I wonder if that was just a standard reply they give? Not what it will actually be.... I would expect it to be close to others around your own timeline. The way they do things seems so random sometimes. I really don't understand some of it. I hope you find out something more soon and thats not as long as they say I've felt totally stressed through this whole thing and can't wait for it to be over!

you guys were lucky that you are going through Vancouver. Seems like at every turn we get the short end of the stick: We had to go through CSC, then Canada Post lost our Packet 3, and now this. Feels like every time we try to expedite things or even ask whats going out we get slammed down. We are both feeling so beat up and exhausted by this process. Do you think that's part of the plan - to try and test us to see if the relationship is strong enough - or maybe just petty power tripping? I'm thinking its the latter.

It is (in America!). That confused me at first when I read about it elsewhere. But here it stands for Secure Mail Services - they're supposed to deliver me my visa in person.


Probably the latter. So sorry you're having so many problems; hope it gets a little better very soon.

Searching for cheap flights:

Gatwick > Houston > San Jose for £360 on the 18th November! There's a four hour layover at Houston (plenty of time to go through customs) and I'd be flying with Continental Airlines.

...anyone see a catch? It sounds pretty much ideal, but I don't believe I've ever flown with Continental.

I have, the last time I was out there in July in fact, and have had no issues at all. It's United you want to avoid (presuming you expect to find your luggage waiting for you at your final destination )

Haha, I did lose my luggage once and I believe I flew with United then!

Thanks Damian. I may just book that flight, then!

Woo! Visa arrived.

Gah. They DO use the passport photo of you for the actual visa. It's ghastly, really, truly hideous. It's going to upset me every time I see it now!

Warning to all: Make sure you have a decent passport photo taken!

Which version of the passport photo? The one you gave at London?

Yup!

I'd paid far too much for some terrible photos (that the woman didn't let me look at before printing off...) and was debating having them taken again, but in the end I felt it would be too much hassle.

So just make sure you like the passport photos you submit to the embassy!

Will do!

Though your visa will be void upon entry anyway... it's not like your greencard photo or anything.

True - but it's glued to a page in your passport!

Oh well - I am renewing my passport as soon as I enter the States.

It's a very small gripe, I realise, and of course I am happy I have my visa! Bad photos just irritate me more than they really should.

I am LMAO over here cause Gareths photos are quite bad....I tell him that is why they did not let him in last December as he looks like he is on Americas Most Wanted list or something in his pic..doesn't help they don't let u smile haha! But yeah then he said he called the guy to order some more of his and the guy at the shop was all "Oh you were that sinister looking bloke right?" LMFAO.....so yeah I am sure yours isn't THAT bad Rach heehee

lol, not only there, also over here in the Netherlands, Belgium and many other countries... you Brits are being against the stream again, just like that silly left side driving of you guys hahaha

I don't really see a catch but the 4 hour layover (lol, I have a 1.5 hr layover only) might make things already a bit cheaper and, yeah, continental is usually cheaper than BA or KLM normally. I don't know about their quality or anything tho, I usually only fly KLM (or NWA as it is their partner) and BA.


Congrats!!!

And lol.. I know about the picture.. I'm not too happy about my own picture either lol.. oh well, it will only be in my passport for 2 years, then I'll need a new passport hehe

I usually fly United or American Airlines - whatever is the cheapest!

I've not had any real problems, other than the Chicago night fiasco, but it wasn't exactly the airline's fault that tornadoes struck. The lost luggage was as a result of that.

Talking of we Brits being against the stream - *ahem* may I remind you what we are all speaking here? English sure wasn't named so for America! Calling it a text makes more sense than SMS anyhow!

Hurrah, I am not alone - Gareth, Jeroen and I can all be terrible passport photo buddies. I don't look evil; the lady who took my photo just managed to give me a triple chin and greasy cheeks (love the flash!) and a man-jaw (odd upwards-angle, you can see up my nose).

BTW cross fingers Alex should be getting a raise at his review next month! I'm suspicious of his work. Apparently three co-workers have dubbed him the 'sexier Harry Potter' (wtf?!) and now another co-worker has put in a good word for him recommending that he be given a big raise. I am glad, but also find it very strange.

Really? Just as well I'm not smiling in mine then! I look a proper spazzmong in my pics, btw.

Yes - no smile!

A non-smiling photo face-on flatters very few people, although proper lighting conditions can help tremendously. Ah well, bad photos are just one of those rites of life.

