China Romance
All About China => Share your love story => Topic started by: David E on October 14, 2010, 12:10:19 am
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Again I wait for 10.30 pm when I treck off to the Airport for my 5th visit to Chengdu and my Princess.
This trip we have some important things to do (no, get your minds out of the gutter !!)...it is her Mum's Birthday on 17th October and Ming's Birthday on 19th October...so a serious amount of heavy eating and drinking is coming up the slope... :-\ :-\
Of interest this time too is the need for us to finish all the paper blitz for her visa...WOW, that will be some job. I have a bunch of documents from my Lawyer that is about 2 inches thick...luckily, 80 % of the questions only want a "Yes" or "No " answer...I can just about manage that with minor stress.
Due to the micro minds of the "Public" Servants who designed the paper monster, they have thrown Ming into total confusion.
You all know how sensitive these women are to spending money unneccesarily.....so she reads up about all her documents that must be first...notarised and second...translated to English.
The process is designed around taking a photo copy of the original ( they dont want originals sent with the application) and taking them both to an Official Public Notary for the Stamp.
The notorised copy must then be taken to a Translator who is certified by the Aus Government for translation to English.
I told her that we should try to get all this done in China becauase translation costs in Aus are astronomical compared to China.
The photo copy will be free...I'll get them done at the Hotel.
The Notary stamp in China will cost 100 RMB per document and the Translation will cost about 200 RMB per document.......about 5% of the price in Aus.
So....my dear Lady, with economy and efficiency in mind, works out that if she can find a Public Notary in Chengdu, who is also a registered Translator, approved by the Aus Government, she can save 100 RMB per document. !!!!...get both jobs done at the one place.
She has spent 3 days trying to find such a rarity...and is now in a panic because she cant !!!
There seems to be plenty of Notaries and plenty of approved Translators...but not a combined one !!!
I tell her again and again and again that for her to get so stressed to save 100 RMB (which equals a little over $10 ) is crazy and I want her to stop !!
But you know how they think and although it frustrates the hell out of me...I just let her get on with it !!
Gotta love'em dont you.
I will try to report from Chengdu...after I get free of being buried in hip-bones and dumplings :P :P
David
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Again , enjoy all that your Ming and China has to offer . Get that extra paperweight out of your backpack soon as possible and have a splended time David .
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Have a great safe trip David , as you will come back kilo's heavier ha ha , regards Sujuan and Robert .
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I too wish you a safe and successful visit. Hope it goes well for you. I have valued all of your input on this site and your personal support.
Have a great time with your princess and her family,
Peter
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David,
Have a safe trip and enjoy your time there. I hope that soon the two of you will be able
to get together after you get thru all the immigration stuff.
best wishes
Ted
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Have a good time David.
Fun fun fun, gotta love that paperwork. Eat a dumpling or 2 for me. ;D
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Haha Mike
For Ming...failure is not an option. !!!
She will pursue this objective with determination, persistence and sheer bloody mindedness...no way will she let go of an unnecessary 100 RMb !!!...and in that she is no different to any Chinese wife. I already know the look of triumph on her face when she tells me that finally she found the right Company to do it all...and saved some money !!...and I will need to look VERY impressed and make many nice noises about her skill and dedication ;D ;D ;D...although quite what we will do with all the money she saved, I dont know...probably buy another plate of dumplings !!!
I darent tell her that I splurged on Business Class for my flight...probably lead to the loss of precious parts of my anatomy.... :o :o
But its all good stuff...I wouldnt want it any other way
Thanks all for your good wishes...appreciated very much
Cheers...David
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I'll have to echo all these other posts and say best wishes. I always enjoy reading your posts in particular because you are a fellow Perth person.
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Have a fantastic trip David! Now that she has saved you all those RMB, spending it on business class seating seems like a good reward to me.
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I too wish you a safe and successful visit. All the best to youi bot5h mate... :D :D
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David,
Safe trip and good luck! Protect those precious parts of your anatomy! ;)
Dave C
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Have a safe and Happy trip David!! ;D remember to put off the drinking until AFTER you do the paperwork!!! You know those pubic servants (yes I know I misspelled that ;)) won't accept getting 4 extra copies of that paper while missing those 3 papers etc etc . Hope you and Ming still have a great time!!
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Have a wonderful trip David, looking forward to reading the updates!
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OK Guys
Having got the Haggis Basher back to the real World, I can get on with my visit ;D
Been here 2 days and had 4 giant family meals !!.....eating sure is the National pastime.
But of course, the best part is to be with my Princess again....words cant describe that.
She's just gone off to the Hotel Excercise Centre for a swim...I pleaded exhaustion and excused myself :P :P
During all these family dinners, I believe I have had a profound learning about some mysteries of the Chinese World !!
I think it should be known as the "Sunflower Seed Experience"....................................
Those who have been here before, know that every meal has before, during and after, a great bowl of sunflower seeds that everybody
attacks with gusto !!
They can strip a sunflower seed in 1.37 seconds (exactly) and every seed has a plump, edible kernal inside,
So...as I am now officially (according to my LP) "half Chengdu Man" I decided to join the sunflower seed club...when in Rome, you know !!
Would you believe there are some absolute rules for sunflower seeds vs Western Men....
1) Western Man (WM) takes 3 minutes to struggle to open 1 sunflower seed without causing total destruction of said seed.
2) 1 seed in every 10 contains a kernal..as opposed to EVERY seed that a Chinese person opens.
3) Having picked through 10 seeds to finally get to the prize....it flips out and drops to the floor !!
I think I will apply for a Nobel Prize for this....its amazing science ;D
Other than that...I am being completely spoiled and loving every minute.
Brother-in-law and several cousins took me fishing yesterday.......thought they would show their Lao Wei how its done...guess who
caught most of the fish.........and the biggest ones too !!!!
Post more when I am allowed.....
David
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Haha, David, I know exactly what you mean, its one of those mysteries lao wai don't understand how to do and everyone, even the kids 2 years old there can do with one hand and holding a conversation at the same time!
You account brought a happy memory smile back to my face, thank you.
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Great update David. You always write so well! It brought back memories.
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Hi All
Firstly, if I may reply with equal humour to Kiwi303...........Us Aussies may have to prove evidence of previous criminal activity to the Immigration Dept...
but we dont have to provide evidence of previous intimate relations with a sheep ;D ;D ;D ;D
Now...back on topic !!
Today is Ming's birthday and we are going shopping....for clothes (UGH).....will be a gruelling experience, but I gotta grit my teeth and bear it because thats
what she wants for her birthday present !!
I have booked dinner at an "English" restaraunt here, but I have no idea about the type and quality of the food.......Just hope it is not roast dog and
Yorkshire Puddings....(you Poms will understand this ;D ;D)
Yesterday we had an experience that can only be described as " Only in China......"
