reddiablo

GANG

had a faultless POE at Toronto Pearson yesterday morning,

the guys at Immigration were just fabulous.

so different to door lady at montreal.

while I sat waiting for my turn , one of the officers came over and whispered in my ear,

that a lady was asking If I am a famed actor.

told him my wife thinks I play the clown sometimes arf.

was thinking these guys have my passport and know my name and

yet they ask who I may be ???

was it a trick question arf,

was very fast at airport, and I arrived to my sweet jules at 2 pm.

had a lovely visit with her dad ,when we got a call fro her ex

that jules dog katie was very poorly.

so off she had to go in a upset state.

I ended up walking sioux falls s dakota for a nice evening stroll.

nice and cooler than the cooker that toronto was tuesday eve.

Julie came back so upset that she had to let katie go after 14 years.

glad that I AM here to comfort her and that shes had a month with her old doggie.

off to deadwood at 6 am fri morning

all the best

roger red diablo

We had 2 piles - stuff we figured they would ask for (2005 tax info, W2, new police certificate, medical info) and stuff we didn't know whether or not they'd ask us for (copies of I864, copies of DS230, wedding pics, etc). They didn't even GLANCE at the second pile.

We put one pile in an 8x11 envelope, the other stack on top of that and then we put all papers into a plastic grocery bag.

yeah

after my positive reply from consulate over portfolio,

then the officious lady on door duty.

would say take em in a bi-way plastic bag.

only doc I handed in was 2005 tax for jules

red

Tomorrow my daughter and I fly out to Montreal for our interview Monday morning. Between the excitement of this finally happening and the nervousness of making sure we have everything, I feel like I'm going to be sick to my stomach My hubby is staying home, someone has to take care of the baby. I've never been away from our son for more than a few hours nevermind a few days. I wish they could both come with us, I think I'd be alot less stressed out. We'll stay until Wednesday so we can pick up the visas in person. It does help hearing about everyone else's experiences at the consulate and having a rough idea what to expect. I'll be sure to post mine as soon as I can. Wish us luck, back to packing and stressing out lol.

sure all will be a ok

besties to ya from red and jules

am killing time reading and listening to great tunes

riding the rails back to toronto.

all will be fine ,the guides from vj alumni ws just fab.

just remember to not take a bag to interview

even though there was a guy with giant briefcase.

had to dump my fabric portfolio in garbage can on rene levesque.

it was in there clean and dry when I came out at 9-30 am

just got a efficient moody guard, felt sorry for guy with personal knapsack.

now i emailed consulate re fabric portfolio and was told ok.

AM sure u will do just fine

how sad it is you have to come from bc

all in the train and hotel cost about 700 dollars but had great service

and made a full 3 days saying adieu to many mates in montreal.

moist eyes when train pulled out at 10am

but life moves on

enjoy your trip its all part of lifes highway

take care

red

That is to funny lmao.

funny but a element oaf truth arf arf

went from a fiesty engleesh gal to a 16 year sabbatical

never risked a shiner from canuck birds arf

got myself a angel usa

just now 5 mins out from gare central montreal

bloody civilised way to travel,table to myself ,woody guthrie playing

and visa done and dusted in one day.

all the besties

red d

JG

good points and must agree.

have walked miles here since thursday arrival

and its just a more humane city than the concrete jungle of hogtown.

guess it helps staying in a beautiful old building with view of notre dame.

btw only visiting s dakota, jules dad lives there.

Julie is a nurse in naples s florida.

so will be moving aug 30th

have a week in dakotas

2 days back in hogtown , one way flight to atlanta

jules driving up in suv from florida,join her for 12 hrs drive to Toronto.

finish packing for one day aug 15th then fly to venice italy

for 2 weeks,we will join 20 friends on a one week cruise to athens and greek isles.

most are mates from singlecruise.com,they are coming from all points usa,canada,uk and south africa,

and the ship we are on is rccl splendour of the seas and thats where jules and i met in 2004.

right now life is going just marvellous.

but of all people I realise that you have to live for the day and that is TODAY

RED

ALL THE BESTIES

ALL ABOARD ATVIARAIL

As you cross on Monday, newly minted visa in hand, you'll be joining the ranks of duals. We're the ones with a foot in each country, who can sing both anthems and have the hair on our arms stand up.

actually JG make mine a triple

europa

canuckia

america

had a great weekend here

gotta say if you do not like montreal then I am confused has to why.

bad things and wankers can happen anywhere.

the great english writer

Samuel Pepys once stated and I quote.

