del-11-03-2013

I can give you a few suggestion where to get good food in SF or you can always refer to my blog

I live about an hour from San Francisco after all the years i go there still dont have a clue were to eat out there.

Thanks for the advice. This blog is just for fun. I don't plan to earn money with my blog. I just want to give people suggestion where to eat good food in SF. I don't think hiring a cook is a wise thing to do since it is only 2 of us. I think it is much cheaper eating outside than hiring a cook.

Taking a cooking class sound good, but I'm not a good cook. I tried to cook once a while, but it never turn out the way I want it to be. The smell of the dish is correct, but the taste

I go to college from Monday to Friday and I usually just buy fruits for breakfast and salad for lunch from whole foods. Whole foods is next to my college. I ate my lunch after 2 pm and I usually don't feel hungry until the next day. I only ate outside on the weekends. I know eating outside is not that healthy, but I did bikram yoga once or twice a week to maintain my weight. Living in SF makes me more particular about my health because everybody is a health freak

I suggest that you make the layout, the fonts, and everything else simpler if you are planning to earn a little money with your blog. There are too many colors that are not friendly to the readers. The look-and-feel is also very girly which may not attract male readers as much. Stay neutral. The images look fine when you enlarge them but I wonder how you get to enjoy your meal when you take time capturing photos.

If you eat out more than 50% of the time, you should consider hiring a reliable cook who can prepare good food with fresh ingredients. My sister-in-law in New Jersey has an Indian cook who goes to her house everyday to make tasty meals. You can also sign up for cooking classes. I know you are not asking for advice but I've been there. When I moved to the US, my husband and I lived in Santa Monica. He is not a fan of Filipino food and that was all I knew how to cook back then. We would eat out most of the time and since he's never liked fastfood, we'd end up spending $25 to $150 per meal for only the two of us. Thanks to Yelp. It was fun at first but I decided to learn how to cook other stuff and I grew more satisfied. It took several months for things to get better but I was determined to be in control of what we eat, knowing that the food on our table is made with organic and seasonally fresh ingredients, not drenched in unhealthy oil and butter, not fried or microwaved, and handled with impeccable hygiene. You can order almost anything in a restaurant and not realize you had excessive sugar, fat, and caffeine intake. I hope you don't wait to grow several sizes more than what you're wearing right now before you start eating healthier.

I'm not a good cook and my husband and I always eat outside. I started a blog about restaurants that I visited....mostly in San Francisco and I hope it gives people some idea where to eat in SF.

My blog - Various Cuisines

Thanks for the clarification. I feel better knowing I can file after I come back to U.S

Hi,

I plan to go back to Malaysia for summer break (From June 1st to August 4th, 2012)and my 2 years green card will expire on October 7th, 2012.

Can I file for removing condition on green card after I come back here? or

Can I ask my husband to help me send the package around July 7th, 2012? (I notice Biometrics appointment usually take place a month after the filing and I will be in U.S by that time)

Paul and I plan to move to Ubud, Bali after I finish my study. We went there before and we love it

Wedding in U.S is costly. Even though my husband can afford but he does not come from a big family. So, what we do is just have civil marriage in City Hall and hire professional wedding photographer. The pictures turn out very well and it is one of our memorable day for us. Maybe you can do the same. Here is our Civil Marriage in City Hall slideshow.

The next time you go back to your country, you can do your dream wedding. We went back to Malaysia recently and we had religious and reception ceremony. It only cost us $15,000 and we had 300 guests. I have to admit this is my dream wedding and I love it

I totally agree with you Paul only visited me 4 times during our 2 years relationship. Now we are married and all I want to do is to spent time with him and only him

P/S : We plan to have a baby next 4 years.

I remember feeling extremely exhausted when I first came to San Francisco after long hours flights (23 hours).

My first week, I got jet lag + sick and I only woke up for 2-3 hours every day for 7 days (Paul actually took 2 weeks off from work and he plans to show me around SF but since I'm too sick, he end up doing yoga every day )

Second week, Hubby arranged dinner with his mom, his brother and all his close friends. He also bring me to Salt Lake City to meet his dad and his 1st brother.

