biggish data

Dang! It looks like there's a whole lot of fun going on in here now. And, as always, I have been missing out. I was just thinking earlier today about Jeff's hats, and wondering when the St. Pat's Day hats will appear. I think everyone here is doing a great job ignoring the original topic, and in our usual fashion, changing the subject to something a little more light hearted.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-02-25 21:42:00

Hahaha. That's fantastic. Good little jokes. Kirk, don't let these guys bother you.

Now I finally see why the Russian forum has been getting some bad press lately. A few bad apples...

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-02-25 17:43:00

Come on, this is simply pathetic.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-02-25 16:19:00

Great post, Kirk. well said.

But I must say that Slim has some good points as well. This damn thread is certainly not lacking any excitement.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-02-25 12:50:00

I vote we close this thread and throw it away. Its really causing tension between members and that's just not good.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-02-24 06:53:00

QUOTE (mox @ Feb 23 2008, 10:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow.

You know, you can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat the waiter at a restaurant. Likewise, I think you can learn a lot about a person by the way they treat "anonymous posters" and "acquaintances."

You seem like a smart person, Sat. Maybe one day you'll learn how to have a little class. In the meantime I really do hope you'll take your wife's advice and move on to someplace more worthy of your considerable intellect.

*Slides in like Kramer*
.....Someone call a waiter???

Does this mean that I must be really ignorant and uneducated? I think not. In fact, half of the waiters I work with are graduates of William & Mary's law school, here in Williamsburg. But guess what? They're waiting tables. Sure its a personal choice, but there must be a reason right? Well, in this area like many others, lawyers are too plentiful. A dime a dozen. I know many many people who have passed the BAR and I must say that not many of them seem superior in the brains department. Maybe its just me. What does a waiter know?

Sorry for all the late posting. Just catching up on all the action. Was working all day.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-02-24 04:12:00

QUOTE (BelwinMills @ Feb 23 2008, 04:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So sorry!!

Now there's someone who didn't read the thread before posting...

Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-02-24 03:49:00

QUOTE (Jenn! @ Feb 23 2008, 02:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (Jason-Sasha @ Feb 23 2008, 02:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (Jenn! @ Feb 23 2008, 02:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very AKDiverish...what's with the Russia forum?

At least you came back to say it was a joke though!

Why does it have to be a "Russia Forum" thing Jenn?? Did you come here only to say such a thing? can happen in any forum, but because it was here something is wrong with Russians??? Please watch your step. Wouldn't want you to trip.

sensitive much? I've seen this type of trick played twice. Both happened here in the Russia forum. No need to read anymore into it than that!

I see. Well, I appologize. I was simply defending the Russian forum. In the polls forum, people seemed to be anti-Russian so I took it a bit personal. But no harm done. Forgive me?

On the other hand, this thread has exploded! And it seems to me that this was a bad idea from the beginning and I think Satellite needs to simply appologize. I agree with most of the other posters, but everyone is making good points. Is there any way out of this? What was it Rodney King said...

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-02-24 03:46:00

QUOTE (Jenn! @ Feb 23 2008, 02:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very AKDiverish...what's with the Russia forum?

At least you came back to say it was a joke though!

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-02-23 14:56:00

Damn, now I feel like $hit for laughing.

I guess it was more out of relief. Oh well.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-02-22 23:20:00

Hahahahaha!!!!! That's actually not funny, but I kinda thought it had to be a joke. Didn't seem right. You @sshole!!

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-02-22 23:08:00

Mark, I'm very sorry to hear this. I had just looked at your timeline just yesterday and noticed you were only one step away from the interview for citizenship. isn't there any way to work things out? You've come so far together. I have to admit when I saw the list of threads and read your title, I thought it was a joke because the topic is yours. I am so so sorry. Don't become a stranger. Perhaps there can be some help here for you. Anyway, I wish you luck in which ever way this goes.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-02-22 23:07:00

VISA APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!

I know I'm a bit late, but ....Congratulations!

...and nice hats Jeff!

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-04-02 02:19:00

Another Approval From Moscow

Congratulations, Ira and Zhenya! The waiting is almost in the past for you.
Sasha

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-03-17 05:05:00

Another Approval From Moscow

Congratulations!

However, I smell something shady here.

