ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
VietnamTuberculosis
I just got back from HCM last week and I met with the Doctor in the TB clinic. This is the handbook he uses to treat Tb My link. The title of the book is:
Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
A survival guide for clinicians, 2nd edition. (In case the link doesn't work, which it probably won't because I don't know how to post anything).

The drug prices per month are in chapter 4.
This comes from the Francis J. Curry National Tuberculosis Center. It is my understanding Cho Ray treats tb though
the CDC guidelines. As far as I know this is the playbook for all immigration Tb treatment.
I have been told Pham Ngoc Thach (PNT) Hospital is not obligated to follow these guidelines as they aren't a clearing house for visa approval.

Here is an attachment(I hope) for Nutritional Supplements for people undergoing Tb treatmentAttached File  Cochran 2010 met TB.pdf   581.47KB   5 downloads.

Be advised the Doctor at Cho Ray, the Doctor at PNT and the Doctor in the US I have spoken to are all in agreement prescription medicine, directly observed therapy (DOTS) and hospital treatment are the only way to beat this disease. Vitamins and supplements are NOT going to do the job. I only include it for informational purposes.

Please, please be diligent with your treatment. Take the meds, show up every day for treatment even if you feel better. If you don't the disease can and will mutate into a stronger form.

Also note you can get multi drug resistant tb (MDR) from exposure to someone who has it.
i.e. If I get Tb from my finance, it will be MDR TB. The stain I will get will be the drug resistant one.

Cost--In VN the first six to eight months were free, when Cho Ray got the case and ran the test to find out we had a drug resistant strain of Tb the cost out of pocket to us was/is $80 per month. This includes two inject-able drugs and two of the oral drugs the Tb is not resistant to.
If we go to the next level of treatment the cost will be $4,400, a one time cash up front payment to IOM.

Side effects--she already has hand tremors and her vision has suffered. The Cho Ray Doctor tells me the next level of drugs could have greater side effects.

We will know when the next sputum test come back in August
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2010-06-29 15:20:00
VietnamAP update
I went to the US consulate while I was In town (HCM). We have been in AP since about Jan of 2010. The consulate has told us they will keep our case active as long as we contact them every six months.

Got my ticket for USC hour and told them to keep our case active while we wait for results from Cho Ray. This could and probably will take another two years.

CO duly noted our case was still active and told me we should be receiving a letter from them soon. He told me he could not tell me what was in the letter as an adjudication officer would be sending it. He also could not tell me when it would come. He did say it would be sent to my fiancees HCM address.

Not much info but it is all I could get from him. If we get the letter I'll post its contents.

Sorry I don't have more info, but I wasn't given much to work with
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2010-06-29 15:49:00
VietnamTB
I'm sorry to hear of another loss to your family. TB is a tough one. The treatment process is long and debilitating. It is easy to get discouraged with the side effects and the hassle of going to the hospital everyday to get the meds. There can be a tendency to stop taking the medicine when one feels better. Stick with the treatment plan all the way until the end. As Anh Map says, not doing so can lead to a stronger form of tb. Believe me you don't want to have to take the second line meds, they are expensive and the side effects are much worse.

If possible keep an eye on the doctors. The district hospital told my fiancée 3 times she was better even though she was still coughing and getting worse. In fact that hospital cleared her to go to Cho Ray for the formality of the visa clearance. At that time she had been taking their meds for one year. The strain of tb she has is resistant to the meds she was taking, so we wasted a year of treatment and probably allowed the tb to get stronger.

Cho Ray got the case and within two weeks they had her on a much stronger regimen including injections every day. After a few months of shots five times a week her backside looked liked someone had worked it over with a sock full of golf balls. Add to this headaches, fever, chills, hand tremors, fatigue, nausea, ringing in the ears, and various skin problems including itching severe enough to cause her to scratch her skin off. There were times she could not drive her motorbike the 20 minutes each way to the hospital, so someone had to take her. There was an additional $80 charge per month for these meds.

Fast forward six months and Cho Ray finally has done some testing to see if the new drugs are working. She has had positive sputum results this whole time. The tb is resistant to some of the new drugs. They need to add newer stronger drugs at this time. These drugs are not readily available and will have to be purchased through IOM at a cost of $4,400 cash.

Treatment with those is started and within 3 or 4 months drug induced hepatitis stops treatment altogether. The liver failure makes her very sick with severe flu like symptoms. I went to VN last week to help out. She is feeling better since stopping all the meds but the tb is still with her. She still has positive sputum results but her chest x-ray has shown some improvement. I spoke to the docs at Cho Ray and at PNT. The treatment will continue, they have isolated the drug causing the liver problems and hope to introduce it again at a later time.

So as it stands after two years of treatment we are still at square one. This is the new plan--after her next negative sputum result (hopefully in one or two months from now) Cho Ray will continue the injectable drugs 3x weekly for 6 months and continue the oral drugs for 12 months after that. If her monthly chest x-ray and sputum results show no new growth of the tb she may be eligible to get her visa in 18 to 24 months. If she has even one positive sputum result the 18-24 month clock starts over again. Best case scenario she gets her visa clearance in about 2 years.

As you can see it is a long and arduous process. Your loved one will need a tremendous amount of support and encouragement. And don't neglect yourself, if you need help get it. The strain on the family can be quite taxing. And there are no guarantees. Hope this helps.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2010-11-30 17:27:00
VietnamUS’s Leading Pizza Chain to Open First Store in VN
maybe I can make the photoPosted Image bigger
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2010-11-30 22:50:00
VietnamUS’s Leading Pizza Chain to Open First Store in VN
Posted Image

don't know if this will work for the pic. I don't have a home computer and the ones at work won't let me do much since I don't have administrator privileges. But after about 30 mins of trying I got a flickr account with the picture on it.

