First Day in the USA

[Melrose Plant 1]

This probably doesn't belong in this forum, but I feel like I'm more among friends here.

After a long night's sleep sleep (and a good one, too), we got up and ate breakfast. Conflict number one: Mai complained about my cast iron skillets being way too heavy. "Why you need TOO heavy like that?" "To promote proper browning through more even heating....Oh YEAH, I forgot, you don't need a heavy pan in Vietnam because you never properly brown ANYTHING (my only complaint about Vietnamese cooking)." We may wind up with 2 sets of cookware. We'll see.

Then we went shopping. We basically had no food in our apartment, just what my parents bought for us to get by for a day. We had no toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, or anything like that because we left it all behind in Vietnam. First stop: Wal-Mart.

This was not too bad, as we confined ourselves to the "drug store" section near the door to buy such things as deodorant, toothpaste, and shampoo. I was prepared to spend a lot of time there, just because of the sheer selection of products (how much variation can there really be between shower gels?). We were out of there fairly quickly.

Then came the grocery store. Now, those of you who "know" us a little bit know that Mai is not a country girl, and I always thought she was pretty sophisticated and cosmopolitan, especially for Vietnam. But we had a little bit of our own version of "Moscow on the Hudson" where she was ambling very slowly through the store, looking around in wonder and saying nothing. Not as dramatic as Robin Williams's character, but a little bit more than I expected. After all, we've been to Metro and Hapro Mart and such places before, and I didn't think Hy-Vee (the major grocery store chain in our area) would be that much different from those. I was wrong.

Now we are at home and she is sacked out on the couch. Too much all at once, I guess. Life in America is crazy (but no horns honking in the background)!

[Kevin and 10]

Welcome to the US Mai. Have you told her any Minnesota/Iowa jokes yets?

[PeterFB 0]

There's going to be many more days like that........ In fact Thi is still like that when we go out to the grocery store..... And she's still wears a jacket a lot even indoors!

Peter and Thi

I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26

I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11

I-129F RFE(s) :

RFE Reply(s) :

I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26

Touched: 2007-11-02

NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16

Consulate recieved ??????

Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11

Packet 3 received 2007-12-24

Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28

Packet 4 sent 2008-1-14

Email Reply with Interview Date 2008-1-23

Interview Date 2008-2-27

Passed Interview 2008-02-27

Visa Pick Up Date 2008-3-05

Received Visa 2008-2-29 (called to pick up earlier)

POE 2008-3-05 Los Angeles

Wedding 2008-4-26

[ILoveTan 0]

This probably doesn't belong in this forum, but I feel like I'm more among friends here.

After a long night's sleep sleep (and a good one, too), we got up and ate breakfast. Conflict number one: Mai complained about my cast iron skillets being way too heavy. "Why you need TOO heavy like that?" "To promote proper browning through more even heating....Oh YEAH, I forgot, you don't need a heavy pan in Vietnam because you never properly brown ANYTHING (my only complaint about Vietnamese cooking)." We may wind up with 2 sets of cookware. We'll see.

Then we went shopping. We basically had no food in our apartment, just what my parents bought for us to get by for a day. We had no toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, or anything like that because we left it all behind in Vietnam. First stop: Wal-Mart.

This was not too bad, as we confined ourselves to the "drug store" section near the door to buy such things as deodorant, toothpaste, and shampoo. I was prepared to spend a lot of time there, just because of the sheer selection of products (how much variation can there really be between shower gels?). We were out of there fairly quickly.

Then came the grocery store. Now, those of you who "know" us a little bit know that Mai is not a country girl, and I always thought she was pretty sophisticated and cosmopolitan, especially for Vietnam. But we had a little bit of our own version of "Moscow on the Hudson" where she was ambling very slowly through the store, looking around in wonder and saying nothing. Not as dramatic as Robin Williams's character, but a little bit more than I expected. After all, we've been to Metro and Hapro Mart and such places before, and I didn't think Hy-Vee (the major grocery store chain in our area) would be that much different from those. I was wrong.

Now we are at home and she is sacked out on the couch. Too much all at once, I guess. Life in America is crazy (but no horns honking in the background)!