Edited by Jason-Sasha, 17 March 2008 - 04:14 AM.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-03-17 04:14:00

Anonther Moscow Approval

Congratulations, Robert and Elena! We are very happy for you. Soon all of us here wll be with our loved ones.
Sasha

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-04-02 15:11:00

Russian swearwords

QUOTE (slim @ Mar 19 2008, 12:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (mox @ Mar 18 2008, 03:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (Jason-Sasha @ Mar 18 2008, 11:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ask Slim's wife. Seems she knows them all.....and uses them liberally.

She lives with Slim. She's got to be some kind of curse-word guru by now.

We only use those words in polite company. The rest of the time our mouths are "clean and pure tight." You guys will find some very interesting uses for both languages that usually have nothing to do with the original words but will be funny for you. For instance, I was picking my nose one day and said, "Kazooleeeka." The word for booger is actually kazookha so it was quite funny for my wife who had no idea what I was trying to say until I picked my nose for several minutes to illustrate my point. (And to look for another kazooleeka.)

I've also added a nice "onka" onto the end of some of the more choice words in Russian Mat to emphasize the size/severity of the matter.

Try this one on for size: Pizdonka!

I'll have to try to remember this. Though, I think Sasha will smack me if I do this.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-03-19 14:16:00

Russian swearwords

Ask Slim's wife. Seems she knows them all.....and uses them liberally.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-03-18 13:31:00

QUOTE (slim @ Dec 3 2007, 10:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (mox @ Dec 2 2007, 02:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Make sure to let us know how the interview went, and what questions they asked Sasha. Nadya is stressing the interview big time, I'd like to give her some first hand information to ease her worries.

I know you'll never believe me, but the interview is the most over-hyped part of the whole VJ process. If you've done everything you should've (and by being here on VJ, you will) then it'll be a cake walk.

And since you cut and pasted your questions from the other thread, I'll cut and paste my answers.

QUOTE(Jason-Sasha @ Dec 2 2007, 06:10 AM)
My first question....How soon after the embassy receives our petition will they schedule an interview? I mean, they will send out this packet 3, right? Will this have an interview date already set? Or will they schedule her interview after she sends the list back?

The interview will be scheduled fairly quickly (within a couple weeks) for a time a few months away from then. So, if they get your packet in about two weeks, you could get an interview in Feb or Mar. (Not an estimate, just saying it takes about two months or so usually.) The packet 3 (which Moscow only sends one packet) will be sent once they get the case in Moscow and start setting her up for an interview. I believe (not 100% but I'm pretty sure) the interview date is sent out with the packet on somewhat of an "invitation slip" type deal. She doesn't need to send anything back to them (like they do at other embassies, remember, Moscow is "special") but she will need to complete a few forms including some online versions. (Instructions are in the packet.)

QUOTE(Jason-Sasha @ Dec 2 2007, 06:10 AM)
Second question....What's the typical wait time from NVC to hearing something from the embassy?

Barring any "issues" it's typically about a month to six weeks. (Interview assigned date. I believe you get an e-mail or something saying like "packet received by embassy." But you won't actually get an interview date until about a month or so from the time it leaves NVC.)

QUOTE(Jason-Sasha @ Dec 2 2007, 06:10 AM)
Next.....If I call NVC in a few days, and they have my case, will they give me the new case number? Will this case number enable me to track my petition at the embassy?

They may give you your new case number if they know it and if you're lucky enough to get in touch with an actual person. You can use this number to track your petition at the embassy, but only if you get it, and only if the embassy is actually assigning a date, and only if you can get in touch with a real person and only if they're in a good mood that day and only if..... get the picture? You're talking a whole bunch of "in theory" stuff that is technically true, but not very probable.

QUOTE(Jason-Sasha @ Dec 2 2007, 06:10 AM)
Next.....Is it too soon for Sasha to get her police reports? Does she need something from the packet before she does this??

It is NOT too soon for her to start getting her police reports. However, she will have detailed instructions mailed to her inside the packet and there should be sufficient time to compile all reports prior to the interview. She doesn't actually NEED something from the packet to start this process but it will tell her exactly what she needs to get. There's no reason to "hurry up and get them now" before you even have an interview date. That said, it's never too early! (They say they want them within a six-month time period prior to the interview, but that's not entirely accurate. As long as they're within a "recent" time, she'll be fine. 7 months isn't going to get her denied.)

QUOTE(Jason-Sasha @ Dec 2 2007, 06:10 AM)
Next.....Instead of mailing the Aff. of Sup. can I take it to her when I go to Russia at Christmas?

