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[JustJim]

I am in Hong Kong now waiting for the flight to board.

I made this trip into a real adventure...   I took the bus to the Port Authority in NYC and then I asked a guy in a booth where I can get a shuttle to JFK...

He pointed right at the bus in front of the booth and said - "That one..."

Well...,  in NYC you have to specify which JFK you want - especially when you are speaking to someone who does not speak English all that well.  It seemed odd, but I figured what do I know?  It was the wrong bus and I wasted 1.5 hours riding through the outskirts of NYC and into NJ.  I basically took a big loop right back to the Port Authority.  WHen I got back I found the right transfer bus and got to JFK AIRPORT no problem - except for - by this time I was sick to my stomach.  The Kung po CHicken I had before I left home was not agreeing with me, and I had just bumped around NY and NJ for 1.5 hours - all the time worrying if I was going to be late.

At this point I was literally sweating and also worrying that if I threw up in public they might not let me board the plane.  SO I found one of those family bathrooms, and - well too much information - I am sure - but I threw up everything.  After a couple more trips to that bathroom I started to feel better.

So I managed to get LOST in my own country, and SICK from the food in my own country.  Pretty much everything I would worry about in China I was able to accomplish without even leaving the USA.

Anyways the flight seemed really long - even though we got here ahead of schedule, and I picked at the food, only eating things that were easy and soothing and drinking a lot of water and juice.  I'm ok now - a little raw ;  but I figured it was just the food.

But I learned about taking public transportation to JFK and I will do it again in a heartbeat - especially now that I know how to.  The total fare was probably less than what I would have paid in gas and tolls, and I did not have to drive.  Sweet....

Okay I am going to QQ with Mei now... free internet in Hong Kong Airport   I will write later.

[Willy The Londoner]

Well by now Jim you will be back in the Mainland.  Welcome back Jim.

Hong Kong is great for the free wi fi service and the charging facilities.

Funny the only place I have ever received an upset stomach through dodgy food was also in the USA!

Have a great trip here.

Willy

[JustJim]

Visa Rite came through again.  It has been a year and I needed a new Chinese visa and their service is impeccable.  This time I used an invitation letter from Mei.  I wrote the letter, sent it to her by QQ, she signed it, and sent it right back to me.  That and copies of our marriage license and her ID card and we had everything we needed. 

I am going back on Sept 27, exactly one year from my first trip.  Meanwhile our paperwork is moving through the system, seemingly on "schedule."

I am going Cathay Pacific again.  I figure if it ain't broke don't fix it.  I am used  to their service, and in my opinion it is very good.

Every trip is better than the last.  My biggest struggle is with the food, and not because it is not good.  It's just different, and I know it is more mental than anything.  Slowly my mind is making comparisons and coming to the concept that their food is good.  I am eating more adventurously at home.  One thing I do like is that a lot of their foods are spicier than ours, and I like spicy.  I look forward to when Mei and Xiao Hui are here but I also worry that she will have a hard time finding food here that she likes.

I know one thing, and that is that my food budget will increase, and not just because there will be 3 mouths to feed.   Mei loves her seafood, and she lives in an area, the Pearl Delta, where seafood is plentiful and cheap.  I am 2 hours north of NYC, and I think there is only one seafood store in my town that gets their fish fresh from the docks in NYC.  I don't know the prices, because I don't buy there often, but I know it will be more than what I am spending on food now.  On the other hand I will also be eating better quality food, so that is a benefit.

So this is my update.  I am becoming a seasoned traveler now. 

[JustJim]

I am back in China again for my fourth trip.  It will be exactly a year to the date - even to the minute of the first time that I came to China.

I was talking with a friend the other day and he asked what was going through my mind the first time I went to China.  Well, I told him that I was he prepared to be disappointed.  I did not want to be disappointed but I knew it was a possibility.  So I told him that I knew I was taking a big risk.  He even reminded me that of the thought that what if there was nobody there?  That was a possibility also.

Sometimes Mei asks me when I fell in love with her.  I like to say that it was love at first sight.  Of course I had seen her pictures, and we had communicated at length on QQ, and I knew I was talking to a real person, but there was so much I did not know until I saw her for real, and I held her in my arms.

