VIENNA OFFICE

[sponsor2012]

I live in Cologne (Köln)but since I don't speak the language it's really lonely. But do visit Cologne because it's really beautiful.

Next time I'll visit. There is a very nice Cathedral there. It's hard when you don't know the language. I wanted to move in Germany and I studied German language for three years. My German it's not perfect, however I could understand the basic needs. I've been in Hamburg, Halle, Dresden, Numberg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich and the most of the time I was in Hanover. I visited BMW museum, BMW plant tour and Mercedes museum. They are amazing.

 

[messenger]

I just though of something,

in a few weeks we should be starting to get busy with christmas stuff. Usually time passes by really fast from mid November till mid January. So really... before we know it 3 months has passed. Just saying.

And the idea of reading is actually brilliant. I myself have started reading and at least it keeps my mind off of the immigration and loneliness for a while.

This waiting for some of us will even take away the joy of actually preparing for Christmas. At least I know it would probably affect me. Why? Because we have set our minds on going and have stopped buying things here only the most necessary ones. Not out of greed or stinginess, but simply for economical and practical reasons. Practical: Every single thing that we buy for our household would have to remain here when we go. Some will be sold, some would be given to friends and relatives. Economical: Money is so difficult to save here now a days. We are saving a few hundred for our tickets to Canada and then a need arises and this money's gone and we're back to the drawing board.

Cheers
Tom
BTW. My actual Christian name is Athanasios (as all the Greek names it has a meaning. My name means the Immortal Man, he who will not die) When I went to live in America back in the 1972 Americans there found it very difficult to pronunciate my name so they "baptized" me Tom as it was easier for them. So I kept Tom!

 

[Avadava]

Oh :'(
I've been reading through this thread and now I got really worried. I'm preparing my application right now, planning to send it out by the end of this month and my VO will be Vienna. Seeing how many of you haven't got any answer from them in such a long time makes me cry.
I haven't even sent in the application and I'm already worried about so many things, I feel like my head is about to pop.

But I guess I have to count my blessings, my husband is here with me, not like some of you who have been separated from your loved ones for so long. But still, this whole process has been so stressful and theoretically, it hasn't even started. I don't think I'll be able to go through this roller coaster of emotions for a whole year or even more.

 

[messenger]

Oh :'(
I've been reading through this thread and now I got really worried. I'm preparing my application right now, planning to send it out by the end of this month and my VO will be Vienna. Seeing how many of you haven't got any answer from them in such a long time makes me cry.
I haven't even sent in the application and I'm already worried about so many things, I feel like my head is about to pop.

But I guess I have to count my blessings, my husband is here with me, not like some of you who have been separated from your loved ones for so long. But still, this whole process has been so stressful and theoretically, it hasn't even started. I don't think I'll be able to go through this roller coaster of emotions for a whole year or even more.

Hello Avadana and welcome to our thread!

Are you guys in Canada or Europe?
Listen! Don't worry. Maybe by the time you will send in your apps things might change with Vienna. Maybe this was a bad year for this VO and we the 2013 applicants got to pay the prize! Things might look up by the time your apps reach Vienna!

Best of luck

Tom

 

[nada3]

I know what you're going through. What they are doing is putting so much pressure on all of us. At least some are EU citizens and can freely go to Canada and visit their spouses but for example for me, I only have a German residence permit and I can not visit my hubby on top of that since April that he left for Canada because of all the stress and pressure I've got all my hormones messed up and I just started taking medication for them (a hand full of pills everyday)

We have to be strong Avissa, don't lose faith. I am grateful for this forum, because all of us know exactly what each of us is going through. I know my friends and family try to understand, but they don't really...how do you explain to someone how it feels to miss someone when they are not going through it. So it makes me happy that I can come here and I don't feel alone. We can kick each other when we are down and lift our spirits up. So hang in there.

 

[Avadava]

Hi Tom and thank you for your words of encouragement!

My husband and I are in Germany, we've lived here since 2009. I am Romanian and he is the Canadian one (so strange to call him a sponsor )

He had his mind set to move back to Canada since last December when my mother-in-law visited us and convinced us to go there so we can all be closer. Ever since we started gathering the documents, we can't stop thinking about the move.
It's been crazy, this time last year we were making plans on getting a mortgage on an apartment here, and now, we're moving to Canada! Hahaha

I'm just waiting on my police clearances, both should be here by the 25th, so hopefully I can mail this soon. I feel like if I get rid of the stack of papers I have, it will lift some weight off my shoulders. Anyone else that filed the app recently? We would have a close timeline and maybe we could exchange some info.

 

[messenger]

Hi Tom and thank you for your words of encouragement!

