alaskagypsy

Sleep Number - the only way to go. She sets her side, I set mine. My wife set it high for a few months, now it is the same as mine. Go figure. She still tries to argue that the beds in China are "not hard". I've slept on softer rocks on camping trips.

Thanks. Next question: Will Kingsoft 2005 work with Windows 7, or do I need to upgrade to a new version. Ron

Doing a lot of research. Requests from Microsoft for information are next to nil for returned information. I want to buy a laptop, but they all come with Windows 7 Home Premium. Languages are not available like they were in XP and Vista, so I've found out. I've been told the only way to view Chinese is to Have Windows 7 Ultimate with the proper language/s downloaded. But what I gather is if you go to Windows 7 Ultimate you get language control and not with the others. I really don't want to see everything on the screen in Chinese except for her programs. I can't help if she has a problem if the programs are in Chinese. All I want is for my wife to send/receive e-mails and type using KingSoft programs. Is it necessary to upgrade to Ultimate or can a person use one of the lesser versions with Kingsoft (Home Premium maybe)??? I hate giving money to Microsoft as they are way overcharging for Windows 7 upgrades. Thanks.

I purchased Windows 7 Ultimate on eBay for $152 from a guy with a perfect score. It turned out to be a developers version - good for 90 days. eBay's fraud report stops at 45 days. Two days after I purchased Windows 7 the seller was put on investigative hold, and a few days later he was shut off eBay for good. Of course mine worked find when I installed it and it said nothing of being a developers version or the 90 day limit. Now at 90 days I'm getting the "This copy of Windows is not genuine" message on a black screen. So I'm out of $152 with a guy with a perfect rating. Appears as if he was working up to a large sale at the end and skip town (eBay). I reported to eBay and PayPal, but over the 45 days - so nothing done, case closed. So those with good ratings are not always so "good". Ron ================= Yes, just watch for Windows 7 Home Premium Key only on eBay. Like I said, they come and go. You can also get a feel for the eBay rating of the seller. If it is a first time seller, I generally stay away. If it someone who sells on eBay frequently and has a rating I feel more comfortable.

My wife keeps bugging me about purchasing a health insurance policy (or something like that) for her in China so when she retires she can move back to China and have health benefits. She says it is upfront cash of $10,000, no payments over time. She also said her parents needed to purchase the same. I have not heard of this before and I really can't see justify paying $10,000. Plus who knows what position China will be like in 15-20 years. Anyone out there been bugged with this?????? She is from Nanning. Thanks!

This is a small town, if she doesn't work, she goes stir crazy here at home and gets depressed, which isn't good. To send the money she sends back home, she needs to work. Buying condos. I can't speak or learn Chinese - I am tone deaf, plus deaf in one ear. I can't hear the tones, so no way can I learn Chinese. I have a hard enough time hearing and understanding English. If a person is going to get along in the USA, they need to learn English. English is our language and I believe if you want to live in the USA, you better damn learn the language. Due to our age difference, I will probably die before her. She will have a real hard time if she doesn't know English when that time comes. alaskagypsy

There are no Chinese communities here. This is a small city with the closest large city being 6 hours away. They speak Chinese at a Chinese Restaurant - I don't want her to speak Chinese, needs to be surrounded by English. She tries to learn, but then watches Chinese TV and forgets all she learned for English. alaskagypsy

Need help quickly. My wife has been here nearly 4 years now. She has been going off and on to a free English class - more off than on. A year ago she found an internet site where she gets to watch free Chinese TV and movies - she isn't interested in watching English TV or going to the movies as she can't understand what they are saying. Her lack of wanting to learn is ruining our marriage. She has been refused work due to her lack of English language skills and English reading skills - won't accept work for under $11.75/hour which she was getting from a job she refused to go back to after visiting China. Can't get a job at a big box store as their training is all on their computers - in English with time limits. She needs a computer program to learn to speak/read/write English. Any suggestions of a good computer program? I've looked at some reading/grammar/writing programs and thought they may be better than just a program that teaches her how to speak English (such as Rosetta Stone). We are limited on English classes here in Alaska. Small city and borough of 40,000. Thanks!

