NicolaNSam

FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKIN A!!!!!!! Way to Go Darrell!!!!

Moon, I hope this will be over with in a week or so. They probably have to look over the video tape. Keep us updated! I'm soooooo angry at the way they treat us! Its bad enough you guys had to wait so long for interview but now this BS.

Not complaining as much as I'm letting other people know, Nicola can't get her driver's license from Lousiana until she gets her social security number. We have been here for two months now and filed about a month ago for her social security number. Nothing yet. She already took her 6 hrs drivers ed class.

To be fair I forgot to mention i've lived in the U.S. for all my 27 years and I have over 20 cavaties! Its not just a Chinese problem. The issue really is that the Chinese do not take care of their teeth as much as we do here in America........but then again with 20 cavaties and a root canal at 27 years old........I HAVE NO ROOM TO TALK!

Moon, I'm hoping they just have to look over the VHS and send the copy of your visa to somewhere close by. Seems like you guys aren't in that bad of shape, everything they requested has been given to them and probably they need time to look it all over. Hope it will all end in a week or so. Keep us updated. Your going to get your visa! There's nothing to worry about. A "rejection" is not an option for Candle members.

Bryan!! Those were great hints!! But I would have never guessed! FUNNY FUNNY STORY DARRELL!

Robert, I'm really glad I posted this because someone sent me a PM and said that she got her teeth cleaned at least once a year in China and it was around 50 RMB. I'm interested to see what city she's from and if its comman and we just didn't know about it.

First time I was coming back from China in 2000 we changed all our RMB to USD and then they wouldn't let us out without the stupid construction fee! The guy in front of the line gave us money to pay our way out! I wonder what they would do if you REALLY don't have the money to leave.

COOL AVATAR MARI!! I still have no idea how to put ours up! Can you PM me or E-mail me a bigger picture of it! who made it? I'm jealous! I don't even have a picture much less an animation!

way to go Jeff! The dream of what will be is slowly going to turn into the reality of what is!

Hey guys, Nicola and I went to get a cleaning yesturday. Before she came to America I asked her to go get her teeth cleaned and she said people just don't do that in China. Its like getting plastic surgery. If someone's MM doesn't agree with Nicola please post it here because I like being disagreed with so that I can learn! Nicola is 22 years old and has some really nice straight teeth. About 8 months ago I brought ten packs of Dental floss with me on my trip and she kept asking what in the world I was doing. I should her how to floss but other than that she has been brushing her teeth twice a day all her life. My first suggestion is to get some good dental floss to your MM's the "Glide floss" clear green package is awesome! My favorite. We didn't think she had any cavaties because she has never had toothache and hates sweets. Well...............We both went for a cleaning and she took twice as long as me. The lady cleaning her teeth came out and said she has SO much build up because she has never had her teeth cleaned that it took her an hour to clean it. She also said that Nicola has to come back in one month to try to get some more build up off her teeth. Then 6 months later after she delivers her baby they want her to come in for an exray because so far they see 10 cavaties! Make your first stops a dental cleaning and checkup because if you wait it will cost you more or you'll all have toothless wives! The good thing is Nicola kept touching her teeth and saying that she has never in her life had her teeth feel so clean. It was worth the $65 cleaning and the future $65 recleaning.

Alright! Give us three clues!

BRYAN! BRYAN!.............TELL US NOW!

Bryan! You can't do this to us!! Please tell the story!! I hate not knowing things! Did he forget his suitcase? HAHAHA

Hey guys, When Nicola sent her P4 off we waited a month then started calling DOS every week asking if she finished her backround checks. After a month or so they said that she did finish her backround checks and it is pending a interview. Then all the sudden a month or so later they told us our interview date. I recommended doing this to a friend and he called them yesterday. They told him that DOS does not know when backround checks are finished and its not their job to know that information. Seemed to me like she just didn't feel like dealing with him but it made me second guess if their still giving this information out. Does anyone know if you can still call DOS and ask them about backround checks finishing and when interview dates are set? Any help would be appreciated! .................Next post!............Nicola's dental visit! HAHAHA I always wondered what Nicola and I would be dealing with when she comes to America and I just wanted to share with everyone so they can get ready.

Thanks everyone for your kind words. Nicola is feeling fine and we are VERY happy together. I just wanted to discuss the homesickness issue with everyone because it hits her sometimes and hits hard. Its the only issue that we have to deal with for the last two months. Its a major issue. Nicola will be going back with me to China in April and we're going to take Bea and Mark up on their dim sum offer! HAHAHA We have been staying busy everyday with our store but homesickness still hits in at night or those quiet moments. For whatever its worth i'm just glad it will help others prepare for it.

