ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Asia: East and PacificInterview Passed
Congratulations!
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-05 10:56:00
Asia: East and PacificFirst Day in the USA
Success in the kitchen! Mai agreed that my way of making mi was quite tasty, maybe, ahem, a little better than her way.

To tell you the truth, I am a little surprised that French cooking techniques are not more well known in Vietnam, being as they were a French colony for 100 years.

Tonight, a Chinese-style dish that uses the same French techniques I had success with today at lunch.

I introduced Mai to a few people today, most notably my ex-wife. That went pretty well, I think. They're both VERY understanding people, thankfully for me.

It's probably still a shock to have people come up to her out of the blue and introduce themselves. We live in a fairly small town (14,000), and there are quite a few people who have been expecting her arrival. Obviously, when people see me with an Asian woman, they immediately know who she is. I asked her, "How does it feel to be famous?" She isn't sure about that.....
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-05 17:17:00
Asia: East and PacificFirst Day in the USA
I am so happy y'all enjoyed my diary/blog type post. I enjoyed writing it.

There is less to report today so far. Mai is sleeping still, after having a less-than-excellent breakfast. Tomorrow may be more exciting. We will be taking the dog to the vet. The dog is "much bigger" than she imagined. 75 lbs., 27" at the withers. Tall, long, skinny dog. They don't have that in Vietnam as far as I saw.

Breakfast today was non-Vietnamese. I made steel cut oatmeal with butter and brown sugar. She didn't much care for it. At lunch, I'm going to be making mi (which will NOT really be mi--we'll be substituting the staple of poor college students--ramen noodles) with beef MY way. Which is to say I'm going to brown and season the beef a bit, rather than just simply boil it. We'll see how that goes. Keep you posted. We're still suffering from shock about men in the kitchen.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-05 11:10:00
Asia: East and PacificFirst Day in the USA
This probably doesn't belong in this forum, but I feel like I'm more among friends here.

After a long night's sleep sleep (and a good one, too), we got up and ate breakfast. Conflict number one: Mai complained about my cast iron skillets being way too heavy. "Why you need TOO heavy like that?" "To promote proper browning through more even heating....Oh YEAH, I forgot, you don't need a heavy pan in Vietnam because you never properly brown ANYTHING (my only complaint about Vietnamese cooking)." We may wind up with 2 sets of cookware. We'll see.

Then we went shopping. We basically had no food in our apartment, just what my parents bought for us to get by for a day. We had no toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, or anything like that because we left it all behind in Vietnam. First stop: Wal-Mart.

This was not too bad, as we confined ourselves to the "drug store" section near the door to buy such things as deodorant, toothpaste, and shampoo. I was prepared to spend a lot of time there, just because of the sheer selection of products (how much variation can there really be between shower gels?). We were out of there fairly quickly.

Then came the grocery store. Now, those of you who "know" us a little bit know that Mai is not a country girl, and I always thought she was pretty sophisticated and cosmopolitan, especially for Vietnam. But we had a little bit of our own version of "Moscow on the Hudson" where she was ambling very slowly through the store, looking around in wonder and saying nothing. Not as dramatic as Robin Williams's character, but a little bit more than I expected. After all, we've been to Metro and Hapro Mart and such places before, and I didn't think Hy-Vee (the major grocery store chain in our area) would be that much different from those. I was wrong.

Now we are at home and she is sacked out on the couch. Too much all at once, I guess. Life in America is crazy (but no horns honking in the background)!
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-04 14:16:00
Asia: East and PacificPOE question
QUOTE (don2008 @ Jun 6 2008, 12:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
violet.. no problems about hijacking, thats how we all help each other. you read then you ask. when i came back from Vn last year i landed in seattle, im not sure if they use that one as a POE. i did have to go through customs there but i dont remember if there was an immigration line.

If you can buy a plane (or ship) ticket that will put you in that city directly from a foreign country, then that city is your Port of Entry.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-06 13:17:00
Asia: East and PacificPOE question
QUOTE (don2008 @ Jun 6 2008, 12:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
ok thanks. i plan to send her a cell phone so when she gets to LAX she can call me. one more question, sorry; lol. from what i read on the customs forms she does not need to tell them about the money she is bringing here unless its more than 10k, right? she wont have that much lol, but i didnt know if she was brought a couple thousand if she needed to tell customs about it. thanks in advance for the help!

