My US Tourist Visa Interview

Note: Hopefully, my blog could be of help to those who aspires to have one!

November 13, 2012/Tuesday

It was my eldest 16th birthday! I was up at 3 o’clock in the morning. I was supposed to prepare a festive breakfast for my birthday boy. But instead I was busy getting ready for my 6:30 am appointment at the US Embassy in Manila.

My son understood. Anyway, we could celebrate in the afternoon. He told me he asked God a US visa for me for his b-day wish… how sweet!

Left Cainta in a taxi cab at 4:15 am then arrived around 5am outside the US Embassy. There were already people lined up not far from the gate.

After two unofficial queues, the guard instructed the visa applicants to line up again in the tent area near the main gate of the embassy. There were 3 lines; one on the left is for the immigrant visa application, the middle one for the non-immigrants or tourists, while the right most are for the seafarers. Here the embassy staff members checked on my DS-160 confirmation letter and passport. They put an embassy bar-coded sticker at the back cover of my passport. And handed it back with a pink slip I need to fill with personal data.

Finally I entered the embassy. Inside, I walked through a metal detector while my bag and accordion file envelop went through the X-Ray machine.

Electronic gadgets like celfone, MP3, ipod, laptop, camera, and usb thumb drives are not allowed inside the embassy. Even food and bottled water are not allowed. In case you need to drink or eat, there is a snack stand inside the embassy holding area.

Outdoor Holding Area  / Photo source: Google

The guard asked me if I have water inside my bag. I said it was a bottle of cologne spray. She mistakenly assumed I have chewing gum in my mouth. She asked me to spit it out in the trash bin outside the building. Whoa! No way! I won’t hassle myself getting outside, so I swallowed the candy down my throat! There you go… gone in one gulp!

Then I was directed to a window to get a number. I was given 2001. Technically, I got the first number for the tourist visa applicants. Since my sked is 6:30am I headed straight to the NOX1 building which houses the consular services. Once inside, I walked through another security check. When done, I was ushered by embassy personnel to the left area of the building. There I filled up the pink form.

Inside NOX1 Building - Finger Scanning Area  / Photo Source: Google

STEP 1: Pre-screening
At 6:30 am, tourist visa applicants with numbers 2001-2010 were told to line up in front of the pre-screening windows area. Window 26 opened and I proceeded.

The pre-screener behind the window was a Filipina. I gave her my passport and DS-160 confirmation letter and pink slip. She asked my full name and birth date. It seemed there was a problem with my electronically attached photo on my DS-160 confirmation sheet. Good thing, I have a spare of my latest 2x2 photo. She scanned it and stapled it on my paper. She stamped the DS-160 confirmation letter with annotation to be filled by the consul officer. Then she took the pink slip and returned the letter and passport. I headed back to my seat waiting for the next step.

STEP 2: Finger Scanning
Around 6:45, the numbers were randomly flashed on the boards. My number came up fifth – 2001 at Window 16. Behind the glass was a hefty white American guy with a warm and friendly voice. He asked me my full name and birth date while glimpsing on his computer. He instructed me throughout the process. Then he stamped my DS-160 confirmation sheet “Captured”. He wished me with “Have a nice day!”

When it was done, I sat down in the front seats beside a man who happens to be a priest because he is a wearing black clerical shirt. I smiled at him. I saw the sign! God sent me a good sign.

STEP 3: Interview
The US Embassy personnel told us that Consular Interview will start at 7:30am and applicants need to keep an eye on the boards. Then the wait is over. Only one window opened and the first number came up on the boards. OMG! It was 2001, my number! 

Interview Area  /  Photo Source: Google

As I rushed to the window, I tell you, all eyes were on me! Such a pressure, not just because I was the first to be watched, the first to approved/disapproved, the first of… many, but also because of the pressure my 3-inch wedge killer shoes was putting on me! Oh, not to forget the 1 kilo accordion file envelop on my left hand.

But the embassy staff asked me to wait standing at the back of a young couple with their one year old baby girl. They were “expedite” case, they have no number. They’re given priority. The baby girl smiled to me. Oh heaven sent an angel! Ahihihi…It must have been the breakfast I missed! The young couple along with their little angel was given a US visa.

