Mom's Birthday

We had fun during my mom's 62nd birthday. Since we're all craving for a delectable pizza,we headed off to S&R in Macapagal and bought an 18 inch New York style pizza for only 549 pesos. Mmmmm so yummy! ^^ And with our bottomless sodas, we were all satisfied. とっても　おいしかった! The condiments are bottomless too.haha! I can say that they're much better than the pizzas at Yellow Cab. And the prices were so affordable. Not bad for a group of 5 people. We even have left overs. That's how big the pizza is! 


Indeed, 'twas a fun,memorable birthday for mom. And most of all,we thank God for giving her another wonderful year. I just hope that by next year, I'll be here for her birthday. :) 

I thank God

Firstly, I thank God for another wonderful day He has given me. He truly is my blesser and my protector. He has blessed me enough with a great family,a good set of friends and most of all a kind and loving fiance.What more can I ask for? ;)


And yes, what even made my day wonderful was that I was able to mail all the needed documents from me and Wyatt to the USEM.yay!  It's such a relief for us thinking that this visa journey and all this waiting will soon be over! We just have to wait for the visa to come and everything will go smoothly as planned. And I know God will make a way for all our goals and plans to become a realization. :)

USEM Interview Experience

May 20,2011 K1 Visa Interview


Getting there
I went to the embassy at around 6am. My appointment time is 6:25am. And there was already a long queue outside. You have to ask the guard where to fall in line. He will guide you where you should go.And beware of those people outside telling you to leave your gadgets to them ( I'm glad my mom and my lil sis accompanied me so I left my phone and my ipod with them ). I only brought with me my 2 bulky envelopes which contain all the important documents such as my fiance's Affidavit of Support and other supporting documents,my Appointment Letter and DS forms,Identification Papers (NBI,CENOMAR,Birth Certificate) and other proof of ongoing relationship. See photos below as to how I arranged them.

The guard then called all applicants scheduled for 6:25. We were asked to fall in line again at the Immigrants line. When it was my turn,the lady asked for my Confirmation Letter,BPI receipt and my passport. She gave me instructions on what I'm gonna do when I get inside the embassy. 


Getting inside the embassy
When I got inside,I placed my things at the metal detector. After the checking, I went out and fell in line wherein the lady asked for my DS forms and she instructed me to drop them at Window 39.She stapled them all together. She gave me my number which is 7020 which I used for the whole interview process.

When I got inside the building,I went to Window 39 and dropped the forms. I took a seat and waited for my number to flash on the screen. Note: You really have to pay attention cause the numbers are flashed in random order. After 20 minutes or so,my number flashed and I went to Window 40 for my finger scanning. She was a nice Japanese or Chinese lady. Not sure though.lol Then she told me to take a seat and wait for my number to be called. At around 8:30 I think, I went to Window 48 for my preliminary interview. He was a goodlooking,young man. :) He asked me the following questions:

1. What's your name?
2. What's my petitioner's name?

He then asked for my NBI,CENOMAR and Birth Certificate. He told me if I still don't have my police certificate ( cause I worked abroad ) and I said it's still in process.Then he looked at my DS forms and asked me to fill out the ones he placed a check on. After that, we proceeded to the interview.

1. What country and what kind of job was it?
2. What's my petitioner's job?
3. What other countries I have been to? Good thing, I brought my old passport with me too then I handed it to him along with my current passport.

He then asked for my fiance's Affidavit of Support and his Tax forms. Then he asked for photos of me and my fiance. I showed all the pics to him in which I arranged them according to the places we've been to. He said, "ah,ganito pala pagkakaayos mo." Then I just smiled. He browsed at all the pics and he even jokingly said if I fed my fiance with an oyster and I said "No Sir,he doesn't like to eat those." hehe and we both laughed. And he seemed familiar with my place which is in Cavite. He asked me if the Pokemon statue is still there.haha!  So I said to myself, he must be a Caviteno too. :-) While browsing the pics,he asked me if my fiance sends me money and he asked for my other proofs of ongoing relationship. When he saw how thick my folder was,he said "Sige ok na.Alam ko na"that he didn't bother to look at them anymore,hehe. I think my work paid off. It was a good talk with him. Then after that he told me to be seated and wait for my number to flash.