No, there is no need to report anything that's less than 10 grand. In fact, I had 8 grand in my small carry-on, and they never even said anything to me after they ran it through the x-ray machine. In fact, they never asked us ANY questions at all in Chicago, even though we had 1 suitcase full of nothing but food (all acceptable, I might add--no fresh fruits or meats or anything like that).
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-06 13:13:00
Asia: East and PacificPOE question
QUOTE (violet18ac3 @ Jun 6 2008, 07:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Melrose Plant @ Jun 6 2008, 07:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Your fiancee will get through just fine without you, but I personally am so glad I came to Vietnam personally, for a number of reasons.

For one thing, I would hate to send anybody to LAX by themselves for the first time, heck I wouldn't want to send MYSELF to LAX. I know people do it all the time--I guess you just sort of rise to the occasion and muddle through. Yes, there should be somebody there to sort of direct the immigration lines. Don't worry, everything will be fine. She's got the visa and the immigration packet, there won't be any problems, I'm sure.


wait, so POE has to go through LAX? What POE did you guys enter through? I'm from Des Moines. IA.

don2008--sorry to hijack your thread.

No, we went through ORD (Chicago O'Hare). It doesn't matter where you live, just where your plane ticket has you entering the U.S. at first. I was only voicing my distaste for LAX airport. I personally hate that place.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-06 07:40:00
Asia: East and PacificPOE question
Your fiancee will get through just fine without you, but I personally am so glad I came to Vietnam personally, for a number of reasons.

For one thing, I would hate to send anybody to LAX by themselves for the first time, heck I wouldn't want to send MYSELF to LAX. I know people do it all the time--I guess you just sort of rise to the occasion and muddle through. Yes, there should be somebody there to sort of direct the immigration lines. Don't worry, everything will be fine. She's got the visa and the immigration packet, there won't be any problems, I'm sure.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-06 07:17:00
Asia: East and PacificLife in the USA for a new Vietnamese Immigrant
Things are settling down a little bit for us. Mai is still sleeping 12+ hours a day, but that's understandable. I'm doing MUCH better this time than last time I came back. Probably because I'm not staying up until 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning talking to Mai! Now I can do that at a much more reasonable hour, and in person, I'm still thanking the Lord.

Speaking of the Lord, we need to go see the preacher this week and talk to her about our upcoming wedding. We didn't make church yesterday because Mai was feeling under the weather. Plus, it was Annual Conference and both the pastors were there and not here.

Through the grapevine (OK, through my mom), a family acquaintance heard that Mai was coming, and his son is married to a Vietnamese. They called us on the phone, and they took us to an Asian supermarket in Des Moines. It was nice for Mai to be able to buy the things she wants, and to be able to speak Vietnamese with someone in person. So last night we had ph? gà for dinner (though not ph? gà ch?i, which is my favorite). Mai vacuumed that stuff right down.

Then the tornado siren went off. I flipped on the TV, and sure enough, there was a tornado (albeit not on the ground) about 5 miles away from our place. Down to the basement, quick! We brought laundry with us and hung out with our neighbor down there for a while. Nothing scary happened. I hope Mai doesn't think the weather in Iowa is this crazy all the time. We've had a really bad year for weather so far.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-09 08:59:00
Asia: East and PacificLife in the USA for a new Vietnamese Immigrant
People have posted they are interested to hear about what life is like for Mai and I these first few weeks, so I guess I will keep a diary or sorts until I get tired of writing or you get tired of reading, whichever comes first. I hope that this may help make someone's life a little easier in some way, even if that means getting a laugh from our experiences.

Last night I cooked our first "real" dinner. It was a hit! Thank goodness for that. Those of you who have been following our story will know that Mai has been nonplussed with the food here in the USA so far. I made a beef stir fry with snow peas and bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. I called this a "Chinese style" meal--not true Chinese of course. Mai had some doubts as I was cooking this because I am now cooking with an electric stove that I am not used to (I have always used gas before), and the first batch of meat produced a LOT of smoke (I had the heat maybe a tad high). "Don't panic," I said, "Everything's under control. Không có v?n ?? gì (no problem)." And, as it turned out, I didn't do any real damage. She told me that this is the first meal she's had since she's been here that made her feel truly wonderful. That makes a fellow feel good, let me tell you. She was also very impressed that I can cook rice properly. She didn't see me do it. It was as if rice appeared magically out of thin air, which is what happens on a daily basis in Asia, right?

