Proud to say, WE GOT PINK!!!

[Icarus 0]

Hi All!

I am very pleased and proud to finally say...Nhu and I got her Visa last week!!!

At almost 2 years to the day of our first date, I carried my bride-to-be through the threshold of our home. We left Vietnam together and arrived into Los Angeles POE late yesterday afternoon. We're still on VN time and a little in shock but wanted to share in our good news! Soon I'll post more about what went down and how we overcame the odds!

[together2love 0]

Congrats. Glad you guys made it through the long haul!! Enjoy your life together in the USA!

[Kevin&Loan 0]

Icarus,

Chuc Mung Chuc Mung Chuc Mung ... I am not mistaken, you and I started the process at the same time and you finally made it. I am so happy for you two.

[chuckandkim 0]

HOLLY COWS.... I thought you quit!!!!

Great news icarus.... Chuc Mung!

[Niels Bohr 72]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

[GREEN/TRAN 0]

congratulations!!!! welcome home

[tway22 0]

Congrats

[STL_HCMC 0]

Congratulations to you both! Best of luck on the continued journey!

STL_HCMC

[MaryandMian 1]

Congratulations!

[Nagishkaw 510]

Congratulations, Icarus !!

[s2convt 0]

Congratulations, Icarus !!

Great news!! Looking forward to hearing your triumphant story of persistance

[dkalXuan 0]

Icarus !!

This is so AWESOME. congrats big time

when you catch your breath, let us know the great details.

Again, welcome HOME you two

David and Xuan

[Anh map 2,098]

WAY TO GO!!!!! Congrats!!

[Mike n Huong 1]

Congrats!!!!! We are really happy that you finally got the Visa. Now you can enjoy the relationship that you both worked so hard for.

[Icarus 0]

Hi again All! (And in my best Prof Farnsworth voice...) Good News Everybody!

After a bit of rest, I'm still sitting on cloud nine, and occasionally have to be pinched to remind me this is no dream, Nhu is finally here with me!

Nhu and I met almost exactly 2 years ago when I went to Vietnam with my dad for his engagement party and his fiance (and now my stepmoms) interview. It truly was love at first sight...something I wasn't too inclined to believe in prior to going, being jaded from several failed relationships. But when I saw Nhu, I couldn't stop thinking of her. I didn't speak any vietnamese and her english was limited to just "Hello" and "How do you do?", BUT we found common ground by using a translation book and (in my case) vast knowledge of silent movies. We became pretty good at pantomime and rubber faces as we tried to communicate...it seemed to work out, but mostly it would make us both start laughing until we had tears in our eyes. A couple weeks later, I asked her to be my date for my dads engagement party, and when I saw her in an Ao Dai, my fate was sealed. I knew I was falling in love with her...I had never seen anyone so beautiful in all my life, and when she smiled at me, I was reduced to speaking gibberish (which worked out well as nobody could understand me anyways)!

I returned home and we began calling each other and writing letters every few weeks. THe first few letters I received were in vietnamese and with the help of a book and my stepmom, I was able to translate and respond. On Nhu's end, she began taking english lessons and within 2 months, the letters started to arrive in broken, and sometimes, hilarious english. I found with each time we talked or I saw a letter in the mail, my heart began beating faster. I wanted to return to VN, I couldn't stand being away from her, and wanted to be sure that what I was feeling was real, and hoping that she felt the same. I planned on returning to VN in October. At the same time, I had received an eviction notice as my apartment was being converted into condos and I was looking for a new place to live. To save money while I looked, my father suggested that I move in with him, his new wife, and her son until I could find a place (and also to store my things until my return from VN), which I did. But when I went to VN and spent another month with Nhu, (by this time speaking pretty good, but limited english) I knew I wanted to marry her and asked her to be my wife. In front of her family, from whom I got permission first, I got down on one knee and took her hand. When she said yes, it was one of the happiest days of my life! We travelled a bit through south VN to celebrate before I went back home to begin the paperwork. During our time together, I taught Nhu how to use Yahoo IM and we began a tradition of having Sunday night dates on webcam each week, that lasted the entire 16 months we've waited for the pink. When I returned I decided to add my name to the lease and share the apartment with my dad thinking that once Nhu got here, it would be helpful in her conversion to American life to have family (my stepmom and her son) close by and to overcome translation and cultural hurdles a bit easier. I figured it'd be temporary and once the lease was up, we'd find our own place and begin our own family. Little did I know, I'd still be waiting long after our interview for an answer from the embassy...but I get ahead of myself. I returned home in Nov 2005 and filed the paperwork in Dec, waiting the time out with weekly phone calls, yahoo chats, and writing letters. All the time her english was improving by large measure and found that while seperated by cultures, oceans, and age, we shared the same hopes and dreams and wants and wishes and missed each other terribly. Just when I couldn't take the wait anymore and booked tickets for Aug 06, we received our interview date, which landed right at the beginning of my trip.

