Sigh

Was very sad today that I couldn't work when I have an offer. Because of Genting.

I couldn't go for an $8/hr job BEFORE commission.

Then I was talking about it to mum that I was sad I couldn't have more money to go to LA with. This is not meant to get money from her, mind you.

She was like, she'd give me SGD 1000 to go there and spend whenever I like but it is precisely NOT my money that I won't spend it whenever I like so I'm gonna feel restricted again. (the first time being last year's Europe trip, I paid for everything (like airfare only) except a large portion of my allowance there. My parents funded the allowance and I put in some extra.)

I think it's the savings plan that's taking my money away. =(

And of course I spent a lot.

I'm feeling so restricted because I'm unemployed and I can't be that slightly liberal on the things I'm gonna spend at LA!

Sob.

20 days to go!

I just checked out the countdown timer on the right.

OMG 20 days left!!

It's coming so fast I'm feeling unprepared. But everything will turn out great! =)

~~~~~

I met Chui Ying, Dai Jing and Ivan at Starbucks at Tanglin Mall to discuss our itinerary for the 4 days or so before school starts.

So we are going to San Francisco before school starts. Plus Ivan's roommate, John. We're still working on the details, though it's a bit too late already, because I realised there are some attractions that may require as to book wayyyy beforehand. Like 90 days??? As said in the guidebook. Oh dear. I still hope we'll get to go!

We've booked our air tickets (Southwest Airlines) and hostel already. So everything is in control now, somehow or the other. Yeay!

~~~~~

I collected my visa at the American Embassy today.

It poured in town, thank goodness I brought a brolly.

Waded my way up the slope to the guard post with a terrible need for a toilet. I asked the lady at the guard post where I can use the toilet and she nicely said that the nearest is at Gleneagles, just across the road.

Well, just across the road means I have to walk down the pavement, cross the overhead bridge, and with a bursting bladder, it wasn't a great journey.

But anyway, I still managed to get my visa =) All done and all set for Los Angeles.

I can call home now!

Yeay!

I just bought Skype credit of USD 10 which showed SGD 13.58 in my bank transaction history. And I tested with a faulty headset at home. Called the home phone and my brother answered. It was so exciting, like calling home through the computer. HAHA. I could hear him but he couldn't hear me, so it's the microphone. Thus we threw the headset away. Now I have to hunt for a reliable headset.

Oh in fact the quality was quite clear! Superbo!

Skype's really easy to use once you get the hang of it.

SMS's really expensive. I'll use StarHub and SingTel's free Internet SMS to contact people at home!


Uh what I meant is that you can't reply to the SMS I send to you by Skype.

So here's my usage and its costs.


Rates: SMS, International long distance, Connection.

It's gonna be so much cheaper! Skype's website stated that it's per minute but when I calculate it seems to be pro-rated. And without VAT too. Weird.

So it's just that when I call home I have to have my computer with me. Plus wireless. Else...use StarHub GlobalRoam *108*. That's expensive!

I can make video calls thru Skype too! Means I have to hunt for a headset with mic + two webcams, one for brother's comp and one for myself. Can video call using MSN too. Yeay~

Visa application

I went to the American Embassy this morning to apply for the US visa.

I was early, so had to wait under a tent in the carpark in a queue. The queue wasn't obvious though. My appointment time is supposed to be 1045, I reached at about 1030, and the security guard guided us to queue at the guardhouse about 11. There was actually some queue la, but this guy didn't see and the Indian guy in front of me told him that there is a queue and he actually cut many people's queue. He argued that there's no such thing. Then there was this Asian-looking girl who spoke with an American accent who explained to him that there actually was one. And she nicely said to me, 'Why don't you come back here in front of me?' So nice =D

The American man who interviewed me was actually quite weird. He can be nice at one point and totally cold at another. Like when he asked what modules I'm gonna take at UCLA, I told him Beginner Guitar and Development of Jazz. He was so happy I was going to take jazz. 'People should learn more about jazz! What do you play?' I said I don't play jazz, I play the tuba. 'Oh you can play the tuba in jazz too!' I was just lazy to explain that there weren't any avenue close to me that I can play tuba in jazz but it doesn't matter la. Then he went on to tell me about this I-didn't-catch-the-name jazz brass band that was his favourite band and on and on. But after the entire thing he didn't even say bye. -_- I nicely said 'Have a nice day!'

'Same to you.'

.....

Anyway.

