owenkrout

Hi there, I was a very active member of the forum from way back. My wife, ChunXia Wang immigrated in 2003 after a long, long wait for a visa during the period after 9/11 when visas where frozen. She is now a citizen and we are still having a devil of a time getting a visa for her daughter, who is now 27. She was denied a visa when the wife immigrated because she had aged out to 21 by the time the Consulate General determined that they should have been issued visas a year before they were finally granted. (The short version of a long complicated struggle). She has been approved but still no action on forwarding her paperwork to Guangzhou. My question is, has anyone of you had any experience with obtaining a visa for a child over 21 and unmarried? Especially for a child of a US Citizen? If so how long does it seem to be taking? Owen

Money is always a good bet. American money is always well received. Bit of a prestige item. Personally, I am not a drinker, but most everyone in the north of China is and a bottle of Jack Daniels is very expensive in China and again, a prestige item. American cigerettes also, but I draw the line there and refuse to carry them to hand out. One very wide spread habit that I will not encourage. A top quality fountain pen is very highly prized, especially by older people. A Chinese calligrapy set, but get someone who knows what they are doing to help you pick one out.

Put that on your active desktop if you have an always on connection.

What you may have detected is also a product of the Chinese concept of knowledge and learning. I am sure the Mick can testify also that the Chinese students are constantly wanting to know what is the "correct" way to respond or the "correct" way to say something. They are taught all of their lives to "memorize the book", the literal meaning for the Chinese for "study". Hence the approach language study by memorizing phrases and when to use them. I have even heard the comment that listening in on a Chinese conversation tends to sound stilted as they tend to always use the same phrasing all the time as that is the "correct" way to speak. Having been discouraged to do so all their lives, the Chinese students tend to have a hard time of creative work. It is true, however, that the majority of English teachers I met in China were poor at speaking or listening to English. Unfortunately, many of my college level students had simply been taught things that were wrong, especially in pronunciation. I always accepted either British or American pronunciation as correct, but most students were using neither.

The cultural insult or unintentional message is a common trap when melding two cultures. For instance the gift of a clock, or watch, in Chinese culture is viewed as a reference to death. Not generally a good choice.

If you are going to really live as part of Chinese society, then you take a certain amount of risk. The Chinese government doesn't protect it's people from fraud and outright harm anything like the US government. Stories of people being sickened or harmed by consumer products is common in the Chinese press. You just develop a certain amount of buyer beware sense. Sometimes I would pass on food stuffs on offer just because I had a bad feeling about it. Personally, I had very little problem with Mao's Revenge or anything else and we bought most everything from the street vendors right outside our home. Never missed a class in two years, so I managed pretty well. My one bought with pneumonia (just before the Chinese government finally admitted that SARS existed) came just after the end of the semester.

Just a note with all the talk of Immodium D. Immodium actually works not by treating the disease, but by addressing the symptom. It actually paralyzes, or partially paralyzes, the gut. Hence the common side effect of constipation afterwards. It is not a good idea to use it too often. Very effective Western style medicine is available over the counter in China. Trust your loved one to select what you need. I am a living testimony to the efficacy of Chinese Traditional Medicine, which is actually herbal treatment. Western medicine doesn't hold a candle to the way that Chinese Traditional Medicine has worked so well on my arthritis.

You understand.

Most of the Chinese wives may prefer living in the city. They are used to things like public transportation and walking to the market place that you simply will not have in the suburbs. Also the lack of people out on the streets is something that my wife still comments on, even in the city. We are most probably going to move to Lawrence, Kansas next month. Better opportunities for jobs for both of us and being dominated by the University of Kansas, it is unusual in having a lot of people out walking and a lot of small shops downtown while still having the large chains on the edge of town. Also my wife has several Chinese friends living there already. Boils down to my wife likes it better than the small town life. She says that she wants to return to Kansas because people are friendlier there.

The government is exempt from many of the laws that they enforce on everyone else. Go figure.

Supposedly there is soon to be a true permanent residency available to those who a judged to be worthy of such. That translates into having the right guanxi or being an international businessman. Or finding the right palm to grease. We are hoping to retire to Dalian, so I will be wanting one of those myself in the future.

At least you are thinking about the things that many Americans never even give a passing thought to. DON'T drink the tap water. Anywhere. Always use the bottled water. All homes will have a big water dispenser. They know enough not to drink the tap water. Of course the problem is that if it is not a reputable vendor, the bottled water is just tap water. Don't violate Mick's three T's. It is true that on the whole the government pretty much leaves individuals alone, but they can get very serious about public anti government talk. The co-habitation is indeed unevenly enforced across China. In some areas the PSB still sees it as an important part of their job to see to it that foreign devils don't get too friendly with the locals. In others, they couldn't care less. Sometimes it is simply a money raising scheme. Pay up and they won't charge you after all.

Haven't had the raw grubs, but they are popular in the NorthEast stir fried. I find them bland and not worth the effort myself.

I know just what you are talking about, Mick. Although my stay was not nearly as long as yours, two years was enough for me to feel the same emotions about China. I, like you, really enjoyed my time there and, at times, feel the desire to return. The living conditions were no detrement to me. Of course a few weeks of Shenyang's winter weather might make me think twice! I just got an offer from the Aeronautical Institute wanting me to teach again. Very tempting, especially since my temporary job here is about to end. My wife is set on remaining in the US however, so it looks like the alternative certification route for me for next school year. At least with that certification I can return to China to teach in the international school environment at much better wages. Important for you, Mick, to stay just for the benefit of the new baby. My advice is, stay at least long enough for Li to get her citizenship. Then you can look to retiring in China, a more affordable alternative.

110 + 130 + 65 + 335 + ?.... Oh, Man, More Fees? I thought it was $110. Then I discovered another $100 for the interview. And, now you tell me that there is another $400 that I hadn't realized. It will definitely put a dent in the money tree out back!!!!! And, I can't even deduct my Fiancee from my taxes yet because she hasn't been issued a visa so she could come here and we could get married ----- Clifford ------ Your lucky if you get off with just this. My wife and I once figured out that we had spent about $5000 on her visa and attempting to get a visa for her daughter. Much of that was because her home city is renowned as being one of the most corrupt in her province. The officials there lived up to the reputation with bribe demands.