Third week, he showed me where's Whole Food, Wallgreens, Post office and etc.

We did loads of weekend gateways and hike around California. Paul got me pennytalk calling card to call Malaysia. It's very cheap. Only 0.05 per min.

I also did volunteer work while waiting for my conditional permanent resident and I learned cooking from recipe books.

While I was waiting for my Green Card, I was the best housewife in the world I cleaned the house and cook everyday. I also do volunteer work for half day to keep me busy. It's fun. Every weekend, we always go weekend gateaway and explore California. We did loads of hike too. My husband give me allowance every month.

Now, I'm in college and I miss life while waiting for Green Card. Just enjoy your life while waiting for Green Card

No problem, Nur.

All the best!

Same thing happened to me too. Friends and family constantly asking me when we are going to have baby. I keep telling them that I need to finish my study first before we can start a family but they just ignore my reply. I personally want to have baby asap but I know I can't finish my study if I have baby now

Sorry. Not interested.

"Oh, you should make a baby! You would make beautiful babies!"

Still not interested.

"But, having children is important."

Thank you for asking. Do come again.

Hi Nur,

According to this site Police certificate you might want to contact Malaysia embassy and explain to them your situation.

Here's the info of Malaysia embassy in Indonesia.

Hello people,

I would love to get information regarding to obtain Malaysia police clearance which is why I post it in here. Here is the case, I am a veterinarian originated from Indonesia but I worked in Malaysia under Professional Visit Pass from April 2010 to March 2011. That amount of time only equals to 11 months in total which is less than a year. Before April 2010 I came to do the paper works with my employer under a tourist visa for a month. This April I will be in Malaysia again for a month to sort my things out under a tourist visa too. If I sum up those months then it will be 13 months in total while the requirement says to get police clearance if stay in Malaysia for over a year. So my question is should I or should I not get the Malaysia police clearance because I want to prepare things before the interview in Indonesia since I've been reading that it takes 1-2 months to get the police clearance.

Your help will be much appreciated. Thank you. Good luck with the journey!

Learning Bahasa Malaysia is quite easy. I tried to teach my husband before but until now he only remember "Sayang, jahat, gila"

I actually bought chicken rendang instant paste in whole food. It's actually taste very good

My husband and I just bought plane tickets today for June 4th. I'm really excited. It has been more than a year I live in S.F. This year I have to skip summer class because I miss Malaysia so badly and I want to go home for a month

Have you been to Perhentian Island? We went there before and we plan to go there again. We stayed in Tunabay Resort and I really like the resort. It's very cosy and the price is affordable

Have fun learning Bahasa Malaysia

Mmm, had some delicious chicken rendang this week. I think I am going to take Bahasa Malaysia classes at the YMCA here to pass the time. The language seems simple enough that I could actually make some progress after taking only a few short courses.

I have emailed the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur with some questions and they have responded immediately. I'm taking that to be a good sign that this will be a great embassy for the interview!

Hope all the Malaysian VJers are doing well!

Paul and I first known each other on March 2008 and we filed K1 visa on July 2009. He came 4 times to Malaysia and it make me realized how much he want me. We both love each other dearly but we both are the type who take marriage very very serious (That's the reason why he never been married /have kids for last 54 years & for me, I have 3 ex's bf proposed me and I rejected them because I feel it is too soon). Sometimes I feel man is not realistic. Why proposed me when we only known each other last than 6 months? I always believe you need to know each other very very well and if you can put up with his attitude, then commit. We have known each other for 3 years now and this May is our first anniversary and seriously..........never once he change. He still remain very caring, romantic, loving, crazy in a good way, we both are sarcastic too and I feel so lucky to have him in my life

I think it depends on your choice of university. I have to wait for my resident card to enroll college and since my green card dated July 2010 and I started college in January 2011, I have to pay international student/Non-California fee. If I want to pay California resident fee, I have to start college in July 2011 which is no-no to me. I'm not that patient

I mean, I´m entering The USA under the K1. Once we get married we´ll start the change of status. Do I have to wait til I receive the Green Card in order to enroll at university? Or once we´ve applied, Can I enroll?

I totally agree with Al422

If it is any help, I was there.