Yes. It needs to be "recent" as well and as long as you don't have a significant financial change between now and the interview, you should have no problems. You will probably have an updated W-2 by the time her interview rolls around so you may want to send that to her and a few more recent pay stubs and maybe even an updated employer letter in Feb or so. Your Aff. of Sup. from Dec. should be just fine though.

QUOTE(Jason-Sasha @ Dec 2 2007, 06:10 AM)
Next.....Is it possible to have an interview as early as late January/early February?

It's "possible" but it's more probable that she'll have an interview in mid-Feb to March or even April. You can check out the dates on the website and check to see what the most recent updates are scheduled for. You can probably add about two weeks to a month on to the most recent updates and get a pretty accurate idea of when you're going to see your petition # up there. (See above)

Some of the guys that have been through this pretty recently can probably guesstimate this better than I can but the trend seems to be about 3 months from leaving NVC which would put you right about March 1. That's where my money is!!! Hope it's sooner for you but if I were a wagering man...... Good luck, and keep the questions coming.

Really great reply, Slim! Thanks a million. and also thanks to everyone else who has helped me with some info. I will certainly be asking plenty more questions as the weeks go by. I'm really glad to be part of the "Russian" group. Slim, I've noticed that Moscow does in fact seem to be "special". Different procedures than all other embassies around the world. Any idea why this is?? I'm glad that its a bit more simple than most other nations, but dont know why. Ok, going to the mailbox now. My hardcopy NOA2 should be there now.

.....And I'd like to start tracking it through NVC to the the embassy. I'm so excited now. Its finally sinking in that the hardest part is behind us. And I can finally see some light at the end of the tunnel!!

Edited by Jason-Sasha, 03 December 2007 - 03:08 PM.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2007-12-03 15:05:00

Thanks Jeff! Thanks Patrick! I will keep everyone posted of all progress made and give details of every step. Cheers!

Jason

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2007-12-02 15:04:00

QUOTE (mox @ Dec 2 2007, 12:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Jason,

Sorry, I can only answer a couple of your questions since I'm waiting on NOA2 myself. I'll be interested to hear what others say.

Police report: Have her start working on it now. It's good for 1 year. She doesn't need anything from the packet. (Some places, like Tokyo, do require information from the packet, but not Russia.)

Aff of Supp: You can bring it with you. She just needs to have it the day of the interview.

Thanks Kirk! I will take it with me. and I'll ask Sasha to begin working on this police report. Good luck on a speedy approval!!

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2007-12-02 12:52:00

Hi all! I actually posted these questions in my "We're approved" thread here in the Russia forum. But I was thinking it might not get many views. So, I've copied them to this thread dedicated to just those questions. here they are. thanks for any help!

My first question....How soon after the embassy receives our petition will they schedule an interview? I mean, they will send out this packet 3, right? Will this have an interview date already set? Or will they schedule her interview after she sends the list back?

Second question....What's the typical wait time from NVC to hearing something from the embassy?

Next.....If I call NVC in a few days, and they have my case, will they give me the new case number? Will this case number enable me to track my petition at the embassy?

Next.....Is it too soon for Sasha to get her police reports? Does she need something from the packet before she does this??

Next.....Instead of mailing the Aff. of Sup. can I take it to her when I go to Russia at Christmas?

Next.....Is it possible to have an interview as early as late January/early February?

Just a few questions to start with

Thanks for any help you all can provide..

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2007-12-02 11:52:00

OT - Putin is Time's Person of the Year

Hitler was once Time's man of the year also. Doesn't really say much. And all I've got to say about that is...Boooooooooooooo!!!

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2007-12-20 14:48:00

Movies

QUOTE (Kazan @ Dec 18 2007, 12:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've never had a problem with customs, whether inbound or outbound. However, the discs probably will not play as they are, most likely, regionally coded. I ripped mine and made copies (Don't start with the copyright #######, I really don't give a hoot.) and re-encoded them from Region 1 (North America) to Region 5 (Russia). Now my fiancée can watch them on her player with no problems. I also left her a small Region 1 player with PAL output for discs that I could not successfully rip that I wanted to leave for her.

Most new DVD players in Russia are able to play all formats and region styles. If you want to be sure that they will play, try uploading them to your pc first. Then simply burn them onto a blank disk in "data" format. Not DVD or music. That's what I do, then I can play any movie in DVD players or computers. Good luck.

