Interview date received

[wait4ever 0]

My girl had her interview yesterday.. she told me it was 3 hours and PASSED! The phone connection Sucked.. but it sounds like she will be able to get the Visa in a week. (I thought you can get it that day ).. It doenst matter I guess because she wants to stay there for New years and may show up late Feb or in March?! errr.. I'm not sure how to feel or think about that. Part of me understands she would want to spend time with her family.. but the other side of me is thinking: #######... she had spent 26 years with her family.. I dont know. some of you guys understand if there were certain things your girl does that make you question... even though you know you shouldnt.. I hate that feeling..

The Tet holiday is very important for the Vietnamese. It's the last chance she will have to see some family members for who knows how long? I would be fine send-off for her to depart after Tet. Her visa may be an omen of good luck for the family in the New Year. Let her stay and wrap things up with the family. She will appreciate it. You will have the rest of your lives together anyway.

[My Le 0]

New developments:

Because of another technical reason, the visa cannot be delivered yet. That's what they told my wife over the phone yesterday. She got this phone call while she was riding with me on the street in Saigon. What a terrible development!!! Anyway, how nice of them for giving her a call so she could save some time not making a trip to the consulate for the pick up that was already canceled. Because the technical reason they told her was hard to understand for her, she wanted them to talk to me in hope I could learn better, but they refused. And they said they don't know exactly how long this will take. It could be a matter of days, weeks, or more. This sounded terrible, right? Why us? It confused us a lot.

Two years and a half and several grand were spent for the two times petitioning for the same person, besides a few hundred grand to put on the table for what which they asked for only 50, a lot of inter-continental trips were made, countless of polluted and filthy air had been breathed/smelled in for having been too long in Vietnam (yucky!!!!)...; for now the pink slip already in hand, then everything is about to take off as flight was booked, farewell parties were done, a lot of hugging were exchanged, avalanches of teardrops already out, karaoke had been sang well and loud, and especially all our belongings for our two-month stay in Saigon for the preparation for the interview day already sent back in advance to her hometown yesterday so we could ride home lightly today... Then suddenly another incident like this one was falling out onto us, preceded by the problem with the fingerprint device the other day. And then what will come next? Oh my Lord, what's the hell is this?

Both of us were miserably swamped by an avalanche of doubts and conspiracy theory too. Anyway, because we thought the best way to gain more understanding about the issue is to get there and talk with them in person, and also because we wanted everything in writing if needed, yesterday we still made a trip to the consulate to find out more about the event even though we already felt really exhausted at the moment.

There we were told basically what was said on the phone. They've just found out after the fingerprint process came out good that more technical works needed to be done for our specific case even though the pink sheet has already been in our hands.

Because we failed a petition before, they said, they will need more technical work relating to the closing of that petition to be done before they could issue us the visa for the current one. They couldn't do it earlier because in our case they had to wait for the outcome that followed by a good fingerprint process. Which means this kind of work could only be exposed and figured out after the fingerprint process is done successfully. This work involves computer technology or so and could be done only by a specialist. How long exactly they don't know. Then computer could be "hanged" anytime as it happened before during the most recent earthquake in Taiwan. And one more thing, they said, when the outcome exposes, more other works could be involved and these must be resolved before the visa could be delivered. Therefore, all of this could add up to the prolongation of the process. This is a normal procedure for our case.

What is called the process, and does it involve security check? Or what else I don't know and I guessed they neither because the specialist was out at the moment. What's the heck is this kind of system? Anyway, we had to make do with the situation as we have no other choice.

In the end, last night was one more night since the interview day we didn't even think about sex although we usually are very active. Indeed, we were frozen by stress in the breezy dryness of Saigon. That has been the first time we experienced it so far.

Edited January 12, 2007 by My Le

[andrew va thuy 0]

I am so sorry for the both of you. I really appreciate you sharing with us the strange and inexplicable behavior any of us could meet. wishing you a speedy resolution to such a mess.