We went to the Bank of China to change some Aussie dollars to RMB. The Bank rate was 6 . 42
Ming filled in the usual mountain of paper, took a ticket and got into the large queue.....there is always a large queue in a Chinese Bank, the smell of money
must attract them !!!
I dont like standing in queues so I sat down and watched all the action from a distance.
After about 10 minutes, a Bank Security Guard and a bloke in a suit went over to Ming who was waiting for her turn at the cashier window. A lot of arm waving
and noise and shouting was happening, so I went over to use my 6 words of Chinese...and my Aussie aggression (!!!!) to sort it out...nobody shouts at MY LP !!!
Apparently, all was well, the guy in the suit was offering to buy our Aus dollars for a better rate than the Bank !! He was offering 6.52...cash. Ming was just
trying to negtiate him up !! I told her to be careful because it maybe a set up to trap us into an illegal currency deal and get us into trouble with the cops.
So she called over one of the Bank officials and told him what was going on....he apparently said "no problem" but you should also talk to my friend here and
introduced another bloke into the debate....he offered a bit more than the first bloke !!!!!......6.59
I wandered off in total confusion and left them to it. Now there was serious noise and arm waving as they all set to with a vengance....Ming in the middle of
all this waving Aussie dollers about like a weapon !!!!!
Eventually she did the deal at 6.72 !!!!
So we got 300 extra RMB over the Bank rate :-\...bizzare !!!...and all this IN A BANK !!!!
Now 300 RMB wont keep us in Champagne and Caviar...like its about $50 Aus.....but when you consider that we can eat for 4 days on this, she was justified in .
feeling very pleased with herself.
But the whole process was so weird....only in China
Now I gotta fight my way thru the various bits of female flimsies hanging in the bathroom and get a shower and prepare for another day in Paradise !!!
David
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Great story David,only in China ;D............
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Bard David, great stories of your trip so far mate, Happy Birthday to Ming and I hope you bought her exactly what she wanted. As she was there I can bet she got exactly what she wanted and in the right colour, exactly as you would have bought anyway. ;). Good rate on the mighty Aussie battler too.
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I have gone to the bank to exchange money. And gotten it at bank of China using my ATM card. And the rate I get with the ATM card always seems to be the best.
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I have booked dinner at an "English" restaraunt here, but I have no idea about the type and quality of the food.......Just hope it is not roast dog and
Yorkshire Puddings....(you Poms will understand this ;D ;D)
David
What ..... don't tell me your in Terror to eat the Yorkshire Pudding? ;)
Thanks for the update to your Tail wagging
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Hi All
Firstly, if I may reply with equal humour to Kiwi303...........Us Aussies may have to prove evidence of previous criminal activity to the Immigration Dept...
but we dont have to provide evidence of previous intimate relations with a sheep ;D ;D ;D ;D
Hmm, I'm not one of those who like those woolly maggots, they just keep looking for ever more creative ways to die!
I spend more time in cows... ;) I'm on a dairy/cattle farm, not a sheep station :P
I have booked dinner at an "English" restaraunt here, but I have no idea about the type and quality of the food.......Just hope it is not roast dog and
Yorkshire Puddings....(you Poms will understand this ;D ;D)
David
Hey, no matter how they ruin a good english roast, it's gotta be better than taking her to Maccas :D
If you bring her over to NZ sometime, I can show her how to prepare a nice roast, from selecting the animal in the paddock through the processing right up to the delivery on a plate :D
I remember someone commented about the difference between Asian cooking and Western cooking being that in china one has to chase dinner round the kitchen before cooking it. Doesn't worry me, a Kitchen is far easier to catch things in than a 5 hectare paddock :D
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Firstly a very happy birthday to Ming , and David I hope you enjoyed the shopping , we now have a rule in our house as the Knox shopping centre is 5 minutes away and contains about 1000 shops , I drop the ladies [ usually Sujuan and 1 of her girlfriends ] at the front doors and return home , some 4 or 5 hours later I will get a call to pick them up , but usually with only 1 dress to show for all that time , and yes usually she is proud that she has bartered the price down , regards Sujuan and Robert .
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Hahaha Great story David...Happy birthday to Ming and enjoy the shopping trip... ;)
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Yes I too like the story David. I can't wait to be back in China again. Not sure when that will happen. Happy Birthday to Ming and a great shopping trip for her too. May your boredom turn into delight when she finishes.
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happy Birthday to Ming, and have a nice holiday in China, David ;)
By the way, nice story :)
I didn't live the same experience about bank rate, but knows, maybe another time... :)
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David E,
Great update. Hope you did not have to grit your teeth too much for the shopping trip. Happy birthday to Ming. Keep the stories coming and enjoy your time there. I like your comment about fighting through the "female flimsies". I was living with 3 women, my ex wife and 2 grown up daughters. Every time I wanted a shower there was always something hanging on the shower rod or strung over a drying rack. I could never get a hold of the door knob due to all the bras hanging on it... ;)
Dave C
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Well I got thru the shopping expedition without too much emotional and financial damage !!
Just tagged along making nice noises about endless bits of female clothing and hoping like hell she wouldnt buy some of the more hideous
examples she tried on !!!
Finally she chose some new jeans and some winter boots and haggled unmercifully for her discount.
All in all, I behaved myself and let her enjoy her birthday treat !!!
On the drive back to the Hotel we got involved in a duel to the death with a Volksvagen Beetle driven by a young Chinese girl.
Without exception, Ming NEVER gives way to anything on the road...pedestrians, bikes, cars Taxis, Busses or trucks.....now I'm sort of
used to it and can keep my eyes open when driving with her, sometimes up to 3 minutes ;D ;D ;D
But this particular episode was getting seriously scary and I felt that if something didnt give, somebody would die...probably me !!!
Ming was muttering and grumbling in Chinese and doing a lot of horn work and strange hand signals whichn werent in the Chinese driving
code (is there such a thing ?????)
Finally the Beetle was seen off and we continued our journey in relative calm.
I politely asked why we needed to go throught that performance and explained that I would need to hurry to the Hotel to change my undies ;D ;D
She said....and guys, I swear this is true......."I dont like that car"......when I asked why, she said...."Its got no bum" !!!!!!
I thought I would expire from laughter...nearly split my sides.
Anyway, alls well that ends well.
Must dash, she is stirring and we gotta get ready to meet the family today for lunch and Mahjong....its a tough life, but somebodys gotta do it !!
Next episode I will tell you about English Restaraunts in Chengdu...........the "Road, Martered Cob wit Chibs" was particularly enjoyable ;D ;D ;D
David
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Great update as usual David, I love her reasoning for the crazy driving, sometime you just have to accept the madness of it all :o ;D
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"I dont like that car"...."Its got no bum" !!!!!!
