hey Sooner - lol re the Mrs. i didn’t go anywhere to get her - at least at first. we actually met on the internet a few years ago. she and i were both members of a foreign language website, like penpals. i am learning Mandarin Chinese and so we would write and Skype. She in English, me in Chinese. After about 3 months it was pretty obvious we weren’t just friends. and i went to visit her and her family. later, the visa was no trouble at all. the state department wants to be sure it isn’t some sort of business transaction (get her a visa, she pays me money). but with years together and many trips to China they could see it was legit. also, the two of you must not have any serious criminal record. the only other thing they make sure of is that you have a certain level of wealth - cash, income, and/or property. they do not generally support granting visas to couples that will have to be immediately access public benefits. makes sense. anyway, the ‘fiancee’ visa is a K1 and takes 3 to 6 months to complete processing. then it’s good for 4 months. you have to be married within 90 days of your spouses arrival in the states.
Thanks Sibs, that’s interesting. I assumed at first you meant she was Chinese American and then was wondering how you met but was afraid to ask.
I’ve flirted with a few waitresses in Chinese resturants but it never went anywhere. Sooner, try using chopsticks and asking a cute waitress if she can help you with them- it’s a great conversation starter. Even better pick up a set of nice chopsticks like a pair of metal Korean ones and bring and use them, I’ve had several pretty waitresses ask me about my ‘special chopsticks’.
i think the best way to charm an Asian or Asian-American woman is the same as any other. which is to say, no 2 women are ever the same - whatever their ethnicity. each one is completely different. lol! if you live in a place where there are few asians, i could see that the unique beauty of the woman at the local asian restaurant may compel you to try the ‘special chopsticks’. but really, they are just like any other woman. years ago, i met my korean gf in a Psych class at San Jose state university. i dated a Vietnamese girl for a while, met her at a dance club in San Jose. i worked with a Pinay girl and we dated a few times. also in northern California. and no - i do not have ‘yellow fever’. lol! most of my gf’s an women i dated were not asian or asian-american.
all this said, i would be lying if i did not say that there are many asian women in china and elsewhere that are very interested in meeting an american man for a serious relationship. i can’t recommend one way of meeting someone over another, but love and relationship missions all have the same risks - and rewards - no matter the operational details.
Hey there! Still in China and in Guangzhou now. Fly to Shanghai this afternoon and Boston tomorrow. Finally found a real model shop yesterday and looked to buy a Nate for the Japan GB but only found 2 ‘double sets’ and all 1:72. No worries though. Going back to the shop this morning and if they don’t have a solo Nate and/or 1:48 then I will take it as a sign from the plastic gods to buy my first ship kit. I look forward to relaying my China travelogue and plastic adventures in the Far east to you all. Probably as a series of installments after I am back in Maine. The thing is, I thought I “wanted” a certain kind of plastic experience here in China, but what I got was instead better and what I “needed” - if you follow my meaning. … Had a great Valentine’s day with the mrs and I will keep you posted.
Sibbers
(This post was, “Made in China”, under license by Lone Moose Media.)
Hello my peoples! i am back in Maine! got in yesterday morning at about 0200. i am jet lagged to no end. but after some sleep will put in my first travelog entry - going all the way back to the afternoon of Tuesday, January 26th. I have already checked in with you that morning, but in the afternoon i boarded a jet for Shanghai… looking forward to taking you through the days. BTW, in case anyone is interested, trying to keep a DAILY travelog is a horrible idea! and impossible in my case! lol! but with my notes, pics, receipts, and other ephemera - it is better to write a daily account AFTER the trip is over… (IMHO)…
I came back with a total of 13 models of various types, sizes, materials and skill levels…
There and Back Again ~ or ~ A Plastologist in the People’s Republic of China In a man-cave in Maine there lived a scale modeler. Not a nasty, dirty, dark cave, filled with assorted nonsense, the sprue-bones of failed builds, and an acetone smell. Nor yet was it a spartan, bare, boring place with empty workbenches, no music, and nothing to eat. It was a scale modeler’s man-cave, and that means comfort.
Author’s Notes
I take great pleasure in many of life’s opportunities. Traveling to foreign lands, modeling, creative writing, etc. The telling of this tale allows me share the details of my recent China trip with my fellow scale-modelers (my secret name for us is “scalmods”, yes, it does sound like a skin disease…). It was the first time I ever set-out to keep a record of each day from a scalmod perspective. And it was a lot of fun!