" A MAN WHO TIRES OF LONDON TIRES OF LIFE"

Montreal , Manhattan, ny ny, paris , rome these are special cities IMHO

also many otherS i LIKE TOO

BUT HOGTOWN TORONTO is missing some kind of vibe these places have for red

and I live in middle of hogtown

will not miss it.

cest la vie

red d

congrats, red! are they going to expedite the visa issuance?

cheers one aad all

been a magnafique day here in montreal.

got the passport back at 2-30

miserable gal; even replied cheers when i left building.

spent all afternoon with great mates from montreal and uk

on the rooftop terrace at place d,armes

they are all gone now, all pissed thats uk pissed , not usa arf.

so will head back on sun morn to toronto

and s dakota on monday.

deadwood next weekend , really looking fwd to seeing where it all happened.

my fave tv series ever deadwood thxs hbo.

so will give you update on poe sometime

but internet is not allowed when im in the blackhills

all the best

red

Well well

piece of cake apart from miserable female who opened the door.

was 2 nd in line had a small fabric portfolio which the e mail frm consulate said was fine to bring.

not for this individual.

lucky it was a freebie from work and not my nike Manchester United lap top bag

which I opted to leave at hotel

which btw is top class, the rooms are fabulous and club 701 in the hotel place de armes

is montreals chic place to be and be seen

soorry red is a old fart now. arf

so digressing last night walked from hotel to rue alex----

took 10 mins at fast pace.

so this adorable security 'LADY' not IMHO

made me loose my advantage of behind # 2 in first line

had to dump my bag in garbage bin on the bld rene levesque.

cos she said if it was left on street it was security risk

###### it just a small fabric bag.

anyhow after getting back in .Red pulled a flanking move ,

sat on the bloody front row and was # 2 in elevator so got c2

great advise from all you veterans vjrs thxs guys

hat a good swift interview.

discussed montreal and the hotel where I am billeted.

bet he thinks I am flush staying for 4 nights

lucky me having the manager has a mate.

anyhow I desperately want to get to s dakota asap

its really sad that jules could not be here cos she too enjoys

olde montreal etc etc.

but its good that she is with her dad while he is not feeling so great.

asked the interviewer if it was possible to expedite my visa today on family compassion .

because I do want to get to sioux falls asap to see 'PEETE" AND HIS LOVELY DAUGHTER

jULES is amazed that there was little questioning, also told her that i wore usa soccer shirt

gotta run mates here for lunch

red d

red

just pulled into bellville station

not

a good journey got a misery guts next to moi.

no room for laptop and a cup of cafe noir

tried for a seat change but full here in via 1

out on town 2 nite in ilde montreal

mates a via casey jones engineer

will give him some grief arf

wanker never even sent me the pass

aghhhh well hope the hotel is still ok

and tomorrow morning of course

right now listening to bbc radio on www

hope lunch ok paid 3 bills for this journey.

all the besties

red

Good Luck !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep us posted.

CHEERS GUYS

just starting out , thxs for your support.

yeah bit of a wandering star above mine and family.

was rambling a little yesterday ,getting prepared and thinking

it was six years ago to the day that my brother was killed in a

traffic catastrophe while travelling on his beloved greek island of Crete.

spoke to his Cretan friends yesterday, jules and myself were there

at this time last year.

his spirit is always filling the wind in my sails,

and I know that he and my parents would approve of jules and this move ..

hard to believe its just 6 and half years since the new millenium began.

I was in-----------------montreal that night.

lots of events have shaped ours and of course my life since then.

yammas roger

Bluewater connects Sarnia & Port Huron. It's a smaller crossing which usually means less traffic. It's my understanding that every POE is able to process visas, although, it seems some are more familiar with them than others. (read - less confused) I was thinking of using this POE when I go down, but the fact that it's smaller is making me re-think things.

If you do go thru there, please post a report!

k

we too are using that crossing

should be fine , cos will do my poe at pearson next week,

will come back to canada , do our euro cruise.

come back aug 29 then hit thev road on 30th aug.

great mate just moved from mississauga to grand bend.

so will spend last night in canada @grand bend

cheers red

Another quick question!

I noticed a lot of people processed in Montreal. Is that the consulate of choice in Canada?

Thanks!

I don't know about the consulates, but in my experience of the cities in general....

Vancouver = cool!

