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Jeikun

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Posts posted by Jeikun

  5. Found that my wife owns a nice home in China

    in Culture & Language Discussion

    Posted

    Little bit of both probably. If I remember correctly ANYONE not staying in a major hotel is required to register, period. As with most things, they likely only follow up with some of them, maybe at random maybe with some method in mind, maybe both.

     

    I never registered in Beijing, Shanghai, or Hefei and never had any problem. I was nervous to not register, but Jun was worried about drawing attention (her dogs weren't registered, and she was occasionally harrassed by the police about it).

     

    When I stayed with her in Hefei, it was no worry she said, as she has some very influencial friends there, to hear how she described it I probably could have done anything short of murdering someone and got away with it... :P

  7. Last Name ("Family Name")

    in General Visa Discussion & First Steps

    Posted

    You'll find many varied opinions on this. From what I've seen on this board, it seems most Chinese wives take their American husband's last name. But that's not always the case.

     

    Jun is taking my last name, and her family name as her middle name. I wanted it that way, but wouldn't have forced it on her. I kind of brought it up without asking directly, and she said something like "That's the American way, right?" so she was sold on it from the beginning.

  8. The Last Step In the Visa Process

    in AOS & Immigration Challenges

    Posted

    When Bing and I went to our AOS interview the immigration officer told us that if we don't file before the expiration date of the green card she would be out of status and could be deported.   She strongly recomended filiing about 90 days prior.  One question I have on this though is isn't the condition of the green card that you have been married two years?  If so couldn't you file right after the the second wedding aniversary?  In our case that would be about 5 months before the green card expires.

    The condition isn't that you're married two years, but that if you have been married for two years prior to filing in the first place, you won't have the conditions imposed at all. In other words, whether you were married one week, two months, or 1 and a half years, before getting the green card, you would still have a 2 year conditional period. :lol:

  10. new guy ...

    in General Visa Discussion & First Steps

    Posted

    My experience with John Roth overall was good. And he does now have an assistant in GZ to meet personally with your SO before the interview. There were one or two things, such as not sending Jun the DS-157, and the assistant not even knowing what it was, and a minor mistake on one of our forms which I caught and corrected myself... but otherwise good. He saved me from submitting an incorrect piece of evidence to USCIS which would likely have cost me quite a bit of time. And I would have been glad to have him waiting in the wings in case something went wrong.

     

    A parting shot though, I was told at the time of hiring his firm, that they would provide free advice on filing AOS, and full service for a fee. When I requested this advice, I was simply told "To hire us for this service costs $$$, if you would like to, please contact us with payment" feh. Well, this site has all the advice I need.

  11. new guy ...

    in General Visa Discussion & First Steps

    Posted

    i thought the VSC would be faster, and i've been tracking my petition along with others from my lawyers website. from his site i can view the waiting times for others at the VSC and also other at guangzhou.

     

    so far we are one of the longer ones at the VSC, but they seem to go in cycles or spurts..

     

    so just waiting for now. 

     

    next week i hope we'll see something, or i'll see about contacting them.

     

    thanks.

    ping and me

    John Roth?

  12. newbie question

    in Culture & Language Discussion

    Posted

    Ok, JP if you  re satisfied that your fragmented culture is as deep and enduring as a culture thousands of years old then stick with it. personally I am adding onto mine with a time honored  proven traditional culture. You talk of European culture as if it were ours when 40% of Americans do not have a European background, Ethnocentric behavior at it's worst stop us from learning from and celebrating what others have to offer-much like bind patriotism it can do more harm than good.

     

    I'm out of this one.

    Trigg

    LOL you misunderstand me, Trigg. Does it really have to be one extreme or the other with you?

     

    I'm perfectly fine with the concept that Chinese culture is older and more homogenous than our own, as is their language, writing system, history... what I'm arguing against is the concept that US culture is nigh non-existant and basically worthless that I seem to see all over the place.

     

    If you take me for some kind of closed-minded American type, well I guess I can understand that as you don't know me personally, and I have been a little over the top in my arguing in an attempt to counter act what I see to be a sad and alarmingly prevalent opinion. If you did, you'd realize that would be a pretty off-base assumption.

     

    But looking around at what our kids coming out of high school actually know about US history, literary figures, etc... it's not suprising. What little culture we do have is forgotton in the face of our "pop culture". It's a pet peeve of mine, so perhaps I over react.

     

    I'm equally excited to introduce Jun to MY (apparently fragmented, euro-centric, and largely imaginary) culture, just as much as I look forward to learning more about hers.

     

    Being a young woman, and wanting to find a career, and succeed here in America... not just get by, or be my happy little housewife I see understanding and being able to adjust to the American way of life as necessary. We both want to see her with the same level of fluency in English that she has in Chinese, and as close an understanding as possible of the American mindset... as close to being truly "bi-cultural" as she can be will give her the power to choose what she wants to be, give her the confidence to feel like she can master her own destiny and be a sucess here in America, just as surely as she could be in China. I'm not saying our ways are better... sometimes they are not, sometimes they are, and most of the time they are just "different"... but the more she can understand all of our little cultural quirks, and adopt them if she chooses the more choice and power she will have here. I want Jun to mother my child, not BE my child.