I killed time by having a talk with the ladies seated beside me. But I still paid attention to my number on the screen. The lady beside me is number 7021 but her number always gets ahead of me.lol Her number flashed on the screen for the Consular interview. It was this time that I felt chills all over my body. I knew I'm almost nearing my interview with the Consul.^.~ It was around 10:30 when my number flashed on the screen. I went to Window 62. She was a blonde American lady Consul. I can tell that she's in her 50's already. Oh well if not in her 40's cause Americans mature earlier than us Filipinos. =)  She greeted me Good Morning and I greeted her back. She asked me to raise my right hand and made me take an oath. She asked me my name and she said "Hey,Mitzi" in which she started asking me the following questions:

1. What's my petitioner's name?
2. What's his job?
3. Does he have any siblings and how many?
4. How did we meet?
5. When did we meet?
6. If I worked abroad and what kind of job.
7. If my fiance owns a house or if he rents.
8. Our wedding plans and I said we plan to wed in Vegas. She said "Oh in Vegas" then she smiled. :)
9. If I'm aware that I have to get married within 90 days of my arrival in the US.
10. What kind of work do I plan to have when I get in the US?

She kind of noticed that I'm quite nervous so she told me not to be scared.hehe 

1. How many times did my fiance visit me here?
2. Does he live with his parents or does he live on his own?
3. How long is he living in Colorado now?
4. How often do we talk? I said "Daily,Ma'am"
5. If we're both married and if we have kids.

After that,she started typing something on her computer. While typing,she gave me another look and she smiled. Then she asked for some photos of me and my fiance in which I just held it up for her to see. Then she said ok. After the interrogation (LOL), she told me "Unfortunately, I cannot approve you yet cause we still need your police certificate and we need something from your fiance ( I was like,what else does she need from my fiance? I knew we were above the Poverty Guideline). Then she told me to go take a seat and that they will give me some instructions on what to submit. I said thank you Ma'am.

I knew that not having my police certificate will cause a delay to the processing of my visa but oh well what can I do... :) So I took a seat and not long when I heard my name being called on Window 72. The lady at the booth gave me a white form or the 221(g) as what they call it with all the documents we need to submit and she even gave me a form on how to obtain this police certificate but I told her it's already on process and she said oh ok. She just put there in process and she asked me if I was familiar with 2go. She told me that if everything else is ready,I can just mail it to them thru the 2go courier and she told me to include my passport in it. I kinda felt relieved when she said that cause I knew they wouldn't ask for my passport if I was denied,right? :-)  She told me to go to Window 70 and give the 2go delivery information sheet and after dropping the form,she told me I can go home already. Note: While waiting for the proper interview, be sure to fill up the form with all your necessary information so that you're just ready to hand it over at the window. I left the embassy at around 11:30 and feeling hungry already.lol But while waiting for a cab,an American man in his mid 30's or 40's I guess stood beside me and lit up a cigarette. He then started talking with me and he asked if I got approved. I told him I still have to submit some required documents. Then I asked if they got approved and he said yes. He accompanied his fiancee to the interview. Then I told him Congrats.He said this whole process is a lot of work and I couldn't agree more. I wanted to tell him a lot of waiting too but a cab stopped by in front of me and I bid the man goodbye. I feel happy for the people who gets approved cause they'd get to be with their loved ones in no time.

Well as for me, I still have to wait but I know that in God's perfect time I'll be with my beloved hunnie too. :) I told him what happened to my interview and he was happy for me all the same. He said he knew that I could do it. He cheered me up. We never lose hope for we know we have God,who's already at work and ready to fulfill all our plans. And I never forgot to pray while I was being interviewed. I asked Him to guide me throughout the interview and to give me the strength and the wisdom I need to be able to answer everything the interviewer will ask of me. And that He'll lead me to a good pre-interviewer and a good Consul. All my prayers were heard! God is so good!

June 14- when I sent an e-mail to the USEM inquiring about the status of my case. I sent one during the afternoon and when I checked my e-mail in the evening,lo and behold, the visa was already issued to me last June 10. I didn't expect the consular review to be that fast (it's only a week when the documents were forwarded to the Consul).But nevertheless I'm so happy and so is my fiance. :)) As soon as I received that mail, I hurriedly forwarded the good news to my fiance. I left a message on ym telling him to check his e-mail. Didn't tell the news right away. lol And when he saw my mail, he can't believe it either. He was so happy! He even asked me if I screamed after seeing the news.haha! He bet. ;P Of course, who wouldn't,right? I mean, the whole process wasn't easy. It's like going thru the eye of a needle. You're like competing in a race, striving to reach the finish line. And once you get to the end of the goal, it's such a great feeling. You feel so accomplished and successful! That's what me and my fiance felt. We felt like winners!
June 15 was the day when I got a hold of my visa. It truly was a remarkable day and I became quite sleepless. Yes because of too much excitement in my heart that very soon I'll be together with my man. I'm very much looking forward to that day I'll be with him and from that moment on, we'll be inseparable. I love him so very much! 
And most of all, I really thank God for He never left us during the entire process. I let God be in control of everything so that's what He really did. My Father is really an awesome God! All praises belong to Him! I love you Lord Jesus!

