danswayne

Maybe that's myy problem, whenever I get on the computer my boss for life finds some way to make me stop what I'm doing. She loves bothering me when it comes to the computer and DVD's.

Sorry Mick no loookalike contests, but they are crazy enough to have catfish races. B)

Tony no reason for the post, just had too much time to waste on my 50 day vacation so I thought I would be stupid for a minute and see if I could cause any trouble.

Any guys on here under 40???

I do not know the history of the Fish Fry, I do not know why it started, or anything like that, in fact I have lilved in Paris, TN for my whole pre-China life. Anyway here goes my explanation of what happens. During the third week in April every year the city of Paris fries catfish all day and night for a week. This frying of catfish is a record breaker because we fry more in one week than any other place on earth does during the a one week period. So we actually do have the World's Largest Fish Fry. Now some people will say there is a similar festival in Japan that is called the World's Biggest Fish Fry and say I am not telling the truth, these people are wrong and I will explain why. It is true that this festival in Japan does exist but they cheat, they cook all kinds of fish in many different ways, while we focus on one fish and one style of cooking in our small but beautiful town. So because we focus on that one fish we FRY the most Catfish, and I do believe that puts us in the record books. We also have parades, carnivals, fairs, car shows, beauty pageants and everything else that you can think of that would make money during this one week period. It is a lot of fun and was always nice to get out of school on Friday so see the parade and have fun as kids.

I gave up all hope of trying to figure any of this out when the lady in my congressman's office just came out and told me that she has no idea how the namecheck thing goes and who all is involved. As I posted earlier she has been working on these things for almost 10 years and has had very little effect in finding out things and helping. This is the same lady who called me in China so I believe she really is trying. If our government people don't know what is going is there any hope for us pathetic plebians!!!!!!!

I am not in the blackhole group, because I started getting screwed before anyone in that group did. I have been trying to get my wife to America for over a year now and have not been successful. I would almost be happy to be in what some people call the blackhole because then I would be done with some of the things that we are going through, have been going through, and will go through just to get that stupid little peice of paper. Jim is right about one thing some people moan and bs about their case when they would be embarassed to compare their situation to some other people out there. I personally know of someone who has been trying to get his wife to America for 4 years and has not been successful yet. I am sorry if you did not want this rant on your post Dave I will repent if you wish for me to, but some people need to get off their sopabox and get a life. Look at Jim and Eric they are still at least half sane, although Jim does not seem to know who is Mom, Son, Daughter, and Dad is. Or is that Enights problem because she misses her guy so much.

Diana and I plan to be moving back to America in July if things actually work right for once in GZ. We plan to do business in China though. I know I am taxfree up to $80,000 over here, but do we need to worry about filling out tax forms in the future for her if she is a permanent resident on income for her over here. We plan to only be in America for a few years before moving back over here and continue to live the good life.

I asked my wife about this and she said she was fingerprinted as a kid, like I was in Tennessee. Northwest TN, Mick, small town of Paris, Home of the Worlds Largest Fish Fry. We are in the Guinness Book of Records I think. Anyway I know when I was in about 2nd or 3rd grade everyone in school was fingerprinted, and I just hypothesized that maybe the same thing happens in China. As Jim has pointed out before our FBI can do many things and maybe they can check prints from China just like they can. Maybe I heard wrong, or maybe she made a mistake on the phone, it was almost midnight China time when she called maybe I was already half to dreamland or just shocked that someone cared.