So when I saw her for the first time in the airport, I knew right away that I was a lucky guy.  I knew right then that the feelings that I already had for this person were real and that I would not be disappointed.  That first day in China was magical, and those kind of days keep happening with us.  Every trip there are days that I file away in the memory banks, and they seem to get better every time.

I hope this trip is the best of them all.  I know now to expect that I might bet a little "homesick" at some point.  That's not really the best word to describe it, but I think you all know what I mean.  At least this time I will be expecting it and I can deal with it.  It is usually hits me around the 2 week mark and just lasts a day.  Mei and I talk it out and then I am fine for the rest of my trip.  Like I said, it is not so much "homesick" but more the accumulation of missing good coffee, good bagels, familiar settings, and not being able to join in on too many conversations.  Mei and I do alright on our own but her family gets together for tea often and they love to talk about everything, but I can't follow any of it.  Anyways, I am really looking forward to this trip.  My plane from Hong Kong to Guanzhou will be boarding soon, so I will post at a later date.  Take care, all....

[Pineau]

Have a great reunion. Although China has a pretty tight control on the muslims, Guanggzhou has a significant amount of them and the other war mongers from Ürümqi ...  be careful.
Wish I were there.

[JustJim]

It has been a while since I have been to this site and even longer since I posted but I feel I would be remiss if I didn't say something.

I am in China again and this time Mei went for her interview and got the visa approval for her and for Xiao Hui!!!

If it took so long you can all blame me.  It seemed like at every turn it took me so long to complete paperwork or come up with the funds to pay the fees.  Either way I stretched the process out, at least in my mind, but now we are almost there.  We are waiting now for the visas to be delivered.

Robert, as most of you know, was a great help and knows the ins and outs of this business.  I am glad I had him help us.  He was worth every penny.

As for my wife, I feel that I got so lucky.  Earlier this month we were talking about how she wanted to go for the interview in time to be able to get Xiao Hui to the states before school started.  I told her that I just didn't have the funds to purchase three plane tickets at the time.

Well, I have been sending her $500 a month now for over a year for her expenses.  And what has she been doing with it?  Well, saving every penny is what, so she told me not to worry about the tickets, we have the money.

I was flabbergasted, speechless, etc.etc.  I already thought I had a good wife.  That was just more proof.

So this is just a short note to let you all know our good news.  This site has been very helpful to me in negotiating this process.

Thanks, everyone...!

Jim, Mei, and Xiao Hui (soon to be "Kelly"  )

[Arnold]

GREAT to hear Jim! I feel the harder it is to finally be together, the stronger the bond will be between the two/three of you. Anyways, Congrat's on getting it done to both of you and may the Future hold less obstacle in your way. Good Luck!

[Jason B]

Congratulations and as everyone here who has their wives with them will tell you.  Strap yourself in because you are heading for one hell of a ride!  But worth every minute and I certainly wouldn't swap it for anything in this world.

[Willy The Londoner]

Another great story to start my day with.

So to those who have gone or are going through the trials and tribulations of undertaking the process then I salute you.

 It is not something that I have had to go through as my plans are to stay here. That is as long as the Chinese officials will put up with me.

Willy

[JustJim]

I am in quite the quandry....

A word of warning to everyone.   Don't ever assume that you can get anything done over here.

I came here assuming that once we got our visa approval that we could easily book a flight back.
Well, I had sent money ahead and we were going to use that money to purchase return tickets.

The first problem is that I did not unlock my card for use in China.  I have to do that in person at my bank.  It's a fraud protection thing.  No unauthorized overseas use.  Not a bad idea in this day and age but now it's coming back to bite me in the ass.

The second problem is that Mei has only a debit card which can't be used online.

The third problem is she can't fly through Taiwan on Eva airlines without a permit to do so. 
That wouldn't be so much of a problem if we could find a legitimate travel agent.  They could hook us up with a permit, I am told.

