phantom1949

BJ or VJ??? The only definition I have for a BJ doesn't seem like I'd get one in the Consolute? Or am I wrong on this???

Don: Is there a listing of where the US has consolutes? I will be in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Hainan plus who knows where else.

There are plenty of movies available for you that way; and can be bought in US releases; Mandarin language with English subtitles. But there are some problems: Mandarin syntax is very different from English; often what's being said is reversed, might even have different parts of a sentence in different frames of video, the English and Mandarin parts of sentence can be in different frames. Without some basics and glossary, difficult to pick up much. Many times, the translation is far from literal; the English translation could be saying a totally different phrase from the Mandarin; so they don't associate. (I studied Japanese for some years, and I had lots of fun pointing out how subtitles were different from the spoken dialog; really funny sometimes once your listening comprehension is far enough along.) Some "period" movies (for example CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon) use archaic speech. Sometimes following along with both the English subtitles and holding the Chinese text in hand, I had a hard time finding some Chinese words in the dictionary, because they're not used in modern speech. Of course, there are many western movies with the same sort of challenge for a new speaker of English. Back to your original quest; most of my US releases of Mandarin language with English subtitled movies, I bought on Amazon. On the information pages, you can check for the language and subtitle options. More importantly, there's a category search; look for "Art House and International", then by "Original Language". Then amongst the titles offered, check each DVDs page for whether the original language is Mandarin or Cantonese. Sometimes both are available, and including English subtitles. I look forward to our meeting. Lawrence

My favorites (not necessarily in order): The Road Home :: Romance Da Jie (´ó½ã) :: Romance, culture, TV Drama Series,Chinese subtitles only The Jasmine Women :: Romance Together :: Culture, Father/son bond To Live :: Culture Hero :: Action, available with Chinese subtitles Fearless :: Action, culture, a little romance Fist of Legend :: Action Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon :: Action, Romance Warriors of Heaven and Earth :: Action Eat Drink Man and Woman :: Romance The Wedding Banquet :: Romance, comedy j¨©q¨ªng r¨¢nsh¨¡o de su¨¬yu¨¨ (¼¤ÇéȼÉÕµÄËêÔÂ) :: Romance, long marriage into old age, TV Series, Chinese subtitles k¨¤oj¨¬n n¨« w¨¥nnu¨£n w¨¯ (¿¿½üÄã.ÎÂůÎÒ) :: Romance, TV Series, Chinese subtitles I recommend TV Series, because they have lots of different domestic and workplace situations using contemporary language among family members and couples. "Together" is a good example of a movie with those elements. Chines subtitles are good for learning new vocabulary, after you move beyond the basics. So these are in Mandarin with English subtitles if I want. I am looking to practice and leanrmore about the culture also and find movies that Nicole may like. Where did you buy these????? There's the rub; sometimes you may not be able to get both subtitles. Hero, for example, is available in both; Fearless though, I've only been able to find in one or the other. Generally, if you buy from a domestic supplier (I normally use Amazon.com for most general DVDs), you get US releases with English subtitles. Some DVDs come with multiple subtitles (Hero comes with Traditional, Simplified, etc.) The TV series were produced for Mainland China audiences, so come with only Simplified Chinese subtitles. Unfortunately, some movies (older titles) might come with no subtitles; such as the classics "Dream of the Red Chamber (ºìÂ¥ÃÎ)" and "Journey to the West (Î÷ÓμÇ)". I basically can't (yet) watch those, because I depend on Simplified Chinese subtitles to follow along. (I have a hard time with Traditional Chinese). While in the US. I usually buy from YesAsia.com, so that I can get Mainland releases with at least Chinese subtitles. The listings usually tell what languages and subtitles. YesAsia lets you browse in English, Simplified or Traditional Chinese, or Japanese (maybe Korean?). I've bought some in China. Once I'd planned a trip or already there, I'll make a list, then my wife takes me to the video or better book stores to find what I have listed. She bargains for the prices, and of course I've saved on shipping. B) I've bought at least one of my TV dramas in Houston, at a book store on Bellaire Blvd. To obtain Chinese subtitles for US releases, I search on http://bt.shooter.cn/. Unfortunately for many, the site is only in Simplified Chinese. From there, I've downloaded subtitles for Together, CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon, etc. By the way, I have a region-free DVD player that can play PAL source. The problem with my player, ironically, is that even though it can read subtitle files on a disk with a video source such as .avi, it doesn't support Chinese text. I am more interested in Mandarin spoken and english subtitles so I and listen to the words and see the english translation.

