Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NOA2	Congratulations!	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2007-05-31 15:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Another March Aprroval	Congrats, and good luck with your interview.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2007-06-01 11:41:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Approved after NOA1 March 6, !!!!!!!	Congratulations!	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2007-06-01 11:40:00
Canada	Ducks in a row	Depends on what the rules are for obtaining marriage and drivers' licenses in your state. In PA, we applied for our marriage license the day after I entered the country (they only needed my passport), and married a week later. I opted to apply for my SSN and DL after I got married, just so I wouldn't have to go back to those places more than I had to. To be fair, I couldn't do much before them either! Obtaining my DL required my SSN, being added to my husband's benefits and our joint bank account required my SSN... list goes on. I completely agree though with the ducks in a row analogy. I had a whole chronological list of things that we had to get done, in a specific order, because without the preceding one I couldn't move onto the next.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-03 15:59:00
Canada	OT question	That cat is adorable. I'm so glad you guys finally brought someone home.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-04 19:25:00
Canada	When you tell people you are from Canada	"Blackberries are made? Aren't they grown from a bush?"	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-10-24 12:47:00
Canada	When you tell people you are from Canada	QUOTE (DeadPoolX @ Oct 24 2008, 02:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I've often heard questions asked by both Americans and Canadians over the immigration process. Many in both countries have the mistaken belief that crossing the border to live is as easy as a simple "wave and a wink." Another question I've heard a lot is about citizenship. It seems a lot of people -- from the U.S. and Canada -- think that if you move to another country, you automatically lose your status as a citizen. And definitely, I do agree with you. A lot of people who have asked about the immigration process have been surprised at how complex and arduous the journey is. A couple of my American friends went so far as to say that they presumed I was automatically a citizen, simply because I was married to an American. To be fair, until my husband and I decided to get married, I didn't have a single clue about the Canadian immigration process either - it really does go both ways. Mostly I feel that these "Canadia eh?" comments don't happen nearly as often enough if they were to happen to an American in Canada - that's what rubs me the wrong way. I think we're just inherently more polite about accepting other cultures as they are, instead of pointing out their differences. I do agree that the media has a small role in perpetuating these stereotypical beliefs, and perhaps it's also the culture - Canada is more of a melting pot, while America is more assimilating. Having said that, you have to wonder how well-educated a person is when he/she believes that Canada is a state which belongs to the United States.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-10-24 02:53:00
Canada	When you tell people you are from Canada	QUOTE (Danielle-Justin @ Oct 16 2008, 04:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> While I guess you have to be light-hearted to take them, the "eh" jokes or comments get real old after awhile...and I'm the American. Whether or not it bothers her, I don't see many Canadians making a lot of similar comments towards Americans when visiting Canada. I'm not bitter, I just think that some people here (America, not Visajourney) need to be a little more mature or less closed-minded. Oh, I couldn't agree more. Often when I tell them I'm from Vancouver, I hear comments like, "Wow, I hear it's a beautiful city! You must really miss home." (Which I do, but you know how it is!) More often, I get the "CANADIA EH?!" joke. My ethnicity is Chinese, so often I get jokes from both cultures. It never ends I think the worst reaction I ever got was when my mother-in-law was talking to one of the secretaries at her work about me and the immigration process. Her response was, "Why would she need papers? Isn't Canada a state?"	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-10-23 21:23:00
Canada	US citizenship anyone?	QUOTE (*Marilyn* @ Nov 6 2008, 09:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> and you are not giving up your Canadian citizenship if you become a US citizen... I only meant I would feel like I was figuratively turning my back on Canada, not literally. Edited by ~Nini~, 06 November 2008 - 10:07 PM.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-06 22:04:00
Canada	US citizenship anyone?	QUOTE (Annie & Tim @ Nov 6 2008, 08:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I won't become a US citizen, as I could never "absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen"....I love the U.S., would love to be able to vote here and my husband would love for me to become a citizen, but I will always, always have allegiance and fidelity to Canada. I couldn't make the above required statement in good conscience. Yea, I think this pretty much sums it up for me too. I am conflicted, as I know my husband's family would really like for me to have citizenship in order to vote, but that sole reason isn't enough for me to want to get U.S. citizenship. I don't feel like I'm really missing out on much else by remaining as a permanent resident... maybe I'm missing something? I feel in a sense that taking up citizenship here in America would be like turning my back on my Canadian citizenship, and I feel like I would be betraying my mother's efforts towards obtaining that years ago - maybe that sounds sentimental, I dunno As practical as it is for me to obtain U.S. citizenship (for ease of travel, moving, etc), I would also like to have the same loyalty to America that I have for Canada. At this point I don't feel that... then again, I have five years to reconsider my decision.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-06 21:22:00
