PapaBear

B) CONGRATULATIONS !! Congratulations A Mafan to you and your SO!! This is such good news!! We're so glad you weren't re-deployed before your AOS date!! Hope every day is better and better for you and your SO. I think you have a real keeper, she's beautiful and the two of you look like you belong together!! Here's our wishes for you and your SO to have a happy future which only gets sweeter evry day!! PapaBear B)

momma bear, I just read you will be going to GUZ for appointment on March 27? I am hoping this will be for issuance of your and baby bear's much waited and deserved visa! This is great news!! Here's wishing you, papa bear and baby bear the best with hopes of your being a family together very soon!! Lao Po and I will be in Beijing April 3 to May 3....this time we will take my 80-year old parents to meet Lao Po's family and see Beijing. We're looking forward! Our best to you and your's!! PapaBear B)

CONGRATULATIONS Great News Lowen/Zhang.....passing the AOS and being told GC is on it's way is such a relief!! PapaBear

CONGRATULATIONS!! That's great Lei and Mike.....here's wishing you the very best!! PapaBear B)

Hey there Jim...... I have to agree with you on this one. Chinese Muslim restaurants do serve up some tasty foods. Sure do like those meat kaboobs they serve up....minus the pork of course! But in the Beijing Muslim Chinese Restaruants we've been in have served beer. I read this post yesterday and wondered about what I remembered, asked Lao Po, and was informed that most Muslim Chinese Restaurants in Beijing serve beer with their food. Go figure? PapaBear

CONGRATULATIONS So your SO was pretty excited? I know the look on mine was damn excited too! Whew! What a god feeling!! Best of luck to your family....hope ya file for Mama soon!! PapaBear

Great News Tine......be sure to congratulate Ella on her great achievement! I'm sure she did study intensely for her citizenship test!! Congratulations! B) Also, thanks for posting the questions as well. This will be our next hurdle! PapaBear B)

Congratulations Mick and Li !! I know how the wait can be! I know you must be relieved to have the 10-year version of this GC! Room to breath!! Here's wishing you and Li the best!! PapaBear B)

Yes, I too, have developed a few Chinese Ways about myself; * I tend to ignore lines and want to elbow my way to the front, disregarding those who have patiently waited their turn....and rudely interupt the person helping someone else with my demand. * I yell loudly at the waitress in a restaurant to bring the bill when I am ready to leave.....and don't leave a tip! * I like to see if I can get to a seat on the bus or subway before a woman or young child can get there. * I would never dream of holding a door open for someone behind me! Hey....I'm well on my way!!! Don't ya think???? PapaBear

Yes, I agree, Pu'erh Tea is distinctly different and better than green, oloog, or other flower teas. I was introduced to it on my first trip into China in 2002 (entered from Hanoi, flew to Kunming and Lijiang). I brought back several rounds or cakes and have stashed away some to age. And yes, as Roger said in his posting.....it does get better with age! You can search the internet and find rounds/cakes that are ancient and being sold for hundreds of dollars. At first, I thought the taste was quite musty.....but after time, one acquires a real taste for it and the mustiness developes a flavor of it's own. PapaBear B)

This is got to be Good News mama bear! It states that your case is under review and continued processing is on it's way! That's gotta be exciting for papa bear, baby bear and of course mama bear!! Here's hoping your case will clear this review and approval for your visa's will come soon!! PapaBear B)

Maybe applying for AP will get your case moving toward approval.....it did for us (look at our timelinme). I know.....applying for AP really didn't have anything to do with our's as our mailing date for AP was the same date our security/namecheck cleared the system. My wife still complains about lossing the $170.....she even had me call USCIS and ask if they'd kindly return the money. Ha, ha ha!!! Here's hoping your case clears and GC (has to be a 10-year) comes in the nick of time!! PapaBear B)

CONGRATULATIONS KEN & XUHUI Congratulations on getting your CR-1 visa and welcome back to Sacramento!! We're nearly neighbors!! My wife has come through SFO Customs several times. One time she had some pork sausage deep in her carry-on and told me that a little dog at the customs counter made a fuss causing the customs agent to question what she had inside......thus, several food items were taken away! If asked, on form or in person, you should disclose what their asking for....otherwise I agree with the "don't ask, don't tell" refered to in a previous post. PapaBear B)

