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Beijing Hutong
Beijing Hutong
Date: 2010-03-01
Category: Abstract
Location: China
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Ben Benson Gallery
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US Immigration - Chapter One

Having already lived in China for 18 months now, I felt it was time to make an appearance at the US Embassy in Beijing to begin filing for Lily's return to the US. We were told by immigration people in the US that we should be able to start the process about six months prior to the fulfillment of Lily's two-year foreign residency requirement (She previously stayed in the US under a J1 visa which requires her to return to China for a period of two years before she can return to the US).

Apparently we were misinformed. I cannot file a petition for Lily's immigration to the US until AFTER she has physically resided in China for an accumulative period of two years. The petition is estimated to take 6 months minimum to be approved, at which point we can then file for her visa and wait a few months longer. Bottom line, we are going to be living in limbo for three years instead of two.

2009-12-15
Category: Living
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Snorkeling in Beijing
Following an Internet ad for snorkel equipment, we tracked down the snorkel shop on the third floor of what looked to be an abandoned concrete and tile building deep in one of Beijing's ghettos. Up a couple flights of stairs and down a long quiet hallway covered with pieces of the decaying building we found a door with a glossy ocean picture pasted on it. Inside, two young Chinese guys tending to prospective snorkelers.
2009-10-21
Category: Places
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Googling Me
The flag has been raised...
A search for "Benjamin Benson" shows me as #1 on Google and Yahoo.
A search for "Ben Benson" shows me as #2 on Google - just after Ben Benson's steak restaurant.
2009-10-18
Category: Places
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Lucas Poop Dance
If anyone has an explanation for this behavior, I'd love to hear from you.
2009-10-07
Category: Places
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Recent Travel & Photographic Events

November 2009 - Thailand - Phuket and Phi Phi Islands - Swimming with the fishes near Phuket Thailand - Phi Phi Islands

May 2009 - Seoul, South Korea and the DMZ - In order to renew my Chinese VISA I needed to leave the country and re-enter customs... I decided to make a quick stop in Seoul, Korea and visit the DMZ...

April 2009 - China Wedding Travels with Family - A year after our legal marriage in America, Lily and I had a big formal wedding in Beijing with more than 100 guests. My mother came from New Mexico and father and his wife came from Switzlerland came to take part in the wedding and travel a bit of China with us.

April 2009 - Ben and Lily's Wedding in Beijing, China - Our formal wedding celebration at JunWangFu palace, Beijing, China. My parents came from overseas to take part in the ceremony with more than 100 of Lily's family and friends.

January 2009 - Harbin Ice Festival 2009 - A spontaneous decision to visit the far north city of Harbin, China to see one of the world's largest ice sculpting festivals. The temperature was -21 celsius with strong winds directly from Siberia (only a few hundred miles away)... the camera froze over with frost frequently.

October 2008 - Lhasa Tibet to Kathmandu Nepal - 48 hour train from Beijing to Lhasa, visiting remote areas of Tibet and then to Mt. Everest base camp and on to Kathmandu, Nepal by jeep. Tour of Nepal including Chitwan national park and Lumbini (birthplace of Buddha).