Hey everyone, I guess I have heard mentions of homesickness briefly from some people on this site before but I want to share my expriences so that Nicola and I can help a future couple understand and cope with a serious issue that we are facing. Nicola couldn't wait to come to America. We were together in China for her last two months there and all she talked about was our new life in America. I read once that someone had experienced homesickness and thier wife would cry and talk about how much she missed China. This hit me hard because I always knew that its going to affect Nicola and possibly all of our MM's. I started talking to her and telling her to spend as much time as possible with her family. She would go and spend time with her grandparents at their store. She would eat dinner everynight with her aunts and uncles. She spent hours and hours at her mother and father's work. The day we left China she cried a river! On the airplane to America she cried and cried. She kept saying she's not sure if she will ever see her grandparents because they are getting old and we are not going to be able to go back to China till April because of our new baby being born in January. She would wake up in the middle of the night and cry. She would go to sleep crying. She loved America and everything about it. She loved spending time with me and still couldn't adjust to being away from her family. Nicola is 22 years old and thousands of miles away from her parents. I even felt guilty for weeks about this. Its the most helpless feeling in the world. Last week Nicola and I took a roud trip with some friends and sleep depravation and the stress of being crammed in a car while being 5 months pregnant really hit home for her. She broke down and cried and cried. She finally told me she wanted to go back to China and couldn't handle being away from everyone in China. She said she missed her entire family so much, she missed her friends, and she really missed real Chinese food. She said she feels like she doesn't belong here and everytime she wants to stop and try another noodle shop everyone in the car would be aggravated because no one else eats her type of food. She said even if she found a asian store or market the food would be different than from China and she just didn't want to live in America. Once she got that all off her chest, she calmed down and said she really didn't want to leave me. She said its not fair to our baby for her to move back and be away from her father. She woke up feeling much better the next day but i'm sure its not the end of being home sick. Just imagine what our wives will have to go through. I went to China for 2 months and broke down. I cried like a baby after 7 weeks of being there. I hated the food, hated the fact that I had to ask her to take me everywhere (which now she hates having me bring her everywhere instead of being indipendent and being able to go anywhere she wants). I couldn't take living in a weird enviroment like that. I have lived in different cities away from home before. I moved a few hours away to open a store here and there and lived away for a few years BUT this is different. Maybe someone will post and say their MM hasn't felt that way when she came but I just wanted to throw this out there so everyone can prepare for the worse. Its a very difficult transition and I really believe its hard for everyone that changes their life so drastically. Talk to your MM's about this before they arrive. Prepare for the worst and you will have the best. Nicola and I are doing great. We are so much a like. We get along fine. She is staying strong and everyday its getting better but its a real issue that should be discussed.

Funny story Mark! Do you have a link to Elizabeth's song?

Darrell, Get there early like 6:45 or 7:00 latest and just go up to the line. The guards will tell you where to wait and what to do. Its nothing to worry about. JUST GET THERE EARLY! First in First out! Mark had E-mailed me and said he was going early too! GOOOOOOOOOOD LUCK!

GREAT NEWS!! I was sweating bullets! HAHAHA Great Job guys! I'm very happy for the three of you!

Its working again! Dean put up some awesome pictures of the whole interview process. Looks like we got 3 more people posting since! We should have flash advertisments on every candle page showing the picture site to keep it alive and kicking! HAHAHA I hate to see it get forgotten!

I was looking for www.candleforlove.us and nothing shows up! Anyone have any idea what's going on? Darrell? And by the way.......EVERY ONE MUST POST OR WILL BE BANNED FROM CANDLE! (Just Kidding)! It would be great to get more people posting pictures! <---------just had to add that in with the site down problem.

Jim, Your victory will come sooner than later and its going to be sweeter because of the fight! Good luck to all that are waiting

Kaige, Nicola and I looked extensivly in Zhongshan. The most important thing you have to know is that the Chinese interest rates are MUCH higher than rates in American and you DO NOT own the property. It may have changed but when we were in China a month ago they made it very clear that we will have the property for 70 years and then we may have to give it back to the government. Not sure what you prefer but to me I would never consider that type of offer. You can't pass anything down to anyone. China rents the property to you for 70 years. Sucks if you ask me!

ITS A GRAND SLAM!!!!!!!!! WHERE THE HELL HAVE I BEEN!!!!??? INTERVIEWS FOR EVERYONE!!!!!!! ONE P4 IN EVERY GARAGE!!!! HAHAHA I'M SOOOOOOOO GLAD I CHECKED CANDLE TODAY!!!!!! LINE UP GENTLEMEN THEIR HANDING THEM OUT!!!!!!!