If you had to know something I never would have been allowed on the plane in the first place. B) B) B)

I still say to all you broken hearted guys and girls over across the pond, come over here and start teaching and have a vacation with your sweetie. B)

I was just noticing something today. I am an advanced member, and those two posting maniacs Eric and Jim are advanced members also. I know you wanted 50 blue thingies last year Eric, wouldn't you also like to be higher than an advanced member. Maybe something like Member Who Misses His Sweetie So Much He Can't Stop Typing B) B) B)

Only thing I could think of was they must contact someone in China somehow. B)

We might need someone like John Brown as long as he is successful this time. B)

My congressman's office in Tennessee, Tanner to be specific went to the expense and time to actually call me here in China and try to help me with the problems I and so many of you are facing. The lady who called me has continuously tried to help me and others in and from Tennessee on things such as these. She seems to be a nice lady and sounds like she truly wants to help. She told me however that she has been doing this sort of thing for about 10 years now and has had very little effect in getting things done when she tries. She did not say she would stop trying though, she promised to hang in for the fight and help wherever she could. She did say that the FBI is the government agency responsible for the name checks and they were actually fingerprint checks on the Chinese person not on us Americans. She said that she has almost never gotten any answer from the FBI, in fact in her years of fighting things such as this she has only gottenn one answer from them and that was only because things had been lost by the agencies at least 4 times. She might be willing to work with some other offices if given the chance because she probably needs the help herself. She also told me that she has heard GZ is one of the worse places to get a visa now because of the inefficiency and slowness of how they do things. Daniel and Diana in Changsha

We would be humbled and uplifted by all means to have Moses and Santa visit us at the same time. If you have the time you are invited seriously.

I have a good excuse Texan! About $1500, and a whole week of travel time to make the meeting and then get back home.

I don't believe it I am about to cry! One of my posts finally became a hot topic on this board. 3 months of blood sweat and tears have finally been vindicated. And it just took 40 something posts too. B) B)

Does anyone think I can overcome the awe-inspiring rate of message posting power of Jim and Eric?? I am not sure if I can I have posted 3 or 4 times today and man, I sure am tired from that marathon of typing. I do feel sorry for those of you stateside, seriously. I tried to get a fiance visa for my live-in boss but I missed her so much I was back in China teaching again before 2 months was over. I am making almost no money over here, but life sure is sweet working 12 hours a week. B) Eric why don't you give me and Diana a job so I can remember what work is like??

Has anyone ever tried one of the Brazilian Barbeques here in China? We have 2 or 3 here in Changsha and man they are a carnivores delight. They bring all kind of meat to your table; steak, roast, bacon wrapped chicken beef and crab, squid, small bird, sausage, corn, pear, and more all on a stick to your table. It is about 50 to 60 yuan usually here and there are two or three big buffets that go with it, fruit, veggies, seafood, and of course drinks and rice!!

Yeah Mick I am in Changsha, if the two of you are going to GZ by train why not stop by Changsha on the way there or back and I can show you the city for a day.

We faxed twice and mailed twice both within two weeks time period and GZ finally responded to an e-mail about a month late that they had started processing our paperwork. Everytime I try to talk like a person to one of these people or try to understand they give me one more good reason for not wanting to go back to the States with my wife. China and its people, government included, have treated us both much better the three years I have been here.

From some of the posts I have read tonight my memory has been slapped around a little bit and it is starting to work better. Sorry if that first sentence confuses anyone I am not sure what it means now to tell the truth, but anyway here is the bad news. A few months ago, that feel like about 5 years a lady in the Beijing INS made a mistake and told me little tidbit about GZ and their awe inspiring efforts to help us and our prettier halves get visas. I was calling her because after 8 months of waiting for P3 it was pretty obvious our forms were lost so she called GZ for me. She told me that they had many boxes in the office and just it is not in the computer it does not mean it is not in one of the many unopened boxes. To make a long story short there are probably thousands of files and forms just waiting and waiting to be opened. I am sorry if this doesn't help anyone's Spring Festival mood but I thought you would still want to hear it. Daniel and Diana in Changsha

From what I have seen on the GZ website the new information might not be on there for about 6 months. Their homepage always has news from the previous year, and I do not know what makes the stuff from 2002 new anymore.

There is a hospital in Wuhan that has just started doing the checkups for student visas. Does anyone here know if they will also be able to do the checkup for immigrant visas in Guangzhou. My chinese cousin is going to Australia to study and that is how I know about this so far because she went there, but she has no idea about cases for GZ. Daniel and Diana