Author Topic: A trip to Canada  (Read 7057 times)

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Offline David E

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Re: A trip to Canada
« Reply #15 on: December 20, 2010, 01:59:45 am »
Robert

Do I assume that both parties were either citizens or permanent residents ?? If so, the only impediment to an instant marriage is finding a celebrant (or priest) to do it quickly. ;D ;D
Here in WA, celebrants are booked months ahead...it would be a tough job getting one so quickly...but as you say, its who you know, not what you know !!!

If , on the other hand, either of the parties was NOT a citizen or PR...then I have no idea how they managed to marry...and I suspect it aint legal !!!

David

Offline David E

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Re: A trip to Canada
« Reply #16 on: December 20, 2010, 02:03:16 am »
Halfpint

I dont think my own situation will or could result in such a disaster...at least I hope not !!!

In any event, a couple of days paying for those parasites would see me out...but I think it would take a lot longer.

But what intrigued me about the conversation from his perspective, was that it would seem that much of what the various Immigration Departments do to us is based on bluff...and based on their knowing we cant really afford to challenge them.

However, it also seems that IF we ever did mount such a challenge...they would go down !!!

Offline halfpint

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Re: A trip to Canada
« Reply #17 on: January 08, 2011, 11:25:22 am »
3 weeks from now my girlfriend will arrive in Vancouver.  I'm going to drive down and meet her there, spend a few days showing her Vancouver then bring her home.  I can't wait!!!  My niece, who is in the travel industry, said to me "Alan its her 1st time in Canada, you must spoil her".  So she has booked me a room at a nice hotel in downtown Vancouver.  A boutique hotel called "The Loden".  She said its a 4 star hotel with 5 star service.  Part of her job is inspecting and rating high end hotels, so she knows what she is talking about.  I think this will be a very good start to what will hopefully be a wonderful trip!!!
My qin ai de is in Shanghai, and I'm not

Arnold

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Re: A trip to Canada
« Reply #18 on: January 08, 2011, 02:40:05 pm »
Alan , don't forget to set up the Camera .. as we would love to see it all going down/happening with Pictures .

( boy am I gald .. I have no Film in my Camera doesn't work anymore now-a-day's )  :D

Vince G

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Re: A trip to Canada
« Reply #19 on: January 08, 2011, 04:29:21 pm »
Film? Film? Better hope you don't have a film camera. Kodak no longer makes it or the chemicals to develop it. As of Dec/2010 no one can develop your film (Kodachrome).

Offline halfpint

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Re: A trip to Canada
« Reply #20 on: January 08, 2011, 11:10:23 pm »
Fortunately I do have a brand new camera.  My girls gave me one for christmas as the one I had actually died near the end of my trip in China.  Now all I have to do is convince my girlfriend its ok to post her picture on the internet!  She seems to be a little bit shy about that.
My qin ai de is in Shanghai, and I'm not

Offline halfpint

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Re: A trip to Canada
« Reply #21 on: January 27, 2011, 01:33:53 am »
Tomorrow I am driving to Vancouver.  I'm staying the night with relatives so I can be at the airport early the next morning.  My girlfriend arrives for her 1st trip to Canada.  I am very excited about this!  So are my kids, which is great.  I decided to fly my oldest girl  home from university for a weekend so she can meet my girlfriend.  We have a weekend in Vancouver, a weekend at a ski hill and a weekend at a nice lake.  During the week, we will be at my home and I will be working a good part of it, I'm too busy to take all this time off.  Hopefully the busy weekends will make up for the downtime during the week.  I am praying for sunshine, this time of year you just don't know what the weather will do.  If I get a chance I will let you know how we are doing, if not, I'll let you know after the trip is done. 

Alan
My qin ai de is in Shanghai, and I'm not

Offline Neil

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Re: A trip to Canada
« Reply #22 on: January 27, 2011, 03:53:27 am »
I am very excited about this too.  It would be wonderful to have my soon-to-be wife come to Canada for a visit.  Good luck!
...as irresistible as chocolate

Offline shaun

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Re: A trip to Canada
« Reply #23 on: January 27, 2011, 05:03:09 am »
And your guy's are serious?   Because I don't overstand what you are talking about?   Maxx, David, which one of you are Prof. Henry Higgins?

Offline halfpint

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Re: A trip to Canada
« Reply #24 on: February 17, 2011, 02:15:11 am »
1st my apologies, my girlfriend (Min) doesnt like the idea of her pictures being on here, its too open.  Facebook was ok, a little more private there with the right settings.  I will try and post a few pics of things we saw, I know, it's not the same.