Visa's approved and I have to go down to collect my passport next Wednesday. Another round of shopping then.

~~~~~

My friends and I have been discussing what to do before school starts. I think we're planning to go San Francisco!

More visa issues

I'm still not done with the visa, I still got to take the 50mm x 50mm photo and pay the USD 100 SEVIS fee.

Money money money. Grrr.

Anyway, because my sponsor is my dear brother, some question arose when I was in the preparations for the visa.

Here's an excerpt of the part I was wondering about.

There are no fixed rules for what kind of financial documents you need—you can submit anything that you think will help show that you have enough funds for your studies. Some examples include:

* Scholarships: Evidence from the school or organization providing the scholarship of any scholarship funds you are to receive, and any limitations or obligations related to those funds.
* Bank Documents: Passbooks or statements showing your current assets and recent transactions for at least the past several months. Letters from your bank or your sponsor's bank are also acceptable, but the letters should cite the accounts maintained, current balances and average monthly balances over the past year. A letter simply stating that the bank believes the sponsor is capable of supporting the applicant will not be useful for visa-application purposes.
* Sponsorship by Parents: If your parents are your sponsors, they should write a letter stating that they will provide support for your studies in the United States; they should also provide evidence of their assets and income, including current bank statements, and income tax assessment notices for the last two years (Inland Revenue Authority Form 4020 for Singapore residents).
* Sponsors Other Than Your Parents: Since parental sponsorship is by far the most common situation, if you are being sponsored by someone other than your parents, you may want to consider provide something more substantial than just a letter. Some applicants choose to have their sponsors complete notarized affidavits of support. If you do this, the affidavit should state specifically the relationship between the sponsor and the student and the kind of financial evidence used to demonstrate support. In addition, the sponsor should provide the same evidence of assets and income as a sponsoring parent.
* Loans: If you will be depending on loans to fund your U.S. education, you should be prepared to explain how you will repay the loans after you have left the United States and begun working.

So I'm not sure which category of sponsorship my brother lies in. My bro is part of my family and I don't really think he needs any kind of more substantial documents.

Therefore I sent an email to the embassy to enquire.

To whom it may concern

This is a question about the financial documents in applying for F-1 visa. My brother is my financial sponsor, so does he fall under 'Sponsors Other Than Your Parents'? If so, what documents will be substantial?

Thank you.

Regards
Erina Lim

And this is the reply I got.

Student Visas: Evidence of Financial Resources

All student visa applicants must demonstrate that they have financial resources sufficient for their studies. For F-1 applicants, this means you or your sponsors have sufficient funds immediately available to meet all expenses of the first year of study, as well as a sufficient income to provide funds for subsequent years of study. M-1 applicants must prove they have sufficient funds immediately available to cover the entire course of study, not just the first year.

There are no fixed rules for what kind of financial documents you need—you can submit anything that you think will help show that you have enough funds for your studies. Some examples include:

Scholarships: Evidence from the school or organization providing the scholarship of any scholarship funds you are to receive, and any limitations or obligations related to those funds.

Bank Documents: Passbooks or statements showing your current assets and recent transactions for at least the past several months. Letters from your bank or your sponsor's bank are also acceptable, but the letters should cite the accounts maintained, current balances and average monthly balances over the past year. A letter simply stating that the bank believes the sponsor is capable of supporting the applicant will not be useful for visa-application purposes.

Sponsorship by Parents: If your parents are your sponsors, they should write a letter stating that they will provide support for your studies in the United States; they should also provide evidence of their assets and income, including current bank statements, and income tax assessment notices for the last two years (Inland Revenue Authority Form 4020 for Singapore residents).

Sponsors Other Than Your Parents: Since parental sponsorship is by far the most common situation, if you are being sponsored by someone other than your parents, you may want to consider provide something more substantial than just a letter. Some applicants choose to have their sponsors complete notarized affidavits of support. If you do this, the affidavit should state specifically the relationship between the sponsor and the student and the kind of financial evidence used to demonstrate support. In addition, the sponsor should provide the same evidence of assets and income as a sponsoring parent.

Loans: If you will be depending on loans to fund your U.S. education, you should be prepared to explain how you will repay the loans after you have left the United States and begun working.
Regards,

Consular Section
US Embassy Singapore
Tel: +65-64769100
Fax: +65-64769232
http://singapore.usembassy.gov

They must be thinking I can't read. Forget it.

Visa

Now I learn how agonising it is to apply for a U.S. visa.

Good news, and bad ones

I went to collect my UCLA acceptance package yesterday before my last exam paper. I feel like I'm matriculated again.


That's the good news.

The bad news now is, I didn't know that we have to apply the visa ourselves!! Like thanks, at least tell us the gist of what we have to do right? OK OK I'm given the chance to go to LA so I better not whine and get my ass to do the visa which I have no idea how unless I go read up which I'll do it soon but not so soon argh.

Updates

The Acceptance Package has finally arrived!!! I'll collect on Friday before my GEM2900 paper, I hope it's not too bulky. I feel like a freshie all over again and considering I'm turning 21 soon, it feels good to be young again HAHA. Ya whatever.

Anyway, in order to pay for my accommodation and health insurance (so that I can use the medical services for 'free' over there), we were told to pay via a bank draft. So bro and I went down to get the draft this afternoon.

The lady who served us was a middle-aged woman. And she was a bit slow in creating the draft haha 'cos my brother was in a rush as he had a plane to catch in the evening. Business trip. Sounds cool eh? Nah he's just selected to go to Bali for a seminar related to work.

Anyway, the lady told us afterwards that there was a similar request in the morning, to UCLA too. And I think I know who went that morning.

So in all my bro paid USD 1606 for the accommodation, I'm sharing room with Dai Jing and Chui Ying and I am happy to tell you our names rhyme because I'm Wanjing. Great. And another USD 321 for the health insurance. The rate was USD 1 : SGD 1.3665 this morning, that's not bad at all.