This must be the way they see every other car on the road then, judging by what I have experienced on the roads in Shenzhen and Huizhou and that includes riding in taxi's! What are they going to do in China when road rage becomes a problem like it is in Western countries?
Great read Aussie Bard. Looking forward to the next installment.
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That Lady in the VW Beetle was lucky I guess .. she didn't have a Bum or she would have been Bum'd to the side of the Road . hahaha
Love it ! Great Story David , indeed .. life is hard .. but not without excitement .
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Well i hope she has a terrific birthday. And win lots at Mahjong 8)
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This is Imposible? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n_mgFA47WQ&feature=player_embedded#)
Is the driving something like that =P?
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Irish
How right you are......I found, like you, that you need to suspend your own reality for a while when you are in China and
just force yourself to accept this completely new reality...however weird it may seem.......then you can smile at it all and enjoy yourself.
If all the time you are making comparisons and judgements based on "home" you tend to go slightly crazy as many of the differences
dont compute in your head !!!
It took me a while to do this, but once I mastered it, things became much easier 8) 8)
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Hi All
Here is the story of the English Restaraunt in Chengdu.......
Ming was very keen to go to an English restaraunt for her birthday dinner, she wanted to try the whole knife and fork thing.
She tries knife and fork at breakfast in the Hotel, but its not so sucessful with cornflakes !!!!
The PR Lady at the Hotel told us about this place called "Grannies Kitchen" which is said to be very authentic. It was started by a British
ex-pat and his Chinese wife some 10 years ago.....so off we went.
Surprise, surprise, the place was decked out much like an English Pub and looked the part.
Of the English Proprieter there was no sign, apparently he moved on a long time ago !!!....and of course, nobody there spoke any English....
but I suppose you cant have everything :( :(
I always get a hankering for decent fish when I am here. I am very spoiled in Perth in that I can buy or catch some of the finest eating fish out of the Ocean.
The freshwater fish here does not compare and the bones always are a pain.............and they always steam it !!! So a bit of grilled Ocean fish would
be very nice.
On the menus was a picture of what looked like English fish and chips.....but the English description was the "Road Martered Cob wit Chibs" that I told you
about!!! ( I suspected it was something to do with a small horse that they found dead at the side of the road :o
After much intense discusion with Me, Ming and about 6 waitresses, we finally concluded that it was "Roast, battered Cod with chips "
So I decided to try it, asssuming that Roast meant grilled
.
We struggled a bit with a decision about the first course........I fancied "Garpic Snapes", but Ming decided to have "Burning Saming Beef" !!!!
For the main course we decided to have "Sheep Cuttles wit English Regebles"
What we ended up with was Garlic snails, Smoked Salmon Steak, and Lamb cutlets with English vegetables.
And would you believe that all the food was absolutely delicious, perfectly cooked and truly authentic !!!!!
........................Only in China ;D
David
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Sounds like you could get a job as a proofreader for that restaurants menu :D did you pull out a pen and correct the menu card they gave you?
How do you roast or grill a battered cod? Batter is meant to be fried in oil, I'd only grill either a plain or a crumbed fish, not a battered one.
One of my favourite fish dishes is whole Kahawai (You aussies would know it as sea salmon, australian salmon or southern salmon, not related to the true salmon found in the North America area) Scaled and clean but head and skin left on. Mash some Tansy, Parsley, Sage, Oregano, and Thyme into a pulpy mass and blend with warm soft (but not melted/liquid) butter to form a paste. Brush the herb pasted all over the outside and inside of the fish and wrap in tinfoil.
Bake at 180 degrees C in an oven until done, this will differ depending on the size of your catch. Generally between 1/2 hour to 1 1/2 hour. Experience counts here :D So the more you catch and cook, the better you will get :P
There should be a fish market down by the railway area of most towns if what I've been reading on travel blogs is right, you should be able to get some fairly fresh ocean fish that was railed up from the ports at those markets.
Why not ask around and source some nice fish at a market to cook for Ming. :D
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great stories mate...
I saw the same driving style when I was there, and a few times was scared to death...
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Hi All
In amongst all the various bits of chit-chat about Astronomy and cricket, maybe you would like to know how things are with Ming and myself !!!
My last visit in October seems like a lifetime away now, how I wish I was back there at this time.
We have completed all the mountain of paperwork for Ming's visa and now must wait for the machinery to grind into action.
Our plan was to also get a tourist visa for her to come here for Xmas and see life in Perth at first-hand, but the Immigration Dept advises that because they are very busy at this time, all tourist visas submitted after 4th November will not be processed until January 2011 !!!!....do we want tourists or not :( :(
Maybe all tourists planning to visit Aus in the next few months will take their money somewhere else...I ask you, what a shambles, but there is nothing I can do to change this, just got to be patient and get her here sometime in January. She can stay 3 months on a tourist visa, so this will eat up a lot of the time while we wait for her spouse visa to be processed.
We manage to speak on QQ most days, and I always look forward to this, we have a pleasant and easy conversation, her English improves daily and I am so impressed as to how she has applied herself to this task. We can hold quite meaningful conversations now and share a lot of laughter and enjoyment in our time on QQ
Every day, I give her some addresses to look at in Perth with Google Earth and she does a lot of "walking" about looking at what is here. I sent her to look at Swanbourne Beach the other day, which caused a bit of a stir...this is our legal Nudist beach !!! Luckily she didnt see me there or I would be in deep trouble ;D ;D
I persuaded her to give up working 100 hours a week so she could concentrate on her English and she does not look so tired and exhausted now, it is good to see how much difference this has made to her.
We both try hard not to think of the months ahead before we can begin our "real" life as a married couple, my family and friends are as impatient as I am to see this happen !!
The more I get to know this lovely Lady, the more I realise how lucky I am to have found her, so good to have someone who is genuine, committed and who will do all in her power to make us both happy. For all of us who have found such a Princess...you know what I mean. If you are still looking, be assured that when you find her, life will never be the same.
She always laughs about the Chinese people she sees on the streets of Perth on Google, she asks why they all have umbrellas when it is not raining....I tell her that they dont like to get brown in the Sun, because for most Chinese ladies, getting brown is the mark of a Peasant who works the fields...I tell her that being brown here signifies something different, so she sort of understands...but I bet she also uses an umbrella in the sun when she gets here !!!
She is terrified that I will make her wear a bikini on the beach, because everytime she "walks" to the beach, she sees all the girls in bikinis...we will see ;D ;D
Other than that, we wait....and wait
David
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Nice update David , thanks .
You know , Qing actually wears a Bikini going into a Pool here in Calif. and Spa at night . She is very aware of the Sun and doesn't want to be "TOO" brown , going back her brother would be the first one laughing at her and calling her Farm-Girl . But I think .. it's because I like to go Swimming , she'll plays along . I really don't care what the Chinese think if my LaoPo was brown . I don't like too much of a Tan , where one looks like Leather .
