Can I be sad/whine/upset for a sec.

[Deleted]

Today I get an email from our new student saying Belarus won't approve his VISA to leave the country.

I am sad. We've had this happen before but in "easier" countries where you can pretty much use bribery or try again until you hit a person in a good mood. The rules in some places aren't really even subjective, just downright made up.

Belarus doesn't have an embassy, so they have to do Poland or the Ukraine. We had this kid picked months ago so there'd be plenty of time, but in Belarus there's tons of stupid rules so he couldn't go until last week. He got denied, with the embassy citing, "Not enough contact with home country." Whatever the hell that's code for. He also can't try again for six months apparently.

I'm pretty sad. I have a call into the program office to see what can be done/if they can send me anyone else on short notice. Waiting. Hopefully there's something. However, it's looking like a whole another month at least.

Ugh. One workerless month is fine. Two might just kill both H and I. And I work a ton in Feb. at school, so farming isn't easy for me then either.

Bummer. Bummer. I'm just more and more grateful for the USA everyday lately. Makes me remember how good most of us really have it.

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2013 17:52:21 GMT -5 @callmefia said:

Sorry D. I hope you can get someone ASAP!

Me too! We just thought we had this application done and done great! We were months ahead of the game. Some of our other students have come rolling our way at the last second, so of course there's issues.

Governments are weird sometimes.

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2013 18:00:40 GMT -5 @callmefia said:

Is there any way you can get a local helper if this doesn't work out? I'm guessing this program allows for erm.... Really cheap labor compared to local help?

Yeah..I do have some short term options and they're fine, but nothing long term. And I'm not looking to hire someone else because by March we'll have another exchange student no matter what..so I don't want to throw someone out in 2 months...esp. since to get someone fully trained and capable to be alone takes about that long. It's just not worth it.

And salary wise, yes, the program we do is cheaper, but by the time I throw in food rent and other free perks just because they live here...it's not really.

Trained farm labor is really really hard to get. They have to be good, they have to some background to stay safe and function. Trustworthy is another big one. No one wants to work that hard or crappy hours either.

[sjh722]

Aww, I'm sorry. I know it's a disappointment when you are looking forward to a break and it doesn't come. Hazards of self-employment, lol!

Hope it works itself out quickly.

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2013 19:36:28 GMT -5 sjh722 said:

Aww, I'm sorry. I know it's a disappointment when you are looking forward to a break and it doesn't come. Hazards of self-employment, lol!

Hope it works itself out quickly.

I talked to the office today and they were going to see what can be done. She said 90% of the students they have from Belarus come through free and clear without issue..the other 10 have stupid paperwork mistakes the embassy doesn't like. She was going to make some calls and see what she could do. Apparently this kid went to the Ukranian Embassy which is difficult so she was going to have him try Poland if he could get there. Apaprently it's much easier.

If not, there are 2 Brazilians from a really good program there she could send our way. It'd be February, which still kind of sucks, but it's a good compromise all things considered.

And the hazards of self-employment is about right! Somedays. Over the Bump Moms are always yapping about "How can I be self employed, work at home and still see my kids?!" One of these days I'm going to come back with, "Well...Well...Let me tell you about the joys of dairy farming!"

[peach]

Hmm...maybe you should start asking fellow nexties to come and "visit" you and you can put them to work. haha.

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2013 20:11:26 GMT -5 peach said:

Hmm...maybe you should start asking fellow nexties to come and "visit" you and you can put them to work. haha.

Ha! You'd all hate and me ban me FOREVER.
It's really not that bad. It's just been one of those weeks and it's already Tuesday. Rubes hasn't slept well since last Friday night. Up all night Sat. and Sun. night.

I get up at 430 lately to do my chores and then go to school. It's tiring. That extra hour of getting up earlier is killing me.

The E. student thing isn't a life ending crisis I make it out to be. IT happens quite often and we've come to expect it. I just thought we had this one nailed and was looking forward to it.

Hs brother is here tonight helping and Rubes is finally sleeping. I also don't have school tomorow...so it's already looking up. I just need a break.

[mrs.jacinthe]

If I didn't have a job at the moment, I'd come help y'all out. I'm clumsy, but I know how milking machines work. 4-H for the WIN!

This is curiosity - do you guys use a carousel parlor or a walk-through? (Or something else, I realize milking parlors vary wildly) ETA: I'm not a creeper, I've just never seen a carousel parlor in person and I think they're interesting. LOL

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2013 20:17:46 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

If I didn't have a job at the moment, I'd come help y'all out. I'm clumsy, but I know how milking machines work. 4-H for the WIN!

This is curiosity - do you guys use a carousel parlor or a walk-through? (Or something else, I realize milking parlors vary wildly) ETA: I'm not a creeper, I've just never seen a carousel parlor in person and I think they're interesting. LOL

Walk through. Parabone..so when the creatures are all lined up their at a slight angle.

Carousel parlors are things for really rich investment farmers and look good in magazines. I've only seen one IRL and it was pretty sweet. However, for the majority of the cow milking population, they're an overpiced, huge space suck!

I want robots! H doesn't...lol. At least robots can get out of the country on time!

[mrs.jacinthe]

LOL, robots are awesome and don't try to "borrow" BILs car, too.

Re: Carousels - when I was in high school, carousel parlors were just kind of catching on and everyone talked about them (wheee rural high school!) but no one had actually seen one. I've still never managed to see one in the wild. Dagnabbit, I was hoping you had one so I could be all kinds of nosy. LOL

[Deleted]

LOL. Mrs. J.

Update: After some digging it turns it's the US denying his entry, not Belarus denying his ability to leave.
The Bad News: Still stupid and he's going to be late no matter what
The Good News: If it's on the US side it's a matter of a paperwork screw up somewhere. The office we work with can call the country "partner" he signed up with and trace some stuff back. So he can try again. The office on our end said it's common to get a denial out of Belarus but the only way to really get denied entry into the US is a paperwork error.