Mick

I dare say the toxicity from his flatulent fumes were far more harmful that any fresh air flowing in from an open window. It reminds me of an experience I had when I moved from Huntsville to Miami in early August, 1983. I was driving a rented U-Haul truck, towing a Ford Escort behind me. Accompanying me in the front seat was a miniature poodle and a full grown Great Dane. The Dane was an anxious traveler and after about fifty miles or so, I pulled over and gave the leviathan a hefty dose of doggie downs the vet had supplied. They worked. In about thirty minutes she calmed down, with her head against the passenger side door and her rear end, aimed like a Howitzer, right at me. She got good and downed out and began a symphony that reminded me of Beck's Bolero or, at times, a series of flutter blasts that I swear could have doubled as the 24-minute drum solo from In A Gadda Da Vida. I swear it was as bad as anything Sadaam unleashed on the Kurds back in the late 80s. Truly, a journey I shall never forget.

Have a Merry Christmas and blessed New Year.

On two occasions we removed women and their child from a filthy maternity home. Both the mother and father stayed in our home while the sick baby was cared for (several trips to a doctor) and healthy enough to travel home with the parents. As a side note; although most birth tourist came from China, they also came from Korea, Japan and Taiwan. We've had both a Japanese family and a Korean family stay with us during the 'sitting the month' period. The last straw that had me put my foot down and say no more baby business in our home was when we cared for a Chinese mother and her baby. The father was a Physics Fellow at Northridge University who I would pick up and drive to our home on weekends. The last drive to Northridge, taking the family back to their apartment, the windows had to be kept up so there was no draft on the baby and the AC off for the same reason. This was during August. The father kept passing gas that made the car smell like he shit his pants and made me want to puke. Wow, Dennis! That last drive to Northridge sounds like a journey to the gates of hell. All that was missing was him opening up a Durian and eating it on the way. I wasn't aware you had been so exposed to the maternity situation. Glad you finally put your foot down. Sounds like a recurring nightmare.

Glad to hear things have slowed down a bit, Dennis. I had one of my former students, along with her husband and two children, visit a few years back. When I taught her she was around 20-21. At the time of her visit she was in her early 30s. She said she stopped in LA to visit a former classmate that was in a birthing home and the conditions were deplorable. The girl in question at the home was also a former student and I felt quite sad for her situation. Fortunately, the child was born well and is now about two or three. Not sure where they are living.

Hey C Milk, I live in Alabama and you are treating me like a second class citizen with your comments. I first went to China in 1997 and lived my first year in Anhui Province. There was a distinct and palatable prejudice against foreigners, especially Americans. People used to yell at me in the street and, especially after the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in May, 1998, it got even worse. We moved down to Guangdong after that first year, and it was much different. Far more openness and tolerance. We left China in 2003 and I am sure things have changed drastically since then.

No - the CR-1 visa is awarded when the marriage is LESS than 2 years old, resulting in a 2 year conditional green card. If the marriage is MORE than 2 years old at the time of entry, an unconditional (10 year) green card will be awarded - i.e., an IR-1 visa. Thanks for the correction Randy. Like I said, it has been a long, long time since I went through the process.

Welcome to Candle. You will find a lot of great folks here and much useful info. Randy mentioned the K-1. Under the provisions of that visa, you have to convince the visa officer (at an interview in Guangzhou, attended by your fiance but not you), that the two of you have a legitimate relationship. If she is granted a visa, she can come to the States, but the two of you have to marry within a 90-day window, or her visa will expire. If you marry within the 90 days, you file for what is called "Adjustment of Status." After that, she can apply for a green card. At least that is how it worked for us, but that was way back in 2002-2003. I think it is still pretty much the same. I think the CR visa Randy mentioned requires you to have been married two years before she immigrates (get married in China). The advantage here is she gets the green card upon arrival. There are folks on the board with more up to date knowledge than me and they may be of more help. At any rate, again, welcome aboard.

As always Randy, the camera is magic in your hands. You have the God-given talent to take the right shot, at the best angle, and to capture the light in a near-mystical manner. Thanks for sharing you photos and don't stop or you may get one of those "offers you can't refuse."

Have a great birthday and many more to come.

Best wishes for a great future in the States. My wife and I lived five years in China and she became pregnant after returning to the States. Again, wishing you the best.

You need to be vigilant my friend. Avoid crowds, shady eateries, etc. Is it primarily spread through birds or other critters, like pigs? A 40 percent mortality rate is something that should be taken very seriously.

Here is another link to the little people: http://www.odditycentral.com/news/the-unsolved-mystery-of-chinas-dwarf-village.html

That is most interesting. I had read about this before, but first time I saw they finally ran DNA tests. There is another group, I forget where in China, that have residents that are all under four feet tall. It has been suggested they are decedents of grey aliens.

Thus far, Li and I have not experienced any difficulty raising Salina, a bi-racial child. Things have gone smoothly on all fronts thus far, and for this, we are very thankful. The Huntsville/Madison area where we live, is a fairly cosmopolitan city as far as Alabama is concerned. This is largely due to the multi-racial nature of the population brought about by the Marshall Space Flight Center, Department of Defense contractors, and the high tech industry. For example, a couple of weekends back Salina had a sleep over with three other girls. In addition to Salina (Chinese/American). we had a black girl, a Mexican girl, and a multi-racial girl of Singapore.