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She is terrified that I will make her wear a bikini on the beach, because everytime she "walks" to the beach, she sees all the girls in bikinis...we will see ;D ;D
Other than that, we wait....and wait
David
David E,
Seems I just had this conversation with my lady. She asked me if I like to swim. (She does like going swimming) In the conversation I too mentioned about a bikini. She said "No, no, no!" Then the conversation got into topless beaches as well as nude beaches. I know we will not be going to any of these. I don't think I will ever convince her to wear a bikini.
Dave C
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Ooooohhhhh mmmmyyyyy! I can see this trip to China is going to be interesting to say the least!!
Mike, it will be interesting to hear of her first impression of the beaches (or the public pools) around the Toronto area. Talk about culture shock.
Dave C
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If it's any help, I think there's only one nude beach in Toronto (I forget the name at the moment). But I'm not sure if I would really want to jump into the waters of Lake Ontario... Especially anywhere near the end of the Don river.
We need some infrastructure upgrades first...
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Hahaha !!! Yes, I know what you mean
Ming used to go to the Hotel Swimming pool now and again and I was expecting to see the usual bathers or maybe even a bikini !!!
WRONG...when she appeared "dressed" for swimming, I thought she was going to a Mosque for evening prayers !!!!
These Chinese Ladies have an extraordinary modesty in any Public area. Ming has a great figure and I know most women in Aus would envy her.....some of the whales that we see here in bikinis make you want to throw up...but they could care less !!!
I told her that she could swim in a bikini in our Pool at home...and even skinny dip if she felt so inclined :P :P
But I think pigs might fly before this happened...oh well, there goes another of my fantasies !!!!!
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Guy's don't give up just yet .
Qing loves Brand names ( of course she does .. she's from SH ) and one of them is " Victoria Secret " . To tell you the truth , we must of been there at least half a dozen times already . Anyway , we looked through somewhat near 50+ Bikinis . Yeahhhh .. we finally found one that I also liked very much , as this was most important to my LaoPo . She loves to wear it ( honestly ) and I of course love it too ! :P :P :P
All you need to do is get her into on of those Store's ( they all love Brand names ) and watch her go to work . So introduce her to one that you like and tell her how wonderful she would look in that .. for you . She'll come around .
One thing she will not do .. is Topless/Nude Beaches ( we have them too ) . As we were talking about that , I brought up how open we are here about Sex and related things .. like making Love in a Car/Park/Beach/Plane . She's still laughing I think ... hahaha ... No No Never !
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Well Arnold - as I remember - You can always start off at Love on the tennis court ;)
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Maybe Shenzhen girls are different then. When I was there in July/August one of Xia's friends took us to the beach for the day so the night before Xia showed me what she wanted to wear as she wanted my opinion as she had never been to the beach before and wanted to know if her swim suit fitted. I was expecting the old one piece head to toe number as many have mentioned on the forum but Xia wore a bikini it was a one piece and it fitted in all the right places and revealed exactly what it was supposed to. I had to pinch myself a couple of times to stop staring at her like a little boy looking at a bay watch babe.
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Here is a little story.....Chinese families strike again !!!!
We used a Migration lawyer to organise our visa application, and it went in to the Aus Consulate in Shanghai about 3 weeks ago.
When you use a Lawyer (in Aus anyway) you both sign an approval that agrees that all communications about the visa application will go through the Lawyer/Immigration Agent........it keeps a central contact point and makes life a bit easier for the Consulate.
At the time, mindful of the Chinese "impatience" I stressed this point with Ming.........dont talk to the Consulate, leave it to our Lawyer.
On Thursady last, I got a call from my Lawyer who had recieved a "terse" email from the Aus Consulate in Shanghai, pointing out that all communication about the visa application made on behalf of Evans and Zhang was to be conducted via him........the Consulate took a dim view of numerous attempts by Ms Zhang to short-circuit this protocol and directly contact the Consulate with attempts to influence the timing of the process !!!!
As you can imagine I was a bit disturbed about his as I know that these beaurocrats can make life hell if you upset them !!!
Mindful of the 24 hour rule, I waited one day and then blew my stack with her.........
The story goes...........
"Sister told her that she must telephone the Consulate several times each day and put much pressure on them to hurry with our visa. Sister knows of a friends, aunties, husbands , dentist's cleaning lady who heard it from the local grocer that this is the best way to get some quick actions on visa...and...get this !!!...if she was to offer them some money, they may even do it quicker !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Shaun...I know what you are going through with Sister being the font of all knowlege, and me being the clown !!!
So...for any Aussie going through this process...be SURE that you firmly close off this "communication" backdoor, you can do untold damage to the application by this sort of stuff.
I am still boiling over it all...Goodness knows how far back in the queue they have put us due to this.......I could not get a straight answer from her as to whether or not she had actually attempted to offer them money...by this time she was too scared to admit it I think, because she realised how big the "crime" was.....I just hope that she did not go quite that far !!
Heaven preserve me from Chinese families ;D ;D ;D
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I had similar concerns with my wife...and all the people who are experts in the field of how to deal with the Canadian Consulate. I had to remind her almost daily to not phone or email the Embassy. I explained that if she bothered them, and they got annoyed, she might find that her application would make its way to the bottom of the application pile. As far as I know, she only emailed them once.
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David E ouch.I think your wife needs a intervention.I wouldn't freak out to much about it.I'm sure that this has happened before.And by this time the Aussie consulate is probably used to it.The only reason they sent the email.Was to make you aware.And your attorney aware of what your wife was doing.
slow down a little.and when you cool off.Tell your wife next time she hears something like this about the Aussie immigration process.She needs to contact you or your attorney.To make sure that what she is planning to do is ok.It is going to be tough.To break your wife from listening to the Chinese know it all.It will evetually come.But it can take some time.
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David, I do sempathize. But like Maxx said chill out because you will make things worse. So you do not want the sisters, friends, aunties, husbands , dentist's farmers daughter... :o Wait, that is Peggy. Wrong person. So you do not want the sisters, friends, aunties, husbands , dentist's cleaning lady... :) to lose face in all of this.
I think maybe she got the message now.
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As I know David , he will know exactly what is best for both of them . What this shows Me .. is that the SHoe is now on the other Foot for a change .
Don't we all go over there and put our Foot in our Mouth's plenty of time's ourselves and the Lady comes to our Rescue .. as we are not familiar with their Customs ? So now they make a mistake of our ways to handle certain things ( some are more important than other's ) , so we also must show the same kindness/respect in these situations as well .
I know some of you think .. that is easy for him to say ! Well , of course it is .. since it's not me waiting for the darn Visa Approval .. but I just had to make this point .