Hello Pete! Sorry to see you and your's are still being kept in the dark. That black hole really sucks!! Are you making Info-Pass appointments to make sure it hasn't fallen between the cracks and isn't setting gathering dust on someone's desk or something? Looks like the timeline for renewing EAD's is about the same as for requesting new ones. It really sucks that you have to pay the fee over again.......I know I'm not tell you something you already didn't know. Sorry about that! You know, all of us here at CFL are pulling for your AOS approval and issuance of a 10-year GC. Here's hoping it happens real soon!! PapaBear B)

--------------------------------------------------- And you sir have utterly failed in basic reading comprehension of the ideas expressed by those who responded when you wrote essentially the same thing earlier. Your words have the effect of sounding like marriage is a financial rather than social/emotional contract. (Walks away from wasting any more of my time with this--shaking my head in bewilderment) --------------------------------------------------- But by analogy, would I have 10 children if I can't afford them? ---------------------------------------------------- And yet you completely fail to understand that the majority of Americans do not have any savings? This is my point entirely, this attitude that "what is good/right for me should be good enough for everyone" is severely off-putting. ---------------------------------------------------- You know, I think that someone here has a deaf ear¡­¡­..and it is because his head is somewhere else. When he does hear the ¡°pop¡± it¡¯ll be a great realization! The bottom line, as this thread began it¡¯s existence, is that the fee increase that USCIS is proposing isn¡¯t fair to anyone. Anyone struggling to make ends meet. Or anyone who is financially stable. The discussion of whether one can take care of their SO once here is for another thread in another place. PapaBear

Congratulations 'esun41' I like that analogy....."big city phone book." I felt the same way when I saw our file infront of the IO. So glad you two didn't have to explore the vastness of the black hole of security/namecheck hell!! Here's wishing the two of you happy hearts in your lives together!! PapaBear B)

Oh com on....this is not the case!! And that is not what's being said here!! How do you read those words into what's being said here? I think there are too many cases of the Petetionier thinking more about themselves than about their loved one, the beneficiary. Really!! Come on guys!! PapaBear

You do know the defination of EXPERT don't you??? EXPERT = a drip under pressure! PapaBear

Amen Brother! But your idea of Heaven and my idea of Heaven may differ......ie. some people see Heaven as an "after-life" while I see Heaven as in the "here and now." PapaBear

As far as I am concerned.....You've hit the nail on it's head here! I whole heartedly agree with what Steve and Qingqing said here. I couldn't have said it better! PapaBear

Yes, I see the metaphor.......and I like it! Never looked at it that way intentionally.....but you know each and every time I give her flowers I know that is what's happening!! Awh....flowers do lift the spirit and sets the atmosphere to a higher plane! PapaBear

Lance I agree with you here....makes perfect sense. But I don't see the point to your rational here. What's the point you're trying to express? Like I said earlier....using two passports? I don't think so!! You're just asking for serious trouble!! A room with bars!!! PapaBear

Your post was a good one Dennis. I have had similiar experiences with my Peipei. Two reasons behind our spats, usually, misunderstanding (communication) or that emotionial response I get, caused IMO by PMS. That stone cold look on her face tells it all. By this point I must give her her own space and not dwell on her mood. It will take time for her to come around to a point where we can talk. To me, I want to take care of any misunderstandings or communication problems right away. But for her, she has to go through some period of thinking the situation over in her own head which takes time. Then I will have the window of opportunity to approach her. On almost all occasions I am the one who breaks the ice for reconcilation. You must understand the Chinese way......always save face! This doesn't mean she has never said "sorry" but those times are few and far inbetween. We have been married 3 years, and living together with each other for nearly 2 years. It's work......but a labor of love. True love!! PapaBear

Practically and Theoretically....no. With the current terrorist threat and security being focused on identifing aliens plotting to enter a country fraudulently, I wouldn't want to be the one trying to circumvent the governments passport security system. PapaBear

CONGRATULATIONS You weathered the storm of playing the wait game. And I thought our 10-month's wait was tough! Here's wishing you and your's the very best! PapaBear