My advice: keep your wife away from any group speaking Chinese as their first language - she won't learn any English. Chinese restaurant - I've known a Chinese woman in a Chinese buffet restaurant here who has been there for 5-6 years. She still can't carry on a conversation in English. She knows, "how are you", "what do you want to drink" - and the responses to those - that's about all she knows. My wife won't watch TV here, she has found a Chinese TV website which she watches 12-16 hours a day. I would say my wife has actually lost a lot of what English she had learned. I am at wits end on what to do. The English classes she is taking isn't doing her any good because my wife "no care to learn". She came here 3 1/2 years ago - learned some English for the first 7-9 months, then quite studying. I tell her she needs to start from the beginning at classes instead of where her classmates are now, but she won't - a pride thing. She had a Chinese who taught her English in China for maybe 10 months - I talked to him - terrible English - she was offered classes from her friends husband (from USA) who taught there - but she wouldn't because her teacher was "Chinese" and very good teacher. After a year here she admitted this Chinese teacher was "terrible". My wife was offered a job in Las Vegas (we left as quickly as we got there) for $100,000 a year if she could have spoken good English - you think that would have motivated her, but quite the opposite. She wants me to learn Chinese - I'm tone deaf - no way I can learn Chinese, but she can't understand this. She just can't get it that she needs English to get a good job. At wits end here.

My wife just received her 10 year green card earlier this year. She wants to go back to China for an extended period. What are the restrictions on the time a person can be out of the USA with a 10 year card and still come back to the USA and not loose the 10 year card and have to start all over?

Sure glad I won't be on that flight - I'm severally allergic to cats and with the air in a plane cabin I'd be in big trouble with a cat within 20 feet, maybe further.

If your Chinese spouse is going to work or even shop in the USA, they had better learn English. My wife is having major difficulties and cannot get good jobs due to lack of English. Also she watches Chinese TV/movies on the internet for free - sometimes all day, which isn't helping her English at all. She was better off at the first when she was taking English lessons and watching English TV. Since she discovered Chinese TV on the internet, I would say her English has gotten worse. She has been here three years. So I'd say immerse them in English for the first couple years, limit their Chinese. You will be doing them a favor. My wife gets real frustrated with her lack of English and will just sit at home doing nothing when she isn't working, won't even go visit Chinese friends. This is the USA so they definitely need to learn English.

Last year I did a change of address for my wife. AR-ll. We are getting ready to send in our I-751 application and going through our papers. On the print out of the online Change of Address application submission I see the "Date of Entry Into U.S." as 04/27/07 (the date she came back from her trip to China last year). The date should have been 08/10/2005 - the date she entered the USA. I was in a hurry and getting ready to pick her up at the airport. How should I notify them of this mistake? Everything else is okay.

Our biggest problem is she believes everything she gets from 001. She will not believe me over the things she reads and the people she talks to on 001. We have had countless arguments over this to no avail. She is dead set on the idea that no American tells the truth, that only Chinese are truthful. She still thinks and accuses me of hiding my money from her. She has been here for over two years and not spent a cent of her earned money on our marriage. It just sits in the bank or once in a great while she will send a little back home - but she usually expects me to send money.

I explained things before hand to my wife. But later we found out her translator lied (to both of us) about my finances. When I went over to visit her, I tried to explain, but she just ignored it. I had limited finances when I was there, but this didn't seem to ring any bells. I told her I rented an apartment, that I didn't own a house. I even sent photos. But somehow her translator convinced her I had a house. We have had some tough times due to the translator problems. But also I think all Chinese women think American men are rich beyond their wildest dream. My wife expects a new diamond ring, an Omega watch ($2200), a new house, and gifts for every USA holiday. I have put my monthly expenses on paper, trying to explain it to her. It hasn't worked. "American husband buy everything for Chinese wife" - is what I hear constantly. Also I am having trouble with Chinese wives on websites giving my wife advice. Most often they are misinformed because their husbands take care of it. They explain it to my wife wrong, causing us grief and during our application process, wrong information in our applications that had to be re-done. I am also having problems with Chinese wives bragging about how much their husband gives them and buys them. Sorry but I can't afford all these things and it is hurting our marriage to the point of possible divorce. Women, shut your mouths, if you don't completely know what is going on, don't give advice. Also don't brag to your friends how much you are given - this has been the biggest problem in our marriage. She wants what all the "rich" wives get. Sorry I'm not rich. Now I am trying to convince her of the need for health insurance, but other Chinese women have told her she doesn't need it - when in actuality, beside for the insurance, we need it for proof in our 10 year green card application. She keeps saying her friends said they don't need it - I'm fairly sure these are from women who are covered under their husbands insurance policy and don't realize it. Husbands please educate your wives before they completely ruin my marriage.