SMS is a text message in France too. Hey that's something people have asked me here: do you drive on the left side of the road in France? nah that's just for the Brits

Haha I will go to bat for the Brits and say I prefer driving on the left! Haha....Of course I lived in Japan for 6 years before my 3 years in England and had to drive on left there too....I still tend to go to the wrong side of my car here in America...sigh

Aah, re. the Harry Potter comment - I now have something fresh to torment tease Alex with. I've already shortened Harry Potter to HP and I've been on the forums he posts on and changed his signature to advertisements for HP sauce.

LMFAO! And hey he kinda does look like a Sexier HP from what I saw in the pics of him heheee...see maybe he really can fly HP sauce HAHAHAH classic!

What a lot of problems it would solve if he could fly!

I am going to have so much fun with this, the Harry Potter/HP sauce ideas are endless... I, personally, do not think he looks anything like Harry Potter (although I agree he's sexier ) but I do love a good joke.

lol, you do know you've done it know eh? haha.. I wonder if I need to remind you that if we didn't sell New Amsterdam back then to you Brits we would all be speaking Dutch right now

Yes, I do blame my forefathers for wanting Suriname more badly (it looked like a good idea back in the days)


hmm.. I could also say something like 'well I guess I've learned some English since you guys are too lazy in learning Dutch'


btw.. sms = short message service, sounds better to me as it is that what it is... text could be anything.. .I mean, I'm writing text on a forum right now..

'texting'.. I don't know, it feels like you guys want to mix up things.. like if you say 'Ill text you a write' :S lol

Oh well, UK English is funny anyhow... like swallow the T (and I mean when pronouncing a word like gutter or mate or something lol, I don't mean swallowing tea itself).. or instead of a smoke, 'a fag' haha

Ahhh, this brings memories of when my fiance was in the Netherlands and we were watching some British movie.. she didn't understand half of it because of all the words you guys mix up hahaha



You do know that I don't look like that terrible, though?

LOL I have had that question so many times as well hahaha


Hmm.. lol, guess you're born in the wrong place.. you shouldve gone to the UK instead hahaha


lol, this reminds me of when I was in the UK for the first time.. we were walking near a roundabout and lol, I can remember almost getting a heartattack because I saw two cars crossing a roundabout at the same time and I was like o_O omg thats gonna be an accident! hahaha

Yeah, we really are too lazy when it comes to learning other languages. In our defense, we don't have the exposure to other languages that most of continental Europe does to English.

I've grown better at not dropping my Ts, although as a southerner the problem is less dropping my Ts and more dropping the ends of words altogether. We also have an incredibly wide range of dialects and accents, despite being such a small island. Fortunately I don't have any problems making myself understood in America (other than when asking for 'water' - it has a T, not a D in it!) but I do feel sorry for people with thicker accents.

Oh, I'm aware my photo is probably the worst! I wasn't suggesting yours was as bad as mine, but I was still happy to hear that not everyone is happy with their photos.

Oh - roundabouts can be truly horrendous over here! We LOVE roundabouts! We also love narrow, steep and windy roads. UK people find it very amusing that US roads alert you to the slightest bend, and have such low speed limits.

Just don't ask where the loo is haha


lol, same in my country, we love roundabouts as well.. we see them more and more.. and lol about speedlimits... my fiance thought we were all driving like maniacs over here, she really doesn't want to drive here hahaha

I think asking for a "fag" in America would get you in a bit more trouble then asking for the "loo" hahahaha!

Roundabouts I grew to love although in Swindon there was the magic roundabout! OMG that thing was horrendous....MAGIC ROUNDABOUT of DEATH which I avoided at ALL costs haha!

As for the different accents in England I was astounded at this! As an American I think we have a preconceived notion of what an "English" accent sounds like. So when I got there and started hearing all the different ones I was shocked! But then again it is just like in the US where almost each state has own accent!

I am trying to think what letters and such Gareth drops in words...I think he can speak pretty proper when making an effort but otherwise he speaks very fast and mumbly and I am constantly saying "What" which then drives him nutty haha!

I've wondered the same thing about the power trips..... We were lucky to get Vancouver for sure. Things have really gone pretty smoothly for us, but even with that I've felt so much frustration so can't imagine what you must be feeling right now! I hope you don't have to wait much longer. I just try to think about how it will be when all this is over and we're actually together and I get peace from that:)

I miss roundabouts

Already?! hahahaa....aww Cecile hang in there America will get better....

*cough*

I sure hope so, or at least after the elections ^^

I don't miss many things, and I don't even miss my family or my friends (don't tell them), but roundabouts are great! I hate it here when I take the wrong road and can't just turn back around the roundabout. Or when you want to cross a huge road (and go towards the left) and there are too many cars. if there was a roundabout near the exit of the apartment complex (for example), we could turn on the right, turn around the roundabout (ahah I love to say this!) and then be back on the right left road.

