http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/
Although I don't agree with everything he says, I am quite an avid reader of Gopalan Nair's blog. In many ways, it reminds me of why I left Singapore.
Troy often wonders why I don't like Singapore. I told him it's too long and complicated of a story. It is not the usual tale of the immigrant leaving some poverty-stricken third world country. In fact, the Singapore gahmen is far richer than the US government. And I think the unemployment rate is a fair bit lower.
BUT, I could never shake the feeling that the gahmen doesn't give a sh*t about me. At all. It only wants me NOW because I am a young, healthy, well-educated person who has quite good ability to contribute to the economy. If you are old or in poor health or unemployed or have special needs or for some other reason "don't belong" (e.g. homosexual), the gahmen pretty much can't wait to get rid of you, even if you are a citizen. THEY DON'T FREAKING CARE.
My first day of school at my alma mater Victoria Junior College, the principal said, You guys are the cream of the crop. I want you to get as many As as you can at the A levels, for the glory of our wonderful school. (In other words, I don't give a sh*t about you or your aspirations or your personal growth, just make sure you get all As so that we can still be Top 5 JC.) -- does that totally exemplify the gahmen's attitude or what! I still look back at VJC days as the most traumatic 2 years of my life.
Some day I am going to be old. Some day I may be unemployed or have medical needs. Some day I may have children with special needs. (A family I know emigrated to Australia to get special needs services for their son.) Even if my kids didn't have special needs.. if they are anything less than "very smart", they are pretty much screwed. I DO NOT feel that I can count on the gahmen to come to my assistance if needed. They will only do what is the best for them, end of story. I am just a little cookie in a cookie-cutter land. If I am somehow non-satisfactory, they will crush me, destroy me, and import another cookie to replace me.
Yup, so that's reason number 1. I have a lot more.. I am writing all of this down because it helps me sort out my thoughts. I don't know if anyone who reads this will understand the way I feel. I often feel very misunderstood, like the wedding invitations hoohah. Maybe I just don't think like other Singaporeans, which is why I never belonged in Singapore. Who knows.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
I am a PERMANENT RESIDENT of the USA!!!!!! :))
Joy oh joy, we had our interview today and got APPROVED! :))))))) The whole thing lasted less than 10 minutes, and was probably the easiest interview I've ever had in my life. ;) So much for all the horror stories eh?
We waited about 15 minutes in the waiting room, then got called. Followed the officer to his office, where he had my USCIS folder in front of him. Wasn't too thick, unlike some of the others in his office. ;)
Asked Troy:
Full name, address, phone number, place of birth, social security number?
Me:
Full name, phone number, place of birth, social security number, parents names, my profession?
Asked me if I have ever been arrested, deported, involved in terrorism, claimed to be a US citizen, etc. (All NO, obviously!)
He asked us, where did you meet?
He asked to see Troy's driver's license and my passport. Asked if I brought anything else I WANTED to add to my file. He didn't appear to want anything. I gave him our phone bill and a more recent bank statement. I showed him about 5 pictures - told him we didn't have too many because Troy hates pictures. He laughed. He didn't look at the phone bill or bank statement, just took them. He glanced at the pictures and gave them back.
Then he said, well, it looks very straightforward. You're approved and you'll get your green card in the mail in about 2 weeks. We said, great thanks!
No trick questions or anything! Approved in 2.5 months - how speedy is that?!
Can't wait to get my green card, which allows me to live and work in the US indefinitely, plus travel in and out of the US anytime I want!!!! No more of that %#$*@ work permits and visa paperwork!! No more waiting in the LOOOOOONG "aliens" line at the airport and dealing with grumpy I-think-you're-a-terrorist airport officials! No more fear of being denied entry into the US!!!!! (Last summer I was afraid of crossing the border to Canada when we were at Niagara Falls).
Whole process cost me something like $1800 though. Could have been a Disney World or Caribbean honeymoon, but alas it was not to be. :P
We waited about 15 minutes in the waiting room, then got called. Followed the officer to his office, where he had my USCIS folder in front of him. Wasn't too thick, unlike some of the others in his office. ;)
Asked Troy:
Full name, address, phone number, place of birth, social security number?
