Der Bücherwurm

Anyway, while I think circumcision in all of its forms is a terrible thing, I also think that pinpricks for either gender are better than the status quo.

Agreed. I think what upsets people about FGM is that it is very harmful to the girl and has no health benefit. Whereas, circumcision of males has some health benefits (it's more hygienic than an uncircumcised male that doesn't clean himself) though it is unnecessary (if an uncircumcised male cares about his health he'll pull the foreskin back and clean himself to prevent infections). However, FGM doesn't reduce the risk of vaginal infections and is not the same as circumcision at all. It would be like circumcising a male an inch further back, removing part of the ####### rather than just the foreskin. So a nick does sound like a better solution than mutilating a girl if the family is going to have it done anyway. Of course, it would be highly preferable to educate the parents and bring them into the 21st century.

Personally, I think the OP is in the wrong for sticking her nose in other people's business. Nobody likes a busybody.

My husband and I were both looking forward to living in a country where you aren't lied to and ripped off on a daily basis like in the Middle East.

My husband got his permanent resident card but we are still waiting on his SS card. I went to the SS office to ask about it last week and they said they were behind and asked us to wait 2 more weeks. I think I will go again on Monday and just demand that they assign him one on the spot because a month and 2 weeks is much longer than most people have to wait for it.

On another note, just as I expected, our landlord doesn't want to return our 1800 lira deposit from when we rented an apartment in Istanbul and there isn't a whole lot I can do about it from over here. I'd be happy to get back half of that because we really need the money but she said she would only be willing to return 300 lira max.! What a thieving ######!

Hello from Istanbul

Just got in a few hours ago and waiting for Fuat to get off work. I can't believe our interview is actually in four days! We'll leave for Ankara on Sunday, and will sight see in the city the day before the interview.. then head back here, on Tuesday, right after the interview. I hope the interview goes well.. otherwise, it's going to be one heck of a long, depressing bus ride back to Istanbul.... but I am keeping my hopes up we won't end up in AP ( though that seems to be the trend lately).

I'll be sure to post on Tuesday and let you know what happened!

Good luck! Have fun while you're in Turkey. There are so many extra things I wish I'd picked up as souvenirs before I left. So make sure you find time for shopping. When we went to Ankara from Istanbul we took the 2-person overnight train. I highly recommend it. It is so much better than a bus or even the speed train. You get a little compartment with 2 bunk beds, a sink, a mini-fridge, coat-hooks, a shelf and a cabinet to store your things but most importantly you get PRIVACY! Taking the speed train in worst class (yes, there is a class lower than economy class on Turkish trains ) back to Istanbul the first time after we got put on AP was just awful for me. I wanted to cry the whole way but there were people all around. (I was thinking at the time that AP for us meant another 6 months to a year.)

But alas the AP was only a month and a half so we are now home after having a nice little layover in NY where we got to go to the 'Top of the Rock' where you can see the whole NY skyline, then wandered around Times Square and Central Park. We'll see more on a future trip. Now we are still waiting to receive his social security card, etc. Once he has that he can get his driver's license and start applying for jobs. I'm hoping he will be able to find something online in another state (preferably around Denver, Colorado) because there just aren't that many good opportunities for either of us here in the southeast and I don't much care for the climate here either. I know my family will be disappointed if we move to another state because they had been eagerly awaiting our arrival for so long and they think my husband is the nicest guy. But you have to go where the jobs are and they aren't here in the deep south unless you are content to work at a restaurant.

Our interview is in 18 days and I'm leaving in 14.. reading a lot of the consulate reviews again and, for some reason, they are giving me small panic attacks tonight. I know there is no reason to panic, but I am sure I am not the only one who has gone through this.

I know they will allow me into the embassy with him, and I have read that some of you were actually asked questions as well, but I guess I am wondering if I will be allowed to stand with him during his interview. When he is called to the window, can I go up with him? Will I be given instructions, beforehand, that I need to sit and wait? Will I walk up to the window with him and they will tell me to go sit down? We are both hoping and praying that I will be allowed to stand there with him for the whole thing.. but there more I am reading in the reviews, the more I think this won't happen.

What should I expect?

Thanks for the info. on NY, Jenn & Nicole.

Jenn- When we had our interview in Dec. we went up to the window together. They asked us who attended our wedding, where we lived, asked what my husband and I do for a living, again asked where we live here, where we'll live in the US...(The CO asked all the questions VERY quickly as if they are trying to put you off balance.) Then they asked me to sit down so they could interview my husband alone. They again asked him what he did for a living and where we lived, asked what my father's name is and if I had any siblings, a few questions about me and told him some additional processing would be needed. My husband asked when he would get the visa and the CO told him a month, maybe two. I guess they know exactly how long the additional processing will take because we did get the visa about a month and a half later. Just know your stuff and be prepared to answer all the questions at a mile a minute. Good luck.