As far as the drip coffee goes, sometimes I've had it served with the coffee cup sitting in a bowl of hot water. As it drips into the cup the whole arrangement sits in the hot water bath and it does help keep the cup and its contents warmer.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2010-11-30 22:46:00
VietnamUS’s Leading Pizza Chain to Open First Store in VN
there is a dunkin donuts clone at 136 nguyen thai hoc cross street is pnl. Have a pic but i don't know how to post it.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2010-11-30 16:02:00
Vietnamcitizen hour at hcm consulate

Do we go to where they interview visa applicants? Will they let my wife in if she came along?

What Scott said. I'm not sure about the wife either, in reading the consulate instructions it wasn't clear. I will say it is helpful if you can read upside down. Your file is sometimes annotated as you talk and any info laying around on the desk is fair game in my book. Take in everything you can. Also keep in mind the mindset of the consulate employees. A little social engineering never hurts. You are coming in late in their day, in fact after USC hour some knock off for the day. I heard them talking about where they are going after work. They are just like us at the end of our shift. Sometimes tired, sometimes hungry etc. I'm pretty sure if you have a soul its a tough gig. The decisions they make can really affect lives. I wouldn't want their job. I'm sure some are power trippers, some are just passing time to get to the next pay grade, some just want to be reassigned to Paris. At any rate, if you can get a feel for who they are and how they feel at the time, you will increase you chances of success with your case. IMHO (without consulting urban dictionary I think that means in my humble opinion) If these computer thing catches on I may buy one someday then I'll know all this sh....err....stuff.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2011-06-10 13:17:00
Vietnamcitizen hour at hcm consulate
If you are in hcm and want to drop by the consulate to check on your case you have tues and wed from 4 to 5pm to drop in. Bring your passport and the case information form available from the consulate website (hochiminh.usconsulate.gov. From the home page go to the visas > immigrant visa page, scroll down about halfway to the "american citizen petitioner" in hcmc section and click on the link). Or you can pick up the form at the window inside the consulate.

You enter from the street, go through security will be told to go to a window to check in. Get your case form at the first window or turn in your completed form from the website. You will be given a number and proceed to the main room.

I have been there four times, twice in 09, once in 10 and once last march. The first three times I went to the right side, in march I went left. The two rooms are mirror images of each other. Institutional metal benches and a series of windows slanted at a diagonal. Bring a book as cell phones are not allowed inside. No angry birds for you.

If you listen you can hear all sorts of informational (and misinformational) conversations. Sometimes you can hear the CO's and USC's exchanges.

A typical exchange goes something like this: "Number 6014 go to window 5" USC approaches, pleasantries are exchanged.
USC--how long will my case take?
CO---i don't know
USC--i cant understand what is taking so long, i did x on y date.
CO---there are many cases ahead of you
USC--but what about......
CO---there are many cases we are dealing with.
USC--how long will my case take?
CO---i don't know, you can submit additional information but we can't give you an answer.
USC--(with increasing urgency) how long will my case take?
CO---i don't know
USC--(gets out soapbox) this is...(insert string of adjectives) At this point the drama really begins, many stories told with varying degrees of emotion.
CO---i'm sorry but i don't know when you case will be resolved.
USC--delivers parting shot and leaves window generally empty-handed.
CO---Miller time. Has spent a long day deciding the fate and future of all caseloads seen. Will be back tomorrow.

It is not always so dour, if you have procedural or technical concerns things are handled easily. Getting results from a bureaucracy is more difficult.

I think it is a good thing to go and show your support and involvement. It is a good thing to put a face on your case file and it is a good thing to demonstrate your love. So if in town by all means stop by, I think it is a positive. Don't expect too much and keep it upbeat (i know it is difficult). Just keep pushing that rock up the hill.

I haven't seen anyone hit it out of the park at the consulate but I've seen a couple singles some long sac flies and some decent bunts to move the runners over.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2011-06-07 11:28:00
Vietnamhcm email turnaround time
I sent an email to the consulate April 14, 2011. Got the auto response in two or three minutes. Got the real response May 17, 2011, with the quote "thank-you for your inquiry. We regret the delay in our response".
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2011-06-10 13:28:00
VietnamMy Journey might be over

I'll know in a couple days what's going on. I'm still going there to talk, but Tuyen still needs a little time to sort things out. At least she's talking to me now.

I screwed up too. She wouldn't open up and tell me what was wrong, so I gave up and didn't push the issue far enough to find out.

Good luck, you are in a tough spot. I wish the best for you two. Just a thought, but it might be good for you to take a step away from her, your family and all of this, take a day to reflect on yourself. What do you want, need, etc. Relationships are thought of as 50-50, but really its more like 100%-100%. Both need total commitments to make it work. Sometimes we can spend so much time working on keeping the technical aspects of the relationship going that we forget the heart and soul of it all. You can build a house but that doesn't make it a home. I'm hoping for the best for you and yours.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2011-06-10 12:23:00
VietnamPlease Help!... Cho Ray

How is Nicole doin?


Doing well. Had a problem with liver failure due to PTH last Nov. and they had to stop treatment for about a month. Went back on the cocktail without the PTH and has had negative sputum results since. Still getting injections 3x weekly and taking 14 pills a day. But making progress. With any luck we may be done with treatment next March but more likely July of 2012. Thanks for asking. Been a while since I've been on. Have some info to post. At work now got to go.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2011-06-06 23:00:00
VietnamPlease Help!... Cho Ray

bumping this thread to ask does this "sputum culture" thing happen more at cho ray than IOM? when we had our vaccinations we talked to another lady that was going through the same k-1/cr-1 process. she called me after the interview to say she also got blue because she said cho ray requested "SC" from her also and the process would take 2-3 months.

i know it's a very small sample size but it seems more of these pop up at cho ray? am i totally wrong in my thinking or IOM is easier? i know "ho lao" is more prevalent in vietnam so it could just be totally random whether you're getting your medical at IOM or CR.


