Maricel's Interview???????

[Peter Lee]

Ok here is the update:
Philippine time Fri 4am Maricel went to the American Embassy with her appointment slip and all the extra papers incase she is asked for them and nice dress shoes and clothes ready for the interview.  
Maricel calls me my time Thursday 10.30pm must be her time Fri 11.30am.   She said she has to tell me something and it is hard to hear on the phone with the bad connection, so I tell her I will call her back.   I do, 10min later and we talk.   Well, Maricel how did it go?
Well it is like this, my first interview was with a Philippine lady who was kind and asked the basic questions.   I was asked to wait for the next interview which was fast coz I was so early.   The second interview was with an American woman in her late 40’s.  Maricel said she asked mostly questions of me the husband and none on her.   The 2nd Interview lasted 20 minutes;  She was very bad and asked a lot of questions.   She had examples of emails and snail-mails 6 of each chosen at St Lukes clinic.   The Investigator never read the letters or even looked at them.  Who is your petitioner?  Peter Lee.   How did you meet?  “We met in my Aunt’s house in Cebu.”  Why did your husband come to the Philippines?  Coz he was on vacation.   “Your Aunt was on the Internet looking for men for you wasn’t she?  “No, no mam.”  What was your Aunt doing on the Internet?  Why don’t you have more pictures of your wedding?  Is this all you have?   Why is your family not in your pictures?   “I am sorry mam but I have more pictures at home I did not bring them.”   Why has your husband never married?   “I don’t know mam.”  My husband explained a little that he was training a lot in the Martial Arts and was away in the Air Force that is all I know mam.”  How much money does your husband make?  “I don’ know mam.”  Why don’t you know?  He is your husband isn’t he?  “Yes mam but I am here in this country and he is there in his country and my husband said he would explain it to me when I get to the USA mam.”  Go to your waiting area!   Her two other Filipinas one with a spousal like her and the other with Fiancé visa who was with her in line get a piece of paper each with instructions.  One is for she thinks under investigation the other says to come back with another appointment.  Maricel gets no paper no instructions.   Maricel’s number is called to go to window 35 and told to go home and wait for her visa.   Maricel asks if there are any papers she should get.   The girl in the window 35 says “NO” go home and wait for your passport.   Maricel asks the guard if there is anything else she should do?   The guard says go home and wait for your passport.   Did I pass the interview?   Well you have no instructions saying you are missing papers and to come back, so you must have passed.
I tell Maricel to try to come back into the building and go to window 35 and tell them you want them to send your passport to your home address not the one they sent the appointment too in Cebu but your home in Banservil in Kapatagan Mindanao.   Maricel says she will try if they will let her into the building again as no one can go in without an appointment paper.   I told her to try as it is still the appointment date today and they may let you back in.   Maricel tells me she will try after lunch.   Meanwhile I call the Embassy and get a good connection.  I give the MNL number and they recognize the name.   I was told that if Maricel was directed by the window 35 to go home and wait for her passport than that is what is going to happen.   The Interviewer tells the person on the window 35 instructions on what to say and to whom.   But because the Interview was so soon he can not tell me if there is a problem or not.   Can you tell me for sure if she passed?   No sir, but if you call on Tuesday we will have the papers here and then I can tell you more.   If she didn’t get instructions to come back and no papers were missing she most likely passed and her passport will be sent 7 to 10 days from today by Fed Ex and there will be a 240 peso charge on delivery and she must sign for it.   The Embassy said that Maricel will most likely not be allowed back into the building and all she can do is go home and wait.  
So now I sit and wait for Maricel to call me back after she tried to get back into the building and go to window 35.   I call 2 hours later 3 times and “no coverage area” voice on the other end.   I was feeling kinda high today but now depression is sinking in.   What do they do with those that have the papers but lack the approval of the Interviewer to pass their Interview?   Do they send them home waiting for a passport that will never come?   Send them home to find out later that they are under investigation?   I am thinking the worst and still hoping that everything will be ok and the passport will be sent.   Apparently the Interviewer did not like Maricel’s answers.   She expected her to say I met Peter on the Internet and we met after many months of email.  But instead that really did not happen so the true story sounded like a fabrication.   I know these agents go off if they believe lies are being told.   But that was the truth we did meet in her Aunt’s house.   I did not come to see Maricel when I came to the PI.   I came to check out the situation first and did not expect to meet someone like Maricel so soon.   Any way a 40’s woman seeing a 20 year old married to a 60 year old guy must have got her goat for sure.   But now I don’t know what Maricel’s status is.   I can only guess that it is ok.   Any suggestions? Comments??  I never thought it would turn out this way.   At least I was expecting to know one way or the other for sure if she passed or not.  
I call Maricel back and get out of coverage area; I try again and get it to ring.  Hello hon are you ok?   “Yes,”   I got back into the building and went to window 35 and told them about my address change.  They said ok it will be sent to the new address.   Did you ask them if you passed the interview?  “Well yes I tried again and the window said they did not know that information coz the papers get reviewed one more time before the passports are sent out.”  Maricel then tells me she text the other girl who was with her who was also a spousal visa.   She asked if she was given any papers?   “No” was the reply just verbal commands from window 35 that to go home and wait for her visa.   So I asked if Maricel wants to stay in Manila for any reason?   She said she wanted to go home as soon as possible and didn’t like Manila.   So she will be leaving on a ferry with mama a 3 day 2 night trip to Mindanao.   What I can remember when I asked Maricel was the American woman interviewer never smiled and was very business and serious.   She would not let you talk about anything but what she asked.   Maricel said she is probably a nice lady but that she is just doing her job.  So hon take out enough money from the ATM to pay the pension house and the ferry ride and food and please buy mama a new pocket book.  I think she earned it.  