I am very happy I have the opportunity to stay home for a few weeks to take care of her. I know not everyone has that chance, and I feel truly blessed for that. She has been so tired. This morning I made breakfast for her, and now that I know what she likes, it brings a smile to her face, which is all I really want in life.

Today we had to take the dog to the vet. She (the dog, not Mai) has been having trouble in her "nether regions." Evidently, the cure required anesthesia, and we had to wait for a couple of hours. So we went shopping for cosmetics, namely, nail polish and lipstick, stuff we elected to leave behind. Suddenly, I felt a little ill-at-ease. I felt a little awkward saying, "Hello, I'm James, and this is my wife Mai, this is her 3rd day in the U.S., and we need help, because I don't know too much about this make-up stuff....." But I did it, and now everybody's happy. Everyone was very friendly and helpful to us.

Now Mai is sleeping (again), and we sneaked the dog into our apartment to rest for a while because I really didn't want to leave her alone at my ex-wife's house (dogs aren't allowed in our apartment building). Later this afternoon, we will go to pick up my son from horse camp, and he will stay with us for the first time tonight. Lots of excitement for us today, again!
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-06 14:30:00
Asia: East and PacificWhere to file AOS!
Hello Haonie, glad to hear you and your wife are doing well, and now apparently officially & legally married! Best wishes to both of you.

I hope she is adjusting well to the land of Louisville Sluggers and racehorses, haha. And yes, KFC. Did I ever tell you that my parents used to bump into the Colonel (yes, the ACTUAL Colonel Harland Sanders) every now and then when they lived there? Of course, that was back in 1962.....

Welcome back.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-09 09:14:00
Asia: East and PacificWhere are AoS people?
¿Hola? ¿HOLA? Tôi không hi?u.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-10 23:29:00
Asia: East and PacificHCMC May30th Interview
Congratulations Bill and Trang!
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-09 20:48:00
Asia: East and PacificHow many people have met in person?
We met up with Dave_Thao and Haonie in Saigon, and last night we met WideAwakeintheUSA at a truck stop. The whole experience is still surreal to me. I'm still amazed I met my wife online and then traveled to the other side of the world to meet her in person. How many of you have met fellow VJers in person?

Edited by Melrose Plant, 11 June 2008 - 09:59 PM.

Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-11 21:57:00
Asia: East and PacificOne Way Plane Ticket
QUOTE (PeterFB @ May 16 2008, 01:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Wow, to go through all the delays to get to Vietnam, then the hassles with the ticket agent, you still like them? In rating the airlines I've flown so far, I have to say I think I like EVA the best (Newest planes, most direct flight, employees are nice and polite), then China Airlines (Newer and Old 747s but they were very helpful in getting Thi and me together on my flight and seated next to each other the whole flight) and United (only because the flights I had were on old 747s both going and coming as well as I don't like having to go from LAX to SFO then HK to HCMC, then HCMC to HK to Tokyo to LAX.) Of course I was flying the cheapest tickets I could find for each flight.

Peter and Thi

I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26
I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11
I-129F RFE(s) :
RFE Reply(s) :
I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26
Touched: 2007-11-02
NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16
Consulate recieved ??????
Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11
Packet 3 received 2007-12-24
Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28
Packet 4 sent 2008-1-14
Email Reply with Interview Date 2008-1-23
Interview Date 2008-2-27
Passed Interview 2008-02-27
Visa Pick Up Date 2008-3-05
Received Visa 2008-2-29 (called to pick up earlier)
POE 2008-3-05 Los Angeles
Wedding 2008-4-26

Yes, I still like Korean Air. It wasn't their fault that United's plane was late in the first place (the root cause of all my problems). In fact, the Korean Air people fixed everything the best they could once the damage was done. Korean Air flies 777s configured 3-3-3 and there seems to be just more room on the plane than on China Airlines 747s. Plus I think the food is a little better. And in addition to all that, I can't get a a 3 leg flight with China AL. I have to go through California first.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-05-17 06:15:00
Asia: East and PacificOne Way Plane Ticket
Oh, I have nothing against Korean Air. I love Korean Air. I in fact prefer them to China Air Lines. It's just this particular ticket agent in Saigon who had to learn a lot of things that day. When we fly normally, with 2 (or 3 or 4) round trip tickets, we won't have this problem, hehe.

