Approved, and finally here!

[Derek & Rita 6]

Well, it finally happened. We had our interview, and then the plane ride, and we're all here together finally!

The plane ride was terrible. First, the hurricane Sandy delayed our flight, so I had to stay an extra few days in Moscow, but we got on the airplane, with an 11 month old infant, and she is not having a good time at all. She vomits all over me, and we don't have a change of clothes for her or me. We got to NYC and they delayed us in that CBP room (customs and border protection) and had us wait an hour or two for no reason other than to get her signature and fingerprint. Which made us late for the next flight, but luckily there was an Aeroflot expeditor there, who guided us to the right location and made sure we checked our bags and everything. Still, we had to run to the other terminal just to avoid missing the flight. To top it all off we were all three sick with sniffles and sore throats, and neither of us had any sleep.

But, we made it, it's been a nice and relaxing week. Now we are preparing to go to thanksgiving.

My wife has already asked me: "Are Americans aliens?"

[reese1 68]

Good to hear after everything you and your family are settling in...LOL...why did she ask if Americans were aliens?

[John and Ann 10]

Well, it finally happened. We had our interview, and then the plane ride, and we're all here together finally!

The plane ride was terrible. First, the hurricane Sandy delayed our flight, so I had to stay an extra few days in Moscow, but we got on the airplane, with an 11 month old infant, and she is not having a good time at all. She vomits all over me, and we don't have a change of clothes for her or me. We got to NYC and they delayed us in that CBP room (customs and border protection) and had us wait an hour or two for no reason other than to get her signature and fingerprint. Which made us late for the next flight, but luckily there was an Aeroflot expeditor there, who guided us to the right location and made sure we checked our bags and everything. Still, we had to run to the other terminal just to avoid missing the flight. To top it all off we were all three sick with sniffles and sore throats, and neither of us had any sleep.

But, we made it, it's been a nice and relaxing week. Now we are preparing to go to thanksgiving.

My wife has already asked me: "Are Americans aliens?"

Sounds like a funny movie now!! Welcome to America and enjoy the Holidays together! Yes some here are Aliens!!

[Dustin C 12]

Congrats! I remember when my wife came over a year and 2 days ago. You'll have a good time. My first year with my wife has been awesome!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

My wife has already asked me: "Are Americans aliens?"

She will enjoy thanksgiving. We went to my brother's home and there was a huge family gathering there. I have 7 brothers and sisters, Alla is an only child. So she was impressed and got to meet the whole family. She also developed a taste for Turkey and now she cooks one about once a month, makes turkey soup, turkey salad, turkey sandwiches, etc. Turkey is not too common in Ukraine, they have it but it is quite expensive. They usually have chicken instead. I think the fact that most of them have to walk several blocks and walk up stairs to their flat discourages the purchase of 18 pound frozen birds.

Glad you made it OK, Welcome!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Good to hear after everything you and your family are settling in...LOL...why did she ask if Americans were aliens?

I look forward to his answer

Alla began school 5 days after arriving here but she did not drive. I took her to school every morning but often had to work longer and could not pick her up until a couple hours after school, so she would walk downtown and shop or just walk, she loves to walk, window shop, etc. Of course Americas would say "Hi! How are you?" And being Ukrainian she would start to tell them how she was...after all if they ASK they must want to KNOW...so she began telling them she was here for XX days, had two sons, her husband is an engineer and will meet her later...yada, yada.

Then she told me "But these people act like they are rabbits that want to run, they are all nervous and jumping, what is wrong with them"

Um, Alla, you are supposed to say "Great! How are you?" It went from there into the whole discussion of why Americans lie to each other

"to be polite"

Americans think it is polite to lie?

"No, but..."

So why ask if no one cares?

"Because then we would be like Ukrainians and Americans think they are rude"

Because we don't lie?

"Yes"

Number 2

Two days in we go to the grocery store. Alla walks up to the deli, looks over the meat and...

"500 grams of the roast beef please"

"roast beef please, 500 grams"

"Gary! Am I saying something badly? This girl looks like a boiled fish...eyes open but nothing there" (Russian version of "deer in the headlights")

Miss, 1 pound of roast beef please.

"Are you kidding me?! She is an adult, she really does not know what 500 grams is? Vooowhat?"

[baron555 934]

"Are you kidding me?! She is an adult, she really does not know what 500 grams is? Vooowhat?"

You meant to say....1 lub, please!

[Brad and Vika 129]

My wife has already asked me: "Are Americans aliens?"

Yes, we are It will be easier to answer this way.

Welcome home all three of you!

[1HappyGuy 45]

Well, it finally happened. We had our interview, and then the plane ride, and we're all here together finally!

The plane ride was terrible. First, the hurricane Sandy delayed our flight, so I had to stay an extra few days in Moscow, but we got on the airplane, with an 11 month old infant, and she is not having a good time at all. She vomits all over me, and we don't have a change of clothes for her or me. We got to NYC and they delayed us in that CBP room (customs and border protection) and had us wait an hour or two for no reason other than to get her signature and fingerprint. Which made us late for the next flight, but luckily there was an Aeroflot expeditor there, who guided us to the right location and made sure we checked our bags and everything. Still, we had to run to the other terminal just to avoid missing the flight. To top it all off we were all three sick with sniffles and sore throats, and neither of us had any sleep.

But, we made it, it's been a nice and relaxing week. Now we are preparing to go to thanksgiving.

My wife has already asked me: "Are Americans aliens?"

My goodness what an awful way to arrive in America. I hope we will impress her with Thanksgiving and the holiday season. It seems that a number of us have introduced our new spouses to Thanksgiving as the first American holiday. On Saturday it will be 7 years that Lena has been in America, so of course I'll be taking her out to the most European restaurant in town.

If you talk to "native Americans" they will tell you we are all aliens. As for me, my family has lived in America for close to three hundred years. So, I feel like a native American.

[Zipline 23]

Congrats!!! Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your new family.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

You meant to say....1 lub, please!

Yeah that was the other thing, but it was later in the same shopping trip, after she discovered we actually DID use the old English measure system, that she coined the phrase "lub" It was a traumatic day for Alla.

The good news was when we left the house it was raining, she said "I don't want to go shopping, it is raining" Why? "I hate to walk in the rain, you know that" Alla, we have a car, go into the garage, sit in the car and I will back it out, then I will drop you at the store and park the car and run inside. "Oh, yeah! We have the car!" I think she repeated about 20 times. "I am going to like having a car" Later I had to get one of those automatic garage door opener things.

Yes, we are It will be easier to answer this way.

Edited November 14, 2012 by Gary and Alla