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Mate, cool down and do not do anything you may regret later. I am sure that although she is getting all the info second hand from everyone, who has probably never done a visa before anyway, at the end of the day I am sure that only the best interests were in mind and at no time was there a thought that this may jeopardize the visa application. As for bribery this is China we are talking about, although the Embassy staff may be Australians maybe she could have used beer coupons instead.
In all seriousness, I sincerely hope that this issue has not impacted on your application at all. I am just about to start the process so I am fully aware of all the time and effort put in up to this point let alone having the papers given to the embassy.
Thanks for the heads up about this issue all the same, although Xia and I will not use an immigration lawyer as we both believe that there is no outside issues and our application will be as simple as possible, I still think that I will not even mention to her about contacting the embassy. Just tell her it will progress as required and they will contact her when they want to see her for the medical and any other interviews, so until then just have some patience and faith that the application will progress through as quick as possible.
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I cant believe the time-scales involved outside of Europe, I think I'd go nuts. David, you need to just let it slide, I'm sure shes got the message now.
I find the phone thing a big difference to here. I mean, the Chinese at the drop of a hat will pick up a phone to call customer service, even if the website probably answers the question.
They just don't seem to trust anything not spoken by a person, especially a Chinese person. Any time Sunny and I go to a train station or airport, she always wants to ask some person for how to find a or b despite the fact that the signs or notice boards post the way already. I said to her, what would you do if there was nobody around to ask?, she thought I was being silly! What people say in China has far greater importance than anything read on-line or printed on a notice board is the message I got!
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This is the time that weighs most heavily...the wait for the visa !!!
How do you keep it all going in this part of the process ??
Both of us just want to be together and get on with our new life, so much we have to do, so much we have planned !!
Here are some things we are doing to keep from going stir-crazy in the meantime ;D ;D
Ming has access to Google Earth and has spent many hours "virtually" walking the Streets (no...I dont mean it that way !!!) of Perth.
So every day, I give her a new place to look at and next day we talk about what she saw and what she did or did not understand.
She also downloads each day one of the examination papers that are needed for the test to obtain a driving license, they are to do with the road rules etc, I am often in stitches over some of her answers to the questions...........Chinese road rules dont compute in Perth !!!
She also looks every day on "BBS"..(this is what she calls it, but I'm not sure what it is)...it seems to be an internet place where she can converse withe Chinese women in similar situations
She has actually spoken with women in Perth.
After these conversations, there are always some points of "cultural" difference that we need to straighten out between us.....
a few examples......
Medical treatment in Perth is very bad, people need to wait all day to see a Doctor....even if they are very sick.
It is not difficult to see why Chinese Nationals in Perth have this perception......if you want free medical treatment, you go to the casualty Department of a Hospital....where you wait, and wait and wait, unless your problem is life-threatening, then you are attended to immediately.
If you want to see a private Doctor, then it is not free, the Doctor visit costs about $40, but $38 is rebatable through our Medicare system.
Guess which one the Chinese Women choose ?????
Shops in Perth often sell bad food
Last week, a butcher shop was prosecuted for having a pack of Chicken legs for sale that was 1 day past it's "recommended use-by-date"...I saw meat in Chengdu that was probably 2 weeks old, covered in flies and hung out in the open...people were buying it with no worry...go figure !!!
Everything in Perth is too expensive
We dont go in for bargaining for every cent...we have recommended retail prices and sometimes things are on sale....Chinese people hate this !!!
Perth is so short of water that you can only shower for 2 minutes every 2 days
We have just had the driest Winter on record, and our average rainfall in a good year is only 300 mm, this year it was 120 mm. Our Water Authority has asked all of us to be careful with water, and has given us many suggestions how to cut back on usage...one of the ways is "reduce the time of your shower by 2 minutes and try to wash your hair every 2 days.
Not difficult to see how this message got twisted !!!
So...we still find enough to have great conversations every day, and every conversation adds some more to Ming's English skills
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Interesting Mike
That is a question that Ming often asks..."can get it in my size" ??
I guess Ming would be about Aus size 6, and our "average" womens size here is 10 to 12.
Ming has some idea (not without some firm foundation, I might add) that all Western Women are huge, and therefore the clothing shops would not stock smaller sizes that she would wear.
With the typical women she sees around the Streets of Perth in her "Google walks", it would be easy to assume that all Perth women are size 20 !!!!!!...because despite whatever the clothes shops stock...I reckon the average size IS nearer 20 !!!
Of course, I assure her that she can get everything she needs....from the Children's shop.....that brings on a noisy response for sure ;D ;D ;D
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David E , not sure about Perth , but here in Melb , driving licence questions and answers are available in Mandarin , Sujuan already had her Chinese licence , but needed driver under instruction lessons so she kept to the lhs of the road ha ha and I bought the book so she understood our road laws , regards Sujuan and Robert .
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Yes Robert, I can get the road rules book in Mandarin also
But I am being a bit mean and making Ming download the English version so that she has to wade through and get to understand the English words....
I keep telling her that she should read, read, read anything in English, because that is one good way to get better language knowlege.
She reads stuff to me every night, and of course, there are new words all the time. But now she is very comfortable with word sound and word structure (syllables) that she can pronounce words perfectly even though she does not know the meaning of the word. So when she gets the pronunciation right, we go to a translator program for the meaning...and she has a perfect new word in her vocabulary !!!
I am teaching her English based on the format my Daughter gave me, she is an English Teacher and specialises in ESL Students. The results in 6 months have been unbelievable, Ming has worked hard on it, the method works and we can have real good conversations now
Cheers...David
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Of course, I assure her that she can get everything she needs....from the Children's shop.....that brings on a noisy response for sure ;D ;D ;D
You said that!!!! You got to be kidding me ::) Well I will not take a Go at responding to that good ribbing. ;)
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When I was selling medical clothing we would sell more 2X and 3X than any other size. I took some clothes on my first trip to see if I could have them made cheap enough to buy in China and cut out the middle men that jack up the price way to high. I took a 2X and a 3X and you should have seen the looks and the laughs we got. The man who ran the sewing shop asked me how many women were in it at one time. He got quite a laugh out of it.
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You said that!!!! You got to be kidding me ::) Well I will not take a Go at responding to that good ribbing. ;)
Now dont start THAT again Rhonald...you know we cant match your sartorial wordsmithing discombobulation ;D ;D
It seams that you may not comprehend that my Little Pet does not get hemmed in by joking with her Capra aegagrus hircus, In her eyes I am a Licensed Good guy !!!!
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Just a brief update...and a small example of "tear your hair out "itis" !!!!!
We are now 5 weeks into the long wait for Immigration to grind away at our application for the Spouse Visa.