Seven years ago, I met who I thought was the love of my life. I filed the I129f, and back in those days, the Vermont Disservice Center was the Vermont Service Center. President Bush was still running the show.so Obamination and Napolitano Bonaparte did not get a chance to screw it up yet. As a result, we were getting our NOA2s in 30 days.

On day 89, 3 days before her interview (yes it really was that fast under President Bush), she apparently decided that she did not want to do it anymore. But rather than call it off, she began to act obnoxiously, trying to get me to pull the plug. When I wouldn't do it, she reacted by getting more obnoxious, even going as far as demanding to be paid by me to attend her interview (not just the expenses; she wanted cash payment for her labor). I won't bore you with the details, but eventually she pushed me far enough to call it off. That way in her mind, I was the bad guy, not her.

Your fiance is from a culture where family is everything. If you want her back, you need to work on her family. Send them something. Then e-mail them and ask when would be a convenient time for you to call.

I remember feeling excited when Paul want to submit the K1 application forms but after we received NOA2, I started feel nervous and cold feet. I was so scared start a new life in a new country and we have small arguments on and off. Basically I'm the one who started first. Paul never take serious my request to break up and he is very patient. My parents says they love me and they wish I don't move to other country. Of course I love them but I love Paul more and he is a keeper. Where can I find a guy who's extremely patient with my childish attitudes? I received my K1 visa on December and I moved to SF next 3 months because I want to make sure I'm at least.... 60% ready.

I don't know what's wrong with your ex...maybe she have cold feet & confuse now. You probably need to give her some time to cool off.

I guess that's explain why Paul's friend sent his wife to Bangkok to gave birth

Hello dear!

Good question, made me go over my medical bill again just to make sure.. the actual cost for my c-section was $30k++ (it wasnt just for c-section per se, but for the whole scenario including after 1.5 days of labor an emergency c-section was deemed necessary... and my baby's hospitalization (10 days) was almost $60k USD. I went to a local university hospital...

I think I gave the higher number [(was thinking in a different currency because i was explaining to my brother the importance of him making sure that his job offers good insurance coverage (he just got married, his wife got pregnant, he changed jobs, etc.)] I have a colleague who just a cpl of mths before me had triplets! And apparently the requirement is that when those babies are out say 2 months before due date, they have to stay in NICU for at least 2 months (one had some difficulty and needed surgery, so he had to stay wayyyy longer that the other 2 cutie pies). Just imagine the medical cost of that without insurance? It is a sad reality. A lot of people get bankrupted by medical cost I would imagine.

My husband go to KL for dental and it is so much cheaper than in SF.

Which hospital do you went for c-section? Sound so expensive

Well, as somebody who had to go through c-section and hospitalization here, i can see how the husband would want to have his wife deliver back in the philippines. esp since he has no insurance. our bill was like $60k for me n $80k for my baby. we are lucky that we have very good insurance coverage, but we do still have to cover some out of pocket. if just looking at this issue, i do not see it as abuse at all. being hugely in debt when you have better option is crazy. people in US go to the philippines all the time for medical tourism. your baby will still be usc wherever he/she/they r born being tht a parent is usc. plus, the mother will have support from family.

Hi Yamashitariki,

Well, they will send you the interview date in the package 4.

I thought my K1 visa will take 6 months+ to process and I was shocked that I received package 3 very fast. I reply package 3 after a few wees because I'm trying to buy the time. Maybe you should do the same. Look at my timeline and you can see how long it takes for package 3 received/sent and package 4.

Good luck with the interview? I already had the interview last December. It went very well. You can read others reviews regarding their experience with US embassy Malaysia Consulate Reviews

Nadiana

Hi NadianaPaul

Thanks for your reply. It is comforting that I am not alone in this whole ordeal. By the way, how did the embassy schedule the interview?

Do they send the package to you and is the interview date pre-determined then? Or do you submit the package 3 and they will inform you later? I am mostly worried because at this rate I am unsure if I can get the certificate on time.

Also, how long was the interview schedule from the day you've received the package? Thanks!

Good luck with the interview! Please let me know how it went.