Sounds great!! If you want to see the statue of liberty, it's a good idea to book ferry tickets ahead of time as it actually sells out....here's a link if you're interested. It gives ferry departure times, directions, and you can buy tickets online....http://www.statuecruises.com Keep in mind it's going to be Verrrry cold on that ferry in February!!! It takes time too....it might be the only thing you have time to do if you need to head back to the hotel by 11.

Have a safe flight home & a great time in NYC!!

Tanya

Oh, wow. I'll have to see what is more important for him to see then and let him decide if he'd rather just see it from shore at a distance before going to see other things maybe on one of those bus tours. Can you still go to the top of the statue and see the city skyline? I'd kind of like that to be the first thing he sees in the US. But if he'd rather hop on a bus to tour the city a bit we'll do that. I know the bus tours are expensive tourist traps but we don't know the city and have a limited amount of time and wouldn't want to waste any time trying to decipher which subway will take us to which pt. of interest. If we were staying a few days we would definitely use the public transport but for just a morning we might just fork over the cash for the tour if that's what he prefers. We will always have the option to take a vacation there some other time to see whatever we miss.

Thanks for the info.

I've booked everything. I picked a flight with a 20hr. layover in NY and booked a cheap hotel near the airport and a subway stop. Since we will probably arrive at our hotel when it is dark we might just get information on the top things to see and how to get there, starting with the statue of liberty, from the concierge. Then we'll just crash early for the night so we can get up at 6am, load up on the hotel's free breakfast and head out to sight-see until 11. Then we'll return to the hotel so we can freshen up and check out at noon and head back to the airport to catch our connecting flight at 3pm. We are so excited. I'm so glad the first thing he will see in the US is NY instead of my family's boring old small town in the south.

2 things:

I'm from NY and always get through fast, meaning in about an hour.

My wife had to go through customs but not immigration (POE in Alaska) at New York.

She was out of there in about 1:15 arriving at 9 PM on a Thursday night.

1) Arriving at 5 PM on a weekday for a POE I would say 3 hours for a non-USC doing a POE.

2) Examine the I-94 BEFORE leaving the immigration official's area AFTER he/she fills it out.

Don't assume that because the arrival record declaration was filled out correctly on the plane

that the I-94 won't have errors, because it's done by the immigration official, not you.

-It will save you a trip to the major airport nearest your home to get it amended if they

screw up the spelling of the visa holder's name. Also check the number on the BACK

(A-number) for legibility.

My comments on I-94 snafu

Thanks, Thong. Other than handing over the sealed envelope and the I-94 form is there any other paperwork we'll need to fill out and hand over to the immigration officer?

I think I will book a flight with a long layover in NY and just get a hotel room for the night. I'm wondering how safe the area around JFK is sense I'll probably want to book a nearby hotel? I'm assuming there is plenty of public transport from the airport to hotels and major attractions so we don't spend a fortune on taxis? I want to make sure he sees the statue of liberty, maybe Central Park and some of the city.

I would go for the 20 hour layover and see some of NYC. Just got my ticket to go over for our interview and I have the same 2 hours in between flights when I come back. It will be my first time coming in through JFK and I wonder if it would be enough time for me! I know it's easy enough in D.C. , but I am guessing JFK is going to be a lot busier. If Fuat were coming back with me I don't think I would risk it.

Has anyone heard from Carol? Jacob had his interview 5 days ago and she hasn't posted anything yet. I hope that's not a sign of bad news.

Thanks, Jenn. Good luck on your interview. I think I will book a flight with a 22 hour layover in NY, book a hotel and do some sight-seeing. I want my hubby to see the statue of liberty, the city skyline and maybe central park too.

Anyone here ever been to NY? Is anybody familiar with how safe the area around JFK is? I'll probably book a hotel near to the airport to make it easier. Would it be easy/affordable to get around NY from there using public transport? Thanks.

Hi all. B) My father in law arrives today. We can't wait. He's such a fun guy. He's in his 60s but acts more like a hippy teenager. He will stay for a full week and then we will all leave next Monday.

I still haven't decided if I want to brave a 1hr.50 min. layover in NY or book a longer layover. The flight would arrive at 5pm which is the start of the busy time at JFK. Even though there is a better schedule if we make a connecting flight in Amsterdam we're booking the direct flight from IST to JFK because we're worried about the transit visa issue. If I chicken out on the 110 min. layover then I think we will book one of the 20 hour NY layover flights and get a hotel room and see some more of NY than the 12 hour layover would allow.

I really don't want to have to wait in NY for 12 hrs. If we were to miss our connecting flight due to immigration/customs taking too long, would the airlines make us purchase new tickets or just put us on the next flight?

Oh, and if I decided to book a flight with a stopover in Rome before NY would my husband need an EU transit visa even if we don't leave the airport?

The flight would be leaving Istanbul at 12pm and arrive at JFK at 5pm. Would 5pm be a busy time?