Canada	US citizenship anyone?	The jury is still out for me.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-06 15:29:00
Canada	What do you all wear on your interview day?	Yep, I saw everything from ripped jeans to suits and fancy dresses as well. We wore jeans and nice shirts to the interview; the counter hid us from the bottom down, so they didn't even see our jeans.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-09 00:59:00
Canada	If you could vote in the U.S. Election	My funny thought this morning was that, among other things, I'm going to be so thrilled that I don't have to look at GWB's ugly mug at work and other state and federal agencies any longer	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-05 13:50:00
Canada	Does this mean what I think it means?	Great news!	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-19 19:04:00
Canada	passport expires in june	Urgent (24 hours) is $70. Express (2-9 business days) is $30. For either service, you'll have to show proof of travel, like an itinerary so they know when you need it by. http://www.ppt.gc.ca...t.aspx?lang=eng I think we applied for my passport via Express on a Tuesday and managed a Friday morning pick-up. Edited by ~Nini~, 05 November 2008 - 12:32 PM.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-05 12:32:00
Canada	passport expires in june	My passport expired shortly before I had to attend a family wedding back home in Vancouver. We ended up crossing into Canada through border crossing after flying into Seattle. During the chaos of the wedding, I had my photos taken, and we applied for my passport in person; we paid a bit extra to have it expedited, but I didn't really trust it being sent back to my US address, so I picked it up from the office. Since I was applying in person, I was allowed to use the Simplified Renewal form and had my mother as my guarantor. The folks at the office were completely understanding about my situation, helped me figure out the best solution, and had absolutely no issues with renewing my passport; they allow you to renew it for up to a year past the expiration date before they get twitchy. I highly recommend this route if you're able to do so The other alternative, if you aren't able to go back to Canada to get it done, is to have it mailed to Passport Canada in Quebec - that's the only place they'll accept the mail-in applications - however, getting the photos done properly and signed is a bit of a hassle especially with the guarantor rules, and you have to mail the old passport back, so she'll be without for awhile. Edited by ~Nini~, 04 November 2008 - 01:44 PM.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-04 13:43:00
Canada	Tinned Vegetables Cheaper?	Healthy eating is not impossible in the US - my husband and I are adamant about eating healthy, even if it means spending that little bit more to ensure that the food we eat isn't full of chemicals or processed to an inch of its poor life. We shop at the nearby farmer's market, buy local produce, etc. Another suggestion is a CSA farm share - my sister-in-law's family and us decided to split the cost of a share this year and we were buried every week with tons of produce. Even if you don't decide to go that route, I do think it's just as cost-efficient - and more healthy! - if you buy fresh produce. Plus, I find such joy in preparing food that hasn't already been prepared for you already	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-28 16:54:00
Canada	Getting to Know You -	I have to preclude this by saying that my husband's family is Jewish, so we do celebrate Hanukkah; however, us wives celebrate Christmas as well, so my answers might seem a little off. I also live with my in-laws at the moment, so we don't get to put a tree up until we move out. 1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I used to do wrapping paper (and loved doing it), until a handful of years ago when my own cousins somehow wrangled me into wrapping my own presents. I don't know what it was about that, but it really just wrecked it for me after that. Nowadays, we do without since the wastefulness of wrapping paper bothers us; we try to put it in a (hopefully reusable) gift bag. 2. Real tree or Artificial? Real! If I could, I'd buy one of those potted rosemary trees they sell every year at Whole Foods and keep it year-round at work. 3. When do you put up the tree? I'd aim for a month before Christmas. 4. When do you take the tree down? A little before New Year's would be the best time, I think. 5. Do you like eggnog? Immensely. I would like to try making my own, but Starbucks makes a damn good eggnog latte in the meantime. 6. Favorite gift received as a child? Lego. 7. Hardest person to buy for? My husband. It should be stupidly easy to do, but it's really not. 8. Easiest person to buy for? Me! 9. Do you have a nativity scene? Naw. 10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Post. I'm not sure if we're giving cards this year, as most of our recipients have already requested not to receive them. 11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A makeup set in very uncomplimentary shades; it was also an obvious re-gift. 12. Favorite Christmas movie? Bad Santa. 13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I start making hints two months in advance; generally I take those ideas and buy things last-minute, since I always convince myself that I have "just enough time". 14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I can remember, but it's incredibly likely that I have and I'm just in denial. 15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? I said eggnog, right? Second-favourite would have to be a tie between turkey and shortbread. 16. Lights on the tree? Yes. 17. Favorite Christmas songs: "What Child is This" or "Carol of the Bells". I also like "Fairytale of New York" by the Pogues. 