We had a great weekend in Vancouver.  From the airport we drove downtown.  The meeting at the airport was nice, big smiles from both of us and a big hug.  I was so glad she was in Canada, her 1st vacation outside of China.  The customs guy asked her a lot of questions, but no problems.  On the way to the hotel we stopped and walked around English Bay for an hour.  It was Vancouver in the winter so it was raining and cool, but that didn't bother us.  It was just nice being together again.  Min was amazed at how clean the water in English Bay was. 

By the time we got to the hotel she needed a nap, she had no sleep on the 10 hour trip from Shanghai.  A couple of hours later we grabbed an umbrella and took a walk around Canada Place overlooking Stanley Park, Coal Harbour and Burrard Inlet.  Cloudy and wet but still impressive.  One thing I love doing is just chatting with this lady.  I guess that comes from all our time on the internet.  In person, its even better.  Her face just lights up when she smiles.

We decided to take the seabus across Burrard Inlet to a place called Lonsdale Quay.  We walked around the marketplace then had a late lunch that also became our early dinner.  We went back to the hotel for a nap that turned into a long sleep, something Min needed.

The next day we went for a drive through Stanley Park.  This is a park you can appreciate even in this kind of weather.  We stopped and walked around a few times, watching the boat traffic on the water, the people jogging and cycling in the rain and just enjoying our time.  We followed this with a walk down Robson Street, the Nanjing Road of Vancouver.  Not quite as many people, not even close actually, but almost as interesting.

The evening was the 1st family introduction.  My niece and her boyfriend had dinner with us in a very "Westcoast" restaurant in an area of downtown called Gastown.  Great food, great atmosphere.  It went very well.  I'm sure Min was nervous but she has a way of making people feel very comfortable with her.  Min is a very genuine person, her personality just makes it easy for people to relax and have fun with her, so it was a great night.

The next day, Sunday was fantastic.  The clouds were gone, the sun was shining.  For those of you that dont know Vancouver, when the sun shines its one of the most beautiful cities in the world.  Min wanted to sea Stanley Park in the sunshine so we did that again, walked some of the park and English Bay again, just a great day to see the city.  Vancouver has an outdoor skating rink in the core of the downtown.  Min had never skated before so we had to do that.  By the end Min was skating around the rink without holding on to anything, she loved it.  After the skating we were joined by my sister, brother-in-law and 4 friends.  We went to a coffee shop and sat and chatted.  It was great to just be like that with friends and family, it meant a lot to me.  I will always remember that afternoon, a special time for me.  We had dinner with another couple I had never met before.  A friend of a friend who had met Min in Shanghai.  It's a long story but it went really well.  A chinese couple who's family have a large business in China but they live in Vancouver.  He spends half his year in China, we had some very interesting talks about the differences in the two countries.

On Monday we left Vancouver and stopped at my nieces on the way to Vernon, my hometown.  My sister, brother-in-law, niece and her husband and my mother were all there.  We had a great visit.  All my family members were quite taken by Min.  If I needed a thumbs up I got it from everyone.  My mother told me Min is welcome in Canada any time, she really likes her. 

Now it was time to take Min home and introduce her to my kids.  I'm tired so I'll do that another time.  So far the trip has gone very well.

[attachimg=1]

I'll post more pics later, seems they are too large.  I'll figure that out.
« Last Edit: February 17, 2011, 02:22:36 am by halfpint »
My qin ai de is in Shanghai, and I'm not

Arnold

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Re: A trip to Canada
« Reply #25 on: February 17, 2011, 10:38:47 pm »
I'm glad Alan , that Min likes it in Canada and is so well excepted by your Family . Ahhhh .. makes things so much easier !

Pictures or not , we appreciate updates from all our Members .. so thank you for that .

Offline halfpint

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Re: A trip to Canada
« Reply #26 on: February 19, 2011, 01:15:08 am »
Thanks Arnold.  The rest of the trip was great.  We had a weekend at a ski hill, her 1st time skiing.  Another weekend at a cabin on Shuswap Lake, made a snowman on the dock, snow angels on the beach, a snowball fight  and walks along the beach, a nice weekend.  At home I was working, so we kind of lived a normal life during the week and it was great.

My girls really like this girl, they've told me they would be happy if I married her, so would I.   I know what direction I'm going in and I hope we can make it work.  A great trip for everyone.
My qin ai de is in Shanghai, and I'm not

Arnold

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Re: A trip to Canada
« Reply #27 on: February 19, 2011, 12:20:43 pm »
Ohhh yes ... that I like to see . Halfpint become a " Fullpint "  ;D ;D ;D

Offline halfpint

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Re: A trip to Canada
« Reply #28 on: February 20, 2011, 01:29:45 pm »
A "fullpint" is always better  ;D
My qin ai de is in Shanghai, and I'm not