ray hospital imagineered), but it was just a comment. Nothing bad happened at all. It was very easy and remarkably speedy.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-25 09:01:00
Asia: East and PacificHow long will it take to get visa after interview?
You'll probably wait about a week.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-24 14:37:00
Asia: East and PacificWhere should we get 1 way ticket from HCM to US?
Hey Peter, good to hear from you.

Come to think of it, now that I've read Peter's post, I guess we did have to wait until the visa was issued one week later before we could buy the ticket. It's all a blur now, but it's coming back. Now I remember that the Consulate completely screwed up our plans of travelling to China or Singapore because Mai didn't have her passport for an entire week. As a result, we hung around Saigon the whole week, doing essentially nothing except having dinner every night at yet another stranger's house.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-26 08:50:00
Asia: East and PacificWhere should we get 1 way ticket from HCM to US?
After Mai got the pink slip, we just went down to the Korean Air office and convinced them that in fact they COULD sell us a ticket like we wanted. We even convinced them they could sell us a ticket with a seat next to mine. Amazing, sometimes, their "can't do" attitudes. Almost reminds me of the U.S.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-25 23:19:00
Asia: East and PacificLatest News about Epidemic in Vietnam
We husbands had better mind our Ps and Qs.

http://www.thanhnien...mp;newsid=48173
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-28 21:10:00
Asia: East and PacificHanoi VN couples
It's good to see a few people on here from the other end of the country. I thought we were the only ones.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-05-05 22:17:00
Asia: East and PacificVietnam fiancee made very recent job change - interview just a few weeks away.
QUOTE (JimVaPhuong @ May 9 2009, 06:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Anh map @ May 9 2009, 06:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Dam Hoi is something that HCMC likes to see for K1's.


Excuse me for veering slightly off topic - Our engagement ceremony was called "L? ?ính Hôn", rather than "?ám H?i". I had seen "?ám H?i" mentioned in this forum several times before our engagement ceremony, so I naturally asked my fiancee and her family what was the difference. They either weren't able to explain it, or just said there was no difference. My limited understanding is that "L? ?ính Hôn" means "engagement", whereas "?ám H?i" means "marriage proposal". Other than the name difference, it looked pretty much like other engagement ceremonies I've seen. Same red and blue ao dai. Same procession of the groom's family with the gifts. Same big party afterward.

So, are these terms used interchangeably, or this is a regional difference? Most of the people who've mentioned "?ám H?i" seem to have SO's in the south, whereas my fiancee is from the central region around Hue city.

The difference in terminology is undoubtedly because you're dealing with Hue. They really do talk funny there. My Hanoi engagement ceremony was called a L? ?n H?i. That's just what they call it up north. It's the same thing. The Saigon people do not have a monopoly on the language. Just on VJ jest.gif
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-05-09 23:25:00
Asia: East and PacificThe Secret Life of my Avatar
After all this time, I'm busted. My wife noticed today that my avatar looks remarkably like a Chinese lady from Guangzhou. I guess I'll have to change it eventually.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-05-10 22:44:00
Asia: East and PacificThe Secret Life of my Avatar
Looks like it's just you and me, Joe.

And Jean.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-03-03 21:48:00
Asia: East and PacificThe Secret Life of my Avatar
No. Why?
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-03-02 21:23:00
Asia: East and PacificThe Secret Life of my Avatar
QUOTE (Icarus @ Feb 19 2009, 09:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I love these games!!! eb0dfafc.gif blink.gif blink.gif blink.gif Is it "no Wedding ring"??

Funny you should mention that. Early on in Mai's pregnancy, her fingers became too fat to get her wedding ring on, so she hasn't been wearing one for many months. But you're definitely on the right track.

Dave_Thao, of course you know, and you're probably right to keep it a secret for now. However, all the information exists on this very website so that ANYONE, even if their SO is from Germany, could figure it out.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-19 18:32:00
Asia: East and PacificThe Secret Life of my Avatar
Anh Dave and em Thao should be able to spot the oddity straight away. Same probably goes for Haonie.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-18 22:50:00
Asia: East and PacificThe Secret Life of my Avatar
OK, I'll make it easier. You can now easily see that it is not Brad Pitt in the background.

Attached Files


Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-18 21:53:00
Asia: East and PacificThe Secret Life of my Avatar
Ha! 28 people looked, and none of you can guess what is wrong with my avatar? Nobody? I know it's small, but SO obvious.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-18 00:05:00
Asia: East and PacificThe Secret Life of my Avatar
Who can identify it?

Certain members should really be prohibited from answering. You know who you are.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-17 18:36:00
Asia: East and PacificWife hair color could be a problem?
QUOTE (Huong and Phung @ Apr 24 2009, 03:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Gray huh? Well, I don't know about my wife with gray hair. We're way too young to think about that for now. smile.gif

We are not too young to have gray hair. Sometimes I forget I'm dangerously close to being an old fart. blush.gif
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-24 20:31:00
Asia: East and PacificWife hair color could be a problem?
I really just don't understand about all this hair color business. What's wrong with gray? The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness......
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-04-23 22:10:00
Asia: East and PacificWho is interviewing in May?
We had our interview in May last year. Does that count? Seriously, I can't believe it's been a whole year already. That goes for Dave_Thao, Haonie, and some others I can't recall right this minute.