Me:
Full name, phone number, place of birth, social security number, parents names, my profession?
Asked me if I have ever been arrested, deported, involved in terrorism, claimed to be a US citizen, etc. (All NO, obviously!)
He asked us, where did you meet?
He asked to see Troy's driver's license and my passport. Asked if I brought anything else I WANTED to add to my file. He didn't appear to want anything. I gave him our phone bill and a more recent bank statement. I showed him about 5 pictures - told him we didn't have too many because Troy hates pictures. He laughed. He didn't look at the phone bill or bank statement, just took them. He glanced at the pictures and gave them back.
Then he said, well, it looks very straightforward. You're approved and you'll get your green card in the mail in about 2 weeks. We said, great thanks!
No trick questions or anything! Approved in 2.5 months - how speedy is that?!
Can't wait to get my green card, which allows me to live and work in the US indefinitely, plus travel in and out of the US anytime I want!!!! No more of that %#$*@ work permits and visa paperwork!! No more waiting in the LOOOOOONG "aliens" line at the airport and dealing with grumpy I-think-you're-a-terrorist airport officials! No more fear of being denied entry into the US!!!!! (Last summer I was afraid of crossing the border to Canada when we were at Niagara Falls).
Whole process cost me something like $1800 though. Could have been a Disney World or Caribbean honeymoon, but alas it was not to be. :P
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Updates!
It's been a happening week!
Finally mailed/gave out all the invitations!!! And people are starting to respond already - WOOOO!! :) We have friends who booked their flights to fly in from several different states, makes me feel so touched and loved. :) And of course my parents are flying halfway across the globe. AND my brother might be able to come after all - yay!
I got many compliments on how cute the invitations are *braaaag*. Haha. Quite happy with the way they turned out, especially since they are quite low-budget. :)
Also, my mom sent us a very generous ang pow, which couldn't have come at a better time really. And my super speedy bridesmaid Dianamari also got us our very first wedding present - an indoor grill, which arrived yesterday. :)
And people have been so great about helping out. My dear bridesmaid Charlotte sent me pearl earrings from Indiana (because I mentioned I needed some to match my necklace), and my MOH Johanna's mom very sweetly made a veil for me out of my MIL's veil! It was just mailed to me this week too. MIL's veil (that her mother made for her) was too long and umm.. a little old-fashioned, so Johanna's mom helped to alter it for me. I have NO sewing skills. :p
So yeah, I feel very loved.
Also I received notice that my employment auth is extended for another year - yay. :) Although I won't need it once I get my green card, but at least I don't have to worry too much about when the GC arrives. I am becoming quite the expert on immigration paperwork. :P
Finally mailed/gave out all the invitations!!! And people are starting to respond already - WOOOO!! :) We have friends who booked their flights to fly in from several different states, makes me feel so touched and loved. :) And of course my parents are flying halfway across the globe. AND my brother might be able to come after all - yay!
I got many compliments on how cute the invitations are *braaaag*. Haha. Quite happy with the way they turned out, especially since they are quite low-budget. :)
Also, my mom sent us a very generous ang pow, which couldn't have come at a better time really. And my super speedy bridesmaid Dianamari also got us our very first wedding present - an indoor grill, which arrived yesterday. :)
And people have been so great about helping out. My dear bridesmaid Charlotte sent me pearl earrings from Indiana (because I mentioned I needed some to match my necklace), and my MOH Johanna's mom very sweetly made a veil for me out of my MIL's veil! It was just mailed to me this week too. MIL's veil (that her mother made for her) was too long and umm.. a little old-fashioned, so Johanna's mom helped to alter it for me. I have NO sewing skills. :p
So yeah, I feel very loved.
Also I received notice that my employment auth is extended for another year - yay. :) Although I won't need it once I get my green card, but at least I don't have to worry too much about when the GC arrives. I am becoming quite the expert on immigration paperwork. :P
Friday, July 9, 2010
Outrage!!!
Article from the ST:
I am appalled.
