After eking out a two point opening week win, my Snow Monkeys are 1-0 in this young Fantasy Football season. Despite injuries, poor player performances, and suspect managerial decisions, they got the W – marking the first step in what I predict will be an undefeated season.
Spoke to the immigration lawyer to with regard to Akemi’s status and I am less than heartened. It turns out what we assumed was the right decision – filing a request for a six month visitor visa extension online well in advance of her October 18th deadline – was, in fact, the worst move we could have made, a move that could see her Japan-bound within a month. Hard to go in to all the whys and wherefores but suffice it to say doing the right thing is not always the “right thing” to do. Hopefully all is not lost as I try to scramble to put together the necessary supporting material that will see Akemi stick around. Tonight, I scour the blog for photos of us and then, tomorrow, I print up some documents, photocopy others, then go down to the police station to get fingerprinted.
Really.
Dinner tonight with Jen Spence. Carl, Paul, Akemi and I met up with the former Dr. Lisa Park at Jules Bistro for tuna tartare, a caramelized leek quiche, flat iron steaks, and tarte tatin. A terrific night. It was great to see Jen – who pulled a fast one by nabbing and paying the bill before any of us knew what was up. “It’s my thank you to you guys for the last two years,”she said.
“Well, great,”said Paul, suitably guilted. “Now we’re going to have to bring SGU back.”
Carl pointed out that he had done his part by not only signing the petition but liking the facebook fan campaign. I believe he even went so far as poking it too.
Awwww. I’m so sad to hear the sad news. 🙁 *hugs for Joe and Akemi* Joe…I sure hope and pray that you can find a way for Akemi to stay. Please, Akemi don’t leave. You’re so sweet and loveable. Love your little sayings. No one else makes bento boxes like you. 🙂
Any news on Maximus? My prayers are with him as well. I hope he can beat this cancer. It’s so heart-breaking to watch your loved ones go through such a difficult time. *hugs for Maximus*
Joe, you could always move to Japan…
das
Hey with more people like carl on our side we might actually succede and get you back to work writing new episodes of sgu.
Oh good grief. Following the letter of immigration law is not supposed to cause you more trouble. Yet it does.
My sister-in-law, who is Taiwanese, has few kind words about the immigration process–on a good day. Other days, well, it’s not pretty. 🙂 She’s especially incensed by how much people are rewarded for not following immigration requirements. My brother, her hubby, has fewer nice words, and he’s usually diplomatic.
And tomorrow you’re being sent in for “biometrics” (fingerprinting)? Can we say bad words in French? 😛
You and Akemi will be in my prayers, that this process goes as easily as can be. Don’t lose heart, no matter what. You will be together, some way.
Also, sending big hugs and kissies for Maximus. Sending prayers that his immune system will kick in in a powerful way. You both are doing wonderful, wonderful things for him. Bless the other doggie babies for playing nurse maids! Hugs to you all.
How could I forget?! Today is my brother & sister-in-law’s wedding anniversary. Three happy years and one souvenir later (my baby nephew), they know that their many trials and temporary geographic separation were worth it. Congrats, Bro and Sis! 😀
i hope things work out for akemi. *crosses fingers*
Oh crap. Why does it always end up that the folks who try and follow the rules and play the game above board get screwed? At least you have the lawyer to guide you out of the mine field. If you need any material witnesses, you have, well, all of us!!!! Honest! Let us know if you need affidavits or anything. We will not let Akemi go without a take-down, claws-out, they’ll-wish-they-never-tried-it fight.
Best of luck to Akemi, hope things get straightened out and she can stay.
Now, if that’s what it takes to bring back a show, first meal at Refuel when you get back to Van is on me. If you bring back SGA, that is!
So *that’s* what it takes to get Carl to smile. 🙂
Been there, done that. I know I’ve not been your favorite fan on here (won’t post my other aliases cause someone stole it and said bad things heh honestly it wasn’t me…I know,likely story) but tell her to hang in there and don’t give up!!! Worst case scenario has Akemi going home in October….BUT I’m sure the lawyer can get her a more appropriate visa to return on. (or a tourist visa and then she can apply for a permanent one, lawyers are tricky like that. She just may need to pay for a return flight to Japan but not use it so when she enters they have no questions. I know it sounds bad but we had to do it that way here, under a lawyer’s advice) It’s a shame you can’t go with her but the lawyer should be able to help get her a visa back. It may result in a couple of weeks of vacation in Japan.
I had to do all of the picture collecting, receipt collecting, friends statements, letters showing my residence here, plane tickets from our trips, hotel receipts, etc. It’s tough! If she has to go back be sure you call and write so you have supporting evidence of a continuing relationship….if you’re going the relationship route. I’ll be honest, it’s SOOO much easier if you just get married. All of the supporting documents help but are not required. If you’re going the de facto spouse route, it’s hard, but not impossible. It just requires making sure you have all of that. Lucky for you, you have this awesome blog. 🙂 Don’t forget to include the hotel/flight stuff from your trip to Las Vegas.