So much has happened in a year.

Good luck to all you May interviewees!
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-05-06 21:27:00
Asia: East and PacificTexas Barbecue
See, that's kind of what I thought, it's operator error. My family is not poor, and can eat whatever they wish. My wife never really had to cook in her life until this year. Back in 'Nam, ch? H??ng kept the family fed, and I don't remember such repetition. In fact, ch? H??ng boasts that she knows 1000 dishes by heart. Ch? H??ng is also b?c ph?t.

Thanks for the reply. By the way, I had bún for dinner tonight. With bean sprouts and beef.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-05-10 22:39:00
Asia: East and PacificTexas Barbecue
So, let's bring this full circle--sort of. It's been nearly a year now, and pretty much all I've eaten for a year is ph?, bún, mì, và c?m. With various meats and vegetables thrown in for variety. Some variety. Just a tad of variety. OK, very little variety. I blame this at least partially on Texas BBQ, or rather, the poor timing of our visit there. It was probably a bad time to introduce her to huge, fatty, rich slabs of meat, the like of which she'd never seen or tasted before. It was too much to take in at once. She absolutely hated it.

Now, a year later, she is much less negative on many American foods, but she won't touch anything that even mentions the word barbecue. I have to be careful to refer to that outdoor cooking appliance as a grill, or just forget it.

But still, we eat ph?, bún, mì, and c?m. I refuse to eat mi?n any more because I hate those slimy noodles. Did I really eat that big a variety before, or am I just stuck in a different, Vietnamese rut now? I honestly don't remember. I can say for sure that cooking is pretty much like any other skill. If you don't do it often, you lose some of your skill at it. I am amazed at how easily I can screw something up now.

So, is Vietnamese food really that boring? Or is it just the cook in our house? She never really cooked all that much before. At her house, her sister-in-law does 99% of the cooking every day. She's come a looooong way in a year. Still, I hunger for some Texas BBQ. How about you folks?
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-05-10 12:31:00
Asia: East and PacificTexas Barbecue
Yes! That's it! Crunchy water! Evidently in English, it's called a pomelo, then.

As a footnote, one sometimes must be careful writing Vietnamese on an English keyboard. In the instant circumstance, we understand "BUOI" to mean b??i. However, if you spelled it bu?i, it might have a quite different meaning, and I might be offended you called me that without provocation. jest.gif

Oh, and by the way, thanks Chuck. That's been bugging me for a while. Now I can rest easy.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-05-10 09:03:00
Asia: East and PacificTexas Barbecue
This fruits are quite large, bigger than a softball, and they are firm like a citrus fruit. I believe they are a citrus fruit of some kind.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-05-10 07:54:00
Asia: East and PacificTexas Barbecue
Hey does anybody know what the English name for a particular fruit is? It seems like it's related to a grapefruit, but there are no little segments--it comes apart more like an orange. It's yellow in color, and there's a LOT of bio-mass waste. You throw away way more than you eat. I've eaten just a ton of that fruit in Vietnam. I don't particularly enjoy it all that much, it just gets shoved in my face. It's rather tasteless to me. I refer to it personally as "crunchy water." Kind of like the fruit version of Iceberg lettuce. Anybody have any idea what I'm talking about?

BTW, I like the Mangosteen also. I had no idea what it was called. I also really like lychees, but they're not in season for too long.

Edited by Melrose Plant, 09 May 2009 - 11:35 PM.

Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-05-09 23:34:00
Asia: East and PacificTexas Barbecue
One thing's for sure--I'm sure Jack doesn't really care that we hijacked his thread. In fact, I think it's the furthest thing from his mind. Congratulations once again Jack and Xuan!
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-05-02 23:46:00
Asia: East and PacificTexas Barbecue
QUOTE (JimVaPhuong @ May 2 2009, 06:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Melrose Plant @ May 1 2009, 10:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Vietnamese women convince men to eat all kinds of crazy things under the guise of "improving men's health." I personally believe it's more of a subconscious control issue, myself. Do the various crazy things actually work? Maybe some of them do. But I have only anecdotal evidence to prove it. And I can't really go back to the same set of circumstances and not eat the crazy things to see whether my "health" declines. But it does make for some pretty good stories.


Too true! My fiancee has asked me a couple of times to bring nutritional supplements that are either difficult to find or too expensive in Vietnam. She has made some odd concoctions for me to treat some relatively mild ailments. I've eaten or drank pretty much everything she gave me, but only after insisting I know exactly what's in it, and confirming that it isn't going to make me sick. I can't help but feel that some of the ingredients are chosen for their horrible taste, rather than any specific health benefit.

My fiancee thought western medicine actually made people more sick. She changed her mind in January when I gave her two Advil for a headache. On my last trip, whenever we were packing my backpack for a day trip, she made sure the Advil was packed! whistling.gif

Luckily, I don't have that problem, as B? is a Western doctor. That is, he practices Western-style medicine. One entire large cupboard in the kitchen is a pharmacy! However, that sure doesn't stop other family members from concocting all sorts of awful tasting and smelling stuff for various things.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-05-02 09:36:00