You already know how exciting the ‘hunt’ is…don’t you? Yes. You do. It’s the elevated heartrate and happy feeling you get when you notice model boxes on a table at a yard sale while your feet and hands have already started to pull over to the curb. It’s the feeling you get when you see a kit on ebay that is selling for 50% of retail. The ‘hunt’ is an awesome part of our hobby. I had a few things to hunt for in this foreign and unknown plastic landscape; scale model shops, shops with some models tucked in to their shelves, bargain prices, and also to get a photograph of the typically shy and wary (just as we are) scalmoda asiatica; better known to us as a native Asian scalmod.
I dare say, to beat this hunting metaphor into utter bits, that many of us are sustenance hunters – buying only kits we need and have time to build. But most of us are trophy hunters. We take pride and have a sense of well-being as we look upon our stashes. These collections of dreams, and bittersweet memories are more than just beautiful box art and plastic. Who among us would disagree? (rhetorical question – do not respond with an answer)
There’s more to our hobby than any outsider could see or feel. But is it the same across borders? Do scalmods in other countries also have OCD when it comes to modeling? Do their friends, family and colleagues all shake their heads in bewilderment that we scalmods think of our practice as art? Is introducing yourself to the object of your affections as a scale modeler, the wrong thing to do in China – just as it is here in the USA?
Will I continue to write these entries in the same overwrought and clichéd style? Most likely. Will I attempt to use so many 25₵ words that I will not have any leftover to use in the Forums? Let’s hope so. These and many other questions will be answered. I thank you all for waiting patiently for this diary. Now that I have recovered from the jetlag and am back on my meds I should be all set to write each day. (I always tell people that the Army pension may not be a lot, but all the drugs are free. J)
Hereafter begins the tale of your brother-in-plastic as he travels to the other side of the world. All the victories and setbacks and great meals and bizarre foods, the squat-toilet accidents and the mispronunciation of vital words… We will not focus on cultural contrasts and certainly not invoke any racial stereotypes. This is FSM Forums not Comedy Central. Suffice it to say that a foreigners time in China is spent under the curious gaze of every – yes, every – person you will see. The Cantonese word for foreigner translates into ‘ghost person’. Let’s leave it at that. The only people we will make fun of, as usual, is ourselves.
See you next time in the skies over the north pole.
HAHAHAHA! my first job after my 9/11 deployment was as a TSA screener in Cali. LOL! And you are correct! there are many trolls among them. and some amazing people that do good work day in and day out - by the book. i was only on ‘the line’ for a few months then got an admin/pogue job at the Regional Federal Security Director’s office nearby. man, the crew i joined were all roll-overs from the civillian security workforce that was in-place before 9/11… they had a little bit of every flavor of crazy! Ha! it was like custom made characters for a sitcom! i left as soon as i got my CBP acceptance letter. but then the old family place here in Maine went on the market and we bought it right away, so no CBP. but i did reenlist in the MEARNG and got a cool job guiding outdoor expeditions… everything happens for a reason i guess…
hey Gamera - i only lost one very cool butane lighter to Chinese screeners on the way back here. On the way there, i had a Zippo (for my father in law, a used one i had in the Army, he was a PLA infantryman) in my checked back which set off the screening device. fortunately the luggage inspection officer was lenient and let me keep it. i think it helped that i was able to tell her it was my father-in-law’s christmas present! the bag was full of christmas gifts so i think she got caught up in the spirit of the season!
Oh no problem brother! no, i wasn’t upset. Seriously. Winding up your friends? That’s SOP for me. The only way your comment could have been better is if we both knew i used to work for TSA. then i would’ve really LOL’d. and i really can’t remember the last i wasnt in smart-a$$ mode… maybe 1982ish…
it’s good to be back. thanks for the belated ‘welcome home’. never get tired of feeling proud of americans when someone says something like that to me. my experience tells me that most of the worlds soldiers get zero respect or gratitude from their people…
and dude - the TSA is ALWAYS funny material! always!
I’m not dead. I have been pondering some of the bigger questions of life and have been off forum for quite a while. Those questions are things like, which is right for me, Chapter 7 bankruptcy or chapter 11? LOL!
The continuation of the travelog will NOT be here in FSM forums. As I was writing it, it became clear it wasn’t appropriate for FSM Forums. I will be posting the travelog peices to my Google+ page. (Facebook and I broke up…) Search Google+ for anyamericanman@gmail.com and add me to your circles…
i didn’t go anywhere to get her - at least at first. we actually met on the internet a few years ago. she and i were both members of a foreign language website, like penpals. i am learning Mandarin Chinese and so we would write and Skype. She in English, me in Chinese. After about 3 months it was pretty obvious we weren’t just friends.