Finally!!!
1 year 4 months to get an interview, 8 months to appeal in court, and 1 year to get the visa.
My wife got an email with pick up instructions. We're doing the mail-in option.
Please provide two copies of your name, address and telephone number on separate labels or in the space provided below. If the delivery address is in China, please include the address in both English and Chinese. Note: This is the address that your passport will be returned to. No PO Boxes.
_____________
Subject: Visa is ready for pick up - B0572 87495
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 12:27:19 +0800
From: re-canadaimmig.hkong@international.gc.ca
To: IWantMyWifeInCanada.blogspot.com
Dear Wife,
Please refer to the enclosed Visa Pick Up instruction.
Yours truly,
Immigration Section
Consulate General of Canada, Hong Kong
12/F., Tower 1, Exchange Square
8 Connaught Place
Hong Kong
Web Site : http//www.hongkong.gc.ca
email: hkong-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca
______________
Yep, I did my happy dance
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Medical Examination Redux
My wife got a letter for an update of her records. Every step seems to take 7 months!!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
You Wouldn't Know
My wife says she wants to start her own business most likely to do with importing exporting clothing, next time I'm there we are going to Guangzhou to check out her source. Sounds good to me, if the Canadian government forces me to move out of here I can export goods with her (hardware I'm thinking), investing capital and creating wealth and prosperity in the Chinese economy.
I wonder if anyone from Canadian immigration has been separated from their wife for 3 years under Kafka.esque conditions.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Pre school
When we have kids, I'm sending them to pre-school. My wife doesn't want dogs are cats when the kids are young, a doctor over there told her it's not healthy for them.
from Wired
How Preschool Changes the Brain
We live in a world of scarce governmental resources, and they seem to be getter scarcer. This means it’s more important than ever to pick our public investments wisely. A new paper by Flavio Cunha, an economist at the University of Pennsylvania, and James Heckman, a Nobel Laureate at the University of Chicago, documents the wisdom of one particular kind of investment: Preschool.
While the economists cite a wide variety of research, their most impressive evidence consists of a few different studies that looked at the long-term effects of early childhood education. Let’s begin with the Perry Preschool Experiment, which consisted of 123 low income African-American children from Yspilanti, Michigan. (All the children had IQ scores between 75 and 85.) When the children were three years old, they were randomly assigned to either a treatment group, and given a high-quality preschool education, or to a control group, which received no preschool education at all. The subjects were then tracked over the ensuing decades, with the most recent analysis comparing the groups at the age of 40. The differences, even decades after the intervention, were stark: Adults assigned to the preschool program were 20 percent more likely to have graduated from high school and 19 percent less likely to have been arrested more than five times. They got much better grades, were more likely to remain married and were less dependent on welfare programs.
While the economists cite a wide variety of research, their most impressive evidence consists of a few different studies that looked at the long-term effects of early childhood education. Let’s begin with the Perry Preschool Experiment, which consisted of 123 low income African-American children from Yspilanti, Michigan. (All the children had IQ scores between 75 and 85.) When the children were three years old, they were randomly assigned to either a treatment group, and given a high-quality preschool education, or to a control group, which received no preschool education at all. The subjects were then tracked over the ensuing decades, with the most recent analysis comparing the groups at the age of 40. The differences, even decades after the intervention, were stark: Adults assigned to the preschool program were 20 percent more likely to have graduated from high school and 19 percent less likely to have been arrested more than five times. They got much better grades, were more likely to remain married and were less dependent on welfare programs.
Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/07/how-preschool-changes-the-brain/#ixzz0vSs28wPD
Monday, July 19, 2010
我们的房子 Wǒmen de fángzi Our House
I love hearing my wife say "wǒmen de fángzi 我们的房子" it's got such a nice ring to it when she says it. She, like all other Chinese, knows only one thing, buy a house!!!! Never mind real estate in Canada is gonna grind lower for years (it's starting) but above is a picture across from my work (stalkers come and try to find me),
I stare at these everyday at work when I call her (and soak in some Vitamin D3)
I showed her the website, since it's in Chinese. Since she's a real estate agent she loves this kind of thing. She thinks condos are 'houses.' lol I'm in trouble if she gets here, I have to keep her away from Markham somehow.
I stare at these everyday at work when I call her (and soak in some Vitamin D3)
I showed her the website, since it's in Chinese. Since she's a real estate agent she loves this kind of thing. She thinks condos are 'houses.' lol I'm in trouble if she gets here, I have to keep her away from Markham somehow.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
What Can We Learn About Free Markets from the World Cup?
from http://www.caseyresearch.com/displayCdd.php?id=482
As Spain’s Andres Iniesta scored the deciding goal against the Netherlands, another World Cup has come to an end. The World Cup is always a magical time – especially for impoverished countries. Entirely backward nations such as Ghana can actually face and defeat teams like the United States. Some other surprise victories this year included Serbia over Germany, Mexico over France, and Uruguay triumphing over many all the way to fourth place. Anytime a second- or third-world country competes against a bigger opponent, I’m always rooting for the small guy. Victory means so much more for them.
Strangely, these outcomes aren’t extremely uncommon in soccer. But why do they happen? The first world dominates these countries in nearly everything. At first, one could explain the difference by the nature of the game. This is a physical sport, and hence no special requirements are necessary, such as infrastructure, education, etc. Sure, that’s a partial explanation. But there’s much more to it.
