graceroxas
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Posts posted by graceroxas
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Got the conditional green card last week. Happened faster than expected
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Hello guys -- To those who've applied for AOS/EAD/AP already, how long did it take you to receive your AOS NOA1?
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Hello guys,
To those filling up the I-485 form for adjustment of status and were old enough to have undergone the Citizen Advancement Training (CAT) in high school, how did you reply to question #18 under Part 3 "Have you ever received any type of military, paramilitary and weapons training?"
CAT is supposed to be this rudimentary military training that every high school senior in the Philippines has to go through. But answering "yes" to this question seems to be a lot of hassle in the making... I'm really inclined to just put "no" although that might not be truthful.
Grace
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You Might Be Filipino If...your nieces, nephews, siblings, etc etc...has nick names such as...Junjun, Ningning, Lengleng, Ghingghing,...
And you're still nicknamed "Baby" even in your dotage just because you're probably the "bunso" in your family
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You might be Filipino if.... you put chopped hotdogs in your spaghetti.
And the spaghetti sauce is sweetish. It has catsup kasi
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Ok, thanks guys for this info. That's a huge relief.
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Hello all -- It's been a while.
We're getting married in Hawaii early August and we just found out that it might take four to six weeks (not a week as we originally thought) before we can get the certified true copy of the marriage certificate needed for the Adjustment of Status application. I would have been in the States for 60+ days by that time and we would certainly exceed the 90-day stipulation for marriage in the K-1 visa by the time we get the certificate.
Will this be a major problem in the AOS application? Does anyone here have any similar experiences with the Hawaiian authorities that you can share? Is it still possible to expedite getting the certificate there so we can file for AOS within 90 days? As a backup, we might just go to Vegas or another place which can issue us the certificate way faster. So much for my dream of a nice beach wedding....
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Grace
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So nice to see that almost everyone in this thread is past the hand-wringing stage already. I myself have crossed over to join my dearest in Portland, Oregon last May 28. It was a breeze. Good luck to everyone for the remainder of your K-1 visa journey! Regards
Grace
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Hello everyone,
Since the K-1 visa includes the middle name as if it was part of the first name, should we book the airline ticket to include the middle name, instead of the usual first name and last name?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Grace
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LOl, it cost me 2000p for a ride from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 at Manila Airport.
Five-star hotel car services to the airport, coming from Makati/Manila area, would charge you about the same and that cabbie probably knows it.
Grace
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OP --- Your ramblings somehow remind me of Rumi,the Sufi mystic-poet, though I'm pretty sure you're channeling him unintentionally
That's a compliment btw. Grace
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Foreign airlines save money by using gates at Terminal 1. Landing fees into MNL are some of the most expensive in SE Asia. The gate rents at the other terminals are excessive by comparison.
I've often wondered why they're so crowded in there. Hope it's a wake-up call for everyone concerned. I always feel a bit apologetic to my fiance whenever I have to fetch him in that old terminal.
Terminal 2 is a lot better but PAL has its own set of problems... like the crew suddenly not showing up for work.
Grace
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i was just curious. how do they determine who needs to do the culture? and why does it seem like it's only in Philippines? thanks for your responses
I once heard a local expert (Dr. Vicente Belizario of UP Manila) say that around 70 percent of Pinoys are likely to have radiologic (i.e. x-ray) signs of TB without actually having contracted the disease. We are such a high-burden country that TB is literally in the air.
That certainly weighed on my mind when I had my medical but everything went fine. Perhaps St. Luke's adjusts the local reference value for what should constitute a referral for a sputum test. Otherwise, a lot of people would be getting referred.
Grace
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Yup,not really looking forward to using this terminal soon.
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http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/Ceiling-caves-Philippine-afpsg-4044481967.html?x=0
Ouch! I actually thought twice before posting this. Yet another black mark in our already much tarnished rep. But this is Terminal 1 they're talking about, and almost everyone who doesn't use PAL passes through here.
After the Quirino Grandstand standoff last year,P-noy was concerned enough to visit the site of the incident himself.
Grace
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Chinese corporations own almost anything of value in the Philippines. If the Philippines government nationalized all those foreign owned industries, seizing their assets, and kicking them out of the country, then the Filipinos themselves could enjoy the fruits of their labors.
But, sadly, there just doesn't seem to be that motivation, despite having one of the most educated populations in the world. The education system seem to be geared to producing the Philippines primary export: OFW's.
I know what you mean. But these corporations controlled by people with Chinese-sounding names are not necessarily Chinese corporations. A few of the biggest taipans in PH are actually second- or third-generation Chinese immigrants who made their fortunes here from scratch, not even finishing college. Sounds familiar?
While I do not agree with many of their business practices, I think they should be emulated rather than reviled.
Grace
it's vj, there's a solution for everything here!