[Howard]

... in response to Maricel's Interview?, posted by Peter Lee on Apr 2, 2004

P~

Congrats man... just a few more steps and she's here!

Keep the Faith!

H

[greg]

... in response to Maricel's Interview?, posted by Peter Lee on Apr 2, 2004

I'm Happy for You both. Btw, was watching the Bruce Lee movie "Game of Death", have you watched it? I'm wondering if He was murdered in real life?? I read that he died bench pressing weights. Ummmm my favorite Bruce Lee movie is "The Chinese Connection".

[Peter Lee]

... in response to Hey Son..Congratulations :O), posted by greg on Apr 2, 2004

Well Bruce died of a reaction to a headache pill.   He was good at what he did.  But didn't get into much grapling.  Jacky Chan is now my idole.  Chinese connection is where he did the fighting with out fighting remember.  But I am still not sure if she passed or not.  I thought she would be told if she passed or not directly not guessing if she did or not.

[senior citizen]

... in response to Maricel's Interview?, posted by Peter Lee on Apr 2, 2004

Hahaha.

Sorry, I am not laughing at your apprehension, but at how much things have changed in a quarter century. When I took Honey to get her passport after we were married, the "interview" consisted of being asked if we were legally married and checking her against the previously-married list, and a couple of polite questions for form's sake about where we met. Since I was retired military and not a young GI with his first "love" there was no real concern on the part of the embassy staff. Her forged papers as to the date of her birth (paid for by her family without my knowledge, I thought she was 22), breezed through with hardly a look at them. I suspect that unless they were redrawn in crayon they would have passed inspection. The man that did the interview congratulated us and we paid for the passport and picked it up on Monday (the interview was on a Thursday). Back then marrying a Filipina and bringing her to the USA was as easy as adopting a stray kiten. Of course, Honey was a very mature 16 year old. Intelligent and confident. She had more or less managed the folk's laundry business and was used to dealing with Filipino contractors and suppliers, which was much harder back then than even now. She was and is a sharp cookie.

Things sure have changed about the process. Glad we didn't have to deal with all thjis red tape.