Not sure if one is easier than the other; but as far as the sputum culture goes I think its mainly based on the chest x-ray results. If they see evidence of scarring or previous tb they will ask for the sputum culture. The tb bacteria grow slowly, so it takes a couple months to determine if the tb is active.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2011-06-06 22:47:00
Vietnamap tb etc

one bait post removed.

Charles, I'm pretty sure I had at least one of the bait posts. Thank you for removing it. I let my emotions get the best of me and when I thought about it I realized how immature my post was. I considered removing it myself but I don't know how. I want to apologize to all who might have seen it. My personal belief is, in this particular venue we need to keep a positive outlook.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2011-10-04 22:49:00
Vietnamap tb etc

Get healthy, stay healthy so you can have long life together. my wife up my XXX to live long time, I am so lucky. Keep the faith, keep up time lines.

Thank you so much for your help and concern, every word you speak is same same for me. I am so lucky also. My blood family elders have all passed on. I am the oldest now and have been for almost 30 years. My biggest fear is that I leave my young family alone. Not because I think I'm so great but because I know the void it will leave(or I guess it left me). I'm very blessed to have my new family love and support us. ( Rhetorical question here) Have you ever spent your whole life looking for someone and then realized you wasted the first twenty years of your search because that person wasn't even born yet? I certainly have...I guess kindred spirits don't always follow a traditional timeline. in my way of thinking love means not so much as that with you I am strong ...It is that with you I can be weak.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2011-10-04 01:09:00
Vietnamap tb etc
Well, its amazing what a full days sleep can do. I would like to thank you all for your kind words. I must address something important in one of the responses to my post.
Tuberculosis is not a "mishap". Let me repeat that a little louder for the hard of thinking.

TUBERCULOSIS IS NOT A "MISHAP".

Statements like that are ignorant, misleading and dangerous. I really have to take exception to the cavalier attitude expressed by that term. It is a very serious disease infecting 1/3 of the worlds population, with new infections occurring at a continuing rate of one person per second. Untreated it has a mortality rate of over 50%. It has killed an estimated 1 billion people in the last 200 years and continues to kill at a current rate of 2 million people annually even today. The untold suffering of the afflicted has been happening for thousands of years, is continuing today and will be with us for a long long time. I'm not here to get into a pissin' match about suffering because as one goes so do we all. Please, please, if you or a loved one are in a TB situation take the disease seriously, follow the guidelines, listen to the docs, do your own research and stay the course. I'm not one to beg but I can't let this slide. I've been to the TB ward,seen the sick,this ain't no joke and I'm beggin for sure. Remember you can lead a horse to Google but you can't make him think.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2011-10-03 19:49:00
Vietnamap tb etc
Alright back to business...been stuck in AP a long long time now...talked to the tb doc at cho ray...he told me if all goes well we could get the medical clearance at the end of march 2012 and the visa could be issued a month or two after (almost 2 1/2 years AP?). No promises but a strong maybe. On the plus side if I have to move to VN the nursing staff at cho ray would like me to teach them english. I've been in the classroom before and come from a long line of teachers, so maybe I've got a new career lined up. Keeping my fingers crossed. Oh I forgot to mention last time, At IOM they told me the 4,400$ it used to cost extra for the second//third line of tv medications has been dropped. They added 10$ or so to the 80$ or so charge for the second line meds. So everyone pays 10$ more per month and this helps fund the cost for the third line meds for all. This way they don't have to send the mdr/xmdr people away without treatment. In that neck of the woods if you can't afford treatment they send you home sick. In the case of contagious diseases this is a real problem. I've been told at night in HCM you can hear the coughing all night long. If we don't get this health care thing settled in the US this could be coming to a city near you soon. Just sayin'. While in HCM I also stopped by the consulate during citizens hour...it was packed...went to the right side this time....so many people....many blues and one pink.....although since I've never seen a real pink in person I'm just guessing. Maybe I'll get to see a real pink in May or June next year. So many folks and they still use paper files. I saw a guy walk by behind the counter with a stack of files about 18 inches tall, I'm not kidding he was having trouble carrying them. At lot of the consulate employees struck me as looking quite young. Overseas employment is a young persons game I guess...or maybe I'm just getting old. The police certificate for our case has expired...I think its only good for 6 months at a time. Since it will be more than 6 months before our case gets medical clearance I asked if it was ok to wait and get the new police cert. issued closer to our potential clearance date. He said that shouldn't be a problem. All in all the consulate was easy I was in and out in 35 minutes. Not much more to report, I wish I had more info but we are in this holding pattern and there isn't much to do but wait. We have stopped the injections of th drugs and just take the 14 pills a day. It has helped with the side effects. It's been a long haul and its not near over yet but god willing and the creek don't rise we will get though it somehow. I hope it comes soon... I don't want to leave her at the airport any more...its tough...real tough...I...I..... you know its getting real hard to see these keys again...probley I'm just tired, or its just allergies....... sumthin....right?.....
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2011-10-03 10:16:00
Vietnamap tb etc
Well...its 5 something in the morning and I'm sittin here in a 10x10 with my life on hold, a copy of Thoreau's "Walden", seven beers and a half a pack of rolaids for company, tryin to type this on a cell phone. It wasn't supposed to go down like this, but it did. Damn, them keys are small, specially when my eyes get kind of misty, I'm probley jus tired, yeah...jus tired, or allergies or sumthin. Can't indent or punctuate, trapped in Kerouac mode. Just back from Saigon again, or what looks to me like the worlds biggest yard sale. A strange fusion of Copenhagen and Tijuana, all motorbikes and grit. The human condition laid bare, the wild west attitude, mordida, the variety of the seedy side of any major city, not all franchised and whitewashed. The rich side of life is so predictable. Saigon... Intoxicating. Not sayin its the best or worst but I enjoy it and as with many intoxicants, you may be judged by your use of them. I seen a lot of broken people there, but they don't break down...and I understand... kindred spirits... took a day trip to Vung Tau once...in the morning I saw a man crawling on the highway...on the way back in the afternoon he was still crawling in the same direction... hours and hours of crawling...breaks your effin heart. There was a man I used to see near cho ban thanh...puddle man...it was like he had no bones...I mean how does dropping a 20k dong note into his hat make up for that? I seen some real gut wrenchers I tell ya. But I've yet to hear "why me"? Maybe its cause my tieng viet's a little thin...but goddam they livin' close to the bone over there. The sheer tragedy and triumph of it all...intoxicating...Col. Kurtz had some of the best lines ever about it..."my god the genius of that...the will to do that...perfect, genuine, complete, crystalline, pure...and then I realized they were stronger than we...they had the strength...the strength...to do that". And yes I realize the context of his quote from the movie, but allow some poetic license here. But I digress...damn I hate that steel gray dawn sky...almost outta beer...man if I had a nickel for every time I sat in the parking lot of 7/11 waiting for the 6am beer selling festivities...brb...
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2011-10-03 08:54:00
Vietnamto those of us in ap

