Batmaniac

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/01/1...tack/index.html So why do we keep hearing about these seemingly random attacks on crowds using acid in Hong Kong? Is acid that easy to get? Would these acid throwers be using guns if those were as easy to get? What's the deal?

It's been trial and error. Ying likes to experiment with different products (she is like a kid in a candy story when it comes to skin care and cosmetic aisles) and a couple of items have given her rashes. Notably there was some hippie junk she bought at Whole Foods that was scooped out of a big vat. That made her break out like she had chicken pox! She's had the best luck with Origins.

Are your parents writing a letter? I know of a case where GUZ issued a blue and were questioning WHY a guy's father wanted to sponsor his fiancee. The guy had lived in China off and on for 10 years, spoke fluent Chinese, taught English and had known the lady 1.5 years.

Very interesting. Since they have the opportunity to interview you together the questions get a bit personal don't they? How often do you make love? Wife: Constantly! 2-3 times a week! Husband: Hardly ever! 2-3 times a week!

Congrats Bryon! You guys have gone through so much, this is well-deserved. I am so excited for you two. When does she arrive? If you have any other interview details from your wife or you, can you post them or PM me. I have a friend who has a fiancee in Vietnam now. They should be getting married either in April or the fall.

At least one person in China has been there. I received a Honduran coin in change at a restaurant my first visit to China!

I just googled and found this http://community.travelchinaguide.com/forum2.asp?i=45245 Really most of the places are pretty far and your parents probably wouldn't want to go there if they didn't want to go to China. No chance on getting them to Hong Kong and Macau?

Robert, I don't think the VOs ask for the past year's taxes until at least April 15th when they're due at the IRS. They know that the W-2s aren't even mailed out until Jan 31st at the latest, and most people don't file right away. I think Robert is in a good shape, but I personally wouldn't even walk into there in the month of March without my latest taxes unless of course there was a good reason. Should it even matter? Probably shouldn't. But why risk it?

I second the car rental idea. Your husband might get a kick out of the desert. My wife did on our trip out there.

Pay the $25 and get the letter notarized at acs. Some of us think they scan these docs in and they are reviewed before the interview. Doesn't hurt anything. And the officer I had at acs asked me several questions and made notes in my wife's computer file. On that note, I only had the financials notarized. She carried an updated eor, but it was never read.

Did you call your bank before leaving the US and inform them that you will be overseas? I do this with credit cards and debit cards. Doesn't help you now, but I'd remind anyone traveling to do this.

I almost want to fly over to GUZ just to watch him freaking out. It's going to be entertaining!

I agree, why risk it? You could be the one couple that they decide to use to make an example. Customs and the MPAA. Netflix is $20 a month. And likely your local library has plenty of DVDs for free. Besides, any DVD can be copied easily to a HD if you want to save it. I use Handbrake on my Mac.

I don't watch or make porn. Robert, you're going to get me into trouble. My wife is going to read this. goofball. Thank you, Michael, for your feedback and suggestions. When are you guys coming back? After New Years?

I think it will probably work fine. PAL/NTSC are not relevant to the HD format. But you know, she could run the DVDs through a computer also. Personally, I'd wait until you arrive here. Blu-ray has gotten cheaper now with $80-100 players I'd get one of those for your nice new HDTV. You'll never want to go back to pirated highly compressed single layer DVD copies again!

You've got documentation for the first visit, I assume. You married her on the second. Sounds fine to me. That's not a whirlwind situation, although those aren't always denied either. You pay for the lawyer yet? You can do it all yourself by using CFL. If you have, don't worry about it. I paid for a lawyer too and didn't start reading CFL until a month before we got the visa.

Cold vs Hot . . . It's very interesting. I totally buy into the hot tea stuff. Other aspects . . . well . . . My physician buddy and I ate 5 dozen raw oysters between the two of us a couple of weeks ago at a bar and got sick as hell 24 hours later from them being tainted with the norovirus. My wife insists we were only ill because we ate oysters at the wrong time according to Chinese medicine. They are a cold food and should never be eaten in the winter. I tried explaining this is the best time and the rule of thumb about the "r" months, but she'd have none of it.

Weird, I got a mop slap in the heat of Shenzhen June of '08 when I washed with cold water. I was so hot and sweaty from being outside and it felt so damn good! As far as the soda, the acupuncturist thinks warm soda is fine? I drink cokes, but never as much as some of my friends. I don't think it's good for you hot or cold. Personally, I drink Coke and Dr Pepper sans HFCS when I can find it and even then on a limited basis. Although i went a little wild in September with Mexican Coke. We had a brief torrid love affair. Still get together in small doses.

We did this. My wife had already used up her entrance to HK a few months before. We took a private van over the border. The Chinese side had no issue with her crossing. The HK side looked at her US Visa and the E-Tickets. The HK customs official in the booth couldn't make the decision himself so someone came out and got us and brought us into an interview room for about 20 minutes or so. They asked a couple of brief questions, were satisfied with the US visa and E Tickets and let us through. Most of the others being interviewed were pregnant women since HK doesn't want mainlanders coming and having babies there. A week seems reasonable to me, but hard to say. We were just staying the night at the airport hotel.

time to browse IKEA. And if you play it right, you might kill two days trying to find your way out! Good luck!

Dammit, you stole my post!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVuulS47NL8...player_embedded Looks amazing. I love when modern filmmakers make the choice of using B/W when tackling difficult material. Not a best foreign pic contender though. Forever Enthralled was submitted for consideration. Which I haven't seen yet either.

College requirement I am guessing. We just ran into this at ACC in Austin. I think they want to make sure she has at least a HS degree. if not they want to make her get a GED or something. Showing them transcripts or a diploma from college verifies past college experience. They told us they might give credit for some of the classes. We registered, fought with them a bit to NOT classify her as an international student and they just put a hold on the account until we brought in transcripts. Anyway, my wife's friend in the class showed them her diploma a few years ago when she was in beginning ESL classes and had it translated for about a $160. When I found out about that, I thought we should just go that route because my wife's college was being very cagey about sending the transcripts. Finally after a greased palm or two they promised to send them. What they sent I could have printed up on my computer and stamped it with any old Chinese stamp that gets stamped on any old receipt in China. You know what I mean. Circle surrounded by Chinese characters and a red star in the middle. ACC took them without batting an eyelash though. She is finishing up the two ESL classes this week and taking Psychology, Freshman English, Speech and Biology next semester along with her new friend.

congrats!!!

Seems a little nosy to me. What if he is 18? But maybe it's under 18 and to make sure BOTH parents know he is going to China, if you get my drift.