[Peter Lee]

... in response to Re: Maricel's Interview?, posted by senior citizen on Apr 2, 2004

Yup, after 9-11 things will never be the same.   I didn't expect such a nasty interveiw and having a late 40's older woman doing the Interview didn't help.   She is probably seeing 35 yr old women marrying 50 year old men.  Then 25 yr old women with 55 yr old men.   Then she sees a 20 yr old and yup a 60 yr old man.  It must have put her over the edge.  If I was there and she questioned me why I married a young Filipina I could say coz I don't ever want to be stuck with someone like you.  Then the guards would take me back kicking and screaming.  So it is good I didn't go.  They made the men sit by themselves while the interview thier wives.  And I was told that the questions are mostly about her.  Bull S@t it was 100% about me and how much I make and what I do for a living.  Well thank the Lord you didn't have go through it now.

[Humabdos]

... in response to Maricel's Interview?, posted by Peter Lee on Apr 2, 2004

If you hurry you sill have time to fix your pisot. Then you will be a virgin again!
Hum

[Peter Lee]

... in response to Great news Peter!, posted by Humabdos on Apr 2, 2004

You guys are picking on my pisot!!  I can always get a circumcision but you can never grow it back.  I studied the history of circumcision, it goes back to the Egyptians, interesting but I don't care to become part of the circumcision cult.  Lets all keep our hats on unless you go inside LOL.  http://www.circlist.com/rites/history.html
I have no desire to lose my hat to become a virgin.  In 46 years of Martial Arts training I never wore a cup.  The hat was enough.

Another early Egyptian myth contended that God circumcised himself and the blood from his penis fell and created the universe.
Many Islamic theologians have insisted that Mohammed was born circumcised. Most Moslem youths, however, must wait to become "True Believer" until sometime between their adolescence and marriage, depending upon the sacred traditions of the various tribes. In some desert areas, tribesmen include circumcision in the wedding ceremony, using the bridegroom's newly-flayed penis in a test of his "manly strength" when he consummates the marriage aggghhhhhhhh!

[Ray]

... in response to Maricel's Interview?, posted by Peter Lee on Apr 2, 2004

Peter,

If she was denied, then they would have given her a written explanation. If they didn’t hand her a Section 221 (g) checklist informing her that her visa could not be processed at this time, then they aren’t asking for more information.

So relax, crack a bottle of champagne, and celebrate.

Congratulations!

Ray

P.S. A pocketbook? Wow! What a big spender! ROFL

[Nanz]

... in response to Maricel's Interview?, posted by Peter Lee on Apr 2, 2004

Well, as I remember mine back 2002 they told me to go to the window (which I forgot the window number) to pay the visa after my interview. Then, after that they instructed me to pay the delivery for my visa. That's it. They just give me the receipt after the payment and said to wait 7-10 days to deliver the visa. I thought they will give some papers or anything but didn't. If she was told the to pay the visa, so she pass the interview.

Good luck,
Nancy

[Peter Lee]

... in response to Re: Maricel's Interview?, posted by Nanz on Apr 2, 2004

Hi Nanz,

She was not told to pay at the window for the Fed Ex.  Just told to wait 7 to 10 days for her visa.  I thought it stange not to have to pay at the window.  I called the Embassy and they said she pays the Fed Ex on delivery 240 peso.   So I was not told that and it must be a new policy to do that.  Ihe woman who was giving the iterview was the worst nightmare I have heard of any interviewer.  No comments either way on if she passed or not after a grilling 20 min interview.  But I suppose as Maricel said she was just doing her job.

[Humabdos]

... in response to Re: Re: Maricel's Interview?, posted by Peter Lee on Apr 2, 2004

Hi Peter,

Just relax... now that Maricel's interview is over.They  are reviewing the papers for extra security check.
Congratulations anyway and Godspeed!!!

Sallie(Hum's wify)

[Peter Lee]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Maricel's Interview?, posted by Humabdos on Apr 2, 2004

Thanks, I hope ur right.  I will call the embassy on Tue to make sure anyway.