Pure poetry, and so true! It's hard to convince the average joe why we did indeed choose to take that path, you know, the long twisted, overgrown one when that other paved, straight tamed path looks so easy. No way man! I will fight through the jungle if I have to, as long as he's on the other side :)

Damn straight we will. Anybody seen my matchete? I'll use my bare hands if necessary. Ooh.. and some bug spray.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2011-10-05 22:35:00
Vietnamto those of us in ap
Ok...pressing forward....AP....we can do this. It's going to take little victories, small miracles and patience, but we got this. In my experience relationships tend to take the path of least resistance. Us VJ folks ignored that memo. But you know what? We have a little special mojo workin' (for lack of a better term). Don't get me wrong.....it ain't all going to work out for all of us. But by god its not for lack of trying. It's been said you miss 100% of the shots you don't take. Well I'm takin' mine and I know if you are here on VJ with me you're takin' yours. No regrets. When I draw my last breath sure as hell don't want to be kickin' myself in the a$$ for the things I didn't do, the choices I didn't make. It won't happen overnight, but when its bottom 9, two outs, nobody on and your down by a few, you don't get it back with one swing. You get back in it by clawing and scratching 90 feet at a time. Thats AP.

Resilience and patience. Determination and faith. It's very frustrating to have our fate in someone else's hands, the open ended waiting, the lack of response. I remember the early times. When I first knew I was going to do this, I went to see some immigration attorneys, the filing period, the time frame for the paperwork, the wait, it was overwhelming. I didn't think I could wait one more day, much less a week.or a month even! I was so naive to the immigration process. But at least there was a date, a time for resolution. AP strips that from us. I've been in AP for a long time now. It doesn't really get any better but it does seem to get more tolerable (if that makes sense....affairs of the heart rarely make sense, but hey we gotta frame it somehow). At least now I don't have that feeling of an invisible hand clutching my throat, the tightness in my chest, the trapped feeling any more. As our relationship, matured and mellowed, we grew as a couple, resolved,committed and renewed. We may not be together physically but we are united just the same. We laugh together, cry together, love together connected by the tiniest of electrons. It is a lifeline for our love. Twice a day, religiously, with a juxtaposed morning and night we laugh love and cry. It's not much but its everything to us.

We in the VJ family are a special group...we took the hard road...even under the best of circumstances a marriage can be hard to maintain (ooh boy do I know that.....). But this is a whole new level. There is doubt from our friends and loved ones...sideways looks from relatives...talk of us being used, green cards, money, etc. Once, in talking to a friend I mentioned my impending marriage, his response was "she's going to steal your sh!t". First thing out of his mouth, not congratulations, not I'm happy for you, just negative bs. These little negatives add can add up but they don't need to stop us. It's a a long row to hoe, but we can get it done.

Let us cherish these moments we we have with our beloved, we know the are no guarantees, no sure things, but let us not be afraid to love, laugh and cry together for in the end the only moment we truly have is now.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2011-10-04 21:03:00
Vietnamto those of us in ap
Well its been semi documented I hit a little rough patch recently. These things come and go. Run in cycles, ain't no thing..kinda like the Saigon rains, you see em comin in, as they pass thru you get wet... real wet sometimes...the sun comes out and you move on. It's all part of the process. But you know what? When there's someone selling ponchos on every block the rain ain't such a big deal. I swear that whole city is one continuous drive thru window. You could get on your moto monday morning and not get off till you needed gas.

I realize my maudlin ramblings could be perceived as pretentious drivel by some. But thats not why I'm here. I'm here to help. I'm hoping by sharing my situation it could help someone else. We are all in this together. I believe in you. Sounds stupid I know, but I stand by my word. I'm going to be honest with you...this ain't my first picnic, nor my first time on the love go round. I've been working without a net for a long long time. I've seen things I can't unsee, done things I can't undo. Baggage? Mine's pretty heavy, I'll carry it myself. That being said, its ok to be vulnerable, life doesn't exist in a vacuum. If it gets to be too much, reach out. Ain't no whiners here, we all doin' what we need to do. Strong, Resilient, Focused.

