jbray

My wife thinks it's very boring... We live just outside of Atlanta... Her general comments are, in America, no one walks, there aren't stores like there are in China... In many places, it seems like everyone goes out for a walk after dinner. There are people out and about until 11:00 at night... In Marietta, we are settled in for the evening at 8:00 In my opinnion, America is all about comfort and convenience. We've got Netflix and Video on Demand, so we don't need to go out to the cinema or oven blockbuster... So many people are buying stuff over the internet, so we don't need to shop. Banking and most bills are paid online... When you go to the supermarket, you just drive up, get what you want, and get out (In China, you take a bus/walk, have to take an escelator to the third floor, making your way through 3 floors of crowds, and tea displays, and then take another escelator back down to the first floor to get to the supermarket). In our situation, we have to force ourselves to go out. And, when we do, it's not terribly interesting. The supermarkets and malls are pretty much empty... Almost every night, when we are falling asleep on our comfortable sofa's, at 8:30, my wife says, "WHEN WE WERE IN CHENGDU, THIS IS WHEN WE WOULD BE GOING OUT!!! HERE, THIS IS WHEN WE FALL ASLEEP!!!" Like I said on another thread, for us, in China, Poor but happy (not bored) or in Atlanta, Rich but bored.

I hate to continue the side topic, but... I didn't see all that many prostitutes in China, outside of the hair cutting places... But this one time... When I first got to China, at a hotel in Xian, I used the "special soap" by accident (it's something you are supposed to use after sex). I couldn't find the normal soap, and thought that the stuff in the basket next to the sink was the free soap. It wasn't. I had to pay 10 RMB... Later that day, I started getting phone calls from women (they didn't speak english), and at one point, one even knocked on my door, "Hello! Massagie?" I just closed the door (I am a good boy, so I wasn't going to do anything I would regret)... For me, the key to living in China is to have a good sense of humor. You need to be flexible. You need to be able to let things roll off you... And, for a lot of people, about every 6 months, they need to get some sort of Western Relief. That doesn't mean that you need to go back to the US, but it's nice to take a trip down to Hong Kong, or even Bangkok... When I started living in China, the closest fast food/pizza/ice cream/coffee was 3 hours away. There was no English language TV. I had nothing to read. So it was nice to go to HK and Bangkok to get those things (who ever thought that Thailand would be like a western detox, of sorts... but for many it is).

I have progressive insurance... They said that she is basically like a new driver. They can't verify her driving history in China. Also, if she does show her Chinese license when she tries to get her American one, they will probably demand that she hand over her Chinese license. That's what they tried to do to my wife. When she went for her permit, they asked her if she had a Chinese drivers license. She said yes. She was hoping that they would give her an American license. They wouldn't. She had to get a permit, then take all the tests. They also demanded she hand over her Chinese License. They said, "You must turn over all pervious licenses and id's." I tried to explain that She can't drive in China with an american license, that she would lose her ability to drive in China if she did this... They wouldn't give in... We had to go to another DMV and lie...

Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem... It might be a good idea to get a co-sponsor though. In my case I used my parents... My new salary was more than sufficient, but my previous 3 years salary was $0. Like I said, I used my parents, but I also included my offer letter and some pay stubs.

Yeah, you will need to show the previous 3 years tax returns, so if you haven't been filing, go ahead and do so... I hadn't been... As long as you've been making less than around $80K a year, you won't need to pay (isn't that expat exemption nice!). I believe for the initial forms, we used our address in China, and for the later, now that dnoblett mentiones it, I used my address in the US (I returned 4 months before my wife)... Doesn't it ask for "Intended address in the US?" In some places I used my parents address... But I know that on the initial forms, I used our address in China. It seems kind of dumb to need to prove domicile... For DCF-ing, you have to be a resident in the country that you are filing in...

I am blessed to have a wife that speaks pretty good English... Her prononciation was always pretty good. Her problem was vocabulary. Now that she is in the US, working at a school, she is learning A LOT! When we started dating, she would take her electric dictionary with her and would use it a couple times each day. After a while she didn't need it anymore. After a few weeks, she didn't take it anymore... Our biggest communication problem is where I tell her something and she acts like she understands. Then a while later, she obviously didn't... Lots of time I will tell her a second time and she will get mad, "You never told me that!!!" That used to happen to me a lot in China. I would tell a Chinese English teacher something and they would nod their head and say, "yes... Yes...", I knew they had no idea what I was talking about (usually it wasn't a yes/no question... so "yes" wasn't appropriate).

my understanding Hong Kong was very expensive to live in or even near Ha! Yeah, but when the company is paying, I don't mind.... Yeah, as an earlier poster said, living in China takes a different skillset, but it seems more interesting. Even the little daily activites seem interesting. As was said, things are cheap, but they are also cheap quality. That is annoying... I'm not talking walmart quality, I'm talking dollar store quality, or worse... But you learn to live with it after a while. By biggest problem was that I was so poor while I was living there. In a good month, I made $500. Mcdonalds was an expensive treat.

Ha! Actually, when we would walk in area's where there were "ladies of the evening", my wife would walk behind me so she could see what the women would do... It was funny to her... In Thailand, when the bar girls would call out, "Helloooooohhh", my wife would answer back the same. Yeah, there are a lot of prostitues in certian areas, but just don't go there... Stay away from the pink lights!!! They don't really cut hair!!! There are good things about living in China, and there are bad things. After 3 years of living there, I was bored. But, after a month of living in Atlanta, I was bored... Where was I more happy? Probably China... In China, I was broke, but happy. In Atlanta, I am rich but bored. It looks like we might move to Hong Kong this winter, so maybe we can be both (rich and happy, or broke and bored)....