[Lurker 0]

New developments:

Because of another technical reason, the visa cannot be delivered yet. That's what they told my wife over the phone yesterday. She got this phone call while she was riding with me on the street in Saigon. What a terrible development!!! Anyway, how nice of them for giving her a call so she could save some time not making a trip to the consulate for the pick up that was already canceled. Because the ...............

Do you have an attorney in HCMC? If not, I know of a pretty straight arrow attorney. Although, I am not sure what he could do at this point, it sure is worth the money though.

Sounds to me, they accidently issued the pink and then realized it afterwards when you wanted to pickup the Visa.

I hope this gets solved quickly for you. You are almost there, don't loose sight yet.

[lostsoul 0]

My girl had her interview yesterday.. she told me it was 3 hours and PASSED! The phone connection Sucked.. but it sounds like she will be able to get the Visa in a week. (I thought you can get it that day ).. It doenst matter I guess because she wants to stay there for New years and may show up late Feb or in March?! errr.. I'm not sure how to feel or think about that. Part of me understands she would want to spend time with her family.. but the other side of me is thinking: #######... she had spent 26 years with her family.. I dont know. some of you guys understand if there were certain things your girl does that make you question... even though you know you shouldnt.. I hate that feeling..

The Tet holiday is very important for the Vietnamese. It's the last chance she will have to see some family members for who knows how long? I would be fine send-off for her to depart after Tet. Her visa may be an omen of good luck for the family in the New Year. Let her stay and wrap things up with the family. She will appreciate it. You will have the rest of your lives together anyway.

Thanks guys.. I know I shouldnt worry.. but.. I cant help it. This is where drinking comes in.. I still have to get ready for taxes and I'm still nto sure how to do this. do I need to show proff of sending her money.. I dont think they do tases over there so how can I show her income? I'm lost.. haha..

[SoL. 0]

Congrats!!!

[My Le 0]

New developments:

Because of another technical reason, the visa cannot be delivered yet. That's what they told my wife over the phone yesterday. She got this phone call while she was riding with me on the street in Saigon. What a terrible development!!! Anyway, how nice of them for giving her a call so she could save some time not making a trip to the consulate for the pick up that was already canceled. Because the ...............

Do you have an attorney in HCMC? If not, I know of a pretty straight arrow attorney. Although, I am not sure what he could do at this point, it sure is worth the money though.

Sounds to me, they accidently issued the pink and then realized it afterwards when you wanted to pickup the Visa.

I hope this gets solved quickly for you. You are almost there, don't loose sight yet.

Lurker, up to now, the problem is pure technical and could be technology related. Therefore, to use a lawyer is not needed . Thanks.

[tway22 0]

Got an email from HCMC. My interview date is February 12, 2007. For everyone that sent back their Packet 3 in November, you should have your soon too. I'm booking my flight out soon.

[Lurker 0]

Got an email from HCMC. My interview date is February 12, 2007. For everyone that sent back their Packet 3 in November, you should have your soon too. I'm booking my flight out soon.

Congrats!!! I sent my a few days after yours. I can only hope that they would schedule mine not far away from yours. But, nevertheless I must not hang on that alone, otherwise I would be dissappointed.

[tway22 0]

I am so happy right now, I can't sleep. this will be my first time back for Tet. I am so excited. Now I have the interview to worry about. Wish me luck.

[My Le 0]

We're still in Saigon, not riding together to her hometown yet. Reason: the visa she's supposed to pick up at the consulate.........petition to see again the consulate building or even passing by (therefore, I hired a lawyer taking care this hassle for me for this time. The lawyer thing will be talked about later), let alone to see the people there.

(to be continued)

Your teasing us here now. Do you work as a news anchor? You do this teasing well.