Crumbland - Feel You

This song reminds me of my fiance.Though we're 8k miles apart, distance isn't a hindrance and never will be. It just shows how much we LOVE each other and he's worth the wait. We'll be together soon hunnie! I can't wait to get married to you and have a fam of our own. God is already making a way - in His perfect time.

Medical Experience

First day: 26th of April 2011


I arrived at SLEC at around 9 am with my ever loving mom. :) Before going inside,the guard asked if I'm a US visa applicant and I said yes then he asked for my eligibility letter and passport. I showed him those and asked me if I have a photocopy of my eligibility letter. I forgot to photocopy it so he told me to make one.There are stores in front of SLEC so I headed there and photocopied my eligibility letter. It cost me 2 pesos for just a copy. >.<  (TIP: Never forget to bring a xerox copy of your eligibility letter or whatever documents you're going to hand them and also a black pen. I mistakenly brought a blue ink pin so I bought another one for 10 pesos. Can you imagine that?! When I could have bought one for just 5 or 6 pesos. Silly me. Oh well,there's nothing I can do about it now. ;P) So I went back to the guard and showed him my photocopied letter. He gave me my PDSF (PATIENT DATA SHEET FORM) and told me to fill it up to be submitted to the reception area.He then put a stamp in my hand and also my mom's. But he told my mom to just sit in one of the chairs there. So that's what we did since mom can't walk that well too. I went to this table like thing located in the left portion of the clinic and filled up the forms. One tip here: Make sure you know the address of your fiance and his phone number and if you have any relatives living in the US. I thought I was able to save my fiance's address in my phone but unfortunately,it wasn't stored there so I had to call my sister and asked her if she could look for my fiance's address in one of my files and send it to me ASAP. It took only a few minutes when I received a txt from her stating the address.Whew! Thank God,my lil sis is at home or else I wouldn't be able to write something in the address line. After filling up the forms,I went to the reception area and fall in line. The guard approached me and asked for my eligibility letter so I handed it to him together with my passport. Then he gave it to the receptionist and the lady told me to wait for my name to be called. So I sat down and waited for her to call me. It didn't take that long when she said my name. I went back to the reception area and she asked me some infos such as what is the type of my visa,when is my birthday,am I currently working,am I a college graduate (I didn't know a question like this would be asked..hmmm...),was I ever issued a US visa,etc.She also told me to submit 3 pcs.of my 2x2 pics in which I wrote my full name on the back of each pics. Then after that moment of truth LOL, she led me inside this room wherein she took a digital photo of me and did my finger scanning. After that,I was instructed to go to 5th floor to pay for my medical fee. I took the elevator. I'm glad there wasn't a long line at the cashier's area. So I paid the fee in pesos.The conversion for that day was 43 something. The total amount for my med.fee was 9,387.50 pesos. The standard rate for the medical fee in US dollars is 213.35. The lady then stapled the receipt along with my forms. She asked me to proceed to 3rd floor for my x-ray. I again gave my passport and my forms and she asked me when is the first day of my last menstruation.Thank goodness,I didn't forget the date.haha! Then she told me to sit down and wait for my name to be called.I went back to the lady personnel and asked me to sign in a bond paper. After which,I headed to the dressing room.I removed my top wear and wore a patient's gown. Just the top,okay? =) And remember to bring a clip or a ponytail .My ponytail wasn't in good shape anymore so the radtech fixed my hair again and pulled into a bun. How kind of her,right? :-)I uttered a prayer before the x-ray test began. I then proceeded to 4th floor for my blood extraction and urine test. I can say that until now my arm that got extracted is still bruised. OUCH! Believe me I'm not scaring you guys. Everybody has to undergo this test either you want it or not. Anyway after those tests, I went to 5th floor for my physical exam. They'll advise you to go the US counter to show your passport and again wait for your name to be called. There,I was given an eye test, vital signs test ( checking of your BP and pulse check ) ,height and weight measurement and of course,the PE itself. I was told to go to room #5. You'll be then asked to undress. Everything even your undies.Lol! But don't you worry cause you'll be wearing a patient's gown instead. While examining my body,she was asking me questions at the same time. Like if I took cocaine or any other form of drugs (of course I said NO),if my family has a history of illness,and did I commit suicide.In which I undoubtedly said NO. :) Remember guys to NEVER ever bother to say YES to any of those questions.If you don't want to be given a VISA denial. I mean it still is up to you if you want to give out an honest answer. This is just a piece of advice from me. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion.
After that I was told to go to the 2nd floor for my immunization interview. I approached the lady personnel but it seems like she was having her mood swings.haha! I was just standing there and waiting for her to get my passport and the receipt. At last,I showed it to her and she asked me if I'm already done with all the tests and I told her yes. She said to go back tomorrow at 9:30am for my immunization interview. It was kind of relief to hear that cause I've read that some were asked to have their sputum test. I felt sorry for my new found friend cause she was asked to do one and it's gonna take 2 months for the result to be given. :( Oh well,all I can do is pray for her and give her some words of encouragement. <3 
I, then, went downstairs to fetch mom. She looks starving already. hehe Sorry mom. So we went to Robinson's Place and I treated her to a Mongolian resto. And oh before I forget, my first day finished at around 12:30 to 1pm which isn't bad at all. I read that some applicants took longer hours in doing their medical. I feel blessed that it only took me 3 and a half hours! :)) It wasn't that great of an experience but I can say it's a fulfilling one. It just makes me feel getting closer to my future hubby. :-*