Yesterday Mei took me to a very professional building and then up to the third floor and into a small office with two ladies with Iphones and one laptop. My hopes fell pretty quickly.  We then attempted to use her sisters visa card but that was eventually denied for some unknown reason.  It might be that we had just transferred money into her sister's account, but I don't know for sure.

The only other problem with using her sister's card  (if it does get approved on the next attempt) is that there are restrictions on purchasing tickets if you are not going to be in the traveling party, and there is paperwork involved and who knows what else...?  We might get to the check in and find that we can't fly.  I don't know and I don't want to find out so late...

Now I am hoping to find a legitimate travel agency that will take cash and book us a flight out of here.  At this point I am ready to give up the low fare and great scheduling ( and short flight) on Eva air for anything that will get us out of here and at any cost. 

Maybe this is all a conspiracy to soften me up to pay the exorbitant fares they are charging this time of year,  Caution, don't try to leave China in August.  Fares are twice the norm.

If anyone knows of anyway they could help me with info or advice I would appreciate it.

If nothing else let this be a caution to everyone out there.  It's already next to impossible to get anything done here.  Don't make it worse by not being prepared and by assuming.

On a highlight we got our visas in 6 days! 

Of course that won't do me any good when I am still stuck here in December...

Jim

[Willy The Londoner]

 

Hopefully you will be sorted out ok by now.

As I said on the phone yesterday 'Where there's a Will there's a Way.'  My assistance is open to all regulars who get stuck here.

If all else fails - Well, hey, whats up with December here?

The main problem is trying to find cheap flights at short notice - that is unlikely in any part of the World.

Willy

[JustJim]

Where there is a will there is a way....

Just wanted everyone to know we got our tickets.  Have to go to tea now so I will write more later.

[JustJim]

I want to thank everyone who offered help.  What you don't see here is that I WeChatted with Robert and he advised me to PM some members here and I PMed Willie, Gerry and Patrick because all three of them have ties to this area and all three of them got back to me very quickly with offers of help.

Willie gave me his phone number and I called him.  He offered to help us to purchase tickets in Hong Kong and go there by way of his house.  He also told me about a site where we could purchase tickets by transferring money through the Bank of CHina.

Mei had given up prior to this and was going to let me handle things but when I told her of my plans to fly out of Hong Kong she decided to give it another shot.
 
You see she is pretty determined that her family should see us off at Guanzhou.  I know her sister would feel slighted if she didn't get to be one of the last to see us in CHina.

So after letting me muck around for another hour she got on the phone and started talking to a couple of people and then she was online on the baidu.com site and next thing I know she is sending our info to someone and getting excited, and talking about Korea, and on and on.

Well I guess she finally made the right connection and actually found a travel agency right here in Daliang because it wasn't too long after that she was headed to the bank to transfer money.  And soon after that we had our confirmation.

Willie is right of course about cheap flights and short notice.  We knew that going in but Mei wants Kelly to be there before the start of the school year.

We had to pay over $4000 for three one way tickets, and we fly out on the 19th, with a very short transfer in Korea, and the whole flight is short also, which I like. 

The 19th  is a little later than I had hoped but it's okay.
That will give Kelly two whole weeks to get adjusted physically to the time change.

Needless to say my wife was very pleased with herself and was telling me what a good wife she is....  Like I don't tell her that
enough already...

Anyways, thanks guys for all the help.   I went back to the beginning of this thread and I realized I was as lost then as I am now. I needed you all then and I still do now.   Quite the bookends, I thought.  Soon we will be back in the states and trying to negotiate a quite different life for all of us.  I hope I will be better at finding my way through that one...

Jim

[Willy The Londoner]

Pleased to hear everything went well.  I learned one thing fast and that is the women here are quite proficient at getting things done - to their satisfaction!

Now you have a bit of time to spare you will be welcome here.  As I said I am the boss of this home!  Well until my wife gets home that is!

Willy

[Pineau]

hope you make it through customs smoothly. Shouldn't be a problem. But since I had pissed off someone at USCIS they interrogated us in customs for hours and we missed our connection and had to sleep on the benches at McDonalds. Its' quite an adventure Jim.  You now have a whole new set of problems.  "the never ending story"