Now, it’s my turn; this time the interview was with a white American consul. He was a handsome man on his late 30’s I guessed. I greeted him good morning and he greeted me back and smiled. I handed him my passport and DS-160 confirmation letter. He then looked at my files in the computer and he started asking questions:

1.  Is this your first time to get a US Visa? Yes, it is.
2.  What is your purpose of travel to the US? Tourism
3. What places do you want to go to in the US? I want to see San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Hollywood
4. Do you have relatives in the US? Yes, I have a niece in California
5. Any brother or sister in LA? No
6. Where will you be staying? At my niece’s place in California
7. How is your niece a relative? Distant? Family? She is family
8. What’s her status? She is a US citizen
9. How’d she come to the US? She is married to a US citizen
10.  Are you married? Yes
11.  Where is your husband? He is an OFW in Canada
12.  What does he do? He is a warehouse shipper/receiver for Trenton Cold Storage
13  .How long is he in Canada? 5 years
14.  You have children? Yes
15.  How many? I have 2 boys
16  .How old are they? 14 and 16
17.  Where do they live? They live with me
18.  Who is paying for your trip? My husband
19.  Who is travelling with you? Just me, I’m travelling alone. My husband is unable to get a leave from work and my boys are in school
20.  Why is it now you’re travelling to the US? This is the only time my work permits me
21.  What do you do? I’m a consultant at the Kids Haven Intervention Learning Center in Pasig City
22.  How’d you become a consultant? I’m a licensed teacher
23.  So you teach? No. I only do tutorial
24.  And what is your job as a consultant? As a consultant I do audit and submit improvement recommendations for the school curriculum


I tried to be calm and confident the whole time. I made sure to keep an eye contact with the consul. I made short, clear, to the point replies, in a loud and clear voice.

He told me that my visa is approved and expect to receive the passport within 7 working days. I was like stunned, looking at him writing something on my confirmation paper. Then he looked at me while I whispered, “ok now?” He said something that I can’t figure out because I was blown away. All I said is “Thank you!”

The consul didn’t even ask for any supporting documents. My first US visa interview and I nailed it!

I was interviewed on a Tuesday; the courier 2GO delivered my passport Friday morning. I was granted a 10 year multiple entry visa.

I thank God for giving me a generous consular officer! I thank God for those people who prayed with me and who supported me. I thank God that everything went off smoothly. All praises to God!

A Mother’s Boys II Men: Dating Girls

     There is no way around it!  I had to face it!  Or do something I wished my teenage sons could avoid: But my boys are going to date girls!

     In these days of SMS, text, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Viber and the like where one could easily get ‘good vibes’; I get to accept dating as a normal adolescent life stage experience for most teenagers.

     As much as I don’t want my boys not to engage in boy-girl relationships, the desire to have a special someone is part of the journey.  As for my teenage sons, they go along because they are conscious to try something new that other friends are doing. Or it seems to be unavoidable not to get noticed, attracted and interested in this age and time.

 Renz with Mikee

     Anyway, as my boys entering puberty, I always make it clear that they need to be aware of their ability to impregnate a girl.  Remember the raging hormones of teenagers, they feel overwhelmed with the existent of their first love, 2^nd love, 3^rd… and the idea that they are behaving in an adult manner fascinates them.

     And many young people are not fully capable of understanding all the possible consequences of this adolescent emotional issue.  Due to their hormones, they are not thinking their actions through. Yeah! Blame it on the infamous raging hormones that need to be addressed and managed.

     This is the time to teach them about responsible behavior– the rules and limits of dating.  Help them reassess their moral values. Most importantly I should be sure that they know about the responsibility they have to themselves, their bodies and their dates. I need to teach my teens to treat those they date with respect. 

    My teens are in the transition from child to adult. Dating helps them to feel independent and mature. It's a step forward into "grown-up" behavior. My boys and I always talk, talk… I always tell them, “don’t get too physically close, and please do not engage in any sexual activities!”

    There! Prepare myself, equip them! (Not with condom). Push them hard to study! Engage them on sports! Fascinates them with Lebron James shoes! Feed them pasta and pizza! Threat them!

   What a mother could do best is to be ‘around’ for them and say a little prayer, No! Lots of prayers!

A Mother’s Hunger Games: Bento for My Boys

           Who wouldn't want to appease their children’s hunger? As much as make them enjoy every bite? To ensure that my teens get to eat their lunch in school, I have to be creative in preparing their packed lunch.  With the help of the ever reliable Google and some culinary pages, voilà! I started my bento! 