When I went back, we had an engagement party /birthday party (for me) and then back to HCMC for the interview. To papraphrase a ton of postings I made back then, we got blue sheeted at her interview stating lack of evidence but not requesting any specific information. I returned the next day with tons of evidences (letters, photos, chat logs, phone records)...everything I felt they didn't take into consideration. It seemed pretty obvious looking at all this, that we had a credible relationship, but somehow we were flagged as a fraud. We rec'd the green sheet telling us to wait for word from the embassy with no idea as to how long this could take. I returned to the embassy several times requesting to speak with a CO, but was told my CO was on vacation and unavailable. I hand-delivered 2 letters requesting more info and to make myself available which they took....they refused the 3rd one, and so I returned home alone and heartbroken. I had hope that we might have an answer from the embassy within a month or so, and I began calling the info center often...3-4 times a week, but always got the same answer (none). After 3 months of no word and no help, I decided to contact a lawyer working in VN to see if he could find out why we were blue-slipped and what I could do to overcome it. Unfortunately, by this time, it was close to the holidays and the embassy was basically closing into January. I had promised Nhu that no matter what, I was returning in March to be with her and to spend as many months as I could until we came home together. I couldn't stand being apart from her anymore, we were both miserable. In Jan 07, my lawyer had finally gotten more information about my case and suggested I write a letter to the embassy explaining, in detail, my living arrangements and to calm their concerns regarding it. While I didn't understand why they were concerned, I did begin to see where the red-flags in our case are centralized: that I live in an apartment with family who recently went through the same embassy and same type of visa. In Feb, I received no response from the embassy in regards the letter and decided that when I returned to HCMC in March, that I'd try (witht he lawyers help) to schedule another meeting. And thats exactly what I did...but not before getting another green paper sent to my Fiance (on Mar 5) requesting ANOTHER detailed letter about my living arrangements, copies of leases and utility bills.

When I arrived in VN, I visited my lawyer who provided me with a kick-### cover letter demanding the embassy interview me about any questions they may have as I am in VN for the month. I took all the requested info, and marched down to the embassy and handed all to the window and waited....for 3 hours! Then I heard my name called and went to the window, hoping this was enough and to be given a pink sheet. WRONG! In fact, the vn staff woman actually said "Go home, we will contact your fiance". I was a little amazed and said 'Go home?' and she said, "Yes, there is nothing you can do here" I asked for another green paper, and she refused, saying I didn't need one. At this point I saw an American man walk by and called out to him, explained the situation, and he immediately got me one...as a receipt to show that I had been there. After discussing this with my lawyer, who kept saying "unacceptable!" he suggested I enjoy my trip and my time with Nhu and assured me we'd have an interview before I was scheduled to go home. We travelled down to Bac Lieu (Nhu's hometown) and then took her family to Chao Doc and Ha Tien for a few days. When we got back, I got a call from my lawyer AND from the embassy telling me to get back up to HCMC for a morning meeting scheduled for the next day for both me and Nhu. We took an overnight bus, getting into HCMC at 3:30 and getting a little rest before our 9am meeting.

The interview was conducted by 2 CO's and 1 translator. It started with them asking if Nhu spoke any english, which she did, a little nervously, and then I was asked if I spoke vietnamese. After 2 years together, and 4 months in VN, I speak a little, but in that moment, I began talking like a native. I asked her name, her age, about her family and then told her about mine...I impressed even myself! Next, they asked Nhu to go into another room with the translator as I was interviewed by the 2 Amercian CO's. We asked me many questions, and the whole interview lasted roughly 30 minutes, but the gist of it is this: They were concerned about my living situation because of someone I had never met, who lived there prior to me, but had come up on a background check. They even showed me her photo and asked if I'd seen her before. Nope, never. All this time we've waited and worried about why we got blue-slipped, and it was because of something completely out of my control or knowledge. They lectured me on fraud relationships and told me that many americans are duped by vn girls, that they need to be careful and that based on this and my living arrangements and how we met, they were suspicious. I definitely assuaged their fears, I believe because: When Nhu returned from the other room, it only took them 2 minutes to discuss, come back in and to Congratulate us on getting the visa! As soon as the words left the CO's mouth we were embracing and crying, and I believe they knew they had done the right thing. We waited a few minutes for them to complete the pink sheet, give us back all our letters and photos, and todl us to come back the next day to pick up the visa. The only other hiccup was an hour later we got a phone call from the embassy requesting a new version of the DS-156, which we did at an internet cafe and I personally dropped off. Once we had the visa in hand we held a couple parties, and treated everyone (her entire family) who came up to HCMC to see us off to a day at Souie Tien! A week after that interview, we were on the airplane and heading home.

Now that she is here, it all seems like an incredible dream, each morning I wake up knowing she is beside me, I smile and say "Good morning, Beautiful" and see that smile returned with a kiss! Life is bliss now...and the storm clouds that have plagued me for the last 2 years are gone, only bright skies ahead!

Ok, I'm beat, and appreciate all the well wishes from you guys. I promise to continue posting and to assist others, and at times to rail against a broken system, but for now...I think I'll just enjoy life and walk on the beach with my sweetheart and plan for our future.

Greg