Jul 6, 2010
Help for problem preschoolers
If you read the article, you realize that what this particular journalist is talking about is really preschoolers with learning difficulties, or developmental delays. Instead of calling them that, she refers to them several times as "problem kids". OMG!!!!!!!!!!I am appalled.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
59 days?!
I spent the last couple of days updating our wedding website, and now it is finally (almost) done! For those who are curious, it is at: http://www.weddingwire.com/MeijieandTroy
The "About Us" and "The Proposal" parts took me a couple of hours to write, but am pretty pleased with how it turned out. It's been quite a while since I've done any kind of creative writing, and I'm surprised by how much I still enjoy it! Sometimes I still fantasize about being a writer.. Could still happen I guess. ;)
I finally completed my Clinical Fellowship yesterday, so I'm now a certified speech-language therapist! YAY!!! Pending all the paperwork, I am excitedly looking forward to a raise!!! (I've been too paiseh to ask how much of a raise though :P) And actually, I think my job is getting better every day, as I get more experienced. An unfortunate side effect of my job is that I now don't feel like playing with kids outside of working hours! Playing with a kid now just seems like work, and I don't want to do it without being paid. Hah!
Oh, and I also started a group on Facebook to connect with Singaporeans in the MN. We had our first meeting last week, there's about 6 of us around here. It was fun, but hanging out with them also reminded me of all the reasons I left Singapore. My pet peeves:
1. People who think everything bad that happens to them is because the other person is "racist", e.g. "I didn't pass my driving test because the tester was racist." Erm, did you ever think that maybe your driving just sucks?! Or maybe so-and-so just doesn't like YOU as a person, and your race has nothing to do with it!
2. People who complain that Americans don't know where Singapore is. Erm, do YOU know where every single country in the world is???? Where is Trinidad and Tobago? Or Bahrain? In fact, most Singaporeans have not the slightest clue about USA geography. Most Singaporeans would not be able to pin Minneapolis on a map of USA. Bet they could not even pinpoint NYC, California, Florida or Texas. I have friends who ask me, hey I'll be going to the USA, want to meet up? Erm, Arizona is about 30 hours away from where I am. Or, I heard there's a school shooting, are you ok? Erm, considering its about 3 states away, I think I'm ok.
BTW, I'm not saying I expect Singaporeans to know US geography. I'm just saying that everyone knows the geography of their OWN country the best, so stop saying Americans are dumb just because they don't know where Singapore is.
So yeah, now you know my top 2 pet peeves. :P Think there's more but I'm too lazy to think of them now. I'm just going to watch tv and laze around. Heh.
The "About Us" and "The Proposal" parts took me a couple of hours to write, but am pretty pleased with how it turned out. It's been quite a while since I've done any kind of creative writing, and I'm surprised by how much I still enjoy it! Sometimes I still fantasize about being a writer.. Could still happen I guess. ;)
I finally completed my Clinical Fellowship yesterday, so I'm now a certified speech-language therapist! YAY!!! Pending all the paperwork, I am excitedly looking forward to a raise!!! (I've been too paiseh to ask how much of a raise though :P) And actually, I think my job is getting better every day, as I get more experienced. An unfortunate side effect of my job is that I now don't feel like playing with kids outside of working hours! Playing with a kid now just seems like work, and I don't want to do it without being paid. Hah!
Oh, and I also started a group on Facebook to connect with Singaporeans in the MN. We had our first meeting last week, there's about 6 of us around here. It was fun, but hanging out with them also reminded me of all the reasons I left Singapore. My pet peeves:
1. People who think everything bad that happens to them is because the other person is "racist", e.g. "I didn't pass my driving test because the tester was racist." Erm, did you ever think that maybe your driving just sucks?! Or maybe so-and-so just doesn't like YOU as a person, and your race has nothing to do with it!