My favorites (not necessarily in order): The Road Home :: Romance Da Jie (´ó½ã) :: Romance, culture, TV Drama Series,Chinese subtitles only The Jasmine Women :: Romance Together :: Culture, Father/son bond To Live :: Culture Hero :: Action, available with Chinese subtitles Fearless :: Action, culture, a little romance Fist of Legend :: Action Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon :: Action, Romance Warriors of Heaven and Earth :: Action Eat Drink Man and Woman :: Romance The Wedding Banquet :: Romance, comedy j¨©q¨ªng r¨¢nsh¨¡o de su¨¬yu¨¨ (¼¤ÇéȼÉÕµÄËêÔÂ) :: Romance, long marriage into old age, TV Series, Chinese subtitles k¨¤oj¨¬n n¨« w¨¥nnu¨£n w¨¯ (¿¿½üÄã.ÎÂůÎÒ) :: Romance, TV Series, Chinese subtitles I recommend TV Series, because they have lots of different domestic and workplace situations using contemporary language among family members and couples. "Together" is a good example of a movie with those elements. Chines subtitles are good for learning new vocabulary, after you move beyond the basics. So these are in Mandarin with English subtitles if I want. I am looking to practice and leanrmore about the culture also and find movies that Nicole may like. Where did you buy these?????

Scott: Keep your cool. Good Luck. Lawrence

Paula: If you can get past the smell, then it would be a good experience for your son and hopefully teach him some responsibility. As for the smell, you can give the dog a bath. Speak to a vet for options. As a thought, if all else does not work with the dog, you can always, skin him and cook him. This is Texas......

Paula: My opinion only. I would NEVER buy a Ford Explorer prior to 2006 with the new stabilizer bars. The Ford Exployer is usually a good price, but the reason is they have a history of flipping over. I almost purchased one so I have trailer my motorcycle if ever I needed to. The Ford Explorer is one of the few SUV's that companies like U-Haul will not all you to rent a trailer for. Please for safety sake, stay away from the Ford Explorer. I had a Jeep Cherikee and drove it for a few years. It is nice but like all American cars is not made to last (my humble opinion), I had it with 4 wheel drive and by 140,000 miles even my mechanic told me to get rid of it. If your hubby can afford, I prefer the Toyota 4 Runner. It will last forever as all Toyota's do. I found that with our new Gas prices, the value of all SUV's have come down so you can get a good deal on one. A think a 2000 4 Runner should cost no more then $10,000-$12,000. If that is too high, then you can always go for an older model. Just my opinion. Good Luck. Lawrence PS: What part of Texas are you in??? Are you and your hubby coming to the BBQ get together on January 27th in La Grange, Texas????? I hope so.

FC: Lee gave you excellent advise. Let your attorney handle everything, the divorce, the FBI and INS. Get her out, clear your head and get on with your life. Good Luck.

I lived in Florida for 14 years (8yrs in Longwood). If your wife lives with you, whether she drive or not if she is over 16 she needs to be on your policy. Simple. Depending on the company, you can list her but show she drives 0% or whatever % it is. If you do not list her and G-d forbid she ever gets behind the wheel (like to learn to drive) and there is a reported accident then they may/will not pay. Good Luck

Excellent advise. Specific and to the point. FC follow what Lee suggests.

Sounds like you order both dishes, our SO trys both and eats the one she likes. You eat what's left over.

SO and me trade-off very much in this matter.She cooks as good as ANY resturuant in China,and would actually rather cook here at home than go to a resturuant.She LOVES hotdogs,Twix candy bars (ofcourse she quite due to "inflating"),Cheeze-Its,Sweet Lebanon Bologna sandwiches,Grape soda,Taco Bell,my home made chile and BBQ chicken,cole slaw,tossed salads,Cheetoes Cheese Puffs,many other "fat western foods".She does know what to indulge in and what not too.She came here w/ an open mind and I try to let her try everything as I did when I was in China for awhile.We both think it's very cool "trading off" our cultures and cuisines. I forgot (how dare me) ,she loves spagetti and home made salsa and chips.Yes,she loves hot and spicey dishes.....so do I (namely "Guangzhoe hot-pot),and a REAL SNACK TREAT are fish steaks or sardines in hot suace that come in a can... Now are those the sardines with or without the heads???

Lawrence, just curious, why have you become so emotionally involved with this? I spoke to the guy and feel sorry for him (must be my feminine side ) Actually I married a women back in 2000 who I loved very deeply. She didn;t scam other men for money and did not want to get divorced, but she did love to sneak ouf and date other men. The range fo emotions of loving someone who is cheating on you is unbeleiveable. It is not something I would ever want to expereince again. I broke up with her when the hurt was greater then the love. So I do not know Scott but I understand what he is going through and some of what he is feeling. I could get as much sex as I wanted but she did not know what the word love meant.

With a provisional Green Card would they put her in prision or just deport her. If she has already taken all this money, she might just be happy to go home.

As stated before, I-864 is a very dangerous document. which is why I am a little surprised by so many saying (maybe more in the other thread) just divorce her and move on... (yea, move on to lifetime payments if she can get through the removal proceedings). I think it's worthwhile to attempt to collect any possible criminal activity that might be going on to get it into her case... but not at the expense of one's sanity. David, it seems that FC has tapes videos or a PI to give a deposition on his wifes sexual exploits, and his bankers experience when his wife came in with her own money to send to China. If she has a hearing to keep her greem card and FC comes in with this kind of evidence what would the courts usually do??? I beleive he also has webcams at home to show no abuse...... That's assuming someone want to sit throught hundreds of hours of boring....