I’m sure the lawyer will help to work it all out. I understand the stress involved. Please, let Akemi know that it’ll work out somehow even if she has to take a short trip back to Japan…I know she’ll be back soon. 🙂
I love that Monkey!!!!
And why don’t you just marry the girl? lol
Kriss 🙂
what kind of camera do you use? point and shoot or dslr? brand, model, etc
SGU is not going to die, im a writer working with people on making an animated SGU season 3, once we get some sort of communication going with MGM (who frankly are difficult to get a hold of) we’re on it, but we need voice actors etc. http://sguanimated.enjin.com/home so anyone who wants to help head on over. Yes this may be a dead-end endeavor but Stargate deserves to keep going.
Just send them a link to your blog, and tell them to get reading! Job done 😉
Worryingly, I’m not sure you’ve posted very many pics of the two of you.. eeek
Hm, so you didn’t consider the marriage & baby option?
So many things you do for a woman you love and yet you do not marry her.
Well it’s getting to three in the morning and I just got eaten by ants in my bed. Can’t find where the little bastards are coming from. So I go into my living room, flip on a bunch of lights because, hello, I can’t sleep because of the ants and see a weird web, which of course is a black widow and it’s offspring which are now all very dead, so I here I am at your blog because I can’t sleep.
But…You need to claim Akemi as a writing partner on your new pilot project about how a beautiful Japanese woman survives being dragged into the wacky world of a dog loving sci-fi show runner, with a food fetish and strange friends.
Did you know it takes half a can of RAID to kill black widows? I’m going after the ants now.
Congrats to the Snow Monkeys! My team is currently undefeated as well, thanks to the on field exploits of the one and only Wes Welker! Well, him and Drew Brees, and Kenny Britt, and Steve Smith….it was a VERY good week.
As much as I’d love for you guys to get together with Brad and do a SG movie or two, I think I’d like it just as much if the whole lot of you guys who ran the franchise came up with a whole new IP. I loved the spin on sci-fi that SG used, more practical and present day in nature. It’s that kind of creativity and the ever-present thread of humor in the shows that made them enjoyable. These elements can be easily translated into a new format with the new IP. The only question I’d really have is this: Would you prefer with your next project(were it to be for TV) that it be one hour episodes or half-hour? How would that affect your story telling it were the shorter time format?
Did you guys ever do any writing for The Outer Limits? I know it’s been a while since I’ve seen an episode, but I seem to remember some SG personel having worked on that show before SG started up. That was a fantastic show! Some of the most memorable episodes involved the time traveller guy with the watch and his recurring role. Oh, those were fantastic! It was neat to see more than a few people from that series show up on Stargate later on.
Anyway, just thinking out loud!
-Mike
Well, Carl got that one right! 🙂
I have a question since I live in Germany and have no idea how it all works in Canada, but can’t she just apply for the citizenship? Are there any obstacles which would make it impossible for Akemi? I mean the language shouldn’t be a problem, is there much more to it?
IF Akemi has to go back, can she come back to Van soon?? I mean what are the rules, does she have to stay long in japan, Its not safe there, too many earthquakes and besides we want her to stay!! Its not fair, she should be able to stay, she is cute and nice and makes a contribution that means she can’t leave…Good luck and positive thoughts for the fight!,
Now we know what it takes to get Carl to smile, good job Jen, and thanks Joe for sharing.
Goooooooooo snow monkeys! 😛
Hello Joe.
Glad to hear about your snow monkeys!!! Hope things work out for you and Akemi. With a year off, (sort of, considering the comic project) you could go to Japan…
…and I’m with Paul and Jen on this one: “now (you) have to bring SGU back”!!!
Best wishes,
Bryan
Ahh, that’s a cute picture. I always liked Jen’s character on SGU.
I’m really praying for everything to work out for Akemi. (((hugs to both of you)))
Have a great day!!!!!
Red tape sucks!
Best of luck to you and Akemi, and cuddles to Max and the rest of the puggles.
What is it with the state and collecting fingerprints? They’re weird. They can’t make you get fingerprints if you stay out of trouble, but they’ll use any flimsy time you need something from them to pry them out of you. Really. Fingerprints. They don’t need them, they just really, really like them. The state is so creepy.
My cousin’s husband really, really likes collecting stamps, but he doesn’t look for opportunities to manipulate me into giving them to him. The state is so weird!
Governments are your friend. Governments are here to help you. Governments care about you. Yea. Sorry about all the hassles with immigration. I don’t know how many varieits of visas Canada has, but I’m sure they are close to the ones we have here, each with its own rules. And as has been repeatedly pointed out, cheaters are rewarded and those who play by the rules always seem to be penalized. I hope that the involvement of an immigration lawyer helps your case.