How long a layover should I allow for at our POE before the connecting flight? Our POE will probably be NY. With the flights I'm looking at there is a 1 hr. 50 min. layover in NY before the next connecting flight. Otherwise, I'd have to choose a 12 hr. layover in NY which is a bit much sense we'll still need to make 1 more pit-stop & connecting flight before arriving home. Would an hour and 50 min. be enough time for my husband to make it through customs & immigration? /thanks

How long a layover should I allow for at our POE before the connecting flight? Our POE will probably be NY. With the flights I'm looking at there is a 1 hr. 50 min. layover in NY before the next connecting flight. Otherwise, I'd have to choose a 12 hr. layover in NY which is a bit much sense we'll still need to make 2 more stops to arrive home. Should that be enough time for my husband to make it through customs?

So glad to hear it! When you didn't post anything I was afraid there was going to be bad news. Carol and Jacob had their interview today, so hoping for good news from them too!!

25 more days for us.. and I leave for Istanbul in 20 days..

Good luck to you and everyone else with an upcoming interview. My father in law said he should be here by Monday if not the weekend and then we will have one more week here in Istanbul to visit with him before flying home. My mom still has all the decorations up inside the house and we will open gifts and have turkey, asparagus casserole, sweet potato casserole and dressing with cranberry sauce once we've recovered from the jet-lag. It looks like we will be flying with Delta since they are the cheapest right now. I'm just wondering if my husband will need a transit visa if we have to stop over somewhere in Europe...

Oh, hi Jenn. My computer died so I have to hop on my husband's when I can. UPS delivered the visa packet yesterday.

They didn't really interview us this second time around. We just went in, got a number and went to the window when our number came up. The lady we got didn't say a word. She just motioned for me to hand her the blue slip and my husband's passport that I was holding. She took it, wrote my husband's name and the number 1 on a little card and then she finally spoke and told us to take this card to the UPS desk and pay the fee. So I asked if we were really getting the visa this time and she said it should take 5 working days for it to be sent. So we hopped, skipped and giggled over to the UPS desk to pay the fee. There was an Iranian guy in line ahead of us that asked if he could borrow 2 lira since the shipping cost is 12 lira so I gave it to him without realizing that that left me without exact change. So the UPS worker just told me to pay cash on delivery and handed me the receipt. We tracked the package on the UPS site and were pleasantly surprised to see that it would arrive earlier than expected so we made sure to have our 15 lira and his Turkish residency ID on hand for the UPS man. Since we got the visa I've just been packing, buying souvenirs for my family and checking flights online. The father in law is supposed to come next week to spend a few days and see us off. Now all that is left to do is get the deposit on our flat back from the landlord. We're so excited. It will be a huge relief once we make it through the POE.

I'm fond of Modigliani, Odd Nerdrum and many others.

GREAT NEWS!!!! Hope it all goes well and you will have the visa soon! INSALLAH

Thanks! More great news: It snowed in Istanbul all day yesterday. Hubster and I went out to throw snowballs at each other. This morning the snow is still covering the sidewalks, roofs and cars. The weather forecast says it should snow today and tomorrow too. Also, the father in law promises to come visit as soon as we get back from Ankara so he can see his son off to America. Just wish hubby could see his brother and sister again but his brother is still fulfilling his military service and so can not leave the country and his sister is studying in Paris. Hopefully, it won't take us long to find jobs in the states so we can start saving for a trip to visit his sister in Paris and cousin in the south of France. I don't think he's been able to see his sister in 2 years. I'd love for us to be able to go to Iran too to meet the rest of his extended family that hasn't had a chance to visit us in Turkey but unfortunately it is too dangerous right now with all that is going on there.

Oooh. Our case number appeared on the embassy website yesterday! We will be taking the overnight train on Sunday so we can show up at the embassy on Monday. They better be giving us the visa this time. My family still has the christmas decorations up so we can celebrate as soon as we arrive.

My husband had his medical done at the American Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey and it cost 306 Turkish lira. That is about $200. We are doing DCF for the CR1 visa so we had to pay $355 when we sent in the I130 packet and an additional $400 at the Interview in Ankara.

Contact USCIS to find out which documents you will need to submit to adjust status. Also, if there is a woman's shelter in your area you might contact it as well. They might have some experience in helping abused immigrant women and might be able to refer you to someone that could help you with your case.

HP makes great printer/scanner/copy machines but they make ####### laptops. I was given one as a gift and it started to fail within a year. I read an article recently that rated HP laptops as the most likely to fail within a year of purchase. I've decided that HP stands for Heaping Pile...

He was a supporter of the opposition and had signed a petition in support of Mousavi. My bet is the Iranian govt. had him taken out and knew they could just blame it on the US & Israel since he was a nuclear physicist and the west is against Iran's nuclear program. What he did for a living was really incidental. What got him into trouble were his political views and the fact that he worked at a university where he could influence students. The Iranian regime has always feared students because they have always been the first to call for change or initiate political movements & protests. Anyone that opposes the islamic regime and works around students should worry about their safety.