End of the road

[Willy The Londoner]

I didn't know it was possible without immigrating here. I am also registered with the local police.  I have a one year, muiti-entry  VISA but it states on the VISA that the maximum each stay is 90 days. Hopefully I am not here another 90 days. That will be the case unless Fiona's application is denied. If it is I am seriously looking at putting down some more permanent roots (north of here).

I had my visa renewed at the PSB in Zhongshan - 12 months multi entry. There is no requirement for me to leave the country in between.  I can stay right up until the renewal date.  My temp residents permit also has the same expiry date as the visa.

Willy

[Neil]

Can you become a permanent resident Willy?  Or, if you wanted to, could you become a Chinese citizen?

[Willy The Londoner]

Can you become a permanent resident Willy?  Or, if you wanted to, could you become a Chinese citizen?

I probably could eventually but there are not many benefits to it.  One would need to give up their present passport as China does not allow dual nationality.

It may save you on yearly visas but think of the restrictions. You would be treated just like a Chinese National having to registere here there and everywhjere and have restrictions on travel. I would not be able to go to Hong Kong or Macau without a Chinese exit visa.

And could I just walk into the UK if I traveled there or would I need to get a visa for that.

No not for me. I would rather pay the 900 odd rmb every year.

That is unless things got difficult to stay here with officialdom.

Willy

[Pineau]

I am ready to choke the life out of someone at USCIS.  Someone just reset the clock after waiting 60 days  What a coincidence, their 60 days (to the day) that they owed me a reply to my response.  So I guess another 60 days delay (but who's counting).

They want a copy in English and Chinese of Fiona's divorce from her first husband.  I didn't send it this time because I had sent it with the original application.  If they would just open their eyes they would find it in the pile of papers I sent. And they could use a little logic. Anyone with   can figure out the Chinese government is not going to let her marry me if she cant prove her single status. The marriage brueau here also requires a divorce decree and proof of single status

 

[Pineau]

Darn, I thought I would have finished all this USCIS stuff by now. I decided to buy us a home back in the USA and will be closing the deal at the end of this month.  So now it appears I will be making house payments on an vacant house while I am waiting for Fiona's VISA.  These heartless asses are costing me a fortune.

Its a wonderful house with a view of the mountains. Instead I have a marvelous view of my neighbors laundry. I started this journey over a year ago. I WANNA TAKE MY WIFE AND GO HOME .

[Pineau]

Good morning.  . I'm off to see the wizard today. 
Actually I'm going to the US Embassy to see if anyone is interested in looking at this certified, notarized, divorce decree, bearing the official embossed stamp of the Guangzhou Notary Public Office.  A duplicate of the one they overlooked from my first mailing. I'm going to behave myself. I am just testing the system to see if there is any way to get this into the workflow again without waiting another 2 months.

I know its a long-shot but I also know that if I just mail this to the USA it be get placed back into pile and will sit there for another 60 days.  So it't worth a shot. I wont loose my temper or raise my voice. If no one is interested the I will just go to the post office and mail it.

About 8 months and counting
Feb 22, 2011. Sent petition to USCIS
Feb 28, 2011. They cashed the check
March 2 2011. Received receit confirmation letter from USCIS.
April 3, 2011. Your Case Status: Initial Review
May 10 2011. Your Case Status: Initial Review
June 13 2011. Your Case Status: Initial Review
June 30 I received a 5 page document "request for evidence" . They want everythink they could think of to prove a bonafied marriage. 
July 26 2011 Mailed respons to RFE to USCIS
August 3rd USCIS acknowledged receipt of my response and began reviewing it. They promised a reply within 60 days.
August 26 Your Case Status: Request for Evidence Response Review
September 23 2011 Your Case Status: Request for Evidence Response Review
October 8 2011. Received request for evidence for prior marriage divorce document. (already provided in previous mailing)
October 10 2011 Your Case Status:Request for Evidence Response Review

[Vince G]

Oh no? This reminds me of something....

when we got to the Scene of the Crime there was five police officers and three police cars, being the biggest crime of the last fifty years, and everybody wanted to get in the newspaper story about it. And they was using up all kinds of cop equipment that they had hanging around the police officer's station.