(Sitting on the edge of my seat)

Thank you for your comment. It makes me feel great of myself. But I'm afraid I'm not that good. In general, just think of me as a US citizen through naturalization, an average one as anybody else. Then by nature I'm not good at speech, and English is still my second language; so no way could I be an anchor for the Vietnamese speaking audience, and as a result there will be evidently little chance for me to qualify for such a post in the English speaking community.

By the way, you remember in a post to reply to one of yours in which you wrote that you were a soldier, so I wrote in replying you then that I was a soldier too to show our similarity and closeness.

Now I like to say more about it. We were soldiers at different times for different countries, yours was recently in Iraq as you mentioned, and mine was long ago during the Vietnam War, you with the US Army and I with the ARVN, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (the army of the South Vietnam). It was for the US that you served. It was for the South of Vietnam before 1975 that did I.

Then just think of me as an average soldier because as a matter of fact, my achievement was not a lot, of which I was neither embarrassed nor proud.

The medals I was awarded during my 7 years of service were few. Ironically, one of the most noticeable that I like a lot due to its look was not by the national army unit in which I took part, but by a unit of the US, the First Air Cavalry. That was a Bronze Star that I got from an operation together with them in 1969 or so, during which I was a platoon leader of a Vietnamese paratrooper unit.

Then I was nominated for a Silver Star in one of the years that followed, in a solo operation, during which I was still a platoon leader but of another paratrooper unit, and my platoon got the chance to rescue some American fellows, exactly how many I cannot recall now, 2 or 4 of them, were seriously wounded. They were the crew members of the Chinook that had been shot down earlier by enemies’ anti-aircraft firepower when the helicopter was about to land on the ground to provide us, the ground force, with all kinds of supports and medivac. Their firepower from the 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun network from a lot of locations around us in the mountainous jungle that made up a web of fire bullets that reddened the sky became almost omnipotent in shooting down any plane at sight. Furthermore, it was so terribly abundant that it was at times used to shoot directly at us on the ground in an attempt to terrify us.

About the rescue, at a time when the battalion unit that my platoon was under command was almost overran by the enemies, and when we were ordered to stay inside the bunker, don’t get out so the kind of the specific artillery bullet, the kind that was designed to be used specifically in the last minute as the last resort every time a unit was about to be overran, the kind that before touching the ground exploded in the air into numerous deadly tiny pieces of metal right above us that finally sprung down into the body parts of the unsheltered victims below could be shot, was ordered to kill any moving enemies on the ground that at that time were already too close to us. Then we were commanded that after this artillery firing immediately we got to get out of bunkers to be ready to perform close combat with the enemies to destroy them to the max for the gaining back of the battlefield.

In a matter of seconds or footsteps my fellows and I reached the battalion headquarter bunker earlier than the enemies right after our artillery firing stopped. We had to shoot them from very close first, preventing them from coming closer and stopping them timely before they could do any harm to our fellows inside who were the wounded Chinook crew members and others who were not wounded; among the latter were the two, or maybe more, American fellows of the Advisory Board of the battalion, and one or two other Vietnamese officers who were staff members of the battalion headquarter. They got stuck in it; they had nowhere to go as outside around them the battlefield became a mess; it was mixed up of troops, theirs and ours.

We got to the headquarter bunker first because partly it just happened that we were so close to it and partly because what a fantastic job our artillery shooting of the special bullets did on the enemies as nobody could move under the fire of it. It stopped their further advancing to the bunker. Then they started advancing again when the shooting stopped, but we came first…

However, the Silver Star was finally awarded to another guy of another paratrooper unit. Still, I was so pleased and had no problem with it since rarely was it awarded, and if it was, it was for cases of extreme exception only and the rescue combat I had commanded was not.

Talking about military with you today, Lurker, I like to emphasize on what I like and also on what I used to be. It is action that I like, not all talk. I need to tell you that I was voluntary to be a combatant parachutist as the Vietnamese Airborne Division, the only paratrooper division of the whole ARVN didn’t take non-volunteers during the war in some sense was to prove that I could not be qualified for the job of just to sit and talk. By that I don’t mean that I disrespect the profession, but just that it is not for me.