QUOTE (PeterFB @ May 15 2008, 01:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Ouch. headbonk.gif James that was a lot of work. Glad you were able to get the flight. My experience with China Airlines was much different. I called them and they told me no flights together until March 16 (my return flight was March 5th) but they would call me if a seat became available on my flight. The next day they called with a seat for Thi. While they wouldn't book the flight until Thi and I were at their office with her visa stamp on her passport (there was another American there waiting for his wife to return with her passport so they are serious about that), they were polite and helpful in getting her on my return flight I had booked. I paid with my Visa card no problem. And they did get us seats together. I would fly with them again.

I when we go back to Vietnam to visit, we'll make sure not to use Delta or Korean Air.........

Peter and Thi

I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26
I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11
I-129F RFE(s) :
RFE Reply(s) :
I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26
Touched: 2007-11-02
NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16
Consulate recieved ??????
Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11
Packet 3 received 2007-12-24
Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28
Packet 4 sent 2008-1-14
Email Reply with Interview Date 2008-1-23
Interview Date 2008-2-27
Passed Interview 2008-02-27
Visa Pick Up Date 2008-3-05
Received Visa 2008-2-29 (called to pick up earlier)
POE 2008-3-05 Los Angeles
Wedding 2008-4-26

Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-05-15 20:04:00
Asia: East and PacificOne Way Plane Ticket
P.S. I forgot to mention that the first time, they got the date wrong on 2 out of the 3 flights. Dot every I and cross every T!
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-05-15 06:28:00
Asia: East and PacificOne Way Plane Ticket
Now that we've done this, I will tell our experiences in hopes that it will help other people.

I have a round trip ticket on Korean Air. We went to the main Korean Air office after the interview and inquired about purchasing a ticket for June 3, one way. The lady said it couldn't be done, because I had purchased my ticket through Delta (a ticket-sharing arrangement). I called BS, and asked a different way, can we buy a ticket on this specific airplane? Yes, you can. But not the last leg of your flight because it is on United. Fine. We'll deal with that later. Also, you can't buy the ticket without a visa. Fine, can we reserve it? Yes, no problem. Also, you must pay in VN dong, we can't accept U.S. cash. Fine. Well, not really.

After an unnecessarily long discussion, we got our ticket all the way to Des Moines, and we paid in U.S. dollars, and we got the thing without a visa. When in Vietnam, just keep needling, keep pressing, and someone will eventually help you. The Vietnamese will not generally give out helpful information unsolicited. Get used to it, and just accept it.

For curious folks, $965.00 from Hanoi to Seoul to Chicago to Des Moines (the Des Moines portion is on United). The lady said if we show up really early to the airport, we might even get to sit together. That would be wonderful.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-05-15 06:17:00
Asia: East and PacificOne Way Plane Ticket
QUOTE (Robert & Van @ Feb 17 2008, 12:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
When I went to pick up my Wife in Vietnam and step daughter I bought 1 round trip ticket for myself flew with China Air lines. when I got to Vietnam I went to china airlines office and ask them that I needed 2 1 way ticket's to the US on same flight that I was taking back. no problem whats so ever with China airlines. and even saved about 400.00 buying the ticket there.


Thank you. That is just the sort of information I was looking for. Boy, I hate to leave it up to the last minute like that, but then again, what if she doesn't pass the interview? I don't see how she couldn't pass, but with HCM you never know.........

Oh, well, at least I know what I can do now. Thanks again.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-02-17 10:09:00
Asia: East and PacificOne Way Plane Ticket
Does anybody know how I can buy a one-way plane ticket from Vietnam to the U.S.? AND have us on the same plane, hopefully in adjoining seats? I'm sure I'm far from the first to encounter this problem, can someone help?
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-02-16 20:18:00
Asia: East and PacificGot pink slip and entered U.S.
Congratulations! Good news!
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-23 02:33:00
Asia: East and PacificFinally got Interview date..
See buddy? I told you everything would just go very smoothly for you, and so far I am correct. About 5 months from filing to interview, that's about how it should be.