2. People who complain that Americans don't know where Singapore is. Erm, do YOU know where every single country in the world is???? Where is Trinidad and Tobago? Or Bahrain? In fact, most Singaporeans have not the slightest clue about USA geography. Most Singaporeans would not be able to pin Minneapolis on a map of USA. Bet they could not even pinpoint NYC, California, Florida or Texas. I have friends who ask me, hey I'll be going to the USA, want to meet up? Erm, Arizona is about 30 hours away from where I am. Or, I heard there's a school shooting, are you ok? Erm, considering its about 3 states away, I think I'm ok.
BTW, I'm not saying I expect Singaporeans to know US geography. I'm just saying that everyone knows the geography of their OWN country the best, so stop saying Americans are dumb just because they don't know where Singapore is.
So yeah, now you know my top 2 pet peeves. :P Think there's more but I'm too lazy to think of them now. I'm just going to watch tv and laze around. Heh.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Summer time
Hello summer is here! Official start of summer is June 21, which is my birthday, which was Monday. ;)
Had a little celebration with the man. Went to Olive Garden, which is one of my favorite Italian restaurants, then to the schnazzy new movie theater in St Louis Park to watch Karate Kid! Troy's been wanting to take me there since his friend told him about the BAR in the movie theater. Haha! Movie, popcorn, and boooze - perfect combo, no?
Anyway I can't decide which Karate Kid I like more. I thought Mr Miyagi was funnier than Jackie Chan, but I thought the portrayal of Beijing was pretty cool. Sure makes me want to go to China!
There were 20 - yes TWENTY - tornadoes in Minnesota last Thursday and it killed three people. :( None of them actually hit the Twin Cities, which is lucky because I'm sure the destruction and death toll would have been much higher.
My green card interview is scheduled for July 26! Think Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal. ;) Anyway my application has gone pretty smoothly so far, and really isn't taking too long at all. With any luck I'll be a permanent resident in 1-2 months - Woo!!
Had a little celebration with the man. Went to Olive Garden, which is one of my favorite Italian restaurants, then to the schnazzy new movie theater in St Louis Park to watch Karate Kid! Troy's been wanting to take me there since his friend told him about the BAR in the movie theater. Haha! Movie, popcorn, and boooze - perfect combo, no?
Anyway I can't decide which Karate Kid I like more. I thought Mr Miyagi was funnier than Jackie Chan, but I thought the portrayal of Beijing was pretty cool. Sure makes me want to go to China!
There were 20 - yes TWENTY - tornadoes in Minnesota last Thursday and it killed three people. :( None of them actually hit the Twin Cities, which is lucky because I'm sure the destruction and death toll would have been much higher.
My green card interview is scheduled for July 26! Think Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal. ;) Anyway my application has gone pretty smoothly so far, and really isn't taking too long at all. With any luck I'll be a permanent resident in 1-2 months - Woo!!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Friends for Asia
Read about Friends for Asia on CNN yesterday and have been thinking about it since. Its a program in Chiang Mai that plans and provides lodging for foreigners to volunteer for 2 weeks or longer, at orphanages, shelters, elephant camps(!), etc etc etc!!!!! HOW AWESOME IS THAT. I am really excited about elephant camp!
So anyway, we'd like to go some time in the next 2 years. Whenever we save up the money and have the time, I guess. Can't wait can't wait can't wait. I haven't had a real adventure in sooooooooo long. So glad my baby wants to come with! I love my man.
So anyway, we'd like to go some time in the next 2 years. Whenever we save up the money and have the time, I guess. Can't wait can't wait can't wait. I haven't had a real adventure in sooooooooo long. So glad my baby wants to come with! I love my man.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Happy Memorial Day!
Ok I know nobody who reads this blog celebrates Memorial Day, but you guys get a long weekend too for Vesak Day right? ;)
Sooo, if you have been following me on fb, you'd know that I've been spending every weekend GARAGE-SAILING!!!!! OMG! Can't believe I've been in the US almost 4 years and never discovered this before!!! Although quite possibly there just aren't as many garage sales in Indiana as there are in Minnesota.
My latest acquisition is the Who Wants to be a Millionaire board game for $2. Troy and I have been having fun with it. ;) Also a bunch of vases for the wedding for 25 cents. Woooo!!
