graceroxas

"nine out of 10 Filipino men polled said they liked to look good for themselves, not anyone else."

So I guess they indeed fit the textbook definition of "narcissistic" then But I myself am all for guys who in the vernacular are "mukhang mabango." Scruffy handsome types don't do it for me.

Grace

Just be aware that the interviewer will be behind a glass window with a very narrow opening allowing nothing as big as a scrapbook to pass through it.

I guess it'll just be a wonderful but useless keepsake then. Worth a try.

It was also a way of coping with the 5+ months of waiting for the petition approval and now the interview, visa processing etc.

Don't waste your time calling the Embassy. The fastest way to schedule an appointment is simply to try every day.

:thumbs:

:thumbs:

Malapit na!!!

Thanks for the reassurances

Calling the embassy trunkline and locals is also an exercise in futility. It's now clogged up even at 7.30 AM. Unless you can camp beside the redial button on your phone the whole day.

Grace

Forgot to add that the pull quotes should of course be supported by the actual letters, e-mails, YMs and what-have-you that the two of you wrote to each other. You can just choose those that absolutely drip with honey and/or indicative of your plans for the future.

I've added as appendices the list of phone calls, text messages, snapshots of e-mail inbox to establish the frequency and the ongoing nature of the communication, again with the proper annotation (i.e.how many, how frequent, how long).

Actually, it has gotten so elaborately personal (I was originally planning to just do a photo album with some captions) that I'm now a bit embarrassed to show it to the interviewer I just hope he/she sees it for what it is. A true labor of love.

Grace

I made an honest-to-goodness scrapbook with all the bells and whistles. A lot of work and probably a bit excessive but was certainly fun to do (is fun to do. It will still be a work in progress till my interview day). I even plan to bring it to the States with me for us to enjoy later.

I put "chapters" corresponding to each of his visits and major events like our birthdays, Christmas and Valentine's Day exchanges. Each chapter has a heading and contains photos, related correspondences and of course all the receipts,tickets, boarding passes etc. I wrote in photo captions and other annotations needed to explain what's going on.

I even included pull quotes to highlight the most romantic phrases we ever said to each other and statements that clearly indicate our serious intention to marry.

Grace

2nd biggest US consular building in the world next to Mexico. Hope it delivers

http://www.gmanews.tv/video/78667/gntv-live-bagong-2-storey-building-ng-us-embassy-binuksan-na

Wow, are we gonna be interviewed in this swanky,new facility.

http://manila.usembassy.gov/new_annex_bldg.html

Thought I was gonna read about some "ex"s in reaction to this I myself haven't "ex"-perienced being with one. I don't think I can take the competition hehe.

Actually my first thought upon reading it is that the next waves of K-1 visas might well be an exodus of our well-groomed, male compatriots getting together with US ladies. That certainly happens a lot in other parts of the world.

Grace

You are right about that Thom . Maybe if they go to N.Y or california --it will be a cultural shock for them , and they better adjust fast . Its funny --when I was there , I told them I was a negrois (native filpina)--(I hope I get the spelling right --lol) They are darker than I , and their hair is more ''kinker '' than mine --lol . I wonder if they have the same opinion of the natives as they do of us .

You must mean the Negritos. The term refers to a number of aboriginal tribes in the Philippines (e.g. Aetas, Dumagats, Agtas) with negroid features.

These people are mostly in the boondocks, very clannish and largely economically marginalized, even in their own turf. These things make the race question a bit more complicated. Whatever race-related feelings the "unats" (the straight-haired i.e. the rest of the Filipino population) may have for the "kulots" (curly-haired) also tend to be mixed up with perceptions of these aborigines as isolated primitives and beggars.

Grace

Yes I am well aware of the zillions of bleaching products found in Phils, which totally bends my mind .

I used to tell my fiance that I'd probably stand out in my dermatologist's memory as her only (Filipina) patient more concerned with a good tan rather than digging into her epidermis for long-lost evidence of a hidden Spanish ancestry

For people so racially oppressed in the past (or maybe because of it),many Pinoys can actually be quite bigoted, as has been said by others here. On the face of it, the Filipino words "tisoy"(short for mestizo) and "egoy" (derived from Negro) are supposed to be neutral terms, but we all know they're not. One would sooner call someone "tisoy" to his face than call someone "egoy," even if all we want to do is describe and not judge. These words have evolved thus.

If you do encounter bigots in Manila or elsewhere, I'd say that with their parochial world view, arising most likely from a limited education, they have a bigger problem than you. You probably won't want their company anyway even if you're Brad Pitt.

Grace

Asking ourselves the same question. I think our case arrived the same day at USEM. The long holiday last week certainly didn't help.

Grace

It's clearly a very small percentage of the total number waiting to be processed at the VSC, but just how small a percentage? I'd be especially interested to hear from anyone who already has their NO2; where were you in Igor's List when you got approved?

I think we we're at #45. Got our petition approval a day after the 5-month mark (CSC).

One thing you should also remember is that not everyone religiously updates their timelines. It doesn't mean that all those couples ahead of you in the list are still waiting for their approvals.They could have just forgotten or didn't bother to update.

On the other hand, you will also see the list shortening without any actions at all from those ahead in the queue because those past the normal processing time get transferred to another list below.

It might be more useful to look at the timelines of those who do update, if they approximate yours, rather than worry about your place in the list, although it does give a psychological boost to see yourself rising several notches every now and then.

Grace

All visa applicants, regardless of age, need to complete a medical examination at the St. Luke’s Medical Center Extension Clinic (SLMCEC) before the visa interview. Applicants are advised to have their medical examinations done at least one week before their interview appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Manila.