Ming is consumed with impatience and every day asks if there is any news...that is understandable, and I hate the disappointment in her eyes when I say "no news yet , honey...it will take time"
But....surprise, surprise, I got a call from my Lawyer on Thursday asking for me to get Ming to arrange her Medical Examination...this is MUCH sooner than expected and is really good news, things are moving faster than I had hoped before. As you can imagine, Ming was very excited with this news.
I immediately emailed her the details of the Doctor she must see to get the Medical done (there is only one Doctor in Chengdu who is approved by Aus Immigration).
Next day I enquired how she went with the appointment and she told me that she will go for the medical on January 18th !!!
My comment was "WOW, they must be busy, such a long wait for an appointment , the 18th is almost 3 weeks away??
Here is her reply.......
"No LG, I could go for medical on any day, but my fortune teller told me that the best day to go for medical is 18th...so that is the day I will go "
No...I did not blow up, I kept my cool and said "yes dear, if thats what you want, its up to you "
Only in China ;D ;D
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David , that is beautiful , but typical , Now you can have a good new year , regards Sujuan and Robert.
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David sorry man I don't know what to say.I guess contact your lawyer again.And find out if the 18th is going to cause a delay.I'm not sure how Aussie immigration works.With American immigration.3 weeks would be to long.
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Thats good news David. Love the fortune teller story. My girl took a picture of me to a face doctor. This was before we met. This doctor told her I was nice and trustworthy. It seems he went to school for this, it's what he does for a living. Ya gotta love it!
Alan
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If the "fortune teller" says that's the most auspicious time to go for the medical,well that's when she will be happiest to go.I do understand how frustrated you must feel by it though.
I have Master Chen come and work on my "Chi" once a week and sometimes more often if he thinks I need it or he has a dream that concerns me. I do value what he does and take his advice on things too,but by accepting his "services" it does lead to some odd situations. Last Saturday I had planed to build some new fitted wardrobes only to be told that I could not do it until Tuesday!!! Why the stars have to be aligned for me to build bedroom furniture is beyond me and I don't pretend to understand why this is the case,but people here do take this very seriously indeed. Saying that, Master Chen does without doubt have abilities that I also can't fathom. ???
Cultural differences/priorities....we love them ::) They can pop up at the most unexpected times and even after being married for 15 months they still surprise me. Its part of the package,something we will all face sooner or latter if we are lucky :D
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S'Ok Maxx, Immigration wont get upset over this delay due to supernatural forces !!!...Lawyer tells me that bthe Medical is valid for 6 months and the 18th wont be a problem.
Paul...yep, I noticed that so much of their day-to-day life is ruled/influenced by their "Master"..(Ming calls this bloke her Master....she keeps him informed about everything)
This was the guy who I met with her on my first visit...he was real spooky, I felt like an insect under the microscope...but the large "donation" I made to his Temple must have given him good vibes about me ;D ;D
I did ask her if she needed to telephone the Master every time I felt frisky !!!...but the humour got lost in the translation !!
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I did ask her if she needed to telephone the Master every time I felt frisky !!!...but the humour got lost in the translation !!
That is really funny...and unfortunate that the translation was lost.
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Probably for the best. You don't want to give her any ideas.
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Update
Stop Press !!!!.......Western Logic overcomes Chinese Superstition !!!!
Ming decided to get her medical done last week...and the Chinese Superstition went out the window.
She was very nervous about moving off this path...but trusted my logic that any day is good for a medical..if you are healthy ;D ;D
The Doc must have sent the results late last week and surprise, surprise, today my Lawyer got an email from Aus Immigration in Shanghai asking that Ming send her passport and a return address label to Shanghai !!!
We also got a Form 886 to fill in (out ???)...this Form is for statistical purposes and is designed to help our Government in defining its' strategy and immigration Policy. My lawyer tells me that this Form is NEVER sent before the visa is approved !!
I cannot believe that we may be close to a resolution after only 7 weeks...but fingers crossed !!
So I think we can safely say that a wait until the 18th Feb for the medical may not have been the best strategy.........and Ming agrees...Hooray ;D ;D
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That is great David E , but no specific time line from here on in , maybe they have not got a traffic jam in China , only one on Christmas Island ha ha , regards Sujuan and Robert .
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Yes Robert...we are quietly excited !!!!
I believe the recent ruling that any "illegal" boat Migrant can now take their disputed decision all the way to the High Court (on our money !!) has paralysed the Immig Dept.....maybe they are now only concentrating on "real" cases ??...let's hope
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David this is good news.Best of luck to a speedy conclusion.Of the hunt for the immigration visa.
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Congratulations...fast work indeed. :D
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Great news mate, I sincerely hope that everything is down
under hill from here for the two of you. As you know I am following your progress with great interest as there is only about another month before I follow in your footsteps and put Xia's application in. I can only hope that we have as smooth a journey as you both appear to be having.
We are also going to put in an application for her to get a tourist visa. Her friend just received hers and only took 2 weeks to get, so hopefully we will get Xia's soon (5 month multi entry)and she can come visit so we can purchase our family home together and then fly to China together get married and then back here to live and then she can go back to China do the medical and get her visa and then come back here again. Might have to sign her up for a frequent flier program.
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David, this is great news. I am very happy for the both of you. I'll have another Fosters tonight in your honor. ;D ::)
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David , I am smiling with you ! ;) Your a great Man , to overcome the CHINESE Superstition factor .
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Thanks for your good wishes everybody !!!
But specifically to Shaun.............mate, I could not put anyone through the trauma of drinking a Fosters on my behalf. There is no celebration big enough to warrant poisoning your body with crook beer ;D ;D
At least have a Crown Lager...or better still, a White Shield IPA ;D ;D
David
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Jase
Thanks. Our next move is to apply for a tourist visa for Ming to come here for a few months to get to know the place while we wait for however long the Visa takes from here.
We will wait a couple of weeks and maybe her Spouse visa will get here in this sort of time frame...but I am not sure about that.
So if you could post that sample letter your mate sent to support his GF 's application for tourist visa, it would be appreciated.
Feb 14 th is a special day for Ming and myself, we got engaged on that day last year, so somehow I have to make sure we are together somewhere in the World on Feb 14th this year !!!
I cant face the prospect of another freezing trip to China in Feb...so I guess we will have to go to Thailand !!!...if we cant get a tourist visa to AUS
Cheers...David
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I cant face the prospect of another freezing trip to China in Feb...
Cheers...David
Now .. now David . Are you telling me , that some of you Down Under are afraid of a little Cold ? I was in Beijing in Feb '09 and climbed the Wall ( with Snow on it ) sat in every Seat at the Birdnest and visited even the Summer Palace in the Winter . haha I guess us German's are tough when it comes to cold Weather .
Oh .. thanks about the Fosters tip .. I will leave that for those Budweiser drinkers from now on . Here I thought that was your Guy's best Beer ?