Someday I hope to look back on these times and smile. It's called Visajourney for a reason. It's not Visadestination. Like how they don't call it catching, they call it fishing. By sharing the journey we can lighten the load.

I'm one of they lucky ones. Truly blessed. I found the woman I've been looking for my whole life. Well maybe more like since I was 14 or so. Let's face it there was a time when building model cars in my room was the ultimate. "when I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became man I put away childish things."
I have a great relationship with an awesome friend, a lifetime companion, we are truly hai trong mot. I couldn't ask for more. I'm only waiting a short time. There are military families separated as we speak. Nobody is shooting at me...I've been at the consulate and heard people pleading their case...one woman had been trying to get her husband a visa for six years. Another woman I know personally waited ten years to get admitted to the US. Ten years...and that is the given time with no complications. I am so fortunate just to have found her.

I see the difficulty in our long distance relationships. Hell, there was a time I wouldn't even date anyone from a different town, much less a different country. And now I can't wait to jam myself into a toothpaste tube going 600 miles per hour in -60 degree weather with 300 strangers for fourteen hours. I mean for gods sake, I'm going so far, a day....a whole day....just disappears....poof...its gone. That some kind of time travel isn't it? Some sci-fi sh!t right? I can't figure that out.

I'm going to file this now but ill be back in a minute to finish...this will probably be merged with what's to follow. I don't have a computer and even though this smartphone is pretty cool I don't trust it.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2011-10-04 18:56:00
VietnamWhat happened to wreath's thread?

i never got answer...

wreath was the husband.. then OP said it was the wife.. what did i miss..?!

Nothing, just a bunch of convoluted tail chasing.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2011-10-10 23:27:00
VietnamVISA APPROVED
Congratulations, if it was up to me I'd do marriage on arrival. While waiting for the baggage carousel there is plenty of time for a civil ceremony. Ohhh yeah.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2011-10-12 22:04:00
VietnamAOS Approved

Yeah, approved and didn't even require an interview. I love it.

Congratulations on your approval.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-06 20:51:00
VietnamTet 2012

OK, so we are neighbors now. My mom's side is from Phu Ly, Nam Dinh. My great great .... great grandfather (I'm the 14th generation) founded a village there after resigning from his post as Vietnam ambassador to China in the 16th century. He topped the national examination as a Tr?ng nguyên (the highest scorer among other PhDs) and his name (#37) now is on the list of 49 Tr?ng nguyên ever at the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam) in Hanoi. Quite some family history there! I was born and grew up in Dalat though; hence, dalatian, and spent a number of years as a forced hippie in Berkeley during college days.



It's awesome you have a long family history. As a third or fourth gen American (great grand parents came from Scandinavia mid 1800's) that's as far back as I go. Story is they met on the boat over. No VJ to help back then.
I want to go to Dalat, if we get a visa issued this year we are planning to go. I've been to VN 10 times but always around sea level. I want to get some elevation and check out the flora and fauna there. Dalat will be the easiest I think. Sapa and some of the harder to get to regions take to much time to visit. We are working so hard to get a visa and have to be at the hospital for the meds so much, its difficult to be footloose and fancy free at this time in our lives. Speaking of footloose and fancy free, doesn't the term "forced hippie" seem like an oxymoron? I've been to Berkeley, interesting town. I like the bay area.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-08 00:39:00
VietnamTet 2012

Northern California is stunning. One of my most favorite routes to drive.Posted Image



I have a lot of good memories there, grew up in shasta county between mt. Lassen & mt. Shasta, lived in Burney, Redding,Chico & Paradise. Been up and down the 5, 99, 101 a lot. Highway 89, 299, 49, 70, 36, 20, 1, 44, actually, there are so many that are my favorites. Tryin to keep it on the DL, don't want a bunch of flatlanders comin up and messin up the good parts of CA. If you get a chance to check out the redwoods, I highly recommend it.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-08 00:00:00
VietnamTet 2012

Where is this place? I'm familiar with Soc Son and Ha Nam Ninh as these are my ancestral land. Both are close to Hanoi (Soc Son is adjacent to Noi Bai International).

The Sutter Buttes lookalike was on highway QL1 or QL1A I think about halfway between Hanoi and Nam Dinh. The small mountain from which the town was shelled is called Nui An Lao. Or maybe just An Lao. We were about 10 miles due east of Nam Dinh and halfway between Phu Ly and Ninh Binh in a north/south axis. Tinh-Nam Dinh; Huyen-Vu Ban; Xa-Mihn Thuan; Thon-Dong Dat. Sorry about the lack of diacritics, even if I had them I not very good at using them.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-06 20:32:00
VietnamTet 2012

How the heck do you remember this much detail??? I can barely remember what I had for lunch!

Memory.... Boon or bane...curse or gift? I think I remember because its new. I could bore you with more detail but this phone I type on is stupid. If the computer thing catches on maybe I'll buy one. Until then I'm investing in pay phones and buggy whips, you never see many of those so there must be a need for them. Trust me, I have huge gaps in my memory also, what I had for lunch, the seventies, early eighties, etc. When you have to feel your toothbrush to see If its wet. You know your memory is lacking.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-06 00:29:00
VietnamTet 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2ihL_FrFPs


Love the rain, I sat at a coffee shop in Saigon, it rained hard across the street for ten minutes but I didn't get wet at all. I was literally at the edge of the rain. Never seen anything like it. One side of the street wet, the other side dry. You can't write that sh!t. Incredible.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-06 00:10:00
VietnamTet 2012

James..you are bringing back lots of memories from Hanoi for me..I felt like I was "ve que an Tet" again on Hang's Dad side of the family in HaTay. I have to give it to you..you are having the experiences the not even many VKs have ever seen.. :thumbs:


Good to hear from you.. if your up in in the sacto area, you might have seen the Sutter Buttes around Yuba City/Marysville. I'm a norcal country boy, so I'm familiar with the area. Anyway the road from Hanoi to the in-laws is very similar to the central valley of CA. There was even a small mountain range that looked like the Sutter Buttes. They grow plenty of rice up around the Chico area. For me, a chance to see VN rice growing was a real treat. Damn that sounds boring. Anyway, I'm glad you are doing well. I got some people in norcal so if I ever get up there maybe I can look you up. Wishing you the best.
.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-06 00:00:00
VietnamTet 2012

About 20,000 feet above Hanoi I lost the sun. Little did I know, it would be 14 days befoore I saw the sun again.