Yes, we were advised to have medical at least 5 working days before the interview as SLMCEC needs some time to write up the results.

Grace

Citizens and former-citizens cannot own more than 3 hectares of land? I don't think I understand. Who are all these people owning larger plots? I can search online to easily find, in a minute or so, many listings for much more than 3 hectares - in Bukidnon alone. Not just a bit more, but dozens of hectares.

Such an oppressive law, if it is what it sounds like. I don't understand how such a policy could have any positive effect.

I hardly think the spirit of this law is oppressive. Land reform worked well enough in Taiwan. It is supposed to provide an opportunity for lower-income families working off the land to become landowners and thereby improve their lot.

It's the circumvention and weak implementation of this law that I find reprehensible. Also, the inadequacy of support facilities for new farmer-landowners.

Grace

Thank you for the link! I've read and printed the document This particular document is not included in the packet we are expecting from the embassy then? The document is only available on the website? My apologies for what may seem like a silly question, but since my man is out in the fields, and has slim to none access to an internet, I may have to scan the document instead for him. I'd like him to be a part of every step of the process, so we can rejoice dreamily when we get the chance to talk

I believe this is the same one we're supposed to get through the mail.

That's a lot of requirements that have to be accomplished so if I were you, I'd get started right away! Our lawyer actually sent it to us right after NOA1 so we can have a head start working on some of them.

Item K alone is a project unto itself. I decided that a good way to go about it is to make a chronological scrapbook so that every evidence you put there (photos,letters,receipts) contributes to a nice narrative flow of the relationship. It's fun to do and also a nice keepsake for the both of you.

Grace

i am going through exactly same thing and i blame the wait for NOA2 for the relationship bumps. While some will say love has no boundaries, I feel love is the most difficult lifelong task to manage. Not to mention that in our cases we are separated instead of experiencing the best time of our lives. Should I view this as a government sponsored test of my love? Or simply a test for my fiancee's good intentions? Everyone say to stay calm and patient, but why should I? Why should I apologize for this useless and timely process day after day.

Looking at your timeline and the fact that you're at CSC, I guess I'll be half-panicky by this time too.

Got a little chuckle from the phrase "government-sponsored test of my love." Makes USCIS sound like God in the book of Job whom we should thank for visiting plague upon us. (I guess those who got expedited for no reason at all are actually not the chosen children then.)

Grace

To the last two posters, who are we to question the validity of this man's feelings? And there's also something to anger being an emotional analgesic for some. Granted it may be misplaced but ,sheesh, whatever gets you through such an awful patch.

Grace

I say go for the K-1 -- I think it's reasonable for people not to keep ticket stubs and all of the recommended secondary evidence you will read about online.

Good luck!

I think the airline ticket stubs actually count as primary evidence, along with passport stamps, boarding tickets and receipts from hotels and other local establishments you spent time in. But if you don't have them, that's fine. At the very least, you should have the passport stamps.

Photos, on the other hand, are secondary. I wouldn't worry about them so much for the petition approval (we only sent one and got approved) but they might be more important for the consulate interview, because an objective there is to establish that petitioner and beneficiary have a bonafide, ongoing relationship. Photos can include not only those of the couple together but with the fiancee's relatives and friends.

Grace

Congratulations to those approved!

If you want to check at any time to see if they have sent the case to the Consulate yet, you can call the NVC at 1-603-334-0700. You will need your USCIS receipt

number (along with your and her dates of birth) to make any inquiry into case status.

Don't forget to ask for case number.

Grace

According to the wife, the three hectare limit applies to citizens as well. That just means you will have to make lots of sons and daughters if you want more farm land.

Or make a lot of friends you can trust to act as "dummy" owners for you. Kinda risky though but it is done. When I was helping a friend scout for vacation property to buy, I was told that the whole lake coastline near our place is virtually Korean and Japanese turf, though I doubt if the land titles will reflect that.

Grace

UGH!!!!!!!

This is sooooooooooooooooooo annoying!!!!. All us VSC folks are a little jelly bean with you california people. I know the winter was bad up north, but.... IDK what is the hold up???? I think we should def wait till our 6 month mark before we make any waves.

If it's any consolation, there won't be much of a logjam after the NOA2 with NVC and hopefully the rest of the process (depending on the consulate of course). Our case is now on the way to Manila and it's only been a little over a week since petition approval.

Grace

The OP has resolution to his issue - why you fellas using his topic to 'compare notes' and play oneupmanship now ?

I don't know what you mean by this. Maybe you're saying we should split off to a new thread or something.

Thing is, this journey is a rich experience that resonates differently with different people, sometimes in ways incidental only to the main conversation, though probably no less significant.

Like I don't really have anything new to say to the OP that haven't been said by others and better, but I do have pretty precise views about some of the things mentioned only in passing, like the question of who spends for what in a particular fiance situation, that I'm guessing is not widely shared or even considered. I thought,what better time to say it. Someone out there might need to hear it.

Grace

Wow. You mean I did not have to pick up the tab that first night in Manila when it was suggested I meet the family at a Chinese restaurant? That was the scariest evening in my entire life. I knew I was in good with dad when he hailed a cab to take me and my future bride back to hotel.

I'm not talking about some ironclad Filipino rule of social behavior. Perhaps it's just my own sense of what's due him as an invited guest of the family. If I was the one visiting his family, or other relatives/friends abroad for that matter,I'd certainly expect to be treated likewise, to the extent that it's not unduly inconveniencing the host/hostess.

Grace

WE GOT OUR NOA2 LAST APRIL 4!!!! THE LETTER ARRIVED TODAY!!!!

THANK YOU LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

Congratulations!