18 days,Visa Received

China post just delivered to me my passport with Germany visa.

Now the door of Germany is totally open for me. This was so quick, from 5th's interview to today, it only took 18 days to get it. The type of visa I applied is Family Reunification.

In November of 2008 when Martin confirmed the time to go back to Germany, we decided to register for marriage just to make the visa process more easier. We got registered to marriage in Chengdu on 4th of December 2008. We are planning to have the wedding ceremony in China in October of 2009, we both will take that day as our marriage day.

Yesterday Martin already booked my flight tickets for Frankfurt on 5th of March. He will leave for Germany on 29th of January and start his new assignment within the same company at the beginning of Feb..

My Visa is Accepted

Yesterday morning in the office, Martin came over to my table told me to translate his email. I saw the email was from Germany Immigration. At that moment I expected some good news. Here is the text:

Sehr geehrter Herr Liebmann,

für den Einreiseantrag Ihrer Ehefrau wurde heute eine Zustimmung zur
Visumserteilung an die deutsche Botschaft in China erteilt.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Im Auftrag

Wow..that was so quick.I didn't pass the German language test and didn't provide A1 test. but the immigration still openned the door for me. From 5th to 21st, it only took 17 days. I saw other people at least waited for one month to get this permission. Martin, me and his parents are all released. I told Martin" Germans are really efficient".

Now I can go out have fun with my friends instead of staying at home study German everyday:-)

The Special Gift From my Colleague

Sometimes you wouldn't realise how important to yourself the praises other people have about you. Especially from some people you don't really know that well. Compliments make us encouraged and have more confident. Sending gift is the commen but warm way to show how you care about other people. I notice in the 2 years I started to buy gifts much more often than before, maybe this is the way to show I am more caring than before.

Last Friday, I received an unexpected gift from my colleague, whom works in different department and personally we don't really know each other so well.

Her name is Ludy, she came to my table gave me this gift with two notes.
No matter what the gift is, but I was really touched. as colleagues she doesn't realy necessary to buy me the gift, especially we are not in the same team and I have never helped her on anything.

She wrote on one of the note:" Lirong, I just heard of your marriage with Martin, I am very happy for you. I sincerely wish you happy forever. This is a small gift from me just to send my wishes, I hope it will fit your new apartment in Germany (because you are the girl of our company who has a very good character)".

This note touched me, and I will keep it with me forever. Thank Ludy!

The Visa Interview

Every Monday I take early shift at work from 8:00 a.m to 18:30. My function is Customer Service and my tasks including picking up the CS Hotline for the call from our customer. Our CS hotline opens from Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m to 6:30 p.m. In the past two years I always came to work at 8 and finished at 18:30 (earliest), it was 1.5 hours longer than other colleagues, but I never complaint because I take responsibility for this task. Until half year ago my boss asked other people in the same team to take over the 8 a.m from me. So I could start work at 10:00 a.m to 18:30 p.m, that I really appreciated. But as one of the girl will have to start at 8 twice a week, so I voluntarily to take the Monday morning as a week starts.

I am talking this because this Monday I submitted resignation letter to my boss. I will work until end of Feb. 2009.

Martin will leave for Germany end of Jan. . He will work in the same company and starts at beginning of Feb.. If the visa is smoothly, I will leave for Germany at beginning of March.

So let me talk about the visa interview happened on 5th of Jan. Martin accompanied me to the embassy and we submitted all the necessary documents including Martin's working contract, apartment contract in Germany etc. Then I had German language test made by a German lady.

She was friendly and she asked me" Sprechen Deutsch", I answered" ein bisschen". Then she came a long question, which I couldn't understand at all. So I asked Martin's help, then Martin and the lady started to talk German, their conversation continued 10 minutes. That was the language test I had. Martin told me afterwards that the lady told him they will send my documents to immigration in Germany for approval. She will advice Germany that I speak good English and some German (I only said two words to her). Then I have to wait the response from Germany. But she suggests me continuing learn German and to get A1 test just in case Germany will request this.

That was the whole process of visa interview. It was very smooth because Martin's accompany, even though Martin thinks they have a good impression about me not because of him.

So after the interview I went to Goethe institute applied A1 test at 20th of Feb. Martin immediately ordered the book from Germany for me to study.

Visa Interview-wish me luck!

I am going to the German Embassy today at 13:30 for the interview. Wish me good Luck!!!!!

Embassy: Sind sie Frau Luo
Lirong: Ja, das bin ich.

Embassy: Wie alt bist du?
Lirong: Ich bin 27

Embassy: Wie Heissen Sie?
Lirong: Ich Heise Lirong

Embassy: Warum Wollen sie nach Deutschland gehen?
Lirong: Weil mein Mann Zuruck nach Deutschland geht.

Embassy: Sind sie in Deutschland gewesen?
Lirong: nein,Nur in transit

Lirong: kann ich das Visum?Auf Wiedersehen!!!

Christmas Eve

Happy New Year to you!

Chinese are having three days holiday from 1st to 3rd of Jan. But we will continue our works on 4th(Sunday).However today-the first day in 2009, we just spent the whole day in the apartment relaxing. yesterday we moved to this new apartment as the old one's contract was expired and the landlord didn't want to continue to contract with one month short period,which made us tired to move but we now enjoying the new apartment more than the old one. The new apartment is more cozy and we are happy to change to a new environment, its in the same community with the old one.

Martin came back from Germany on 24th of December. He always went back to Germany spent his Christmas time with his parents but this year as we are registered for marriage in December, so from the legal view we are a couple now, even though the wedding ceremony will be held later. So he came back to China spent his first Christmas with me. This was also a real Christmas time I ever had. For Chinese, Christmas means going out have dinner with friends, so on the afternoon of 24th, the traffic jam was very heavy in Beijing.

To prepare our first Christmas I invited Dandan and Caohui, Nini to out house have dinner together. I decorated the apartment and bought red socks stuffed with gifts, to make Martin enjoy the Christmas eve just like at home.

I prepared red socks stuffing with gifts and hung them on the trees. Each of the sock had a card with the wishes I wrote and people's name shows this gift for him or her. After dinner they had to look for their gifts on the trees in the whole apartment. which was the fun part.The apartment looked much cozier than before after my elaborately preparation. Martin liked it very much. Here Caohui was waiting for the dinner in the living room.

This is the dinner I made. As I invited everyone, so I was fully responsible for the dinner and the party. I cooked Sichuan style food that night. I knew I should prepare Western food as it was Western Festival, but Martin just spent 10 days in Germany, I thought he must had enough German food, so Chinese food is preferable for him. In the end, they all enjoyed the dishes I cooked. Except Nini went downstairs bought some snacks from K.F.C.

Dinner is finished, its time to open the gifts. The other night I spent two ours to prepare the gifts and write the cards, so I asked them to read my wishes seriously.Nini liked the sock on her right hand. But her gift I prepared for her was in her left hand:-(As we are preparing to move to Germany, so I bought a small Christmas tree which will easy for us to carry.Martin said we have to put all the gifts under the tree for 2 days.You can see so many gifts I got this year. From Martin, his parents, Nini. My sister didn't prepare gifts as she wasn't aware of the importance of Christmas Festival for Martin. But she knows now, I am expecting a gift from her next year.