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Wendy got her U.S. visa smoothly. Not many questions were asked at the visa office. The only exception is, the printer to print the U.S. visa broke down again so she needs to get her visa the next day.
We also booked flight tickets. Both of us fly with United Airlines. It seems Northwest is better but there are no seats available on the date we fly. Although we fly to U.S. on different date and different flight, we go back together. That is great. There are only middle seats, while I always love window seats.
Here are my itinerary.
1. WANG/JIAN SHUO
2. NH960 W SA04DEC PVGNRT HK1 0855 1235
3. UA876 Q MO06DEC NRTSEA HK1 1725 0850
4. UA938 Q SA11DEC SEAORD HK1 1409 2001
5. UA648 Q MO13DEC ORDEWR HK1 1330 1650
6. UA835 Q TU29DEC LGAPVG HK1 0900 1715+1
I like the format of the itinerary very much. Simple. Concise. It is a good balance between the computer world (the reservation system) and the human world (the people's understanding ability). It is nice!
Stays
I will stay in Seattle for 3 to 4 days, and stay in Chicago for 40 hours (almost two days) and start the two-week long east coast journey after meeting with Wendy in NEWARK LIBERTY airport (EWR). I may spend 3 days in Boson, 2 days in Washington D.C. and the rest in New York. It is based on the suggestion of the readers to spend as much time as possible in New York. Wendy loves New York after reading the National Geographic book on New York. So do I.
Audio Blog on the Trip
"Pacific Time", a radio program on public radio heard all over the US, kindly offered me to conduct some kind of audio blog for them. Their focus is about Asia and America and the connections between them. This focus matches the propose of my trip perfectly. It is more like a research project to learn the difference between the two countries than a vacation. Recording the first impression of the large cities in America is meaningful for me and for readers/listeners. I have accepted the offer and hopeful, you will hear the story soon.
They will lend me a MD (MiniDisc) recorder and a microphone and I could record my impressions and even a few bits of sound from the trip as I go along, and I also plan to go to the their studios in Boson, and Washing D.C and conduct the interview via ISDN lines. The plan is to broadcast the three installments in Dec by three weeks. When I arrive in Seattle, I guess the equipment will already wait for me in the hotel I stay. We agreed that I can publish the part they don't use onto this blog. Maybe I can get some $ for this to buy Wendy some really nice meal. If someone can sponsor a nice camera, I don't need to buy one in a hurry and I can share some of the digital photos with the sponsor. Just an idea... My Sony P8 is good but I need a more professional camera to take more digital pictures.
The Terminal, the Movie
I watched the The Terminal, the movie, tonight. It is a nice film - funny story, and nice actors and actress. I guess it may become another classic film like Sleepless in Seattle. However, I sensed a little bit unfriendliness in the film against China. Why at the beginning the flight has to be from Beijing and they mentioned China in a wired way in the film. It seems China is still the best eye-catching topic if the director has to find some mysterious and not-like-America land.
Posted by Jian Shuo Wang at December 1, 2004 6:34 PM
Copyright: You are free to redistribute this work, as long as you keep this disclaimer
and this link: http://home.wangjianshuo.com/archives/20041201_us_trip_update.htm
Mr. Wang,
While in New York, don't forget to join the shopping excitement on the Boxing day - 26 Dec., trust Wendy'll like it.
Stephen
Posted by: Stephen on December 1, 2004 10:51 PMHi there,
congratulations to you and your wife on getting the visa!
I wrote you an email (see your hotmail account for details) about being able to offer you guys some limited help when you are around DC area (such as staying at my home at no cost). But it may create inconvenience to your travel itinerary. Also, if I can be of help in any other way, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Yihua
Hi there,
Too bad you cannot make it to the San Francisco bay area this time. You should definitely drop by here next time!
New York should be very nice during the holiday season. Enjoy!
-David
Posted by: David S. on December 2, 2004 3:38 AMHi there,
I'd like to know which visa-type Wendy is applying for. I guess you are holding B-1, what for her? which docs are required for her visa type for a US trip? Thank you very much.
Posted by: whsheng on December 2, 2004 12:31 PMIt seems so many people in relation with China, or Asia live in San Fransisco. It is the west gate to the States. I paid additional money to transit at Tokyo and I will stay in Tokyo for about 60 hours. I guess the trip is more interesting to add an additional country, instead of a city
Posted by: Jian Shuo Wang (external link) on December 3, 2004 5:38 PMBring more coats to the States. I experienced the cold Boston last winter; this winter in the NYC may be another torture for me. Check out forcasts of those cities at www.weather.com
I guess the coldness may unfortunately and ultimately keep you and wendy's trip most likely indoors. In case you are clueless as to the places of interests in Boston, Chicago and the NYC, the easiest way for dummies (though you are way smarter) is to purchase discounted tickets to various great muesums in advance at www.citypass.com.
Bon voyage!
Posted by: John on December 4, 2004 1:04 PMI guess it was difficult to get the visas for you - did you have to write your underwear size an so on ? A US visa can be tricky. I guess it helped that you own private property !
I saw the "Terminal" movie too, but didn't sense the unfriendliness, I will have to see it again !
Posted by: carsten on December 7, 2004 8:06 AMTo get a shore passs is definitely a nice topice. It is interesting. If I use one word to describe the experience to get a Japan shore pass, it is "Easy". I didn't fill in any form - the ANA staff (signed as captain) helped.
Posted by: Jian Shuo Wang (external link) on December 7, 2004 2:44 PMThe reason you probably see a tour group from China featured in The Terminal is because Asian tour groups are famous for traveling with cameras. Many Americans see these tour groups and the camera becomes a stereotype. Japanese are especially famous for always having cameras with them. But the premise of the scene in the movie is that the airport customs police are looking for anomolies among arriving passengers - and the sight of a Chinese tour group without cameras raises their suspicions. Unfortunately, the media carries the occassional story about a group of Chinese immigrants caught trying to enter the US illegally and so this scenario fits into the movie. I don't think it was meant as a slam against Chinese particularly.
Posted by: Jay on December 27, 2004 12:44 PM