18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay at home, since my husband's job prevents him from taking time off work during the holidays. I don't mind so much, since holiday traveling can be stressful and expensive. 19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Rudolph counts, right? 20. What is a non-traditional tradition you do for the holidays? My sister-in-law celebrates Cheesemas, which is a cheese-and-wine party at her house at the end of December; it's meant to be the lighthearted, drunken party where we invite everyone we want and let loose in ways we couldn't at family dinners. 21. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star. 22. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? If Hanukkah is before Christmas Day, then we cheat. 23. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? People stressing out over the holidays, when it's about being together. I'd include spoiled teenagers in this, but they bug me all the time. 24. Favorite ornament theme or color? Musical instruments. 25. Favorite food for Christmas dinner? A tie between mashed potatoes or roasted brussel sprouts. Mmmmm. 26. What do you want for Christmas this year? An iPhone, followed by a large dose of sleep.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-30 15:52:00
Canada	Maiden name on passport?	This was a domestic flight, but I just took my green card (with married name) and my passport (with maiden name) along with my marriage certificate and they were ok about it. My father-in-law purchased our tickets and ended up misspelling my name, and the airline and TSA didn't blink at the discrepancy either.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-12-06 21:19:00
Canada	Whos going Home for Christmas?	My husband works at UPS, so he's basically banned from taking time off around this time of year. Maybe in a couple of years, if things change, we'll be able to head back to Vancouver and the (lack of) snow. My family traditionally does an informal get-together on Christmas Eve; we have a Secret Santa to ease the stress of buying gifts for everyone, and we eat potluck turkey dinner and drink tons of wine and whiskey and play charades. Christmas Day is recovery	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-12-01 22:00:00
Canada	I move today :)	Oh, I hope it goes smoothly!	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-12-10 18:44:00
Canada	So THAT'S why coke tastes different in the USA	Yea, I've seen those commercials before, my husband and I just look at each other with "#######?" expressions. *sigh* We avoid HFCS like the plague (other than him drinking the occasional pop), but luckily the nearest market is Whole Foods which makes shopping easier. The weirdest place I've found HFCS is in Pepperidge Farm bread...	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-01 08:11:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	I admit, there are a few songs from "those girls" that make me rock out every once in awhile.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-12-01 21:48:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	Good morning! I come bearing bad news - skip if you don't want to be sad. This weekend started off on a bad note - our cat Stella had to be taken to the vet ER yesterday after we found her unconscious underneath the basement stairs. She's a diabetic, and the vet told us that her blood sugar had dropped to nothing, which precipitated a coma and several seizures. Unfortunately the decision was made a few hours later to put her down. It happened so quickly, I'm still trying to process it all.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-22 09:51:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	Yea, TD announced last year that they'd taken over Commerce Bank, but the TD signs just started popping up this month. I'm pretty thrilled about it since it looks like they're one of the more stable banks out there atm. If only they'd finish the merger - right now they're advertising completely different account types on their Commerce and TD Banknorth sites You Philly/NJ folk noticing the absolutely freezing weather nowadays? Apparently we're expecting snow any day now. Walking to work has been interesting to say the least, I've been burying my face in my scarf and running as fast as the wind has been blowing lately.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-19 21:03:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	Ooooh, shiny telly.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-16 10:08:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	QUOTE (Sprailenes @ Nov 15 2008, 11:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Mike and I are going to finally convert over to a flat screen lcd tv today. We're gonna go to Best Buy and make friends with a nerdy sales boy. I highly recommend a Panasonic. Just be sure to arm yourself with a Lysol cannon when you go! Those nerdy sales boys don't always wash every day	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-15 11:58:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	Oh dear gods am I pooped. More reading manuals and orientation stuff today at work. I snuck out of the building during my lunch break and browsed the neighbourhood a bit - they have an Asian supermarket just around the corner! I am really thrilled - I can do some dry goods shopping on the way home! They swapped my homebound train to an express train for the end of the route, so I ended up waiting an extra half-hour for the next one. My boss (and her boss) didn't look too happy when I told them my keys were missing, but they didn't look very upset either, so I guess that's my freebie mistake for the month. About the exercising... Carla and Nev, you girls go! I completely understand how hard it is to get back into gear, I've been slowly getting active again after a year of being mostly sedentary. Walking to and from work (via train) really has helped, and I'm doing a night fencing course at the local high school - I'm enjoying it so much, I might start taking classes at the academy near work. Mrr, I think I'm babbling at this point. *heads to bed*	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-12 19:27:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	My first day at work was okay. I sat around reading manuals all day, for the most part - no hands on training, unless you count the hour I spent at the front desk with the main receptionist. My friend tells me that they only made me read the manual because they put in a "do not spork yourself in face" clause there, and they want to make sure I read it so that I can't sue them later when it happens Today I had the day off, but I somehow lost my work pass and key somewhere... and after backtracking my steps within a ten-mile radius I can't find 'em. My boss is going to be pretty unimpressed, or laugh. Either way, I'm completely kicking myself right now.