When you are doing practice questions, just make sure all your dates & places match. I will share for you an experience which was a little embarassing.....

We hired Marc Ellis to help us with our case, and when he asked us when we got engaged, our stories did not agree. I'm still not sure to this day why. That's not how I remember it. It doesn't matter what your story is, just make sure they match.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-21 17:59:00
Asia: East and PacificTIMELINE for HCMC
I would not submit this particular version of a timeline with your I-129(f) just because it is so consulate specific, and frankly, it's hokey. I did not submit a timeline of any sort with my 129. Our letters of intent were de facto narrative timelines, however.

Thuy, sorry I have not gotten back to you about our letters of intent. They are handwritten (God, don't ask me why), and we're getting married Tuesday, and Mai's not been adjusting to the time zone too well, and we have my 8 year old son living with us and it's summer vacation. You get the idea. I will try to get back to you soon. And yes, I cannot sleep, in case you're wondering about the time stamp on this post.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-23 02:44:00
Asia: East and PacificTIMELINE for HCMC
Ok guys, here is what we submitted. I know what you're thinking. It doesn't look like a timeline to me, either. But this is what Marc Ellis gave me to fill out, and he said that was directly from the consulate, and that was what they wanted. When I received it, it was in both Vietnamese and English, with TERRIBLE English. I cleaned it up a little bit and deleted the Vietnamese. I also asked about the handwritten thing. Ellis said type it so they can read it. I don't understand about the whole handwritten deal. I think that is proof positive that the consulate sometimes messes with people just because they can.

TIMELINE OF RELATIONSHIP

May 7, 2008

* I, James Bond, Petitioner in this case, HCM 2008 XXX-X38, now furnish this sworn notarized statement containing a detailed chronology (timeline) of my relationship with the beneficiary, Hoang Dan Mai.

* Please explain clearly when and how you first met, how you were introduced.

We met in August, 2006. We were both members of Asian Friend Finder.com, a computer dating service. The computer matched us up according to preferences in our profiles.

* When did you begin corresponding with each other?

On August 10, 2006, Mai sent me an electronic “wink” through Asian Friend Finder.

I sent her an email on August 13, 2006 answering her wink.

* When did you feel your relationship became serious?

After one month of exchanging emails, we found we were mutually attracted, and sometime later, about November 2006, we began discussing the possibility of getting married. However, both of us felt it was very important to meet in person first before making a serious commitment, so no formal proposal was made before we met in person.

* Date and circumstances of marriage proposal (location, time, place, situation, setting, etc..).

After spending two weeks together on my first trip, I proposed to her on February 5, 2007, (see below).



* Did I propose in person or by phone??

I proposed in person on February 5, 2007 in Ngoc Son Pagoda on Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi.

* Where was she when I proposed (give exact location)?

She was standing with me in Ngoc Son pagoda, Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi.

* Did she accept immediately or ask for time to think about it?

She said “yes” immediately. I told her that it is an American custom for me to give her a ring to show my love for her. Together, we went to Kim Quy Jewelry Company to buy her a ring.

* If I did not officially propose, when did we first discuss marriage?

Not applicable. I did officially proprose.

* How many trips did I make to Vietnam to visit my spouse?

I have visited Vietnam three times to visit Mai.

* How many times have I seen her in total?

Mai and I have spent about six weeks together in person.


* How long did you stay each visit?

My first visit lasted about two weeks, my second visit lasted about three weeks. My third visit continues at this writing.

*Please give as many details as possible

First visit, January 2007:

Mai and I visited a few places in Vietnam. When I first arrived in Vietnam back in January 2007,of course we spent a lot of time with her family to introduce me to them. After that, we traveled to Sapa with other members of the family. We also spent two days in Halong Bay. After returning to Hanoi for a few days, we decided to go to Ho Chi Minh City to visit a few friends. While in HCM City, we went to Dam Sen Park, the old South Vietnam government building, and the Rex Hotel. After returning to Hanoi, I decided to ask Mai to marry me on February 5, 2007. She accepted. We made plans that I would return in a few months to have our engagement ceremony and a traditional Vietnamese wedding.