When you lease a place from a person. Whether it is with furniture or not it is the same. You have leased (sub-leased, whatever), rented a house or apartment from an individual, giving you certain rights. If you let the landlord place items in the house, you give him legal access to the house at any time. Otherwise, in an agreement the landlord has to give you notice of entering your premises, usually 24 hours or more. If you agree he could come in any time to get or look at his things. He could also claim items stolen and there would be a legal battle over this. He could be hiding illegal items or drugs within his belongings, which you would be arrested for if something happened. He would just deny they were his. You couldn't prove it as you are in possession of the property through a legal binding contract. Check with the Landlord/Tenant act in your state/city. He rented the property to you with furniture - it is part of the agreement. You owe him nothing besides your monthly rent. You have no obligation to go above and beyond this and I wouldn't. Too many legal remifications. One further word - never trust a lawyer or one who wants to be. I used to be a paralegal. I worked with several attorneys. They were all corrupt.

When I am in English certain characters show up as Chinese characters. Can't remember exact ones as I am using my laptop right now. Only shows up on my main computer. It is one or two characters, such as 's. Very annoying. Sometimes prints out this way also, depending upon program used. Most prevelant in Word. Have all latest updates, but still there.

My Lao Po was confident she could do it without a translator. Especially after hearing from her friends who had passed the interview with no problem and few questions. (I tried to explain in Alaska, there wouldn't be many interviews so they would have more time to do interivew - I was right - only three that morning) She frooze at the interview. The interviewer was Asian (Japanese), spoke good English, except with a heavy accent and this confused her. The interview didn't last 5 minutes, when he stated we needed a translator , showed us where the notice stated so) and would have to re-schedule. I told him it was hard to find a translator 400 miles from home. He then said we could have the next interview in our home town, where they have an office they visit once a month or so. BE PREPARED, you never know.

We have an AOS interview March 3. IRS deadline is April. I definitely won't have my tax papers done by the interview. My accountant is busy and will not work on them until April. I have a business besides being employed and any filing early puts me more at risk for being audited - costing me more money. If my letter from my employer isn't enough for 2005 I don't know what would be. I make way over the minimum requirement. They will get 2002, 2003, 2004.

There are two stamps on the ASC notice and reads as follows: Biometrics Processing Stamp ASC Site Code: XAA Biometrics QA Review By: XXXX on Jan 19 2006 Ten Prints QA Review By: XXXX on Jan 19 2006. Not sure what this means.

We traveled 360 miles last week for fingerprinting. Upon returning we received an e-mail stating our I-765, Application for Employment Authorization was approved. Just what does that mean? We just received notice of our AOS interview is scheduled for March 6, 2006. Will my laopo get a work permit card? Or do we wait for the interview? ??????????????????????????

Fingerprinting went great. Great bunch of people except for the security guards at the door. Not happy people. Came early, filled out the 1 page form and immediatly finger printed. 10 minutes max. No idea on when it would be at USCIS, except they would do it the same day or the next day. Weather was great in Anchorage. +10. Coming back we hit one low spot of -49, once back in Fairbanks a balmy -38. Had the flu the whole time I was in Anchorage and the way back, so not much fun. The volcano was inactive while in Anchorage.

After several months of waiting we finally received our finger print notification on the 11th. Date of appointment - 12/19/06. Talk about a short notice. The notice was printed on 12/29/05, postage stamped 01/04/06. So little notification for travel. Employer requires 30 day notice. No word yet from employer as to my request for time off - but must go anyway. No good deals on airplane tickets on short notice here. Have to travel from Fairbanks, Alaska to Anchorage, Alaska, 365 miles. Travel costs $581 on Wednesday, not sure today, due to volcanoe 100 miles from Anchorage, making most traffic stopped to Anchorage and diverted to Fairbanks. Will have to drive and this time of year through the mountain passes it can be dangerous. Snow storms come up unexpectantly and tonight they say it will be -30 to -35. It is -21 right now.

We had to apply After waiting nearly two months with no SSN, we called and there was no record and upon further search they had spelled her name wrong and had the wrong birth date (2005)?? So went to the local bureau and applied. Due to wrong spelling, another security check, but we finally got the SSN.

We checked the BOX, it never came. Came here 08/10/05. Called SSN's local office 10/03/05, no record. We went to SSN office and applied. In computer her name was spelled wrong, an S instead of a G, and her birth date was wrong. So we waited for a security check. Called the office on 11/14/05 and was told it is in the mail as of 11/09/05. Waiting for the mail now, still 11/19/05.