Two weeks of wet. Heavy wet, light wet, big wet, small wet. Dr Seuss could write a book with this wet. There is nothing that compares to rice field wet. Mosquito nets in winter? That don't happen in Minnesota. Those buggers don't do well at -35.

Sky so grey and bland, no definition, no contrast. Like a giant bowl placed over the ground. Rain and mud everywhere.
I loved it.

Hanoi-- the airport ain't in town. I had an am flight and had to wait over 12 hours for Nicole to arrive. It being Tet and all, she couldn't get a flight from HCM to Hanoi at our leisure. I stayed at the AVI Airport hotel. 5$ ride from.the airport with hotel voucher. There is a gov't khach san near the airport, but bad tripadvisor reviews kept me from it. While I was at AVI, an American couple came In and said they spent no more than 20 minutes at that hotel.and had to get put of there.

Scary moment...... I slept at AVI for a few hours then went back to the Hanoi AP to p/u baxa . We .picked.up a .gypsy cab to take us back to the hotel.

I had been to the hotel during daylight and knew the way back. The gypo taxi guy had a shortcut in mind.... He jumped on.the freeway going against traffic, yes.....going the.wrong way, turned off the freeway into a dirt road. I'm thinking how the f can I escape this mugging. I got 3 G American in my pocket (can't.trust the safe.in the hotel.....yeah the safe has a lock, but it weighs 10 lbs and is not bolted down). I got a wife.to cover.and. I'm not sure when I am. Plus I got a case of green oil, some tet gifts and assorted sundries in my room. We can't find the hotel in the dark and rainy night. It is locked up with steel rolldown doors and no sign. I think I'm in hcm where the hotels 24/7..
Sorry mods, gonna hafta merge this, phone cung dien. Very difficult. More to.follow.
S


P



We stay in Hanoi one night and leave for the village in the morning. Five of us...in a Toyota corolla.....for four hours. Traffic is thick in Hanoi, stays busy until we hit the dirt roads. Motorbikes overflowing with families, packed to the gills with supplies and those little trees. I even saw a full size pig tied to the back.of a motorbike. Each new road we turn onto is smaller than the one before. Farmland now wet and fallow. I see people turning over the earth with hand tools. Big fields and small shovels. No tractors, just modified bicycles to bear the load. We are getting close.

The village that lost its name....

Oh it had a name once, but they had to give it a new name after it was destroyed. It's new name roughly translates to "burned earth".
You see there is a small mountain, a hill really, about maybe 500 to 1000 feet tall just outside of town. First the Japanese, then the French, then the Americans (and probably the Chinese before all of the others) came and took that hill. It was an ideal place for artillery. The town was shelled into oblivion. The only place left standing, the only safe haven was the Catholic church. The entire village lived in that church. When the invaders left, as they always do. The people reclaimed the land. There is really nothing there. Just rice. From the hill you could control traffic on the small river and shoot your guns, but there is nothing to pillage, nothing to gain, everyone who took the hill eventually left with nothing. When the shooting and bombs stopped the farmers planted and worked the land. Rice.

So this will be my home for the next couple weeks. The Grapes of Wrath meets Ma and Pa Kettle meets Deliverance, with some unsettling Wicker Man moments (the good one with Edward Woodard, not the Nick Cage abomination). Farmers, salt of the earth, awesome. I used to work on ranches, hauled hay, worked cattle and set irrigation when I was younger, so this a trip down memory lane.

I went to a town hall type meeting on the church grounds after mass. Menfolk only, so many interesting characters. They had a microphone and a small PA system, some one would get up and deliver an impassioned oratory, really incredible stuff, then hand the Mic to someone else who word continue. I have no idea what was being said but it was intense. When the power went out and the PA died these guys just put the Mic down and continued as if nothing happened. We all sat there and drank beer, ate snacks and listened to the speeches. About fifty of us. I could tell by the faces of the 10 or so young guys (late teens, early twenties) they were just there for the beer. I figure they were bored with the talk and I got the impression they would leave the village.and move to the city as soon as they were able.

Anyway, back to Tet, it seemed kind of like a reverse Halloween for adults. People come to the house bearing gifts of sugar, liquor, red bag, etc. Have some tea, chat for a bit and go to the next house. Looking out at the town small groups of people were everywhere going from house to house. Family is important and the family I'm in is big. I must have went to thirty homes. And was welcomed in all. I never drank so much tea in my life. They offered food and drink everywhere. Beer and liquor. I drank snake wine, three day old wine, banana wine, some kind of fruit I'd never seen before wine, wine that tasted like a margarita, wine that tasted like southern comfort, all kinds of wine and all of it homemade. It was in old water bottles, old coke bottles, jerry cans and giant jugs. I had a blast.

Hands tied behind his back the young dog struggled in the cold mud, slowly awaiting the lunar feast.

Ironically in those moments it was probably the only time that dog was ever loved.

