oregonknl

Yeah, its gotta be the original Jakes... Really is an institution in Portland, you will not be disappointed, even if it is a little on the spendy side ----- but not like a Ruth Chris or anything... And unlike some institutions, which rest on their laurels, Jakes really does continue to have very high standards over a hundred years later in every department! So while I don't remember who suggested it, I think it is a good suggestion!

Way to go you two ~! Congradulations!

Hey! Looks like all the genuine "Southern Hospitality" is actually ------------- -------- IN PORTLAND OREGON! Fraaaaaaaaank.............. PJ................... Robert S.......................

F-in" A - Right Trigg ~!! Be there on the 26 ~!! (only "excused" absences for SOs in China or interviews with VOs in GZ..)

Yeah, "There goes the neighborhood!" (not sayin' which one ......) ---- but glad I live on the other side of the river from Days Inn!

".........................wool " "As did I " WHAT! So Trigg, did you invent wool, like Al Gore invented the Internet???

My impression is that Canada will pretty much let anyone into their country, at any POE, even if they are just off a plane from Germany or the middle East... On one trip back to the US from China, I stood directly behind a Chinese couple at SFO who had no visa to enter America, and the CO was about to detain them for a return flight to China, but they convinced him to send them to Canada instead!

Sorry about this Tony! Personally, I would take this issue directly to King in GZ --- his office is close to the consulate, and he has dealings on a regular basis with many DOS officials there. Even back in the relatively innocent pre- 9-11 days of my first adoption in GZ the VO warned us to protect our child's documents with our lives ---- since they were then worth about $10,000 USD on the street, and that the Consulate would be highly skeptical, IE: make it very difficult to replace said documents if they were lost.. Obviously, replacement documents are another frequently abused route to illegal entry to the US, so the sad fact is that you may have to drag replacements out of State... Thus, if I were in your shoes --- I'd get local GZ legal advice about how best to proceed. In the eyes of State ---- either Beijing, or GZ ---- to have a PRC citizen come and ask for repacements strikes me as a very difficult row to hoe.... Good Luck, and keep us posted!

Yeah, Trigg! I second what Jim said: Glad us younguns' have someone to look up too! Happy BDAY ~!

Geezzz Alex! Now I see how Alfred Hichcock made the making of "North By Nortwest" look so believable!! The truth really is stranger than fiction.... My advice: Fire your lawyer, and stay the hell away from the UN ---- particularly if you look anything like Cary Grant! Sorry ... really do sympathize ... just am now clueless how to help...

Ha, Ha ! Good one Dan!

Dan, Depends... Actually thats ALL a Yurt has..... a fire pit right out front... But if you mean BBQ as in Candle get to gether .... Unfortunately, the nearest Yurt to the Oregon gathering is about 100 miles away (on the Oregon coast..)

Dan, Not sure about a Yak... but can get a Yurt.... tried to interest Trigg, but he didn't bite... (ps. its not on the menu...)

Michael, ".... and the darkest hour is just before dawn... !) So true! Welcome to a beautiful new day!

So true, Carl..

Sorry Jim, About your troubles.. Yeah, think others have figured this one out.. (as best as anyone can figure out GZ..) The solid thing is that its exactly that: the overcome evidence in your case is black and white... (although I'm still scraching my head why your ample evidence in the financial dept. wasn't accepted in the first place...) ---so yeah, I concur.... GZ's way of saying time to take a trip to China..... naturally, it couldn't be less straight forward...

Yeah, take it from me: you can count on both goat and sheep (lamb) on the menu ! Hummmmmmm ! Can hardly wait!

Warm Greetings Lisy Zheng! Welcome to the Candle! I have two daughters adoped from China, both who started out speaking Mandarin ... So I think I can safely say that Jimmy will indeed be confused with English when he first gets to America... and may even be a little slower to understand ---- but if you speak in both languages at home, he will have a great advantage when he gets older, being bi-lingual in the Chinese language that you speak, and American English. It will give him an advantage later in life!

MARI ~! MOST EXCELLENT ~!!! YES, ITS ABOUT TIME !!!!!

Of course Frank! Can't keep Chinese down! too innovative and hard working! Here in Portland, we have a "historic" China Town, where almost no Chinese now live, but, still, has the second largest China gate in the US (next to San Francisco) --- also a wonderful, and authentic Chinese Garden (Suzhou style) ---- but now that I think about it, there is one way to keep Chinsese down in America ----- persicute the hell out of em' ---- thats what did in the historic Chinatown in Portland ------ ---- thankfully, since that time, (turn of the 20th. cent.) alot has happened ---- The Chinese community has largely moved here to my area in SE Porland, and some in SW.. Seems very vigiorous to me --- my daughters learn Mandarin in the public school, and I recently had a run-in at a local Chinese food market, and told them I would never shop there again.... (easy for me to say, since there are many local Chinese markets!)

I also love Shamian Island! So many super important moments in my life took place there! (and I have watched it change so much since my first visit in 1997 --- there were so many "fixers wth great potential" then! --- most have been rennovated since... OTRMark, I am very much interested in your take on this ----- and hope you will keep us all up to date on the property search in PRC. Fei has a friend who bought an apartment in the late (flush) 1990s on Shamian, and ended up selling it for a significant loss... Personally, since so many of the functions normally associated with the ecconomy of the island (adoption and K-visas) are going to the new consular offices in E. GZ ----- I think this might be the absolutely worst time to buy... I would wait a couple of years for the shakeout in prices... obviously, a lot of the small shop keepers are also residents, and directly involved --- particularly with the "baby" trade.... When that goes, I think a lot of real estate value could go with it.. White Swan Hotel will be particularly hard hit --- (too bad, my favorate hotel in Asia..)

........... aaaah Trigg! Ain''t ther no limit on deer in TN?? (or were twelve of em "off the record..")

Yes ~! This is somthing ~! and Jim is absolutley right: the location is just beautiful! ---- Out of towners will be able to drive 15 minutes either east or west and see spectacular sights! (those that want to work a little, hiking south~ ie. up hill!! will quickly get into very pristine country by ANY standard! (there was a cougar warning posted last year on one local trail, but don't worry, they only feed at night --- sheep and goats mostly, so I hear...) While it may be that only one is BBQ is at the shelter, there are others nearby if no one is using them..... I will bring at least one more small portable -- and possibly another if I can dig it out of the boxes I have everywhere! Word to the wise: In the Candle get together last June, seemed to be a lot of wonderful meat dishes available... little light on the trimmins' if you get my drift... Yeah, I EXPECT both lamb and goat to be served !! Veggie dishes are most welcome! .. but don't worry, there is a history of very good --- and surplus food ~! NICE!! (even if you can't bring something just come!)

Sorry, Jim, I'm probably too late withs this post ------ ---- you have to hunt to find the shelter and picknic area at Laturell ------ its off the road and not obvious--- in fact, you need to turn down a small country road a couple hundred yards into the historic community of Laturell .. very peaceful, but also with a nice trail that leads up to the falls....

Yeah, I too was wondering what happened to our other Hawaiian member! Real glad to hear that it FINALLY got resolved! ... and welcome HOME to your whole family! ---- Kim (Yes, when you get the time --- no rush --- but the VO interview questions are always helpful to those "0n Deck" ... in the meantime, relax.... Take a cooler and some food down to Honolua Bay.... I always do when I can!