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-11 23:52:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	QUOTE (Sprailenes @ Nov 6 2008, 10:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I think socialism is a great concept. I believe in working for WE not ME. I don't get why its so wrong to some people. I think some people still have this idea that historically, socialism was very much a "bad thing" - if I'm not mistaken, the Nazi party started under the banner of socialism - and therefore they don't want to be a part of it. How often do you hear communism being equated with socialism? Personally, I love the concept too, but I'm not going to argue the point with a bunch of ignorant people. I just know that I'm wasting my breath	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-06 22:29:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	Yay Netflix! We're on the 3-a-month plan right now, but we're probably going to downgrade to two soon now that I'm returning to work. I love how they have TV shows on there too - we completely geeked out on Battlestar Galactica awhile back	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-06 08:48:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	Oh jeez... *hugs to Krikit and Carla* Both of you put your feet up when you can. I hope things turn for the better soon.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-11-04 10:19:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	I wish I was working undercover! Though, I can dress like one. It is "casual professional" dress code after all - when I went to visit the office, people were in t-shirts and jeans, so I can wear ninja garb, right? I'll be working at the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for PA, as a clerk-slash-customer service person, interacting with disabled people and facilitating their rehabilitation towards employment in the big bad world. Woo! I am really excited - I get to be a commuter and travel into the city on the regional rail, which I find much more enjoyment in than the average person.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-10-29 14:38:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	Amanda - I live in Devon currently, along the main line. It's very woodsy, I like it very much Mumsie - oh dear. Nini for VP? Oh, I forgot to post about the job situation! I heard great news back from one of the state agencies I applied at a few weeks ago. I start November 10th! Edited by ~Nini~, 29 October 2008 - 01:28 PM.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-10-29 13:27:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	Carla - those flowers are lovely! Amanda - I hope you have a great time in Vegas. I've been there a couple of times when I was younger, and I had a blast at the shows I went to. Unfortunately, no poker for me though, I was still underage I am off to an interview in West Chester now, so cross your fingers for me! Knowing my luck, I'll receive calls from the other jobs that I applied to weeks ago and still haven't heard back from...	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-10-29 09:39:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	QUOTE (*Len* @ Oct 28 2008, 02:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> K. Phoning now. Stupid manager is off all week. The ###'t manager will call me back. Hpmf. *hugs Len* I feel your pain, babe. Job hunting sucks	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-10-28 14:25:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	QUOTE (cattattude @ Oct 27 2008, 10:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I wish there was a Target here - but I do hear they're getting one in Kona. Close I guess. I remember visiting Oahu a few years ago (back when I lived in Vancouver still) and being depressed that there was no Target on the island. I feel for you	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-10-27 21:44:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	I am a huge fan of jeans (and not only because they're one of the few kinds of bottoms that can be found in my size!). Stretchy, skinny, flared, light, dark, ripped, all sorts. There are styles for everyone, which is why they're so great!	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-10-23 16:04:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	Mmm, coffee sounds good right about now.	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-10-23 06:11:00
Canada	Off Topic Forum...	QUOTE (SpiritAlight @ Oct 22 2008, 12:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Dear ~Nini~, I listened to the Citizenship Diary on-line. A documentary about a British woman and her experience on naturalizing. I love so much about it. I especially nodded in agreement when she said that most highschool students cannot pass the citizenship test, and how W got stuck 4 times on one part of it. Plus the unceremonial ways of it all. Not to mention that those immigration bureaucrats that confuse the U.K. with Ukraine. Bah! Funny...and so so very sad. A great listen. I completely agree! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Also - 4'11" and a quarter. I would give my arm to be a few inches taller, for practical reasons. Shopping at the supermarket is always interesting	~Nini~	Female	Canada	2008-10-22 18:20:00