Second day: 27th of April 2011


I felt sick and had an upset stomach that I wasn't able to arrive at the scheduled time. My supposed to be 9:30 appointment turned out to be 10:30. An hour late,huh? ^.~ I entered SLEC premises and showed the guard my passport and receipt and then he stamped it with Immunization Interview 2nd Floor. I went up and gave the lady personnel my stamped receipt.She asked me to sit down again and wait for my name to be called. There were quite a lot of applicants waiting and I was happy I met this lady and her shy daughter. :) We had a good time talking with each other. But sad to say,she was also asked to undergo a sputum test. I cheered her up and told her that everything will be okay and that nothing is impossible with God. She's one cheerful lady and with a positive attitude like hers,I'm pretty sure she'll get a good result. Then I heard my name being called so I excused myself from them for a while. I went for an interview with a kind lady doctor. She asked me if I had chicken pox before and I said yes then she asked me if I could show the scar to her. I told her it was located on my belly but she insisted that I show it to her.LOL! She said I'll be getting 2 vaccine shots. Whoa! There goes the needle again. Then she told me to wait again for the actual immunization. I got out of the room and went back to my seat. Had a little chitchat again with the lady. After some time,my name got called and that ended my conversation with the cheerful lady. Too bad,I wasn't able to ask for her e-mail or something so I could add her up on FB. 
I went inside the immunization room and sat next to this pretty nurse. She asked me some questions and then I showed her my vaccination record.Thank God,I brought it with me. I was only given one shot! woo hoo! What a pleasant day,I said to myself. Others were given 3 or 4 shots at the most. It must be really painful. Anyway, I had a good talk with the nurse too. She was friendly and even asked for my e-mail address so she can add me on FB.haha!  I got out of the room smiling and with only one shot given,who wouldn't care to put a smile on their face? (: I checked if the cheerful lady was still there and yup she was. She gave me a thumbs up sign (if the immunization went well or not) and I nodded my head and gave her a thumbs up sign. I know she was happy for me. Then we bid each other goodbye. I hope to meet them again. They seem like a nice family. 
Finally,I'm on to the last stage of the medical- the RELEASING PART. I sat down beside my mom and our stomachs are already growling. LOL!  We thought of going out to take our lunch first but I said I think it's much better to wait for the result first. She agreed with me. ;P We waited for like an hour or two for the result. Arrghh! I went to counter F and sat down in front of the male personnel. I again went into an interrogation (but I kept saying to myself,this will be the last so I have to endure it a little more :) ). He told me to sign at the back of my PDSF and he handed me my x-ray CD stapled to a vaccination worksheet. I knew I passed it! But he gave me back my passport and told me to just bring it on my interview. (As far as I know, SLEC will be the one to forward it to the US embassy. hmmmm... ) So as soon as I got home, I told my fellow PL members about my concern. And they told me that not to worry about it as some applicants also brought their passports with them too on their interviews. Whew! I felt kinda relieved. Thanks PL. They never fail to support and encourage one another. And one more thing that put me at ease was when I read the status of one VJ member and we were in the same situation. Her passport was also returned to her and was told to bring it on her scheduled interview. I'm positive that we both passed the medical exam. :)
All thanks to God for making this medical journey a successful one. To God be the glory! 

First Blog ;)

Wow! for two years since I became a registered user of this site,it's only now that I get to start posting my blog. haha!