Since the interview incident this time I have posted a lot on this forum, much more than usual although my English is still somehow marginal. That is because I have felt that I have to speak out since I was so oppressed to the extent of being abusive by the repeated requirement of nonsense by the bureaucrats for this time and others similar to that for the last petition. And I wish what I have written could be understood as that has been the message from an average guy all the way through since he was a soldier, not from a well-spoken anchor. Also I wish my message could be eloquent and constructive.

Eventually, justice has been made for this time by myself. However, I don’t think that is enough.

----------------------------------

Lurker: Anyway, I still have to give you some credit for the question whether I work as a new anchor. No, I don’t as said above. But in my family there is one guy who does. He has been doing it for many many years for the Voice of America (VOA) in D.C. Therefore, your guessing was somehow correct, genetically. Did you work for an Intelligence unit before when you were in the army? Hah hah hah...

[Lurker 0]

Did you work for an Intelligence unit before when you were in the army? Hah hah hah...

You should win a prize!!! Yes I did work for intelligence. Good call. I was called a 96 Romeo (Military Intelligence Scout). I served our country during the first war in Desert Storm (First Iraq war) to help stop the genicide of the Kuwaities. Although I am proud to say I did it, I am still uncomfortable to talk about it and what I have seen during that time.

I found your story to be very interesting. It seems very clear your feelings during that time. What is even more interesting is the story I got from my Vo's father (Bo) on the other side (VC)...and to be able to compare and contrast both your stories. Interesting how both sides endure the same type of things and feel the same feelings...but just don't agree on the end point.

[My Le 0]

A little newer happening for our situation:

This morning I called in the consulate to check on the status of my wife’s visa. They recognized very fast our case, as soon as my case number was spelled out, then immediately I was told that the producing of my wife’s visa has been delayed because they had blocked her name when she was denied visa before for the K-1, the fiancéee petition. Now they need to unblock it so the visa for the petition just approved could be produced. That’s it. Nothing strange at all, it’s just that very simple, so told the lady answering my phone call

That’s much clearer than the last time, when they didn’t mention at all about name blocking. Being self-explanatory, the term that says all like phone blocking or e-mail blocking. So nothing is needed to discuss further for the nature of the delay.

However, she added that the work would take a little bit long. A little bit long is how long? That’s the problem. I intended to ask her about this but she already hanged up as fast as usual. Even if I could, she may not be able to tell as last time she already said she could not.

No way they could figure out a time frame for such kind of work? Is this comprehensible? Where is the logic in here? Is that just because of the system? Or because of the lack of vision and dynamism from the bureaucrats at the consulate? Anyone has any ideas about this? How to resolve it for now? Is there any way to help expedite the processing? Am I overreacting? Please tell.

I have been petitioning harder and longer than usual, I have worked my butts off on petitioning twice, and now at the time when it already came out with good result, then I was told to wait for an additional and unpredictable “little bit long”. Is that just “very simple” and "nothing strange at all"? Is that fair? I'm a ###### or what?

Thanks.

[andrew va thuy 0]

What a story. crying: All good questions ! And of course no answers. I think you are doing the best anyone could do. Those who answer the phones probably have less vision or authority of the case than those who reply by email. While email is slow, it might lead to a more educated reply. Just my instinct & observation. Thanks for the update & details !

[Lurker 0]

What a story. crying: All good questions ! And of course no answers. I think you are doing the best anyone could do. Those who answer the phones probably have less vision or authority of the case than those who reply by email. While email is slow, it might lead to a more educated reply. Just my instinct & observation. Thanks for the update & details !

Such a true statement.

My Le, keep your head up. You are almost there. Don't run out of gas just yet bro. Hope for you and yours the Visa.