Second visit, June 2007:

I arrived in Hanoi on June 18, 2007 to a flurry of activity. There were many preparations to make for the ceremonies and many people to meet and greet. My parents, my sister, and brother-in-law arrived in Hanoi on June 19, 2007. Our engagement ceremony was the 20th. The next three days were spent preparing for the traditional wedding, which was on the 24th of June.

After that, Mai, my parents, my sister, brother-in-law, and I traveled to Hue, Da Nang, and Hoi An together. We spent about a week there. Then Mai and I went to Nha Trang while the rest of my family went to Cambodia and Thailand. We spent three days in Nha Trang and had a very nice time there.

After returning to Hanoi, we had a few days to spend with each other and the family before I had to return to the U.S. About one month later, I filed the I-129(f) petition, and we did not have the opportunity to see each other in person until May 1, 2008, a few days ago.

Third visit, May 2008:

I arrived in Hanoi on May 1, 2008. The first few days were spent visiting family. On May 5 we flew to Ho Chi Minh City to prepare for this interview, and haven’t had time to do much else.

Signed,

James Bond

Sworn & subscribed to me this _______ day of _____________________, 2008.

______________________________________________ _______________________________________

(signature) (office or title)
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-22 10:20:00
Asia: East and PacificTIMELINE for HCMC
There is no reason to hand-write it. Mine was printed out from the computer. In fact, I'm sure that makes it somewhat easier to read.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-21 17:45:00
Asia: East and PacificThai Embassy question
Being as you won't ever see the original (and there may be none anyway if you filed electronically), a copy will be just fine, as long as you have your tax transcripts to prove the account was actually paid.

That's sort of like somebody asking for your original birth certificate. Don't think you'll ever get to take that home, either.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-24 22:19:00
Asia: East and PacificDelivery in Vietnam
I don't mean to be indelicate, but lady, you are crazy! I have been in Cho Ray hospital, and I know about other hospitals in Vietnam. I don't understand why you would want to travel halfway around the world, be away from your husband, and receive sub-standard health care. If you want your mother to be with you, apply for a visa for her. It is early enough now.

Good luck to you!
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-21 23:40:00
Asia: East and PacificWe got pink! (June 5th, 2008)
Congratulations!
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-05 10:40:00
Asia: East and PacificWeird question for those of you who know VIETNAM
In the paranoid north, we never had a problem staying together in the same room, ever. In Saigon, we had to deceive a bit. Luckily, we had 2 couples, which allowed us some room for deception.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-30 17:46:00
Asia: East and Pacifici got my visa june 30,2008
Congratulations!
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-30 17:47:00
Asia: East and PacificGetting pregnant after failed interview.
New topic for discussion: What if Hitler and the Germans had developed the A-Bomb first? What would we have done?

Just be thankful none of that happened, and don't waste too much life energy on alternate universes. It's hard enough living in our own.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-07-02 00:06:00
Asia: East and PacificGetting pregnant after failed interview.
Bad idea. It may not give the desired result, and then after that, your poor fiancee would have to adjust to a whole new world and have to take care of an infant in addition. Why would you want to do that to her?
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-30 17:24:00
Asia: East and PacificHow did you meet your Vietnam Fiancee?
My story is pretty much the same as yours, only I was NOT looking for an Asian wife/date. I told the computer I wasn't willing to travel more than 75 miles away. Maybe 100. I don't remember now. Evidently, the computer ignored me.

BTW, please fill in your timeline. It helps everyone.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-07-02 00:21:00
Asia: East and PacificFor those who have LIVED/WORKED in Vietnam...
One big question for you Thuy: Are you a motorbiker, or a scaredy-cat? If you are a scaredy-cat, it's going to take a LOT more money to live comfortably in Saigon. And don't worry, my wife's a scaredy-cat when it comes to Saigon. She absolutely refused to go anywhere by motorbike the whole time, despite constant wheedling from me and our host.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-07-04 09:13:00
Asia: East and PacificWhat have been some reasons why the interviews go badly?
QUOTE (Matt_Stevens @ Jun 25 2008, 01:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Wow, you will be Mr. Popular after that post! biggrin.gif

As for the Vietnamese women all lie thing... In my experience, damned right they do. About everything! Be it to save face for them or soeone else, or to save someone some annoyance or bad feelings, they do lie. Catch them in the lie and they find a reason to justify it. This is a big issue with me and it has caused problems. I despise people who lie and want nothing to do with them.

