Doug

And here I thought you lived in the USA all along. Well even in Texas, as a kid walking to school, I HATED how the cold wind would go up a coat. I lived just inside the 2 mile limit for a school bus and always had to walk. Somehow I always wound up with a coat that was longer and so warm, the parents would say, but open at the bottom like a skirt. I always wanted a jacket with the elastic at the bottom to keep the wind out. Of course now I am so fat the coat is sealed regardless . Us Southern boys just weren't used to the cold, and even in Texas we had some snow, but usually ice storms, or the snow turned to ice by the next day. Of course NOTHING like the cold you and Larry experienced. I lived in that kind of cold once. It always wanted to put me to sleep, so I got out of there. Those pics look great, and SOOOOooo good to hear your stories.

Cool, well I have a couple of years until my visa expires. I can stay 90 days, but they had up to 120 or 180, I forget. But getting a 10 year will be cool. Just go when I want. It looks like Fen will be tie to her school as a coach even though she lives in the USA. I think 2 months a year in the summer she will go back to coach. I will go too. but for a shorter time.

Well if you need help and can wait until December, let me know. Always happy to help, and maybe a bit faster this time, hahaaaaaaa I guess we won't be in Nanning this trip. We fly direct to Guangzhou the 18th, stay the night for early morning interview and leave that after noon on the 19th.

I can't find a flight path. I settled for $1323 from Dallas to Shanghai direct leaving 11-14-14 and returning the 30th. Of course it is AA so no way to buy the extra 6", though they will take your money for simply further forward. I didn't buy it. Dang Yankees who moved to Ft Worth. I will hate the seat arrangement, but it will cut a bit of the travel time. Oh my back. I could have done the ticket for less than 1300 by changing a day, but ehhh.. Wife added my ticket to theirs to somewhere close or to Guangzhou. I have no idea of the price.

I reduced jpeg scanned images on Office Picture Manager on Edit Pictures and then Compress. Then I pasted all in WORD, and from there I could save it as a PDF. I think I sent in 5 emails for all the AOS alone to keep it under 5mgs.

I can get down to 1000 or so if I want to go through LAX. I want to try the new AA direct flight from Dallas, though. It is 1278, and down from 13xx. So, I have not bought the tickets yet, and leaving Friday. Many seats left, so it is going down. I think no one leaves Thanksgiving time. Boss not given me the return day yet.

Fen was on line so much that day shopping from her I-phone, I could not call her. It goes busy...

Now he has no money, so what will she think of this? You know, I have noticed that SOMETIMES, it seems I am expected to act that crazy. Of course since I already am crazy I kind of keep up.

I encountered the squat under trying circumstances, ie high pressure liquid blast at a movie theater during the movie. Found in the alley, there was only no throne as I figured, but nothing was going to prevent this endeavor. Anyway, had some paper and off I went as fast as possible without ruining the movie for all in the theater. Mastery was learned at her brothers house, meeting her parents and all her family for the first time. The one throne was broken, so the squatter in the shower was IT! Seems I got sick there also with fever and much stomach churning. And so there I was, ready to ask if I can marry Fen. Most worrisome, but hey, I am not a teenager anymore and they were very patient understanding people. Maybe the measured fever got me off the hook, haha. I made a game of it. I pretended to be on a WWII bomb run, and just sight it in, haha. I recall taking a shower since I was almost naked anyway. I lost count how many times a day, or night. Besides it was August way down in muggy South China. It could have been Mississippi. PS: The thought just occurred to me... ol Tsapper must really be a decent guy... I mean what if he were into some kinky stuff? I mean twirling et all? I twirling jumping terlet seat on a bomb run?.... PS2: wonder if this could help me in my struggles with American toilets?

Heck one month in China with the wife is good for 15 or more pounds for me. Heck, in less than 2 years I wouldn't exist. Natural alright :D

I agree with the posts here that most mother-in-laws are good and cause no trouble, but respect instead. But, if in-laws are a problem in the marriage, it is usually the husbands mother who causes it. I've read the statistics somewhere. I can't imagine a controlling mother allowing her son to go to China to marry. I know a Chinese lady in Xian who dated a foreign man who's mother showed up to live there also. Boy did that guy abuse her feelings in favor of his mother. Don't marry a mama's boy. But then you don't want a man who hates his mother either. Just talk this over with your hubby. Let him know your fears. Hopefully Yall can meet on Skype before you come over. Heck my step-brother was all against me marrying Fen, until he met us together on Skype when I was in China once. He did a 180 after that and apologized. I've got one girl cousin who babysat me a lot when young and she is still bitter about it. We simply stopped talking to each other, her loss.

From 2 kids I have heard. Good: Less homework. Bad: None to Homesick, depends on the kid.

Personally I think it is all in how you say it. After all, WE emphasize words different than they do. If we are wise, we can exaggerate just right in our flirting with all of these by making them compliments or statements and make her laugh and then etc. & etc. (to hell with asking questions, just tell her, as in HOT DAaMM) No? Yes?

There is actually 2 hotels between the terminals, but they use the same check in counter. Kind of a 2-in-1 thing. I have stayed in both. Yes, one of them is the Motel 168, or used to be. They are pretty good for China, but a bit old. The 168 has some awkward round bed. The only thing I didn't care for is the big mirror in the bathroom. It sticks out and looks to be 2-way. I always wonder if they have a camera behind it. Oh, well let them look if they want. I can't remember the bathroom on the other side (hotel) which cost a little more, I think. It has been awhile, since most of the flights I use leave in the afternoon now. I never made a reservation for either, but probably a good idea. We stayed in a Pudong hotel once, and loved it, but the worry is the bus getting you to your flight in time. Everything in China runs on such a strict schedule, but there was an accident and the street was plugged. I barely made it, so if we stay, it is always in one of those 2 hotels between the terminals. Identical twin towers.