QUOTE (seanconneryii @ Dec 18 2007, 07:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As long as we're on the subject of movies and such...what about MPEG and WMV movies on Russian computers? Any format or compatibility issues?

Russians use the same operating systems that we do.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2007-12-19 15:48:00

Movies

I always take a nice library of films with me when I go to Russia. And I've been there many times. 2 weeks before each trip I begin burning movies onto disks. I keep them in a nice cd case and have never had any problems. Its no longer the Soviet Union, so they won't be looking to confiscate your American films. And xray devices shouldn't harm them either. but if you're concerned, burn them onto disks that you can throw away without losing your originals. Is this your first trip to Russia??

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2007-12-17 13:10:00

Gone to Moscow for 2 weeks....

"I'm leavin'...on a jet plane........." PEACE everyone! And Happy New Year!!!

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2007-12-26 04:46:00

Mosocw Medical Exam Controversy

What exactly is medical here in Moscow? Will I have to spend like half of the day in a medical center attending dozens of doctors and staying in lines? How much time does it usually take?
Sasha

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2007-12-06 17:50:00

Finally Have Interview Date -YESSSSSSSSSS

Congratulations!! And good luck!!

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-01-11 18:00:00

Embassy Questions

Ramzis51, you should be only days away from receiving the packet from the embassy. Good luck to you.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-01-12 13:48:00

We did It!

Wow! Alot of great detailed info. Thanks for that, and good luck to you both!!

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-01-12 14:44:00

We have our interview date!

Kevin, Perhaps I can help you a bit in this department....hmmm. not sure. I'll get back to you.

Edited by Jason-Sasha, 12 January 2008 - 02:00 PM.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-01-12 13:59:00

We have our interview date!

Cool!!! Congratulations and good luck. You're only a few days behind us.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-01-11 17:55:00

Please help me----any suggestions?

#######! Sorry about that. I was sure this would help you. Well, stay strong. They update on Wednesdays and Mondays, most of the time.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-01-15 11:13:00

Please help me----any suggestions?

QUOTE (ramzis51 @ Jan 15 2008, 08:32 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (Jason-Sasha @ Jan 14 2008, 11:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The embassy didnt give us any info until the put it into their system. We knew our documents were there but they still hadnt processed it yet. Probably in the mail room or something. But luckily it only took about a week to get to it. Try to keep in mind that the embassy was closed for a while for the holidays. They probably got a small backup of mail deliveries. They resumed regular business again on Jan. 8th. I'm sure you're only a few days away from hearing some news. Try to relax. And be thankful you are almost at the end. Its coming.

Thanks, Jason. I know everybody here knows the frustration. I'm sure your right. The emails the embassy is sending says they haven't received it yet---but I'm sure that means they just haven't logged it in yet. I do appreciate your empathy. I am glad you had a great trip to Russia and that your interview is upcoming in Feb. I just get to feeling so helpless.

I know that helpless feeling. Its a killer. But have no fear. You know, if you still know your old receipt number from USCIS it will also help you track your interview date. If you go to the US Embassy in Moscow website and check their appointment schedule you'll notice that the appointments are listed with both numbers. The old receipt number AND the new case number. At least for K-1 visas they are. Here's the page ..

http://www.usembassy...ar/iv_dates.php

They have the schedule finished thru March 5th. Take a good look at these case numbers and try to find yours. Good luck, my friend

Hang in there!

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-01-15 08:49:00

Please help me----any suggestions?

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-01-14 23:40:00

Free calls to Russia

Cool! Gotta try this!

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-01-11 17:52:00

QUOTE (slim @ Jan 15 2008, 02:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Her "A-number" is her A-number forever. It's kind of like a SSN but for foreigners who visit the U.S.

Although there are cases where folks could have more than one, usually it's the same one forever.

Good to know. Thanks..

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-01-16 04:24:00

So, I talked to Sasha and told her about the A# on the NOA2, and she gave me the "duh" reaction. Evidently, this isnt the A# she's looking for. She has to list the last two visas she had from the US and she needs the A# from those visas. There are numbers on her older visas, but she's not quite sure this is the A#. Any thoughts??

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-01-15 12:52:00

Makes sense that I didnt catch this. Seeing as it is in Russia with Sasha.

Thanks guys! I'll let her know.

Jason-Sasha

Male

Russia

2008-01-14 23:56:00