They was taking plaster tire tracks, foot prints, dog smelling prints, and they took twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was to be used as evidence against us.  Took pictures of the approach, the getaway, the northwest corner the southwest corner and that's not to mention the aerial photography.

Alice's Restaurant  Arlo Guthrie

[Pineau]

That was a wasted trip. three hours.  The embassy is closed today. but nothing posted on their website. Oh gosh, stupid me.  Its Columbus day. So I made an appointment for Friday.

Happy Columbus day everybody ! Enjoy your day off...

[Pineau]

Well guys, its time for me to leave for a while. This started over a year ago and I had no idea that it will take so long.

I am closing a deal on my new house next month and I need to get things out of storage and moved to the new house. That will keep me busy for a while. Also I am going to take my bed to the dump and have a bed burning ceremony. Moms birthday is coming up on the 16th and I have not spoken to my daughters since last thanksgiving. So I have to do before Fiona arrives.

Those are my excuses but truthfully I am about burned out on rice and noodles and I need to go home for a while for a sanity break.

I know I was getting on some peoples nerves. I'll try to keep quiet for the next couple of months so I dont piss any one else off. (no promises though. sometimes I just cant keep from sharing my 2 cents worth.

[Rhonald]

Any soldier on the front lines sometimes barks out in emotion. I don't think you need to apologise as we all at times have used some of our posts to let off some steam. Take some good R & R trooper as you have earned it, but don't forget about us here our little band of brothers. And if you wait too long before contributing, inflation will make that 2 cents cost as much as a package of cigarettes.

[Willy The Londoner]

Tell me you guys overseas.  Do you intend to completely Westernise your wifes when you get them to your own country?

Willy

[Philip]

Willy, I am slightly overseas from you. My wife is busy easternising me and I am busy westernising her. We may meet in the middle, or get so muddled, you won't see the join. If we move to England, she will have to do more work. If we move to China, I will have to do more work. If we stay in Hong Kong, who knows? In fact who knows what tomorrow will bring?

[Clayton]

You can take the girl out of China but you can't completely take China out of the girl.

This is a common saying about country people in OZ

Leeroy

[maxx]

Willy  you know you can take the woman out of China.But your never gonna take China out of the woman.In the last 5 years.My wife's English has improved.And she has grown more accustomed to the western world.

But that is it.She still eats Rice 3 times a day.Watches Chinese TV.And when she is on the computer.She is looking at Chinese web sites.She is setting next to me right now.Talking too me in English.And playing with the boys talking English and Chinese.Both boys are wearing clothes bought in China on the last trip.It is 70 f in this house she has both of them dressed in long sleeves.Tristan the oldest one is running around with his jacket on.This is something Chinese woman do when there from central China.And they have young kids.They think the kids are cold.So the boys will wear jackets until at least noon.Where it will warm up to 70 f outside.Then the jackets will come off.

In about a hour we will leave the house drive 3 hours.And go to the Asian market in Albuquerque New Mexico.She will spend a couple of hundred dollars in the market.Then we will go around the corner from the Asian market.And eat Chines food.At a Chinese restraint.The people who own the restaurant.Are from Fushan China.The restaurant we usually eat at on Saturday.The owners are from Guanxia they left China when she was eight years old.She still lives and dresses like she is from China.

My wife may embrace a few of our western ways.But she is still a Chinese woman.And I have made very little effort to change that.The other day my wife was talking to her friend on Skype.Her friend is married to a American who lives in Houston Texas.I walked by the computer.And told my wife that her and her friend needed to speak English.So her friend could practice her English.They just laughed at what I said.And went back to speaking Chinese.

If you try to convert a Chinese woman to be a western woman.I think your doomed to faliure.They are very stronged willed.And are set in ther ways

[Rhonald]

In fact who knows what tomorrow will bring?

That Dr Who is one smart Asian. 

In 2006, Calgary's largest visible minority groups were Chinese (6.7%), South Asian (5.7%), Filipino (2.5%). So eventhough I live in a so called redneck cowboy town, my wife will have  her own culture here. I have a few close friends that migrated from China so  I have no illusions that eventhough I wear the pants in the family,

Do you intend to completely Westernise your wifes when you get them to your own country?

that she will not allow me to have any other wife. Besides, her uniqueness, we hope, will help her establish a mini school teaching Chinese music & dance.