I know you want the ladies to respond, but I did ask this question of a Chinese lady next to me on the airplane going to Shanghai a couple of trips ago. She went to college in America and never expected to stay there. She met a white guy and they married and she stayed of course. I think she said she was a citizen now. She has 2 teenage daughters, and was in her 40s. I hope I don't get censored, but this is her words not mine. Good: She learned I liked China so much, so I asked her why she liked America. She said "blue", "blue sky". We talked a little about pollution and how she never saw a blue sky in Shanghai growing up, and now she just loves the blue sky in America. (I've often thought how pollution per capita is not the issue, so much as how much smoke is belching in an area. I've paid attention to the sky in every city I visit there now.) Bad: Now this was a flight out of San Francisco, her home town. Of course I mentioned a little trouble in getting my wife's visa. I never said a thing about politics, but she said Democrat Communist", as if one and the same to her and not in a good way either, three times in that conversation. I never let her know my leaning. But she never said Democrat without communist connected with it. (Interesting from her point of view and life history I thought. Please don't make this a political debate!)

Meanwhile, we keep stealing their women

Thanks Dan. Dogass me, cowshit I know.

I see the OP hasn't been around for awhile. I didn't get much past the first page and thought I would just pitch in here. I don't consider a dating website a mail order bride. There is no agency in control, like in a true mail order bride company. Besides Tsapper's situation turned out pretty good (what an act of God hehehe) . I think a new member to CFL can easily be offended even if tongue in cheek meant. He has no background about us ol boys here. yet. Of course sometimes I aint so tactful myself or give explanation. I don't much find it out of the question or a bad thing that the young lady would like to find a husband somewhat near her friend. I took the OP as a kind of, if it worked out thing, it would be nice. Even if anywhere in the USA or Canada they can visit much easier than half a world apart. I also just don't see anything wrong with it, because I am assuming the lady would not take advantage of a man just to be near her friend. That kind of gets into fraud and we don't know that yet. Besides my wife and I have certainly talked about this. We would like for one or more of my single buddies to hook up with a Chinese or better yet one of her friends. I find her friends quite mature and easy to get along with, and honest. In fact, I have a single friend who is chatting with one of her friends already, but that may not work out so far. I searched and www.chineselovelinks.com has changed to http://www.chinalovecupid.com/ . I want to say that the ladies never have to pay, but can chat and things if the man has, or the other way around. But someone on the other side might verify that. There are scams, but you can read about that and weed them out pretty easy.

So do I need to go check you out again? Of course Shaq may be back in Austin soon.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Dan, this is what I get when I log into CGI. We have an appointment from the NVC for Nov 19, yet this shows nothing, does not recognize our GZo #s, and shows no fee paid, when they all have been. It did allow me to select a CITIC bank location during the profile update, but the lower right box to schedule or change that address does not work. The NVC website says she will be told at the end of the interview where to pick up the visa. It seems my wife is on a forum or two in China with some ladies who have been through the CR1/2 process and they all say she must select one of those 4 addresses, which none were the one I chose for a CITIC bank in her city. Anyway, it has made some nervous feeling between my baby and I for a few days now. Did we even need to get involved with this CGI thing? http://i59.tinypic.com/34jaj6a.jpg Did you try using GUZ instead of GZO? I just tried the old GUZ numbers and it is not found or recognized either, so I just put it all back to GZO #s. I just don't think this CGI is needed if doing the efiling from the states, but maybe I'm wrong. I will do some more reading tonight. PS: Plus wife is being told she will need to pay more fees at the consulate when she arrives and when she picks up the visas/passports. Maybe those are for some delivery service, I can't understand her. The med fees were quite a bit higher than the letter said, also.

Well, get his help if your shy. Or Yall do together. Yes my friend was all personality, so easy for him. Anyway, have your hubby invite friends over, maybe... Just bring China to the USA..............wyyy heck most others are. Jest look at the Mexicans. They have a good time.

Sounds like a good family and so if he wants it then good for him. I want a few toys too. Ugly ass car if you ask me, but it sure is vented good for cooling everything, so maybe sustained high speeds in the desert is OK, and lots of repeated braking power. It would do real good on our local track on a 100+ day I bet, and we have some tight off camber turns to burn brakes right off a car.

Dan, this is what I get when I log into CGI. We have an appointment from the NVC for Nov 19, yet this shows nothing, does not recognize our GZo #s, and shows no fee paid, when they all have been. It did allow me to select a CITIC bank location during the profile update, but the lower right box to schedule or change that address does not work. The NVC website says she will be told at the end of the interview where to pick up the visa. It seems my wife is on a forum or two in China with some ladies who have been through the CR1/2 process and they all say she must select one of those 4 addresses, which none were the one I chose for a CITIC bank in her city. Anyway, it has made some nervous feeling between my baby and I for a few days now. Did we even need to get involved with this CGI thing? http://i59.tinypic.com/34jaj6a.jpg

OK, we got the new password, and I set my own password, so now I can log in anytime. I updated her profile. I selected a CITIC bank near where she lives. cgi Stanley does not recognize the GZO numbers we have or that we paid anything or have an interview date. I see I stirred this up by a .pdf file I sent to her where we need to select one of 4 location addresses through cgi. I can't remember where I got it. So maybe I am just spinning for nothing. My gut feeling is to just follow the last letter from the NVC, and travel.state.gov. BUT, I will call Monday and get some advice, after I search more to find where I got that .pdf telling about cgi and showing a map how to get to the consulate. Doug