Montreal = suck!

hey no accounting for taste !!!!!!!

your opinion and you are welcome to keep it !!!!!!!!

red

Will be on VIA @ 9-30 am in the morning.

all aboard, will listen to a few woody guthrie tunes on my xm portable.

reckon I am all set for fri morning interview , not feeling anxious at all.

really relishing my last weekend in a lovely city that I feel a bit attached to.

my grandad was sweeping snow there in 1908, it was too cold for him,

so he returned to manchester england and ended up in WW 1.

his sister my great aunt stayed and was tragically and possibly the first

canadian death of WW2 , great aunt Martha heard that ww2 had been declared,

she was visiting relatives in manchester.

she got a ticket on the FIRST SHIP out of liverpool

it was torpdoed off north ireland on day one of ww2.

there was a lot of bad feeling between canada and germany because the casualties were

mainly women and kids. MY DADS cousins never forgave the german people.

war eh now its lebanon our canadian people are running from.

so will enjoy saying adieu to a city long associated with my family.

will give a review when I get back to toronto mon eve,

off to see the brides family in s dakota on wednesday next

then I get a birthday weekend in deadwood black hills.next friday.

deadwood is the finest series I have ever seen on tv thxs HBO.

LATERS RED

ps will be alone , jules is with her dad who is not too well in s dakota.

I have loads of photos ,emails and phone records reckon thats enuff.

BB

my fingers are x,d for a good one this friday

cheers red

Yes this is what I was meaning...I know he needs the passport with the visa in it..Zyggy did answer my question. And thank you Buttons on which Bridge to cross. Montreal said today that they mailed the passport with the visa in it this morning..

See that they did not mail it out on next business day. monday after fri interview.

thus I am staying in montreal for 4 nights starting this thursday.

need my passport for flight to s dakota next wednesday morning

looking fwd to a great weekend in montreal,seeing some great friends and saying adieu mes amis.

staying at hotel place de armes

lucky having contacts to get me in there.

just a short walk to rue alexandre

cheers red

nice one !!!!

all the best red

nice and easy does it everytime.

pleased for ya both

red

hope I am done so swiftly next fri morning in montreal

Congrats! I wasn't able to get a good night's sleep the entire time I was in Montréal too.

are you glad all over cos its OVER

sorry you missed my fave canuck city , I have had lovely times

in montreal since coming to canada in 1976.

my destiny has been intertwined with montreal and barcelona.

never thought hogtown was for me, and soon I will depart for southern climes.

hopefully "bound for glory"

have no nerves at all except that medical results are not known till envelope is open.

but dr at seidens reckoned all was a ok.

just heard from montreal that it is required to bring x-ray

and a portfolio is permitted

laters red

thxs for your story ,it was a good one.

yes, thanks red!

two more days until husband's interview - woohoo!

mon pleasure mes amis

wish I could share the wealth.

off to belle provence next thurs morn,

business class on via , will try to get my lap top hooked up on board.

will play Woody Guthrie tunes on the trip.

laters red

although the likelihood of them asking for the x-ray is small, you can roll it up (do NOT bend it or make a crease in the film) and place it in a cardboard tube for ease in carrying and protection. That way you'll have it jsut in case, you never know.

cassie

if they tell me its only for POE

Then it aint goin to montreal

this train is "bound for glory" RIP ARLO GUTHRIE

cheers red

hey oz

get some vegimite butties in your tucker sheila.

safe journeys

all the besties

red

ps will be arr florida/ naples about sept 6th

when is the fl vj get together.

a few tubes of swannee will be needed for lorelle.

red

hey oz

get some vegimite butties in your tucker sheila.

safe journeys

all the besties

red

Just had a very courteous e-mail from Montreal.

" all fees are paid and there will be a index finger print required for biometric"

ABSOLUTELY NO CHARGE !!!

SO I HOPE That clears the topic in everybodys mind.

also just asked If I need to lug the x-ray to montreal.

travelling light , probably carry my papers in a bi-way plastic bag arf.

laters red

Don't stress , I've been following you along the VJ. You sound like you have everything in order. We are almost there !!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Buttons for your vote of confidence...

Thanks to everyone else for your wishes..

Good Luck to everyone with up coming interviews.

I will post Friday after the interview..Hopefully posting nothing but wonderful news

Thanks to everyone here on VJ for all of your advice positive and negitive.

I couldn't have done this without the VJ website and all of the wonderful people on it.

A very big THANK YOU goes out to Captain Ewok for making VJ possible.

red

agrees with all the above and wishes you all the best for this friday. keep us informed please.

I am one week behind you

cheers Roger

Michelle

I recieved the wrong packet and I'm sure it was the cr1 and it did state on the instructions that a 85 dollar processing fee in US cash was due at the time of the interview.

NO 85 FEE FOR CR-1 its all paid in advance.

just had a post from wally , that all he paid for was his sons soda.

anybody else reckon we pay for finger printing.

also very little mention of finger printing at all, in posts of people who have visas.

so still not sure whats needed

pretty sure no more greenbacks are due to be paid.

as for fingerprinting that also I have my doubts about

red