Just a few months back I finished reading his autobiography, written by Warren Zanes. A good read, which gives insight into his ongoing relationship with the Heartbreakers and his rough relationship with his father. Growing up in Gainesville, Florida, he started out as a bass player and singer at 14. Interesting that he played bass for the Traveling Wilburys. Only two of the Wilburys are left now, Jeff (from ELO) and Bob Dylan. Roy Orbison died when they were still recording. I always liked Tom's music and it brings back a special memory for me. When I was getting back into shape after my two heart attacks in my mid-40s, I walked five miles daily, listening to Tom's greatest hits. RIP Tom Petty, you were a special artist.

In many ways, I am glad the series is over. I felt compelled to watch, but then would either get pissed and turn it off. Last night, believe it or not, I actually fell asleep and woke up during what must have been the second showing. Not sure. Hearing the stories of guys getting yelled at, cursed, etc. on their return brought back some really bad memories and that story about the Marine getting drafted just brought home how stupid our system was. Allon, I am sorry you had to go through something like that yourself. Glad they finally came to their senses and realized you were a vet. I wonder how often that happened and if any guys ever were inducted. Lots of folks are upset about the series. I just have mixed feelings. I have been through a lot worse. My hats off to all who served then and other wars. Allon, my prayers are with you. Hope your sleep improves. I know that experience as it comes and goes with me. You are a good man and a brave man, never forget that.

Yeah. I can't wait. I am still waiting for the real truth about Tet. We kicked their ass. Saying how many losses they incurred is not enough. The key point made in Tet was that the North had to takeover, which spoiled the lie that it was a civil war. It was an invasion and had been since 1954. I watched last night and tonight as they talked about the time period I spent over there. Allon is right on the money when he talks about Tet. It was a major defeat for the North and the VC, despite much planning a subtle movement of arms into the south. I arrived right about the the time Tet began, mid January 68 and it started around the 30th, the Lunar New Year. I had barely got my feet on the ground and was just getting my bearings at the Evac Hospital in Pleiku. Next thing I recall was all hell breaking loose with mortars coming in and even a quickly repelled attempt on Camp Enari. Tonight they showed a nurse at that very hospital. I probably saw her, but have no memory of it as we rotated between hospital duty, dust off flights, and search and destroy forays into the bush. Never made it into the fishhook or Parrot's Beak areas, which I am thankful for. My best friend, who lives in the same city as I do now, spent most of his time there. It was tough duty. Tsap flew that area a good bit as I recall. Don't get me wrong, in and around Pleiku with the 4th division was no picnic, either. Even to this day, I wake up some nights wondering how I made it out of there as a medic. So many died. They mentioned tonight that unlike other wars, medics were armed. They issued me a 45 and a holster, but I also took along a M-16 as well. For some reason, having a full automatic weapon made me feel more secure. I fired it a number of times, but not sure I ever hit anyone.

I can safely say that moon cakes are near the top of my "least favorite food" list. During the years I taught in China, I was gifted with a plethora of these little gut bombs and tried to be as gracious as possible, sampling the collection. I did find, however, that after about six months in the fridge, they did make great hockey pucks.

I have been watching it and, like Allon, have mixed feelings and have had to turn it off on several occasions. I try not to react to some of the political bullhockey, but it gets tough at times. It has been interesting to hear some of the VC and North Vietnamese soldiers give their views of things. I would go into a lot more detail, but it would serve little purpose right now. The show has stirred up a number of memories and they are just now getting to the year I was there (68).

If he is carrying out these underground tests in northwestern North Korea, then it would have to be geographically close to the Chinese border. I am convinced this guy is a megalomaniac and capable of doing something so stupid, that it could trigger a major nuclear crisis. I just hope that China and the U.S. can be on the same side in any subsequent conflagration. I do have my doubts, however.

One gift Carl left us was the threads where he shared his work making guitars. He took us through the process, step by step, and I will never forget those valuable lessons. He was a talented man, indeed. He also gave me a gift I will always treasure. He sent me a pen made in the colors that signify being a Vietnam veteran. I still have it in a place of honor on my book shelf.

I was there at that time as well, along with the time NATO bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. I have posted that story a couple of times so I won't bore the members with yet another rendition of my travails of that night, including bottles and bricks through the window at 2 am. Li had it even worse. I had no problem with the spy plane incident, but the embassy bombing, which killed three people, was a different story. The excuse that they were using outdated maps did not go over too well.

During our first year together, Li and I lived in Hefei, the capital city of Anhui Province. This is a very conservative part of China and I could tell you stories that would make your skin crawl. Li often would walk with me arm in arm and she, more than once, got into verbal battles with guys on the street. This of course led to me giving the guy a "shut up or I am gonna kick your ass" look, which usually brought things to an abrupt end. Still, it was not an easy situation. Once we moved down to Shantou things were a bit more relaxed as this was a special economic zone, lots of foreigners living there, and much western influence. On the whole, I would say what SerpentZA is saying is generally true. I would say it is especially true when China is going through one of its "anti-foreigner" phases. These things tend to come and go. This is more true than it was when I lived there (1997-2003). The Internet community is far more influential than it was in my time over there.

I think you may be right about many of the photos being of Japan. I mostly watched it the second time with my eyes closed, meditating and letting the music carry me out to the Van Allen Belt.

This clip has some great photos of China, backed by great music to relax and/or meditate by.