jkobman

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

O come on...LV+wedding=ELVIS!! Come on - - ONLY IN AMERICA!! ...or maybe to the Hilton for a little Star Trek wedding! anyways CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Chinese Public Security Bureau (did I say that right?) is something I always enjoy when I am over there. The cops in Nanjing and Shanghai wear blue uniforms, so it's same old for us Americans. But, the cops in Hefei and Zhengzhou still wear the old Army green and carry Chinon AK47's. I told my friend (as we ran up the stairs in the Bank of China trying to get to the Foreign Exchange window before the afternoon "take a rest" time) that the cops were going to shoot him in the butt. Cops in banks with automatic weapons are definitely a deterent to bank robbers. BUT, back to a protest in GZ - dealing with the cops (which I have been told are attached to the Chinese Army) would definitely be a deterent to protesting at the US Consulate!

As I have checked prices for Washington Dulles to Shanghai Pudong, flying Tuesdays and Thursdays early in the morning is least expensive. I think Fridays and Mondays are more expensive.

I just got off the phone with the Visa Info Ctr at DoS. If you look at our dates at the bottom, many of us are in the same boat. When I called the DoS today, I got a Visa Specialist in a good mood - a "good cop." She said our paperwork is in the security check phase and that due to the new Homeland Security stuff, several agencies have to sign off/process the security request before it is cabled back to GZ. Also, she said that the closing of the call center did not directly affect K visas, but there is probably some slow down due to moving people from one office to another to help with the call center. She said that Sarah's P4 and appointment will be sent once they receive the security check back in GZ. She did not have any idea concerning what we want to know - the "WHEN'S" - WHEN will the P4/appt letter be sent, WHEN will she get her appointment and WHEN WHEN WHEN WHEN WHEN ......... As I said, she was polite and helpful, but a lot of the response seemed canned, not anywhere as canned as some of the responses we have received from our good friends from a certain visa office in GZ. I too am frustrated and miss Sarah, but I guess all we can do is keep asking, keep calling and do the US Army thing - HURRY UP AND WAIT! This seems to be he most frustrating part of the process. ANyways, lets keep talking, lets keep encouraging each other - because that's about all we can do (and yes maybe I'll go and bang my head on the kitchen counter a couple of times) - let's stay sane, balanced and avoid in/out patient crazy treatments!! Let's all hang in there - this too shall pass, our finacees/wives/children WILL get here - the "WHEN" is the unknown factor! Smilin' and waiting' in Virginia, Jeff

CONGRATS!!!!!!!

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GREAT GREAT GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the info - I will need it soon!!

I do the same with the label, but the phone # is a good idea. I also tape things up so they don't bust open and the label doesn't come off. I was told that they x-ray mail, so they should only open suspicious stuff and stuff they feel the need to pilfer. We get mail Nanjing<->Virginia about 10-14 days. Thank God for letters, EMail the phone and for some of you, IM.

WELCOME!!!

SUPERRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember - we're working with our government - Sarah was ready to send the P3 packet back to GZ. I said "make 3 copies." She said, "no, the Chinese Post Office does not lose mail." I said, "yes honey, it's not the China Post, it's the US Consualte in Guangzhou. I've been dealing with the government many. many years [side note - yes, I make 2 extra copies of all tax returns], so just make 3 copies, OK?" "OK, I will make 2 copies." Living about 1 hour from DC and having a lot of friends who work for the Govt and the military I have to keep reminding myself who I am dealing with, our government. Not much of anything makes sense, has rhyme or reason, or blahblahblah... All I can do is remain patient, pull out all of my hair so I will have to shave my head before Sarah gets here and do the old Army drill - "hurry up and wait!"

I sent Sarah $1K and figured that should be enough for her and my stepson to travel to GZ (Nanjing <->GZ), pay fees, med exam, hotel, etc. I told her if there's any extra $, use it to get ready to come here or for travel to the US.

Thanks for posting this info - if anyone has info to add, I would appreciate it.

GREATTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I will suckup and go to GZ and was the VO's car (or bicycle!) J

Well........what can I say but THANKS for saving me the "change this/buy that/this goes to garage sale/ di di di di di di di di.........."

Has anyone done a "preemptive strike" and stocked the kitchen prior to her arrival? - a wok, utensils, etc etc etc. Does anyone have 10 cents worth of free advice?

We could all mail you 1 box of scouring powder and bleach OR pass the hat to bring in Merry Maids. I plan to sponsor a "LET'S CLEAN JEFF'S HOUSE PARTY" for family and friends about 1 week before Sarah arrives. I know I will be in debt as if I had asked the Godfather for help. CLEANCLEANCLEAN!!!!!

Does anyone know if Carl is back in the US?

Hey Jeff, Which card do you use at Mastebell, there are many cards to choose from and that is where I got the Chopin card? ______________________ David, I bought the Champion on Masterbell. The quality is good ->OK, but always acceptable. Onesuite seems to have better quality - maybe better equipment or better LD lines - who knows??!? How is the Chopin card? What's the cost? BYE Jeff

I found that calling the DoS at about 8:40 - 8:50 am seems to be the best. I only waited about 3 minutes. YOU GO!!!!!!

I use MasterBell and Onesuite - about .02/minute. I have unlimited long distance in the US, so I call access #'s in California from the East Coast. the 800# is about .04. I always get through. Having 2 card companies helps - sometimes one line is down. I am able to get printouts of phone calls for documentation purposes - Onesuite has them available online and MasterBell will EMail them upon request. The quality of the phone line seems a bit better on Onesuite. Both have 800#'s and both use pin#'s The phone calls mean a lot to me - I know they mean a lot to you all ("y'all" here in Virginia!)

United Airlines runs a non-stop from San Francisco (SFO) to Shanghai (PVC) and back - I think it's daily. My sister-in-law to be likes China Travel Service ( may@chinatravelservice.com ). Someone else said China Eastern - and that's probably the best - and probably out of LAX. Also Northwest flies, but makes a layover somewhere in Japan. I have flown United and China Eastern - both are good. A travel agent in California can probably find you a better rate, but you will have to find the right agent. Hope you get a good fare!

I called the DoS this morning to inquire about Sarah's visa. The operator confirmed what has already been determined here on CFL - the closing of the Call Center does not affect visa processing, and she specifically said that the closing does not affect K visas. B)

I posted web addresses for the forms a while back - the copies were of so-so quality, but enough to pre-write them. Hope this helps.