         The meal was more than enough to satisfy their hunger and curiosity.  It is both a feast to the stomach and the eyes. My styled bento is more appreciated.  Gone are days with the boring packed lunch my kids used to have.

         And they’re so proud of mommy in school. They’re gaining popularity because of the bento!   There are times teachers ask my boys to show to the faculty their bento. There are instances; teachers and classmates take picture of it.  So I decided doing photos of my boxed lunches and share it on FB pages. I Hope to inspire other moms or dads to make bento for their children. And hopefully make my boys “get” what I do!

        Of course, I make sure that my bento is what my boys really like to eat. My recipes are the basic and made from ingredients that are readily available in our place. I do “Pinoy” style bento or “baon” and at times the "oekakiben" or "picture bento", which is decorated to look like people, animals, or items such as flowers and plants.

No, I don't photograph everything I make!  I’m on a timetable or else my boys will be late in school.

 
 

For more photos to share. Dig in! at http://www.flickr.com/photos/bento_nini/

*Bento (弁当 bentō^?)^[1] is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container.

* en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento 

my bento tools

Me And My Blog

Nini is writing notes of some important and funny events on raising her 2 boys. She is a typical stay-at-home mother while her hubby is working miles away from home for years now. Her blog is to share and to inform with parents or alike going through similar situations she has experienced. She is working hard and praying diligently on her relationships with her two boys – the source of both her greatest joys and most consuming worries.

Hope this site provide a simple way for family and friends stay connected from different parts of the world by sharing stories, photos, videos and more.

Blogging brings like-minded people together. So express your thoughts and opinions.

God bless,

Nini

Killing Boredom

      Books are one of my best friends. It is easy to grab one. In my boredom, I take delight in reading. Reading consoles me in my sorrow. As Tom Bissell says "Reading gives someone to think about other than one's self". It allows my mind to picture what the author is trying to make people visualize from the story. It's like you can travel the world without even leaving your chair when reading.

My Book Collection

      Of all the books I have, on top of my list that I love to read over and over again are The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Veronika Decides To Die, The Alchemist, Aleph, all by Paulo Coelho,Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom, Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love, The Greatest Miracle In The World by Og Mandino, Dekada '70 and Gapo by Lualhati Bautista,The Woman Who Had Two Navels by Nick Joaquin, For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway, Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Tender Is The Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

      I also love reading self help books.  Some favorites are Handling Difficult People by Dr. John Townsend, Happiness Now by Andrew Matthews, Your Past Does Not Define Your Future by Bo Sanchez, and Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project.

     Reading becomes an indulgence because I cannot help it but buy a book every time I visit a bookstore. I have a collection of different books and literature. For the sake of variety, I read novels, self-help, essays, dramas, poems, trivia, recipes etc. I guess I am old school.  Although ebooks are the new thing, I will go for real books.  I like the feel, the smell of an actual book in my hands, flipping through the pages!

    Reading keeps my sanity. I have never-failing companions like Our Daily Bread, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Kerygma. It is a storehouse of knowledge, wisdom and virtue to guide me in this life.

Reading helps me enrich my mind and vocabulary, extent of my beliefs, and concerns about people and so on. 

     "Books can truly change our lives: the lives of those who read them, the lives of those who write them." - Lloyd Alexander

     What is important is that if you have a big block of time, or boredom, the best way to put that to use is to relax, or have fun, or learn new tricks, or find a book to suit you.

My Prayer Bowl

My Prayer Bowl

      My Prayer bowl is a constant reminder of my prayer intentions. I really wanted to be true to my promise to prayer requests of family members and friends, neighbors  or even strangers, who is ill or is going through a difficult time.  I used to make a list of my prayers on a paper but then as days passed by it get torn and crumpled. I remembered hearing about using stones as reminders for prayer. It was then I get inspiration for bowl with stone marked with the person's name, prayer needs and gratitude.

    This way I can keep my attention on my family, my friends, and others with specific needs, and to give praise and thanks for all the blessings I have received. (1 Thessalonians 5:17 Never stop praying).

    My bowl is always full. And there's no guarantee that every prayer is granted. Anyhow, I trust and thank the Lord everyday for whatever answer He gives me.