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If you like Budweiser you'll love Fosters. Because I know how David feel about Foster's I got a bottle of Ripple.
Gee for a non drinker I know a lot about bad booze. ;D ;D ;D
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Yes Arnold...I am telling you that when the temperature falls below 75 F I am very unhappy, uncomfortable, irritable and bloody cold !!!....and dont like it one bit.
Because I live in a warm paradise where I dont even possess an overcoat or a heavy sweater, I have become used to being warm, cosy and comfortable ;D ;D
I concede completely the Germans are much tougher than me when it comes to cold weather...but Boy !! you should see some of the Germans here when the temperature gets to 110F...something like boiled tomatoes ;D ;D
Takes all sorts !!!
Cheers...David
ps...nobody here drinks Fosters...we only send this junk overseas for all the foreigners !!!!
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So if you could post that sample letter your mate sent to support his GF 's application for tourist visa, it would be appreciated.
Done mate under Australian requirements. good luck not that you will need any the way your visa application seems to be progressing.
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There's a few things that are idolized as American, Apple pie, Chevrolet, Marlboro (Cigs), and Budweiser beer. Except for the Apple pie all in my opinion are crap. I purchase anything else unless no choice.
On another note I want to put a shout out to a Paul (not Todd) an American that was recently or still is in Chengdu. Is married and applying for a visa. PM me if you prefer.
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OK enough about the beer. David I really am happy for you and Ming. I hope the rest of the journey is quick and easy. I know waiting can drive one or two nuts. You deserve your happiness. You done more than your time in looking for her.
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Congratulations David, another step forward, its nice to see.
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I am sure getting stir crazy about now...every day drags, waiting for the magic words..."visa approved".......
I have disturbing visions about Chinese women in bikinis lounging in the pool........another cold shower is called for ;D ;D
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As an old friend of mine say's, "I feel you." :o I think I had better say I understand. ;D
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"I have disturbing visions about Chinese women in bikinis lounging in the pool........"
David.
Here is the help you need. It should calm you down. Online pacifiers.
http://youtu.be/q_gfD3nvh-8 (http://youtu.be/q_gfD3nvh-8)
of course the teatment is no good without 3D I hope you didn't throw away your 3D glasses.
http://youtu.be/yHbJ_NxNaW8 (http://youtu.be/yHbJ_NxNaW8)
feed your addiction !!!
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mmmmm
That's very cruel Pineau............there's only so much flesh and blood can take....... :P :P :P
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Sorry. just having a little fun. I remember the shape I was in after getting married and having to return to the US for a month to take care of some business. It was a very long "year" that month.
I am waiting too but I am not so miserable because I am waiting in China. I can imagine how you are longing to take her home.
Seriously, I hope you soon hear those words " visa approved" .
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ah woooooooooo!!!! pant pant pant
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down boy down ;D
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Still no news about our visa...both getting very annoyed about it all.
We cant understand why the Aus Consulate in Shanghai is quoting 6 to 7 months for process time, while the Consulate in Guangzhou is quoting 60 days maximum.
Shanghai processes all applications for Perth and Guangzhou processes Sydney and Melbourne. It is not hard to imagine that the volume of applications for Perth is but a tiny fraction of those from Sydney and Melbourne...but all our pleas to the case Officer (bitch) have fallen on deaf ears. Our Lawyer has also hit the same brick wall...they have no flexibility on the 7 month process except for urgent and compassionate cases...my Birthday and our Anniversary is NOT considered urgent or compassionate grounds for speedy process of our visa. They say that about the only way they will jump the queue is for a pregnancy or a death in the family...mmmmmmmmmm...thats a bit extreme for me to consider at this time of life. :-[ :-[
I cant believe it is our 1 st wedding anniversary next week, time has gone so quickly......and it cannot happen that we are apart on this special day.
So...of I go again to sunny Chengdu !!!
I leave in the wee small hours of next Friday and maybe if fortune smiles on us we may get a visa acceptance whilst I am in China, and then we can return to Perth together...fingers crossed !!!
If not, at least we will be together to celebrate our anniversary...that will make her very happy....it must be hell for her...waiting...waiting...waiting. (and I cant say I'm very impressed about it either !!!)
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David, patience my friend patience. All good things take time. Sad but ture. (Spelled wrong on purpose.) But it is hell waiting none the less.
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Well guys
Again I am in the last stage of preparation for my 9th visit to Chengdu !! I leave on the 1.10 am flight on Friday and in 12 short hours I will be with my LP again, if only for 12 days.
This time, we will be together for our 1st wedding anniversary (4th June) and my Birthday (8th June)...so I guess there will be many celebrations.
I look forward to the endless round of delicious home cooked dinners with various members of my new family, and I know that again they will make me feel very special and it will all be yet another memorable experience.
There will be a few drinking sessions with my favourite Uncle, and I already learned not to compete with him....cant cope with the hangovers !!!
I will stumble through conversations in Russian/Chinese/English mixture with her Dad...somehow we seem to understand each other...and I will have to do endless card tricks for the multitude of nephews, neices and grandchildren !!
But of most importance, my days and nights will be filled with the gentle, warm and happy smile and laughter of my dear LP....worth gold !!
Yeah...I know its a tough life...but somebody gotta do it ;D ;D
I have to travel light this time, because Ming wants me to bring back a suitcase full of her stuff...it will be strange to , once again after many, many years to have female dresses and such hanging in the wardrobe....patiently waiting for her arival here when Immig Dept finally get round to giving her a visa :( :(
Cant wait !!!...David
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David best of luck and have a good time.
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David I wish you the best. Have a great time I know you will. Don't wear any of those dresses once you get back home. ;D
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Have a great trip David, and rats already I had no chance to be top dog in posting - far from it . And now I see you have travelled more often to China then I have so no 1st place there for me either.
Best wishes on this trip David and make sure, as Shaun has already addressed the issue, don't fall into cross dressing once you return with suitcases filled with her clothing. We might have a flaming comment about that ;D and then you will need a stiff dressing down.
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Haha .. I wouldn't worry about David hanging up Women's Clothes in His Closet , what troubles me is .. if His Suitcase is carefully checked on his return to Perth . What will the Custom Guy/Lady think of Him ? But then again , maybe it's not that uncommon in Aussie Land ? ::)
Have the best of all the Trips and Happy Anniversary and Happy Birthday to you David .
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I had the same thoughts as Arnold. Would love to see their face if they open that suitcase? :o
Have a good trip and BD
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Have a great trip David, and rats already I had no chance to be top dog in posting - far from it . And now I see you have travelled more often to China then I have so no 1st place there for me either.
Have you forgotten Rhonald , your the FIRST to have Married a ZITTER Lady . Now that is a BIG plus !
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hahahaha !!!
