I am in Kuala Lumpur with Hub. Our interview at the American Embassy took less than 3 minutes. We took a 2 1/2 hours flight here.
"You two are husband and wife?"
"Yes"
"What do you do Sir?"
"I'm a (blahblah)."
"What firm?"
"(blah)"
"And you?"
"I'm a homemaker...but I was...a banker.." (waste of words for he already started on the next questions)
"How many kids? Where are they?"
"(blahblah)", I replied.
"You are going to the States for ONE month? One month? That's a long time. What will you do there for a month?"
("Er, work as a maid, a fruit picker, dish washer? nanny? pole dancer?" Wild thoughts) "Travel, travel with my daughter." (Grinned, tried to look humble, ignorant and innocent)
"Any friends, relatives, in the US?"
And so on. Anyway, he told us that our visas were approved but can only be picked up the next afternoon. Please, I said, can we have it same day? Sorry, NO. (All US Embassy staff and Immigration people--the Americans, not the locals--have that same polite standoffish no-nonsense attitude, have you noticed.) Aiya, how come the Americans are working like Malaysians? So slow one. My daughter got her visa approved on the spot right after her interview in Shanghai.
Anyway, getting a visa to visit the States is not that hard. They don't ask for proof of financial competence or other documents but it's best to bring, just in case. Also, make sure to bring an extra photo. For those of us who have to travel to KL for the interview, it is inconvenient and costly. For once, I wished I was Bruneian or Singaporean. They are exempted from visas to most countries.
We received a few calls from friends about reports of our daughter's latest art installation in several local newspapers. We will be back tonight but here's a clip from Shanghai's English TV channel. ICS. Notice that they made several mistakes. My daughter's Malaysian, not Indonesian and she's been in SH nearly 11 months, not 1 1/2 years. Finally, she's going to a conference in the States, not a workshop. And yes, that's Doo Ma in the video. 89 years old and very cool.
15 comments:
It's really too bad there's no American Consulate in Kuching or KK that we can go to. Having to go all the way to KL is such a drag.
Hi Terri,
You can have them send it to your house address (it takes aprrox 3 days) if you're not in a hurry and if you choose not to pick up your visa the next day, that's what I did :) Have fun in the States!
Val
Wow...so, you're almost ready to go in USA with Yi!! I beg you're excited about that!!! :)
I like a lot Yi's latest art installation using socks!!! That's really impressive!!
I'm posting the video in my blog!!
Greetings!
Laura
Aunty, why is she from Indonesia? =(
Thanks so much for sharing that video of your daughter! What an exceptionally talented young lady! You must so proud of her. Congratulations!
I am a Malaysian living in the US and I hope you and your family will enjoy your forthcoming holiday here.
such a rich family. it is true that sabah ppl are damn rich.
Hi Aunty Terri we hv been following yi's progress in her work. We like them a lot. ESP the coffee n socks. Many congrstulations to her. So sorry we did not manage to post our congratulatory till now. Amazing creativity. N to think we actually know the celebrity. Haha...
God bless ur trip.
i remember trying apply for my visa. lots of questions but once they pop my passport into the machine, all the data came out
they knew that i was studying in melbourne.
Hi Terri, I get to know your blog through your daughter's blog (And i got to know her blog when I was searching for her info after reading her news in the paper)
I'm truly impressed with her work, and I'm sure you've raised a wonderful daughter. I'm equally impressed with your blog, you're a very creative, artistic and interesting lady. I love your writing too!
Wishing you and your daughter a good & fruitful trip to USA!
wow , ah yi 'hou sai lei' ohh :)
nate: totally agree. but after going to kl, i now fully support the east msian immigration laws. if we don't hv tt right to control the ppl coming into our states, we will be just like kl: overrun by bangladashi, nigerians, myanmarese.
valerie: is tt in KL? since i was there another day's wait is better than taking the risk of them sending to my house late. oh i am both excited n worried. worried about leaving my mom here for a month, my son too, and worried about safety in the US, can u believe it.
laura: thank you sweetie:)
shelby: i don't know...i think the chinese think tt indonesia n malaysia are the same...
leechuah: i am looking forward to the trip but am not comfortable about going away for so long. but yes, it's high time i visit the states:)
anon: why do you say tt? the last time i went to the states was 15 years ago n this trip is paid for by a sponsor.
yes sabah was a rich country but it got robbed and is now the poorest state in malaysia, how's that.
nee: lol, she's not some big time celebrity. she's very thankful for the way things have developed fo rher n knows tt God is opening doors:)
michelle: the US govt prolly know more about us than the msian govt!
yuinting: thank you thank you thank you:)))
denise: she's just doing what she always wanted to do; express her creativity :)
Terri,
one would say that Sabah is similarly overrun by foreigners. But I get your point and I agree that the immigration laws for East Malaysia are best for their protection.
I think if you travel anywhere, you'd be concerned about safety. Just because you aren't familiar with the place, where to avoid, how to get help. I felt that way going to KK.
Ouch! Be prepared to go through another round of unofficial "interview" upon entering the States :()
I hope you have a great trip to the US. And how I wish to invite you to Oregon and let me play host. I live in Bend, Oregon, a charming little town on the other side of the Cascades and it is just gorgeous here. But alas, I am in the process of moving to England in less than 2 weeks!
I've a friend whose son lives in Shanghai. He is such a great kid. Honest, humble, intelligent, so well grounded despite the background. Would love to introduce him to Yi someday :)
nate: i know, i'd feel more unsafe in kk than kuching!
mother hen: i LOVE Oregon and used to think tt i'd live there forever! you are darn lucky but wait you are going to england...can't say much about tt except it's a nice place to visit but not to live bc only one of my classmates stayed back in england; everybody else hurried home lol. and yes, write to me n we'll hook up the boy with my girl he sounds very promising haha!
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