Within a couple hours the dog was served. I don't know if it was because the dog was young or if all dogs taste like that but it was good. Very tender. I liked it much better than the beef.

It was about 50 to 60 degrees everyday. The houses did not have any heat. The doors were only closed at night and they were so draft it didn't matter anyway. There were fires but they were used for cooking only. Thankfully this time around they had hot water from the tap, a western toilet and a table eitherto eat on in the house I was staying. I'm not a prolific squatter, nor can I sit comfortably on the floor to eat. Even those little tiny stools are problematic. I'v dropped about 20lbs and want to lose 20 more, so next time I can go low and still be able to swallow my food. It was very interesting to sit around with the family and listen in. It's amazing how similar people are everywhere. Families talking about their kids, gossiping about the wife of one of the brothers and so on. I get a translation every so often and peoples body language tells the.rest of the story. Oftentimes I felt like I.did when I was a kid sitting at the adults table listening to them drone on and on and wanting to be anywhere else. But it was all good. I wouldn't trade any of it away. I had a great trip.

10,000 miles from home listening to a Vietnamese version of "Guantanemera", breaking bread and drinking tea with 95 year old women who are still working in the barn, having conversations that neither side understands but doing it anyway, having to duck to go through doorways, bumping my head on something everywhere I go. I'm 5'10". If I was 6'5" I would be used to bumping my head. In Vietnam 5 10 is the new 6 5. Going down stairs sideways because they are cut so small they ball of my foot hangs over the edge, getting excited every time someone fires up a bong then realizing.its only tobacco, bringing my own napkins and fresh wipes everywhere I go, stumbling over the broken sidewalks, washing my socks and not having them dry for 3 days, sleeping on beds that are just a piece of plywood, pulling over on the freeway so the nun we are traveling with can take a leak in front of god and everyone,pulling over on the freeway so I can take a leak, walking down a narrow alley towards this fetching, haunting, magical music, incense wafting through the air, chickens at my feet, people elbow to elbow as I get closer and closer to the incense and funeral party the music grows and suddenly the alley fills with motorbikes, the rush hour shortcut, now no one can move, not me, not the motorbikes, not even the chickens but the music plays on and on. Surreal. Psychedelic. I can't wait to go back.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-05 18:49:00
VietnamTet 2012

I'm in it now ... it was raining for the first 4 days this trip... not hard enough to clean anything, just wet enough to get the dirt wet enough to stick to anything and everything.. The sun came out today... what a huge contrast... yesterday was foggy rainy cloudy and dreary.. today is sunny and cool and clear... the mosquitos here are lighter in the winter but they never seem to totally go away.

Accomodations vary so widely from one street to another. Another faculty member recommended the hotel I got booked in to the Dean... What that guy was thinking is beyond me... If I want to live on the cheap as a tourist thats one thing, but that is rarely the case for me... I have been in some really bad hotels here... and often stay at the Daewoo..



be careful with the taxis here... I wont take a gypsy taxi as they tend to want to jack up the rate 500%


Hi Scott, yeah the taxis in Hanoi seem to take more liberties than in HCM. They often go the long way around
As for hotels in Hanoi, I'll check out the Daewoo. I've toured the Hanoi elegance in 09, it seemed nice, I stayed in the Zephyr, big room on the top floor. Faded and dated, it has seen better days. Not worth the 200$ price. The best hotel I've stayed at in Hanoi was the Sofitel Metropole. Top notch but pricey. Club level room was 350$ after tax. I also stayed in another wing there and it was 250$ out the door. This time round I stayed at the Charming Hotel on Yen Thai st. 30$ for a window room. It was a couple doors down from another of the Elegance chain which seemed very nice. Yen Thai st is a small alley so the taxi can't pull up to the hotel. Its about a 100 foot walk to the bigger street. No.real need to spend big on a hotel however. 25 to 30$ seems to be the sweet spot for a decent hotel. I've been very happy with that price point in VN. The AVI hotel near the airport is mainly good for layovers or one night stays. There not much around that area. I like Hanoi, interesting town.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-05 15:22:00
VietnamTet 2012

What is the weather usually like mid-end of April? I will be there for two weeks while my fiancee does her interview. Last time I went in June, it would rain a few days, but was mostly sunny.


The weather in HCMC has been pretty consistent year round in my experience. Pretty hot and humid with thunder shower type rains rolling through. I never felt the weather was as oppressive as some people made it out to be. I stay hydrated and out of the direct sun if possible. I bought some hi tech travel clothes but honestly, a lightweight cotton shirt from Target works just as well and only costs 10 or 15 bucks.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-05 13:58:00
VietnamTet 2012
About 20,000 feet above Hanoi I lost the sun. Little did I know, it would be 14 days befoore I saw the sun again.

Two weeks of wet. Heavy wet, light wet, big wet, small wet. Dr Seuss could write a book with this wet. There is nothing that compares to rice field wet. Mosquito nets in winter? That don't happen in Minnesota. Those buggers don't do well at -35.

Sky so grey and bland, no definition, no contrast. Like a giant bowl placed over the ground. Rain and mud everywhere.
I loved it.

Hanoi-- the airport ain't in town. I had an am flight and had to wait over 12 hours for Nicole to arrive. It being Tet and all, she couldn't get a flight from HCM to Hanoi at our leisure. I stayed at the AVI Airport hotel. 5$ ride from.the airport with hotel voucher. There is a gov't khach san near the airport, but bad tripadvisor reviews kept me from it. While I was at AVI, an American couple came In and said they spent no more than 20 minutes at that hotel.and had to get put of there.

Scary moment...... I slept at AVI for a few hours then went back to the Hanoi AP to p/u baxa . We .picked.up a .gypsy cab to take us back to the hotel.