Am beginning to believe it
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I don't think there is one big hypothesis that would explain why PH is what it is now. Let's not oversimplify things. It could all just be a bad stew of so many things: corruption, weak government policies, bad leadership, misplaced religiosity and superstition,economic inequity, colonial mentality,counterproductive cultural traits, ad nauseam...
Tomes have been written about each of those topics and you guys propose to resolve the question once and for all in a VJ forum thread?
A few years of living and traveling around the country hardly qualifies one to become an expert. I've been here for all of 36 years, since birth that is, and I don't feel remotely qualified to pontificate about what's wrong with the country in general. I just do what I can within my experience.
Grace
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Thanks for pointing that out. One of the things that really aggravates me is being poked relentlessly by them. It's one thing to beg, but another to harass me by poking me in the back over and over again while I am standing in line at the pharmacy. I definitely do not give money to people who do that to me.
I learned that telling them to stop was not enough. But if you start poking them in return, they're so shocked they run away. If it's illegal I can just start calling for the cops.
I was at the embassy yesterday and experienced a version of this aggressive behavior. Not by beggars but by some enterprising touts who found a way to make money from people who neglected to read the embassy guidelines about not bringing electronic devices inside.
It doesn't work if you just ignore them. Apparently,they've decided that if you're the fiancee or spouse visa type, you're clueless by default and they have to "help" you. They'll also scam you into buying black ball pens, as if the embassy cares if you use black or blue (They don't). That one almost worked. I actually checked the ink of my pen
I'm surprised the embassy doesn't do much to regulate these people. It's almost a cottage industry outside the consulate gates.
Grace
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When the current PHL Prez and most presidents of the past praise encourage the "hero worship" of the OFW's, I don't see this problem being fixed. Until the mindset is to NOT depend on remittances as a major source of economic growth, nothing will change.
+1 on this.
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Factoids for you Paul: male-prostitution (of homosexual persuasion) has been part-and-parcel of Mecca since before the brigand Muhammed's kicking-bucket.
OBL's home country attracts a lot of foreign contract workers, many of them Filipino men, and they are often advised to grow beards while there so as not to attract unwanted attention. Of course, sporting a beard doesn't guarantee..
Grace
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I think these visa forms are partial to Internet Explorer as browser. I had some minor difficulties myself accessing them a week ago while using Google Chrome. I switched to IE and they got resolved.
Grace
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I wonder what sort of gratuity the Tourist Police will expect for rendering assistance.
Sounds like an interesting job. They provide mountain bikes and training courses. But not sure I'll pass the neuropsychiatric tests
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Ya..its a fuzzy area.I've never gotten a straight answer on the legalities of giving money to beggars..BUT rest assured..if anyone of authority see's you doing what MIGHT be perceived as illegal, be prepared to pay. RULE #2..The police are NOT your friend! If you are a foreigner you will lose any alternation with a Filipino..Regardless of fault..and you will pay or find yourself somewhere you REALLY REALLY don't want to be!
Sometimes its better to be prepared to be taken advantage of, regardless of right or wrong or PRINCIPAL! I personalty know of white guys that have been stabbed arguing over trike fare!
The hardest thing to convey to new tourist to the P.I. is they operate by very different rules here and ya got to watch your six.(watch your back). Try to be as incognito as possible (especially in Manila and the larger cities).Try to always have a trusted Filipino/a with you where ever you go. And NEVER assume!!!
Some recent sound and fury from the police about helping foreign visitors.
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NEVER give money to a beggar... those 'SWEET BEGGAR KIDS" are employees and all have handlers.If you feel you MUST give them something, give them food! And that kindly gentleman that flags down your cab..well..he's also looking for a way to relieve you of your wallet!
The moment you get off your plane, your a target and will remain so until you get back on said plane. This isn't KANSAS. DON'T make yourself a victim. LEARN some basic Tagalog BEFORE you come to the P.I. And if your "sweetie" is from the province,she PROBABLY knows less about the ways of Manila than you..which is nothing!
I've lived here for three years and trust me, I've learned most of the 'rules' the hard way. EDUCATE yourself BEFORE you come..seek out those that know..OR plan to become a victim..NO ONE here is going to help you without payment..whether you ask for the help or not..RULE #1
Giving money to beggars is illegal too in some places here. In the city of Manila, at least, I know it is. I think it must be a city ordinance.
Applying for passport name change while visiting the Philippines
in Philippines
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Hello everyone!
Is anyone familiar with the procedure for passport name change application with DFA Manila?
I married a US citizen and has adopted my husband's surname. Am now in the Philippines for a vacation. I'm just wondering if it's easier to apply directly with DFA Manila for this instead of going to a Philippine consulate abroad. Unfortunately, the DFA official website can't seem to provide the right information.
Thanks in advance for any replies.