And of course a truck load of toys. HAHA. Most of them are 25 cents to $1, and they're in GREAT condition!! My preschool kids just LOVED the airplane I bought last week. ;)
Anyway, we're driving up north today to spend 2 days with his family and friends. So, happy long weekend!!!
Sooo, if you have been following me on fb, you'd know that I've been spending every weekend GARAGE-SAILING!!!!! OMG! Can't believe I've been in the US almost 4 years and never discovered this before!!! Although quite possibly there just aren't as many garage sales in Indiana as there are in Minnesota.
My latest acquisition is the Who Wants to be a Millionaire board game for $2. Troy and I have been having fun with it. ;) Also a bunch of vases for the wedding for 25 cents. Woooo!!
And of course a truck load of toys. HAHA. Most of them are 25 cents to $1, and they're in GREAT condition!! My preschool kids just LOVED the airplane I bought last week. ;)
Anyway, we're driving up north today to spend 2 days with his family and friends. So, happy long weekend!!!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Almost June
Hello, only 100+ days to the wedding!
The engagement pictures turned out well, I'm pleased. We ended up going with the "cheap" photographer ($1000 plus tip), so I was a little worried. But out of the 104 pictures, about 65 are decent and there are about 10 I really really like. :) Also my photographer's really sweet and easy to get along with, and super fast with getting back to me with the pictures!
My MOH Johanna and her sister Andrea visited us in MN this week, and we had fun doing some wedding stuff together. We went cupcake tasting with my awesome baker - she's CHEAP ($15 per dozen cupcakes), gave us 12 free cupcakes to taste, and is sooooo fast with replying emails, and free delivery!!!
All my vendors are pretty darn awesome so far, keeping my fingers crossed.
GARAGE SALES have started!!!! My new hobby is going to garage sales every weekend and getting a bunch of great bargains!! Last week I bought the cutest vintage Campbells mug for a quarter (its selling on ebay for $5), 5 ice cream glasses ($1), 4 jar mugs ($1), and a bunch of other glassware for $5. I'm going to use them for wedding centerpieces. I also bought some Little People toys for $2, and also got a Disney princess playdough set for free!!! Oh and I bought the cutest vintage Kodak brownie camera for $3, worth about $15. Troy and I are thinking of having an ebay business selling all our steals but I've been too lazy so far. ;)
Sooooo, life is good. Almost too good - it makes me fear that some calamity is going to strike soon. I mean, there are all kinds of horrible disasters on the news every night, I try not to let my imagination run overtime. :P
The engagement pictures turned out well, I'm pleased. We ended up going with the "cheap" photographer ($1000 plus tip), so I was a little worried. But out of the 104 pictures, about 65 are decent and there are about 10 I really really like. :) Also my photographer's really sweet and easy to get along with, and super fast with getting back to me with the pictures!
My MOH Johanna and her sister Andrea visited us in MN this week, and we had fun doing some wedding stuff together. We went cupcake tasting with my awesome baker - she's CHEAP ($15 per dozen cupcakes), gave us 12 free cupcakes to taste, and is sooooo fast with replying emails, and free delivery!!!
All my vendors are pretty darn awesome so far, keeping my fingers crossed.
GARAGE SALES have started!!!! My new hobby is going to garage sales every weekend and getting a bunch of great bargains!! Last week I bought the cutest vintage Campbells mug for a quarter (its selling on ebay for $5), 5 ice cream glasses ($1), 4 jar mugs ($1), and a bunch of other glassware for $5. I'm going to use them for wedding centerpieces. I also bought some Little People toys for $2, and also got a Disney princess playdough set for free!!! Oh and I bought the cutest vintage Kodak brownie camera for $3, worth about $15. Troy and I are thinking of having an ebay business selling all our steals but I've been too lazy so far. ;)
Sooooo, life is good. Almost too good - it makes me fear that some calamity is going to strike soon. I mean, there are all kinds of horrible disasters on the news every night, I try not to let my imagination run overtime. :P
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
It's May!