I put our address in China. You are DCF-ing, so naturally, your current address should be in China. As so your other address question, I think it should be fine to put your 2 college addresses, since you mention it in your cover letter. It shouldn't be a problem.

I think a lot depends on how you are making your living in China.... I was teaching and doing websites for people... So, here's part of my list... 1. Very easy, layed back lifestyle. I could do most of my work on my laptop from a coffee/tea house. 2. I felt totally free. Here (atlanta), I am tied to my computer and blackberry. 3. My wife and I could get on our bicycles, ride in any direction for several hours and be in a beautiful little town. 4. We could travel very cheaply to endless exotic locations. 5. Everything was new and interesting. I could go on and on...

I'm a DCF-er, and hang out, but I don't often read this particular thread... I wish we DCF-er's would be better at helping those that came after us... When I read this thread and see a question about DCF-ing, I do post, but I end up having so skim over all the k1/k3 questions to find them.

My wife is from downtown Chengdu and loves the city... Now, we are living in Marietta, a suburb of Atlanta. She doesn't like it because it's too country. But, she keeps wanting to get chickens, goats, and rabbits. She wants to have a huge garden and plant lots of fruit trees. So, I am not sure what to do... Even in China, she tried to have a small garden in her kitchen.

Yeah, I wondered... I asked my wife if it was something I could say in Church... She said that I had better not (we have A LOT of Chinese at church).

When I tell people about all the crap we have to go through to help our SO's, most people respond, "Oh, I thought that since you are married, that she is given citizenship automatically." I am glad you didn't sign the petition. My wife keeps asking me, "Darling, if I pay Social Security for a long time, will I be able to get it when I retire?" I agree with you that if someone is legal, and has paid in to the system, that they are entitled. She WOULD become a citizen, but she will loose her Chinese passport. Most people just don't understand what that means. Before people get so passionate on either side about the immigration debate, they need to educate themselves. Honestly, I think that most/all of us are experts in this area. I wish friends/family would realise this.

you probably don't need to worry about it... But, I would back file. You won't need to pay any fines or anything... I had to back file 2 years. It wasn't a big deal.

I can't believe you all are serious! Wow! I hate those bamboo mats. I am somewhat harry. My chest/back/leg/arm/head hair was constantly getting caught in the mat and being yanked out. I had to sleep in a t-shirt because of it... Also, the little bamboo peices would stick in my side. After a few nights of that, I put a sheet on the floor... It was softer, cooler, and more comfortable... Oh how I love my AC and Select Comfort bed!!!!

The "pass it" on commercial sounds EXACTLY like a commercial that was on about a year ago, here in the US. I think it was for a bank of insurance company... When I was teaching English, I would stress how important it is to do random acts of kindness (helping a stranger cary something, helping an old lady cross the street, etc). When ever I was out with students, I would point out oportunities for them to help someone... Most of the time, it only took about 30 seconds, but I am sure it made the person being helped feel great... Anyway, I always loved the Chinese PSA's... Durring SARS, they even had those patriotic songs where the opera singers would so a montage, but in that time, it was a montage of heroic doctors, nurses, and various party leaders wearing bio-hazard suits visiting patients.

Oh, and did I mention that her passport expires this spring (spring of 08)?

so, you mean september 08? This is frustrating, I had thought it would take about 3 months (Why did I think that!!! Nothing with our government moves quickly!)... Oh well... I'll figure something out. I'm probably worrying for nothing. We'll probably just have to fly back at some point for the interview and/or biometrics... I've heard that it's difficult for Chinese citizens to get dependents visa's for Hong Kong, unless they have foreign residency (like a US Green Card). I am just concerned that if I am trying to get her Hong Kong dependents visa that this will mess that up, if we are in the middle of removing conditions, and all she has in a letter extending her card.

Sorry, I think my post was confusing... We would file the I-751 in September, and would probably move to Hong Kong in January/February. It sounds like 5 months is not enough time to get the new green card. So, it's not the filing I am worried about... I am mostly concerned about getting the 2 year re-entry permit, and being able to get a dependents visa for Hong Kong. This is going to be messy...

Well... This stinks... I am in the same boat. Does anyone know if they can send the 10 year green card to a foreign consulate? I will probably be moving to Hong Kong this winter. We will file the I-751 in september... Can we file for a 2 year "re-entry permit" while going through all this mess? Question, my wife got her drivers license in February. It's only good until November 30th (when her 2 year green card expires). They said that she needs to come back when she gets her new green card. Well, if it takes 6 months to get a new one, she will be without a drivers license for 3 months. Can she just take the letter that was mentioned and get a 1 year license?

My wife told me that "Ta Ma da" means, "his/her/their mothers' ". I take it to mean something like "Your mama!" Last month, in Shanghai, we were trying to haggle over the price of a fake rolex. The interchange turned sour. I heard her yell, "Ta ma da!". I was shocked.

I never got one, but the PSB in Chengdu told me that I just need to show my marriage book, passport, and the correct forms, and they would give me a one year tourist visa... I'm not sure how easy it is to get this visa while in the US... It's probably not a big deal to get it in Hong Kong... Kinda unrelated question... Can Americans get a 1 year business visa in Hong Kong? I got one a few years ago but then they changed the law so that everyone BUT Americans could get one.

Soon after we met, I asked her to teach me some bad words... I thought, "Oh great! Now I can really cuss out people that cheat me, or are rude to me." It turned out that she was just teaching me how to call someone an idiot or a moron... Long story short, she doesn't cuss in English or Chinese. She did drop the F bomb last night. After I stopped laughing, I told her not so say that word... It was the first time I had heard her say that.

My employer did ask for a SSN, but I just put 000-00-0000 and that worked just fine. But, I wasn't able to add her to my bank account until she has her SSN... Probably if she was an illegal from Mexico they would have let her (Bank of America) .