I'm so sorry to hear that. My police certificate also takes almost 2 months. In fact, I called them for follow-up every week after a month of waiting. I also got scold from one of the people who work there but I continue being polite since I need that cert badly. I have to go to Putrajaya to pick up the cert because it will takes a week for me to receive by post and my interview is next 2 days. Just be patient, ya?

I am having the most frustrating experience with regards to obtaining the Police Certificate (Certificate of Good Conduct / Sijil Kelakuan Baik) here in Malaysia!

This lady named "Umi" who is the main person in charge of that department in Wisma Putra is terribly rude.

I got a shock when I realised in January 2011 that the process would take 1-2 months. I am currently the beneficiary for the K1 visa (I-129F). So hurriedly, I gathered all the documents required.

I applied online (kln.gov.my) but towards the end the system could not generate or print the receipt. So, I found a printed form on their website and filled that up. Attached my photos and accompanied that package as per their instructions. Certified copies of my passport, MyPR ID, Letter from the Employer, money order for RM20 and a self-addressed envelope. I posted this immediately via PostLaju.

I called the following week on 27 Jan, 3.45pm to inquire about the status. The lady asked for my ID number. So I gave it to her. She then said that it did not exist in their system and my documents have not been received. She asked me to re-submit it in person instead. Their office is very far away in Putrajaya. I called back again and said perhaps they needed my passport number.

She then told me off, "Jangan berlagak jadi orang Malaysia!" (Don't pretend to be Malaysian) in a harsh tone. I explained calmly that I am a Permanent Resident here, and she changed the subject. She then said they have received my documents and will process it the following day and to call back a month later.

Today, being nearly a month to date. I called and she told me that she need not my information to check the status as she goes by the date of submission. And said that period was not due. I then found in my mail later, that the Department of Foreign Affairs (Consular Division) had returned EVERY SINGLE DOCUMENT I submitted last month! A letter attached said that they no longer accept printed forms beginning mid-Jan. And this however, was NOT stated on their website.

I called that lady back to seek further clarification. She just responded (in Malay), "How would I know? I am not the one who opens the mail. Those people (her staff) aren't trained or anything". Wow. I asked her what should I do next. She said I have to go personally and submit the documents again at Counter 3 in Wisma Putra. I asked again how long would this take (since this screw-up was their fault). And she yelled at me saying "You orang Foreigner sepatutnya baca!" (You foreigners should READ). Double WOW. I couldn't take it anymore so I told her off, "Jangan memperli aku" (Don't be condescending!). I was seeking clarification. She said it will still take 1-2 months from that date of submission.

Basically, I have wasted a month waiting for nothing because the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs royally screwed-up my application. I would forgive their lack of accountability and responsibility in their roles, but being rude as well as somewhat racist; I think this is terribly in bad taste. Tomorrow, I would have to apply for leave and go all the way there just to do the whole thing again.

At the back of my mind, I am worried because I am due to receive the package from the US Malaysian Embassy. I am concerned that I might not have the Police Clearance documents in time for the interview. Would the Embassy re-schedule the interview at a later date?

Sigh. I feel absolutely terrible.

No problem

Hi tenshiswife,

Your first question, I actually just sent my passport to embassy to renew and I asked them this question:

Dear Sir,

I'm using my married name for my SSN and Green Card. So, I'm just wondering, for new passport application form, do I need to put my married name under question A (2) Nama lain (Jika Ada)?

Thanks,

Nurul Nadiana

and they reply me:

Dear Nurul,

Yes, you may put your other name under "nama lain" but it would NOT be official if you do your new passport in Malaysia unless you request for that name to them to be official from the immigration department in Malaysia and Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara.

Thank you.

Consular,

Consulate General of Malaysia Los Angeles

550 S. Hope St.

Suite 400

Los Angeles, CA 90071

www.malaysianconsulatela.com

2nd question : I think this link can help you

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/290507-changing-to-married-last-name/

We just did civil ceremony in SF city hall and a small reception (25-30 guests in a restaurant). We book our make-up, hairstyle & photographer 2 months before we got married. I think it is easier to book those service when your wedding on the weekdays. We bought our traditional wedding clothes in Malaysia.

We plan to do another wedding in Malaysia for my family & friends (250 guests)in June 18th,2011