I think you need to be careful with this advise. Yes, this is normally the case with family law cases. They do not have access to US Federal District Courts. Normally, you are only bound by state courts, so you can get away with moving to another state. I know many deadbeat dads who did that to get away from child support. Now enters the I-864. You gave the beneficiary, local, state and federal governments authorization to sue you in any US Federal District Court with jurisdiction for the return of any compensation due them. Hence, the government is smart. They purposely wrote the I-864 so it removes state boundaries. As stated before, I-864 is a very dangerous document. I agree and stand corrected. But I hate the term "Dead Beat Dads" as I have seen as many "dead Beat Mom's" who get support and still scam the welfare system. I paid for 17 years and never missed or was late with a payment. But anyway.

I read it and copied it. When Nicole is here and even now that has become the rules to live by. And yes it is very profound and the key to a happy relationship!!!

Will they work on a Region 1 DVD (What is it NTSB verus PAL)???

If she were to marry the ¡°other guy¡± chances are she wouldn¡¯t be able to file for anything because she is now ¡°the other guy¡¯s¡± responsibility. I think that if you had children involved then the circumstance would be different. I¡¯m not an attorney so I would recommend that you talk to an immigration attorney on this. Most of them would be able to answer a simply question like yours over the phone without a charge. Of course they will want you to come in to make you a client afterwards too! Randy: Does the 864 become void when she remarries? If FC's wife has no visible means of supoprt, lives with the wealthy man and does not marry him, then what happens with the 864?

A very good point, Randy. Likely that a divorce court will award at least as much as the I-864. If not, an alien would need to take the case to a federal court and win a judgement. There are at least a couple of cases where this has happened, but it is quite rare. More likely that the alien would obtain government assistance and the agency would seek reimbursement. I haven't heard of this happening but it is certainly a contingent liability. This is exactly what will happen because I have seen it happen before! The only question is how long the government entity ¨CWelfare Agency takes to turn the case around. Most government agency have a stack of paperwork to go through before a letter can be sent out and then depending on how long you take to reply to it. This could drag out for a good 6-8 months before the individual starts reimbursing the monies that the government has given the dependant. Very similar to being laid off from your job, you apply for un-employment, company that fired you rejects your demands because their unemployment payments will increase, etc etc. The government turnaround may vary by State. For Florida (I have some experience here) when the applicnnt files for welfare/medicaid HRS (Child welfare in Fla) automatically sent me a letter saying my wife is in Florida and is claiming I am not paying her and she is poor. I usually had 30 days to provide proof that I was paying. The problem is I needed to wait in the early 90's for my bank statement to come to me so I could photocopy both sides of the check and send them in. By the time I get the check to HRS it was over 30 days and they had put my wife on support. But I was told that if I could show I was paying, they it was her who was committing welfare fraud. This game of her applying and my sending in the documentation and then HRS throwing her off welfar for her to wait 30 days and start this all over again when on for 18 months. In the end, She had to pay them back as I had paid in full every month.

A very good point, Randy. Likely that a divorce court will award at least as much as the I-864. If not, an alien would need to take the case to a federal court and win a judgement. There are at least a couple of cases where this has happened, but it is quite rare. More likely that the alien would obtain government assistance and the agency would seek reimbursement. I haven't heard of this happening but it is certainly a contingent liability. As an FYI, I lived in New York and my wife took the children, left and moved to Florida. While I was sending her support, she still applied for welfare and medicaid. My New York divorce Attorney told me to ignore anything from Florida HRS. He said as long as I did not go to Florida the Flroida Government could not touch me in New York or any other state. I never took that route as it was my children in the middle. I moved to Florida and showed HRS I was paying her monthly. Eventually HRS went after my ex for fradulent filings. So I guess Scott just needs to move to another state. But I would think more realistically, the wife would go to marry the wealthy man and not bother with Scott and the 864. Since Scott is working three jobs to afford an apartment, and the older wealthy guy gave her thoudands of dollars to buy a home in China. Why go after the poor man when you can marry the rich man...... I read that in a gold digger training guide somewhere.

Thanks!!! This will be homework for tonight.

You guys know so much more then me. Duke: I am not attorney but Double Jeopardy only apply's when a court/jury find you not guilty. Unless I am wrong, and I could be, the INS application/green card process is not a court. Randy, now that court case could be interesting. The SO going and asking for support as she has been wronged, and the husband showing up with video of his wife meeting other men multiple times (I speak to FC off line), as well as e-mails to boyfriends planning these sexual encounters, missing each other, etc, and all occuring right after the green card was conditionally issued. The guy working three jobs to give his wife a decent life and the wife running around with other men. This could also most be a "B" movie. Regquired watching for men wanting to find a wife overseas, along with a second movie that was a love story.

I guess my question is, "What are the classics and love stories"? I wanted to start picking up some DVD's that Nicole might enjoy and that would be comforting to her.