For one, soccer may be the most privatized industry in the world (outside some stadium subsidies). Even in the most regulated kleptocracies, no one can stop people from playing soccer. The rules and regulations are the same globally. Governments don’t get involved – in many cases, for their own good. Regulate any industry, but touch soccer and you’re asking for trouble. After all, dictators want circuses and bread – regulating circuses does them no good.
With government out of the way and a high demand for the sport internationally, countries around the world have developed very successful clubs and teams. Even the most backward nations will have amazing stadiums and organizations. The sport is a sacred right of the poorest nations.
Soccer doesn’t face the same restrictions as most industries in the third world. So, naturally the sport will prosper. But the game is also much freer internationally. Professional players essentially have a run of the world – no pun intended. They are perhaps the only class of people with truly open borders. Because soccer is such an important game worldwide, citizenships are often immediately granted to talented foreign players. If not a direct grant, the route to citizenship is always smoother. Would you like to be the immigration officer to deny Manchester United their next top goal scorer? I don’t think so.
Players from African countries and Eastern Europe are commonly recruited into the best teams of Germany, Italy, England, and Spain. Your birthplace is unimportant; only talent matters. This is a free market principle in a very pure form. After training with and playing against the best teams in the world, these players return to their home countries for the World Cup. It should be no surprise that they can compete with German, French, and Italian players. They play alongside them regularly.
The story for the average citizen in these countries is the exact opposite. The local industries have been regulated into oblivion. The government has its hands in every business and every pocket. To accumulate skills becomes almost pointless as the only reward will be government theft. And suppose that you wanted to take your talents somewhere else. International immigration laws will impede every step, regardless of talent and skill.
Even if one gets into a prosperous country, he will not be treated like an arriving champion. Instead, the locals will despise him for working harder, better, and cheaper – the complete opposite of the soccer star. With a kleptocracy at home and worldwide immigration obstacles, it’s no surprise that much of the world remains perpetually poor.
With freedom Ghana, Serbia, Kenya, or any country could compete with super-powers beyond soccer. Natural resources and the rest are only footnotes. Just look at Luxembourg and Switzerland as examples. The World Cup teaches us an important lesson: Give individuals the freedom to pursue their dreams, and they can rise to the top. No matter where they come from.
As Spain’s Andres Iniesta scored the deciding goal against the Netherlands, another World Cup has come to an end. The World Cup is always a magical time – especially for impoverished countries. Entirely backward nations such as Ghana can actually face and defeat teams like the United States. Some other surprise victories this year included Serbia over Germany, Mexico over France, and Uruguay triumphing over many all the way to fourth place. Anytime a second- or third-world country competes against a bigger opponent, I’m always rooting for the small guy. Victory means so much more for them.
Strangely, these outcomes aren’t extremely uncommon in soccer. But why do they happen? The first world dominates these countries in nearly everything. At first, one could explain the difference by the nature of the game. This is a physical sport, and hence no special requirements are necessary, such as infrastructure, education, etc. Sure, that’s a partial explanation. But there’s much more to it.
For one, soccer may be the most privatized industry in the world (outside some stadium subsidies). Even in the most regulated kleptocracies, no one can stop people from playing soccer. The rules and regulations are the same globally. Governments don’t get involved – in many cases, for their own good. Regulate any industry, but touch soccer and you’re asking for trouble. After all, dictators want circuses and bread – regulating circuses does them no good.
With government out of the way and a high demand for the sport internationally, countries around the world have developed very successful clubs and teams. Even the most backward nations will have amazing stadiums and organizations. The sport is a sacred right of the poorest nations.
Soccer doesn’t face the same restrictions as most industries in the third world. So, naturally the sport will prosper. But the game is also much freer internationally. Professional players essentially have a run of the world – no pun intended. They are perhaps the only class of people with truly open borders. Because soccer is such an important game worldwide, citizenships are often immediately granted to talented foreign players. If not a direct grant, the route to citizenship is always smoother. Would you like to be the immigration officer to deny Manchester United their next top goal scorer? I don’t think so.
Players from African countries and Eastern Europe are commonly recruited into the best teams of Germany, Italy, England, and Spain. Your birthplace is unimportant; only talent matters. This is a free market principle in a very pure form. After training with and playing against the best teams in the world, these players return to their home countries for the World Cup. It should be no surprise that they can compete with German, French, and Italian players. They play alongside them regularly.
The story for the average citizen in these countries is the exact opposite. The local industries have been regulated into oblivion. The government has its hands in every business and every pocket. To accumulate skills becomes almost pointless as the only reward will be government theft. And suppose that you wanted to take your talents somewhere else. International immigration laws will impede every step, regardless of talent and skill.
Even if one gets into a prosperous country, he will not be treated like an arriving champion. Instead, the locals will despise him for working harder, better, and cheaper – the complete opposite of the soccer star. With a kleptocracy at home and worldwide immigration obstacles, it’s no surprise that much of the world remains perpetually poor.
With freedom Ghana, Serbia, Kenya, or any country could compete with super-powers beyond soccer. Natural resources and the rest are only footnotes. Just look at Luxembourg and Switzerland as examples. The World Cup teaches us an important lesson: Give individuals the freedom to pursue their dreams, and they can rise to the top. No matter where they come from.
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