My husband and I are in Germany, we've lived here since 2009. I am Romanian and he is the Canadian one (so strange to call him a sponsor )

He had his mind set to move back to Canada since last December when my mother-in-law visited us and convinced us to go there so we can all be closer. Ever since we started gathering the documents, we can't stop thinking about the move.
It's been crazy, this time last year we were making plans on getting a mortgage on an apartment here, and now, we're moving to Canada! Hahaha

I'm just waiting on my police clearances, both should be here by the 25th, so hopefully I can mail this soon. I feel like if I get rid of the stack of papers I have, it will lift some weight off my shoulders. Anyone else that filed the app recently? We would have a close timeline and maybe we could exchange some info.

Romania is a country close to my heart! Loved visiting your beautiful country over and over.
just have faith and when times get a little frustrating drop by in here and let the steam vent!

Regards

 

[little_apple]

I live in Cologne (Köln)but since I don't speak the language it's really lonely. But do visit Cologne because it's really beautiful.

I'm from Stuttgart. Many expats live there and I think it's not much different in Cologne. Check out http://www.internations.org/germany-expats or https://www.couchsurfing.org/. They organize monthly meetings were you can meet people from all over the world.

When I moved to Stuttgart I joined a group on Facebook called "new in Stuttgart". They met weekly and I made a lot of friends. There are two groups for Cologne, too https://www.facebook.com/groups/neuinkoeln/, https://www.facebook.com/groups/119401931413728/. Maybe you'll find someone there.

Good luck

 

[Hungary]

Wow that's a lot of posts guys

Eva and Milica you have wonderful names thanks for sharing them Avissa, it was a great thought about Christmas and you know, I was thinking just the same thing the other day, I love positive thoughts, especially nowadays because I was kind of negative lately.
My hormones messed up as well, it's crazy I don't need medications yet but I have troubles with monthly things :-[ Milica!!!!!!! This reminds me you were SOOOOO right in your post about genuine relationships and then they don't even let us visit or making us wait for over a year.... ??!!!!! This is unfair and actually it's torture.....
I do have to children as well but I am from a visa exempt country... I could go and visit and my husband could come and visit me but he is waaaay tooooo busy working two jobs and the lack of money affects us negatively.
He will come and visit me next year sometimes in the first part of the year though. He has to work like crazy for another 6 months to pay off his loan plus get prepared for us... We will need a lot of necessary things, like children furniture, double times and right now he is selling his car and wants to buy a bigger one because simply its too small for the four of us.
Lets see what if I go there with the girls: he is working (Canada time) from 15:30 till midnight. He gets home after that, has a shower and actually wakes up everyone. By 2:00 am he has to start his second job he arrives home by 7:00 am.... And would really like to sleep after 15 hours of work... BUT we are waking up and the house is small.... He needs to sleep till 13:00 pm or 14:00 pm to be able to get through the day, obviously. WE wouldn't even SEE EACH OTHER!!!! No time spent together as a family, no time for love, no time for the children to experience a father figure, nothing! Just work work work work!

And while he is doing this, I would have to keep the two 2,5 years old quiet , not singing, dancing , arguing, no back yard.. No friends and family... etc... But I would have to cook and do the laundry etc.. There would be no help for me to do the shopping, what if the girls get sick, who would take us and help at the doctor's? I don't even know where to go and what to do... I would go crazy more than I do now.... So for the first time its close to impossible. At least I have all my friends to talk to , visit, have fun, we are going on programs with the girls, the Father is helping a lot and my mother , whenever she can visits us.

And top of all this , what if they expect me to send documents, or an interview... A flight back again to Vienna would definitely push us back to debt once he climbs out of it! So what would be the sense? We rather hold on like this at least till next spring, see how far we got by then and make decisions than.

Tom the answer of your question is that yes, he barely got time even to talk with me. Its 9:30 am for me when its 12:30 am for him and we can talk for an hour between his jobs. Other than that, he is working, literally not at home - or is sleeping.

Apple pie!!!!!! The american style in a different shape but its tooooo good!!!! SO now i am going to have my CARROTS with milk for breakfast

Hugs to all of you!!!!!

 

[Hungary]

I was asking myself the same question. When we pass border the guys on the border scan our passports and they know if we are someone of the bed guys. Also I can't understand checking digital fingerprints takes 72 hours and ink fingerprints 22 weeks. I lost almost 6 months in waiting for my ink fingerprint results.

Sponsor, they would NOT ask for fingerprints from me, would they?! I lived there for more than one year but at the age of 10-11 .... Or now will they want fingerprints from Mom?! may I ask why did you send ink fingerprints? I guess you had no other choice :

 

[Hungary]

Oh :'(
I've been reading through this thread and now I got really worried. I'm preparing my application right now, planning to send it out by the end of this month and my VO will be Vienna. Seeing how many of you haven't got any answer from them in such a long time makes me cry.
I haven't even sent in the application and I'm already worried about so many things, I feel like my head is about to pop.