Wow, the year is almost half over. It'll be my birthday soon... TWENTY SEVEN! *gasp*
I am torn between feeling ooooold, but I'm also one of the youngest at work. And I'm still in my twenties. Soo.. I'm not really sure what I feel.
On the bright side, life is pretty much as I envisioned for 27. I've always wanted to get married at 26 or 27. Check. Got my Masters degree. Check. Job that I find meaningful and not too bad paying. Check.
Marrying my American white boy wasn't quite anticipated, but 人算不如天算, right? ;)
So, what lies ahead? We definitely want to buy a house as soon as possible since we'd like to stop renting and have our own home. It will be nice to not change addresses every other year. Also, Troy is absolutely dying to have a dog. I'm looking forward to the decorating and having an awesome kitchen. :)
I always planned to have 3 kids when I'm between the ages of 30-35. However, I am now kinda worried that the older I get, the harder the weight will be to lose, and pregnancy will be more complicated. Most American women have kids really young, and I REALLY don't want to be the old chubby mommy. I guess that goal is now revised to 29-34? Maybe we'll adopt some of our kids though so I don't have to worry too much about my biological clock tick-tocking away. Who knows??
Other news.. I filed my Permanent Resident papers yesterday. With any luck, the green card should arrive in my mailbox by the end of this year. I'm still planning on keeping my Singapore citizenship though, you know, just in case I want to apply for dual citizenship for the kids or if we move to Singapore. Both seem quite unlikely at this point, but again, 人算不如天算. IF (a very big if) we move to Singapore, it probably makes more sense to get PR.
Wedding planning is coming along fabulously, especially since I'm the only one planning it. :))) Life is so much easier sometimes without everyone giving you their unsolicited advice on what should be done. We are taking our engagement pictures next Monday and I'm excited!! I'm also getting my hair/makeup trial on the same day. Both my photographer and makeup artist seem awesome at this point, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Also, I am surprisingly allergy-free this Spring. I usually get hit BAAAAD for 2-3 days in April. Maybe I'm not allergic to the pollen in Minnesota. That's what I'm hoping anyway. Or maybe it just hasn't hit yet.....
I am torn between feeling ooooold, but I'm also one of the youngest at work. And I'm still in my twenties. Soo.. I'm not really sure what I feel.
On the bright side, life is pretty much as I envisioned for 27. I've always wanted to get married at 26 or 27. Check. Got my Masters degree. Check. Job that I find meaningful and not too bad paying. Check.
Marrying my American white boy wasn't quite anticipated, but 人算不如天算, right? ;)
So, what lies ahead? We definitely want to buy a house as soon as possible since we'd like to stop renting and have our own home. It will be nice to not change addresses every other year. Also, Troy is absolutely dying to have a dog. I'm looking forward to the decorating and having an awesome kitchen. :)
I always planned to have 3 kids when I'm between the ages of 30-35. However, I am now kinda worried that the older I get, the harder the weight will be to lose, and pregnancy will be more complicated. Most American women have kids really young, and I REALLY don't want to be the old chubby mommy. I guess that goal is now revised to 29-34? Maybe we'll adopt some of our kids though so I don't have to worry too much about my biological clock tick-tocking away. Who knows??
Other news.. I filed my Permanent Resident papers yesterday. With any luck, the green card should arrive in my mailbox by the end of this year. I'm still planning on keeping my Singapore citizenship though, you know, just in case I want to apply for dual citizenship for the kids or if we move to Singapore. Both seem quite unlikely at this point, but again, 人算不如天算. IF (a very big if) we move to Singapore, it probably makes more sense to get PR.
Wedding planning is coming along fabulously, especially since I'm the only one planning it. :))) Life is so much easier sometimes without everyone giving you their unsolicited advice on what should be done. We are taking our engagement pictures next Monday and I'm excited!! I'm also getting my hair/makeup trial on the same day. Both my photographer and makeup artist seem awesome at this point, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Also, I am surprisingly allergy-free this Spring. I usually get hit BAAAAD for 2-3 days in April. Maybe I'm not allergic to the pollen in Minnesota. That's what I'm hoping anyway. Or maybe it just hasn't hit yet.....
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