You just gotta master the U turn heh heh....sure they are illegal in most places but hey if u do get pulled over just bust out the accent and I bet they will let ya off Here we have Michigan turn arounds....talk about annoying....say you wanna go straight but oops it not allowed so u gotta turn right go down the road then turn left to get onto otherside of road and then make a right....yeah all that instead of just going straight across the roads at the light! UGH it is irritating i agree!!!

ahhhhh lol you're French, you should know better with busy roads hahaha... if you ever drove in a big city like Paris then you should know how to do it

I remember when I just had my license, went to France and took an exit in Paris of the highway... we ended up on a VERY BUSY and HUGE roundabout... gawd that was scary hahaha

I never drove in Paris! I would be way too scared!

How right you are, Sunny. I've been pulled over twice, both for doing 70+ in a 55. Now you gotta remember that I live out in the boonies, so the local coppers aren't used to foreigners. Anyhoo, the first time I got pulled over, the guy was just like Buford T Justice out of Smokey & The Bandit . After I told him that I wasn't, in fact, a resident and as such didn't have an Illinois DL, he went over to his patrol car and had a natter with his colleague over the radio. When he came back, he told me that his colleague had told him that he needed to get my passport number, home address, and "all that other ####" and so it, "just wasn't worth it." He then proceeded to give me a "stern warning" and let me on my way.

The second time, me and 'er indoors were on our way back from Busch Stadium after a Cardinals game. This time the guy was younger and more official, but as soon as I started talking his face lit up (I get that a lot in the boonies!!! ). He seemed really impressed when I told him that I was on my way back from a ball game, and when I also mentioned the fact that it was my birthday (which it actually was) he sent me on my merry way with a wave and a smile!

In short, an accent will get you off with all kinds of #### stateside!!!

I, too, have heard many tales of a British accent getting you let off speeding fines.

I can't believe how low the speed limits are on Californian roads! But then the drivers are pretty bad, so it's probably just as well.

As of yet I do not have a driving license, but once I move back in with my parents I will be having 8+ hours of driving lessons a week, so hopefully I may have my British driving license (notoriously tough) before I leave for the States! It'll be useful to know how to drive on our roads and how to drive a manual, too.

P.S. Happy 25th birthday to me!

Happy Birthday!!!

Happy birthday Rachel!

lol im trying to cut on food and now you make me hungry again :S hahaha

Hi Jeroen, Michele is a US born Filipina right? she may not be familiar with traditional filipino formal dress and attire for men but I bet her parents are still very much familiar with it... I just want to share with you what Ricky will be wearing on our wedding.. our wedding will be a fusion of Filipino and American traditions... this is called Barong Tagalog, our national costume for men. The first pic is Ricky's barong, the second one for his best man, and then the 3rd is for my son who will be walking with me to the altar (I had all 3 made here-got it last week). then the last pic is how the barong will look like when actually worn (that's not my Ricky though, just a pic I grabbed on the net).

Hmm.. good thinking, I'll think bout it and talk to Michelle about it also Thanks

Hehe, thanks guys! Mm, that cake looks delicious!

I've left the '18-24' group behind now. You know on questionnaires and surveys, when they ask your age? Eek! I still feel like it was only yesterday that I graduated university (or high school, for that matter).

Hope everyone else is enjoying their day, although I'm afraid few of you are in the UK (it's a national holiday here today).

since Ricky don't check vj unless i ask him to, I guess it is ok to share my wedding veil and dress here. Posted these pics on january vsc thread but since I consider mysel an honorary january csc member, I'll also have to post pics here for those interested, just click the pics for larger view:



I will be buying some more swarovski crystals before I leave and will be sewing it to the dress a week or a few days before the wedding. I love how the crystals reflect different colors under the light.... the dress is not entirely how I wanted it to be but I still love it... I love trying it on again and again. i still need to find ways to be creative with my veil though coz I wanted it to be only fingertip in length but the seamstress made a floor length one .. i also told her not to put any train on the dress but she still added a little train on it.. now, I don't have time to have it redone, I only have one week left.

I think I forgot to CONGRATULATE Rachel and Jeroen for the visa... Sorry I am late:

Very smart, dbears.

Here's what I'll be wearing at my wedding............

Thanks

btw, nice looking dress too

Suits you perfectly.

Good luck to you and God bless.

Damian, that's the type of shirt that everybody expects Bryan to wear, but he won't. It is so strange to see him wearing "nice" clothes.

dbears, your dress looks beautiful. So you had all these outfits made in the Philippines? I hope it won't take too much space in your suitcases! The Barong Tagalogs do not look like they would take too much space, but usually it's a different matter with dresses!