Thanks for this post! I love to imagine Tan's first day in America and I must remember to go easy with him! hihihi I am tentatively planning a hotel for the first few days so he can engage in his favorite activity - SLEEPING. hihihi :-) Congratulations again to MelrosePlant and Mai .... and I for one would LOVE to hear more fun posts like this one. Give us "just starting the process" people something to imagine and look forward to. I don't care if Tan complains, snores and acts like a total jerky slob, as long as he is doing it in AMERICA with ME! hihi

ILOVETAN

Edited June 5, 2008 by ILoveTan

[Teacher Mark 53]

Welcome to America Mai! I noticed that the weather is taking a turn for the worse around there. Hopefully a good old fashioned Iowa storm doesn't scare the hell out of her!

[Jack & Xuan 0]

Welcome to America Mai. This post was very intresting reading for me. I for one would like to hear more, I live in Indiana and while the weather is not quite the same I think it is close. I am looking forward to these types of days if our process ever ends. I know when I am in Vietnam I look around a lot and always watch who comes and who goes. I am always looking for a way out and what may be the biggest threat in the room. That may be the Marine Corps in me though. I think Xuan will view America with amazement and I will enjoy showing her everything I can. Enjoy these types of days. You have earned them after the process you have just gone through.

[felnfrank 1]

welcome!

[Dave_Thao 0]

Welcome home James and Mai! Glad you made it! Thao is still amazed that there are no motobikes, people and food stands along the sides of the road. Everything is more streamlined. Unlike the kaos you see on Vietnam roads. She wonders where all the people are.

I have had to teach her how to use the washing machine and dryer, microwave oven, vacuum cleaner and electric stove but she doesn't want to use the dishwasher. She said it uses too much water and electricity. The first night in Minnesota she wore my deer hunting blaze orange coat and mukluks in the house. I told her it's not that cold now, wait until January.

Welcome back!

[Melrose Plant 1]

I am so happy y'all enjoyed my diary/blog type post. I enjoyed writing it.

There is less to report today so far. Mai is sleeping still, after having a less-than-excellent breakfast. Tomorrow may be more exciting. We will be taking the dog to the vet. The dog is "much bigger" than she imagined. 75 lbs., 27" at the withers. Tall, long, skinny dog. They don't have that in Vietnam as far as I saw.

Breakfast today was non-Vietnamese. I made steel cut oatmeal with butter and brown sugar. She didn't much care for it. At lunch, I'm going to be making mi (which will NOT really be mi--we'll be substituting the staple of poor college students--ramen noodles) with beef MY way. Which is to say I'm going to brown and season the beef a bit, rather than just simply boil it. We'll see how that goes. Keep you posted. We're still suffering from shock about men in the kitchen.

[Ngoc-Anh 1]

sounds like a lot of excitement for Mai!!! :-)

[PeterFB 0]

If she is like Thi, she'll like pancakes and eggs..... So far that is all I can get her to eat that I make......

Peter and Thi

I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26

I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11

I-129F RFE(s) :

RFE Reply(s) :

I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26

Touched: 2007-11-02

NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16

Consulate recieved ??????

Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11

Packet 3 received 2007-12-24

Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28

Packet 4 sent 2008-1-14

Email Reply with Interview Date 2008-1-23

Interview Date 2008-2-27

Passed Interview 2008-02-27

Visa Pick Up Date 2008-3-05

Received Visa 2008-2-29 (called to pick up earlier)

POE 2008-3-05 Los Angeles

Wedding 2008-4-26

[Melrose Plant 1]

Success in the kitchen! Mai agreed that my way of making mi was quite tasty, maybe, ahem, a little better than her way.

To tell you the truth, I am a little surprised that French cooking techniques are not more well known in Vietnam, being as they were a French colony for 100 years.

Tonight, a Chinese-style dish that uses the same French techniques I had success with today at lunch.

I introduced Mai to a few people today, most notably my ex-wife. That went pretty well, I think. They're both VERY understanding people, thankfully for me.

It's probably still a shock to have people come up to her out of the blue and introduce themselves. We live in a fairly small town (14,000), and there are quite a few people who have been expecting her arrival. Obviously, when people see me with an Asian woman, they immediately know who she is. I asked her, "How does it feel to be famous?" She isn't sure about that.....