     

     

    I'm not arguing against "Is American culture better/older/more valid than Chinese culture." I'm arguing against the concept that it is forgettable, worthless, not worth sharing, and that I should be grateful I'm marrying someone from a "real" culture to show me the sensible alternatives to my barbarian ways.

     

    Is this Ethnocentric behavior? To say "I want to learn about your culture and also teach you about mine?" Is it Ethnocentric behavior to feel as if I have a nigh unwinnable argument to even suggest that I HAVE a culture? I guess next I'll be a racist because I like having blonde hair and blue eyes?

     

    feh.

  13. newbie question

    in Culture & Language Discussion

    Posted

    China does have a longer history and older culture, yes. But as I was saying... MY culture doesn't begin with the signing of the declaration of independance, or even when my paternal ancestor sold his land in England and moved to the US with his sons in the 1700's. Or when my Maternal ancestors sold themselves into 7 years of indentured servitude for passage to escape the religious oppression in France in the 1600's. We did not appear out of thin air then. I did not lose my right to their blood, history, or the bits of their traditions and cultures which along with others, have become the basis and "starting point" of our American culture.

     

    Our national history may be young, our culture is not. Are the roots of our military and many other traditions not handed down since Rome? There's well over over 2,000 years worth of tradition... What about Christmas, and other holidays? Originally pagan rituals dating back to time unrecorded.

     

    People act like our culture is brand new, popped into life from a vaccum and has no background or history. People all over the world think it, and many people here think it.

     

    Not enough culture to Marginzlize? Now Trigg, I'm sure YOU could name me... 3 great works of American poetry... 3 great American plays, 3 great American authors, 3 great American Philosophers, and 3 great American painters... you're educated enough. But anyone answer me this: How many of YOUR WIVES can? After being in America for even 10 years how many do you think will be able to? Will they have seen them? Read any of their work? Learned about any of their lives or their contributions to our "barely existant" culture, and the western world in general? Or after 10 years in this country, will they still think our Musical culture is only on MTV, our art Mickey Mouse, and our Philosophy Jerry Springer? Who's fault will this be?

  15. newbie question

    in Culture & Language Discussion

    Posted

    Personally, I like to think the snippets and bits of European cultures and how they have changed over the past 200 years is American culture - not just the things we have uniquely created since that time. My roots go back to, and include Europe. So in that light while our "unique" culture may not be so old, our collective culture is.

     

    I really like Chinese culture, and am also excited to learn more about it and in some ways integrate it into our life together, but it's not going to be a one-way exchange. Sorry, but there will be no carpet mopping, leftovers on the counter for 3 days, or laying in bed and not showering for a month after childbirth going on here. (Of course I'm tactfully listing things Jun would never have done anyway... lol)

     

    American culture isn't all McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Pro Football, and Mickey Mouse. You do yourself a disservice to marginalize your own culture.

  16. Which one counts

    in General Visa Discussion & First Steps

    Posted

    Its funny Jim because you remind me of when I bought Nicola a stuffed animal that was also made in China.  I felt weird sending it back to China and having the shipping cost more than the gift!

    When I went over there, I thought I was so clever to take her something as American as a stuffed Snoopy. Imagine my suprise not only to see Snoopy on pillows in her sister's car, but to see stores dedicated to the guy. :unsure: It's hard enought to accept $15 worth of stuff could cost so much to send, but be delayed for x-rays. <_< I kept trying to find things that didn't originate there but finally gave up. :lol: I just can't wait for next year when I can spend the money on her and not UPS.

    I'm guessin' that if you read the label on the snoopy it will say MADE IN CHINA. Well, no problem as you will soon have a wife with the same label.

    Where do they put that label? I keep looking for it, but can never seem to find it :P Ah well, I'll have to look more closely next time, and more thoroughly, and... hmmm... where did I put those cheetos? Less than 2 weeks guys! :D tick tock tick tock

  21. Visa in hand

    in General Visa Discussion & First Steps

    Posted

    Jun picked up her visa Monday afternoon, and will be heading home after some more shopping and visiting her brother in Shanghai. We plan to get her ticket for February 28th. She met another happy CFL couple while waiting for the visa (johns and his fiancee).

     

    34 days to go now! Finally, a definate date. :rolleyes: :D :P

     

    Oh, and if anyone cares to see, I updated my website FINALLY with pics from my October trip.

     

    Thanks to everyone here who gave me advice and moral support through this long process - though I realize comparitively speaking, my wait was rather short, it still seemed like forever to me.

     

    I'll still be around of course, likely soon to be asking for tons of AOS advice. I know it's been all over the board all along, but I only worried about what was at hand. Time for a whole new paper trail to begin :P

     

    Thank you, and best of luck to everyone!!!!

     

    P.S. [shamelessplug]Visit my site!! Visit my board!!! Sign my guestbook!!! Comment on my blog!!![/shamelessplug]

     

    :P :P ;) :D

  24. GOT IT!!!!!!

    in General Visa Discussion & First Steps

    Posted

    Nie Dong has that "sweetie" effect on people too but in the US that can bring a harassment suit (I guess thats the last thing Jun wanted to do!!!lol) in our lawyer crazy world. I'm forced to carry insurance just in case one of my 24 year old employees says that to a fellow employee and she gets bent out of shape! Sorry for the rant - great news. Do pets need visa's?

    yeah... a K-9 visa... lol :lol: :lol:

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