What about Akemi temporarily moving just south of the border, and coming across to Vancouver for “visits” until her status is resolved?
Congrats on the first win of the season, and best of luck with the rest of it. With Romo on your roster you’ll need the luck… And maybe you ought to think about giving out fingerprints instead of autographs. If it’s good enough for the government its good enough for us fans….
If only it were that easy… at least there is a fan base that’d tune in to support it’s return. (If nothing else… I say we get an animated series…but my pull is only so much.)
Good luck with all that though. Shouldn’t be hard to document your life together… seeing as you pretty much do that daily already. I suspect you can overwhelm them with evidence.
Boy that money has nice white teeth. Wonder what kind of toothpaste he uses??? Carl Smiles!!! He has nice teeth too!
Regarding immigration: Sending hugs to All of you!
Great picture of Lisa Parks and Mr. Binder. Does Ms. Binder mind that a beatiful girl hanging is on her hubby?
😳 I mean Jen Spence, not Lisa Parks. She is just THAT good an actress 😀 .
Seriously, I hope you guys will have a great new show in the very near future so that you can cast all our faves including Jen Spence, her character gave a lot of heart and even sass to SGU.
I knew it was going to be a bad day when the creepy guy behind me on the bus kept singing some weird Sweeny Todd tune and people keep looking at me as if I were the one making the racket. I don’t think I look like a Crazy Bus Singer, but I guess that’s not for me to say. Maybe it’s the green blouse.
@Maggiemayday: So proud of your husband and the others who helped save a life.
@ForTheLoveOfBeckett: Happy Anniversary to your brother & sister-in-law.
@Paloosa: OUCH. All bugs must die. (I know it would wreak havoc in the ecological chain, but tired of hearing people getting hurt by bugs; we’re bigger on the food chain).
As far as yours and Akemi’s situation I hope it works out and whatever you’ve done can be undone. I know once you get back to Vancouver you aren’t going to want to leave Maximus. Are you trying to gather evidence of like what is known in the States as a common-law marriage? That you are gathering evidence that you are partners, yet not married. Not sure what the differences are in Canada, but in the US, you have to have presented yourself or signed in at a hotel as Mr. and Mrs. on several occasions. I hope this all works out. You obviously are wonderful for one another. All the blog posters could write testimony for you.
Jennifer Spence is such a nice woman and I’d really like to meet her some day (maybe some day she will do a convention). She has always had a kind word to say or has remembered something going on in my life she will remember to ask about when she pops on Twitter and we are on at the same time. Not to mention she is amazingly talented. I hope Echoes gets a buyer so we’ll see more of her on-screen.
BTW My wife found the recipe of your favorite “Scarpetta’s Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Garlic Basil Oil” today, and could not resist to try it right away. My wife is a chef-grade cook, and she used the very best quality of ingredients (the freshest natural Tomato you can get, and Basil right from our own herb garden), but to be honest, I was not really overwhelmed by the result. I am confident that it was as good as it can get, but I do not consider this something special (plain and simple, yes, but definitely not outstanding). In fact is has no chance against my wife’s Spaghetti Carbonara, which is (and always will be) our family’s favorite. In the end I am sure we will eat this meal again, but we never would pay $24 for one serving of such noodle.
For those who think marriage would help (and that’s a word and issue that is none of my business) check out the link below. Admittedly it’s the US, but I suspect Canada would be about the same.
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/veteran-says-u-betrayed-him-forcing-german-wife-171310850.html
Paloosa, it doesn’t take half a can. One good whack with the side of it does the trick. Beat the sucker to death.
Hi Joe, just squeezing in my two cents. 🙂 Even if you manage to extend Akemi’s visa this time, you’ll just wind up in the same situation again. Has she considered applying for citizenship? I have no idea what it takes in Canada, but it could be worth a shot, no?
@Das: Joe moving to Japan? What about his dogs? 🙂
I wanted to clarify something in regards to my post before…
it may be possible to go home to Japan for a month. Travel to Canada on a tourist visa with a return flight back to Japan…pretend that you are just visiting/vacationing/visiting friends…then once out of the Canadian airport, she may be able to then apply for permanent residency. Once her application is lodged she will have the right to remain in Canada until the decision on her visa is made. It’s not illegal. And this is assuming that she qualifies for permanent residency.
Re citizenship: the rules for applying for citizenship may vary but usually involve a number of years living in a country and may carry penalties to one’s home country.
@ Deni – He can leave them with Fondy, and get new dogs in Japan!
@ Joey – I misread ‘snow monkeys’ as ‘sea monkeys’. That would be a far better name for your fantasy football team (considering their short life span, and all). 😉
das