Now why did I KNOW that my comment about a suitcase of Ladies clothes would bring such a response 8) 8)
If they think I am gay at the Customs counter....then I can live with that !!
What terrifies me is that Ming decides to put some Chinese dried foods or Chinese medicine in the suitcase...then Customs WILL have my ass !!!
She is under STRICT instructions...clothes ONLY....but if she includes some frilly undies...who knows how I could be tempted when I get back home .... ::) ::)
Rhonald...you and I are hopeless cases...so many trips, so little result (visa) yet...but we both gotta get there soon !!!
Arnold...what is a Zitter...I only know Zither, and that is some weird Aussie musical instrument....and you obviously dont know that there are NO gay Men in Aussie, we are all beer swilling, uncouth , insensitive, macho, chauvinist pigs here (thats what Aussie women tell me anyway !!!)
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have a great trip back to your second home David seems you are IN for a great time
don't forget to drop us a line when you there let us know how things are and your time in Chengdu, as you know my wife lives in Chengdu now i am getting envious ;)
a suitcase of underware ,irm say no more ;D
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David , have a safe and rewarding trip to see your Ming [ vase ] , and on your way back through customs watch the expression on the xray security lady/gent ha ha , regards Sujuan and Robert .
P S , at least we are together while Sujuan's visa is sorted out , we just cannot leave Aussie land and while the sorting is done her daughter cannot visit us , as the education dept told Immigration that she had gone back to school in China .
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I am sure most of us here are envious of you, David. Your ninth trip to Chengdu, you are almost a local! I wish I was back there enjoying a hot pot right now. Interestingly enough when I went to my barber in Carillion City arcade it turned out the girl who cut my hair came from Chengdu. This is the first time I've met someone from the 'Du in Perth. We chatted about her city and I told her a few Sichuan words I learned when I was over there. She was very impressed as she doesn't know anyone from Chengdu in Perth, so she gave me her QQ number and now I have made a new friend. Anyway, have a fun time celebrating your anniversary and birthday over there.
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FYI: A cross dresser doesn't have to be gay. But this is a whole other subject.
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So Vince. ??? How is it that you know so much about this subject. Huh? :)
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Well? Live in New York and even here in South Florida and you will come across a few. An example.. My brother, a friend and I pulled up to a dunkin donuts sometime during the night. I didn't get to even look up and my brother says That's a guy in a dress at the counter? It was and he was not a good looking guy, never mind looking like a woman.
I know you were joking but I will take time to talk to strange people.
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So Vince. ??? How is it that you know so much about this subject. Huh? :)
Easy Shaun, he likes to skirt around the subject. 8)
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Ron, I thought maybe he accidently let something slip.
David back to you and visit number 9. Hey you started this in the first place.
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Arnold...what is a Zitter...I only know Zither, and that is some weird Aussie musical instrument....and you obviously dont know that there are NO gay Men in Aussie, we are all beer swilling, uncouth , insensitive, macho, chauvinist pigs here (thats what Aussie women tell me anyway !!!)
Of course a "ZITHER" ( Guzhang ) David . My index finger just likes tthose tt's .. see what I mean .
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No need to get your Knickers in a Knot !!!!!....or your Panties in a Pinch !!!!!!...I'll only try them on in private ::) ::)
It all adds to the Grand Pageant of the "Chinese Wife Adventure Club"..... ;D ;D
I would swap 8 of those 9 trips for one little visa..........but Aus Immig dont see it that way.
Hacking off to China every 3 months is not really much fun...the journey, that is, but to be with my LP if only for a few days keeps her (and me) very happy.
Maybe this is the last trip I make alone ???...who knows
David
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All of us on the east coast of Australia know that those on the west are a weird mob, crossdressing and whatever else they get upto over there.
Have a good trip Dave, I am sure this will be your last one alone.
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If you want to know what the aussie idea of a road trip is, there's a documentary out called "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" Should be available at any good video rental store.
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Hi All
Just getting over a vicious dose of the flu...so thought to post a small update.
The woman behind me on the Perth to Singapore leg was hacking and coughing non-stop and I just knew I would cop a dose of it...as well as everybody on the plane !!!
Sure enough, Saturday night, down I went.
But LP and the veritable Army of family rallied round with undescribable Chinese potions and pills, but to be on the safe side I got myself some Amoxicillin as well !!
Now I am feeling better.......dont know which medicine worked........dont care !!!
But is sure is nice to get all the attention, almost a pleasure to be sick....(not)
Good job too, because tonite is my birthday dinner which LP and family have organised...it is all a big secret, so I will report after the event !!
Even with the flu, it is so nice to be wih my LP again..........
Cheers...David
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Glad to see your better now. Welcome back
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Glad you are better and Happy Birthday.
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Happy birthday David, I completely understand the "Chinese home remidies", last trip I was feeling a bit sick (flu type symptoms) next thing I know I have a bowl of ginger soup mixture in front of me. Did clear everything up so I must wonder, have we been overlooking some good remidies in the west?
Xia also went to the doctor and got some traditional Chinese medicine from the shop and I saw the ingredients they put into the medicine for her to boil up and drink but that is another (disgusting) story......
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happy birthday David, hope you had a great surprise birthday dinner celebration,,MinYing and John.
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Greetings from Cloudy Chengdu
Birthday dinner was truly amazing, we had 23 family members from 4 years to 93 years old and it all made me feel very special.
I lost count at 20 courses of food...WOW, can these people eat !!!!!
There was also a huge chocolate cake with candles (she knows I LOVE chocolate cake ;D)
But the real heart wrencher for me was when they all got up and sang "the happy Birthday" song........in perfect English...can you believe that !!! I cannot imagine how complex and difficult it was to orchestrate that piece of work, my LP must have been rushing around like a one-armed paperhanger !!!.....ever Granny at 93 years belted it out.
I was sorta feeling the effects (!!!) of a small drink or six (same as everybody else) so I gave them a rousing chorus of the Welsh National Anthem...in Welsh..as a return gift !!!
Father then decided that his contribution would be the Russian National Anthem...in Russian (as you know, he has little English but we stumble around communication in Russian together)...........and about at that time he was feeling no pain !!!!......I think he drank a whole bottle of Chinese Whiskey on his own. :-\
From then on it all gets a bit hazy and furry around the edge...but I vaguely remember duets with "Love will go on " from Titanic, and even "twinkle twinkle little star with my little neice..........one he## of a night and eternal thanks to LP for a masterful organisation...and to my new family for their total and unconditional acceptance of me into their hearts...I was really humbled and choked.
See ya...gotta go, we are due for breakfast with some of her ex-classmates......hard life, but somebody gotta do it !!!!
David
ps...well done Rhon.....please dont be too hard with criticism of my limited vocabulary and composition skills....I do try hard, but you put the bar very high ;D ;D ;D