But I guess I have to count my blessings, my husband is here with me, not like some of you who have been separated from your loved ones for so long. But still, this whole process has been so stressful and theoretically, it hasn't even started. I don't think I'll be able to go through this roller coaster of emotions for a whole year or even more.

Hi welcome!!!!

Just keep it positive, please, okay!!!! Its important!!! Try not to wait for the finalization somehow, just submit and "forget" it, and go on with your lives! Its the best, you are TOGETHER, basically that is the goal we are all looking for and you already have it being present together in Canada is now should be like planning a wedding or preparing for a huge and long holiday, that would need a lot of time , right

I am not afraid to say it and shock all of you, if there would be a special way to make love and show physical affection, I would be fine for this year :-[ ;D

So just hold on and keep busy

 

[Hungary]

Hi Csilla

in order to dig in to that apple pie and not feeling guilty do the following. Sooooooooo.....Baptize the the apple pie and name it....Carrot. Carrots do not make you gain weight! So there you go. Eat it and don't feel bad.
Did you make it the American style pie...I love American style apple pie!

As for the Greek immigrant flow, it is justified in a way. Not all our 700 members are going to Canada. Half of this number are Canadian born Greeks who came back to Greece with their parents when they were babies. (Like my daughter Elena she was born in Canada and we came back to Greece when she was 4) another percentage of these people are hopeful migrants because of the terrible austerity crisis conditions we Greeks are going through in the past almost 3 years. To give you an example: The average monthly earnings for a non-qualified worker before 2008 was 1300 euros, Same worker today if he is still lucky enough to work (almost 28% unemployment and 50% among young people) gets roughly 550 per month. So many of these people in order to survive and not to maintain a life style are turning once again to immigration.
Greece was a country that gave a lot of immigrants to Canada the USA and many other countries from the late 19th century all the way up to the 1960's. Since the 1970's after democracy was reinstated there were hardly any Greeks migrating and not only that many of the diaspora were already returning home to a good life.
Life can be funny sometimes ain't it ?

i wish I could be like you Csilla. Read and forget, but i cant! Although i keep my self pretty busy with Leto, I cant get my mind over to wonder why Vienna is behaving like this. How is Julius? Is he keeping busy as well? why don't you ask him to take part in our little family here!

Regards to all my friends here

Tom

Tom, thank you for your post, I didn't know that it was hard like this for Greece! I mean I heard it and read about it, about Europe , we were affected as well in different ways, but its always different to hear it from a person who experienced it. And I love that you are intelligent, thats so important to be able to see clearly in life.

 

[Avissa]

I'm from Stuttgart. Many expats live there and I think it's not much different in Cologne. Check out http://www.internations.org/germany-expats or https://www.couchsurfing.org/. They organize monthly meetings were you can meet people from all over the world.

When I moved to Stuttgart I joined a group on Facebook called "new in Stuttgart". They met weekly and I made a lot of friends. There are two groups for Cologne, too https://www.facebook.com/groups/neuinkoeln/, https://www.facebook.com/groups/119401931413728/. Maybe you'll find someone there.

Good luck

oh thank you so much. This post is literally the best thing have woken up to this few weeks. You have definitely made my day.

 

[Avissa]

Hi Tom and thank you for your words of encouragement!

My husband and I are in Germany, we've lived here since 2009. I am Romanian and he is the Canadian one (so strange to call him a sponsor )

He had his mind set to move back to Canada since last December when my mother-in-law visited us and convinced us to go there so we can all be closer. Ever since we started gathering the documents, we can't stop thinking about the move.
It's been crazy, this time last year we were making plans on getting a mortgage on an apartment here, and now, we're moving to Canada! Hahaha

I'm just waiting on my police clearances, both should be here by the 25th, so hopefully I can mail this soon. I feel like if I get rid of the stack of papers I have, it will lift some weight off my shoulders. Anyone else that filed the app recently? We would have a close timeline and maybe we could exchange some info.

hi, first of all, you don't need to wait for your police record clearance to arrive and then send the package, you can send the police record clearance after you've sent you're documents because the first stage takes about a month during which they check your husband's eligibility for sponsorship and they don't need your police certificate.

Secondly, about your previous post that you sounded really worried, I guess I know why now. You're a Romanian My husband is also Romanian who grow up in Canada and we'd been living with his mother for a year and a half and now I live with her alone but we have Romanian friend around us and I know how dear sweet Romanians worry. Just don't worry and send you're documents asap. This forum is going to help you along the way with technical information as well as moral support. Trust me you'll feel right at home because everyone here is supper supportive and nice

 

[Avissa]

I love the idea of baptizing the apple pie. I'm gonna do that to the box of chocolate that I got as a gift a few days a go. My mother in law and I decided to put it in front of the mirror so that every time we go towards it we'd literally reflect on what we're about to do and that's why it's untouched. If we baptize it and name it celery then there is no problem