But I am married to a Vietnamese woman. Oh boy.

It's been a struggle, but I try to have hope.

My wife doesn't lie, and she is of course Vietnamese. But she always points out that she is from a good family with a good education, and that Mom taught her how to be a good wife.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-07-05 17:26:00
Asia: East and PacificWhat have been some reasons why the interviews go badly?
I really wish I could offer some foolproof advice, but I can't. I think a lot of it has to do with luck. Who you get. As Dave said, he was denied in part because he and Thao had their engagement ceremony on his first visit to Vietnam. OK, you're thinking.......that's reasonable doubt. BUT. I know of a number of people who had their engagement ceremony on their first visit, and they passed just fine, không có v?n ?? gì (no problem).

Mai and I did not have our engagement ceremony on our first visit, and we made a big deal about that in our petition. Plus, my parents, my sister, and brother-in-law came to Vietnam to be with us during this very important time in our lives. Perhaps that is a major reason why Mai's interview went so easily. We will never really know. Good luck to you.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-23 03:32:00
Asia: East and PacificThe Economy: Living here vs there
QUOTE (Icarus @ Jun 28 2008, 10:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
STL- THanks for the links!! I've got some reading ahead! And thanks to the other posters, as I'm very interested in other point of views when it comes to this, but let me steer the topic back a little as I think this is a real interesting conversation for the VN VJers. Its simply this:

[b]At what point is too expensive to live in the US?

I don't mean to point out the obvious, but how about getting out of Southern California? Things get a LOT cheaper quickly.

My breaking point would be repeated requests from my wife. However, I would have to leave behind a son, and run away from some debt which I could not possibly repay on a Vietnam salary. Neither of these is really morally acceptable.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-29 04:45:00
Asia: East and PacificVisa canceled
QUOTE (J & Q @ Jun 30 2008, 06:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
That is a good point. It is all of those who do these the illegal way for gain of wealth and not love that hurt us all. They should all be ashamed of themselves. Not only is it illegal, it is immoral. The person that we made the mistake of hiring in Ho Chi Minh wanted us to lie and say that we knew each other longer than what we actually did. We, however, choose to take the honest route and look where it got us. Maybe we should have lied, I don't know. All I know is that I am so drained right now and don't know what to do, or where to turn. My immigration attorney here in the US pretty much told me that the only way that we can get the Consulate to overturn our case is with the assistance of my Congressman/woman or Senator. She said that it is very difficult once it goes back to the states.

That is the SECOND instance of a NYC attorney giving horrible advice that I've heard of in a short space of time. OK, I'm assuming your attorney is from NYC, which may be incorrect. At any rate, getting sent back to USCIS is not the end of the world, according to our favorite attorney. However, that may mean delays of one year or more. He said, "You will succeed.....it's just a question of when."

Curious about the other case with bad advice (From a NYC attorney)? Purely by chance, I met this fellow who is dating this Chinese woman here on an educational visa. He advised them to get married and apply for an adjustment of status. Now, I'm no immigration attorney, but that sounds like disastrous advice to me. I told him yes, get married, but file the damn I-130 just like everybody else. No trouble with the authorities that way.

Edited by Melrose Plant, 30 June 2008 - 07:21 PM.

Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-30 19:19:00
Australia and New ZealandNEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!
Don't worry Richard. Y'alls case will be approved. You got the kitchen sink, remember? Your case will go ???Haha. Good luck, my friends!
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-04-20 13:54:00
VietnamPRIVACY VIOLATIONS
QUOTE (ILoveTan @ Jun 28 2008, 01:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Sample chat:
Tan: f***
Thuy: f*** you look sexy
Tan: f*** I miss you f***
Thuy: me too, f***, this sucks
Tan: aaaaaaaaaa f*** the f***ing rules - give me the pink motherf***er.
good.gif

Hmmmmmm, sounds like he's ready enough for that move to Compton.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-06-30 10:46:00