I had been to the hotel during daylight and knew the way back. The gypo taxi guy had a shortcut in mind.... He jumped on.the freeway going against traffic, yes.....going the.wrong way, turned off the freeway into a dirt road. I'm thinking how the f can I escape this mugging. I got 3 G American in my pocket (can't.trust the safe.in the hotel.....yeah the safe has a lock, but it weighs 10 lbs and is not bolted down). I got a wife.to cover.and. I'm not sure when I am. Plus I got a case of green oil, some tet gifts and assorted sundries in my room. We can't find the hotel in the dark and rainy night. It is locked up with steel rolldown doors and no sign. I think I'm in hcm where the hotels 24/7..
Sorry mods, gonna hafta merge this, phone cung dien. Very difficult. More to.follow.
S


P
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-05 00:14:00
VietnamPink!!!

Yes thanks! I am hoping to become a more active participant on this forum. Hopefully somebody new will be able to learn from our past experiences and help them in their own visa journey. Thu submitted her passport and paid the EMS fee. She should get the passport with visa in about a week or so.

Now that my journey through AP is complete, I want to add a few final words of wisdom. I spent 8 months in this AP nightmare. AP is perhaps the most difficult part of the immigration process mainly because you cannot be with each other and also because of the complete unknown. You have no idea what the Consulate is doing with your case for months and it can be enough to make a person go mad. There is no magic solution on how to deal with AP. The only thing I can advise others is to dig very deep into your heart of hearts and find the strength to be strong. It truly takes mental toughness. There were times when I wanted to give up. I didn't want to do this anymore. Thu and I got into silly arguments about such trivial things. But we found a way to rely on each other's love for each other to get past those silly arguments. Eventually you learn that no matter what happens, you go through it TOGETHER. The last thing you want is to not be on the same page...and if you don't like the results you start blaming each other. No matter what the outcome of your journey is, go through it TOGETHER. Fail together or succeed together. Remember what you are fighting for. Remember what you are sacrificing so much for. Remember the prize that is waiting for you when you succeed...your loved one. In the end, all the battles you fought and all the obstacles you overcame will only make the victory taste so much sweeter!

Now I will do my best to help others just as I was helped the past 3 years. I look forward to helping all of you in any way possible. The people on Visa Journey are the best and if we work together, I hope that more people will experience the joy and jubilation of being united with their loved ones. Thanks again. God bless :thumbs:



Well spoken, you will give strength to all you read your journey.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-07 23:40:00
VietnamPink!!!

Once again thanks to everybody who gave us their support. This was one of the most difficult things in my life to deal with but we finally conquered this obstacle. We will celebrate for a while and in a few days we will start making travel plans once she gets the visa. Once again...THANKS! :dance:



Congratulations, to both of you. Hope to see you in the removal of conditions and adjustment of status forums soon. Wishing you the best.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-06 20:11:00
VietnamHow money do you need to sponsor for your wife?
[quote name='ScottThuy' timestamp='1331015496' post='5203190']
I am still waiting on my check... I sent you the processing fees months ago...
Thank you for my new Ferrari, it is very fast. I wish it had more room for my luggage but since I buy new clothes every hour, I guess the lack of trunk space is ok. My country is very slow to process the administrative fees. Another wad of your American money might help to speed things up. If you run out of your own money perhaps you could take...errrh I mean borrow from you family. If your family can't pay, its ok. Just get the extra money somehow. I'm trying to buy an airplane or helicopter so I can fly to your country... America....right?.....and give you your millions without my governments ridiculous interference.
Sincerely yours, a very rich royal prince.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-06 02:00:00
VietnamHow money do you need to sponsor for your wife?
[quote name='ScottThuy' timestamp='1331015496' post='5203190']
I am still waiting on my check... I sent you the processing fees months ago...
Thank you for my new Ferrari, it is very fast. I wish it had more room for my luggage but since I buy new clothes every hour, I guess the lack of trunk space is ok. My country is very slow to process the administrative fees. Another wad of your American money might help to speed things up. If you run out of your own money perhaps you could take...errrh I mean borrow from you family. If your family can't pay, its ok. Just get the extra money somehow. I'm trying to buy an airplane or helicopter so I can fly to your country... America....right?.....and give you your millions without my governments ridiculous interference.
Sincerely yours, a very rich royal prince.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-06 01:58:00
VietnamHow money do you need to sponsor for your wife?
Hello jonnyx; I am a royal prince from an obscure country. I have millions of dollars that I need to transfer, I can send huge amounts of money to you if you give me all of your bank account numbers and perhaps you could send me a very small stipend of 4 or 5 thousand dollars (american, of course) to set up your new account (did I say it will make you very rich?). Sincerely, a very rich royal prince with a lot of money for you. If you don't want to do that, I suggest you read the guides on visajourney.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-05 23:33:00
VietnamContact HCMC Consulate

Sent email to HCMC consulate Jan 12 2012 receive reply Feb 6, 2012. Sent email Feb 16 10am re: address change got auto response 2pm Feb 16, as of Mar 4 I have gotten no reply.


Regarding the email I sent Feb 16, 2012-- I got a response from the consulate march 11, 2012. A little over 3 weeks. Nicole had an address change in HCMC. I informed the consulate via email, no forms or anything, and they said updated her address. I hope they did.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-17 22:01:00
VietnamContact HCMC Consulate
Sent email to HCMC consulate Jan 12 2012 receive reply Feb 6, 2012. Sent email Feb 16 10am re: address change got auto response 2pm Feb 16, as of Mar 4 I have gotten no reply.
james&nicoleMaleVietnam2012-03-04 22:18:00