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Joined: Nov 2004
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Hon Offline
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There are two sides to every story. Unless you know Sabina King, you have no reference point for this blog post. I knew her very well. None of what she wrote surprises me in the least. As I have always said "you get what you give", and she gave (and probably still does) with the best of them. btw, her husband is a saint.


Newfoundlanders are the only people in heaven who want to go home.
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I don't know the woman who writes the King's Life blog but the female immigration officer in the picture used to work in the office and she was the one who gave me my stamp each month. She was always lovely, kind and did in fact smile a lot at me. I was late once and she gave me the obligatory lecture but was really good about it. I'm sure these people had a horrible time here and were forced to leave but I disagree with what she says about that officer.

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BZ4me Offline OP
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Originally Posted by Hon
There are two sides to every story. Unless you know Sabina King, you have no reference point for this blog post. I knew her very well. None of what she wrote surprises me in the least. As I have always said "you get what you give", and she gave (and probably still does) with the best of them. btw, her husband is a saint.


"Just read another family leaving the island because of the issues here on this link. I wonder how many others of us "Cash Cows" will be leaving and taking our money to another Country?

http://www.akingslife.com/2012/05/negotiating-our-way-out-of-corrupt-belize/

Very interesting read too. The same immigration woman (still can't call her a Lady) doing the same thing as she did to us but, we paid. Not worth the hassle. Yet, again we "gringos" will pay because we're visitors and don't want to make waves. I can't help but wonder,we'll be the "ugly" ones to the locals when we stop spending our time and money on and in their Country?"


My post said nothing negative regarding Mr. and Mrs. King. I only used their well written post as an example of a gentle family who was treated with little respect from Government employees. I read not just this one post, but, many of their beautiful experiences here on the island and in Belize. I'm sorry they left and hope, others like them, will stay. But, if I offended you by using their experiences, I apologize. I found the post on Facebook.

Joined: Mar 2012
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BZ4me Offline OP
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Originally Posted by Noelle
I don't know the woman who writes the King's Life blog but the female immigration officer in the picture used to work in the office and she was the one who gave me my stamp each month. She was always lovely, kind and did in fact smile a lot at me. I was late once and she gave me the obligatory lecture but was really good about it. I'm sure these people had a horrible time here and were forced to leave but I disagree with what she says about that officer.



After working with many of the immigration employees these past years, I understand why many of them become disillusioned in their positions. Pulled from their families, moved over and over again, and the list goes on. Little pay and no respect from their superiors. Subjected to conditions not fit to work in, most of us, would walk away from, but, they don't. They stay. I'm sure she has had good and bad days, like all of us. If I were in her shoes, I wouldn't smile much either, ergo, I can have compassion for her, that's why we paid. If it gives them money to put food on the table, then I gladly pay it, be it in Belize or Mexico.

Joined: Nov 2004
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Hon Offline
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Originally Posted by SnowWhite5080
Originally Posted by Hon
There are two sides to every story. Unless you know Sabina King, you have no reference point for this blog post. I knew her very well. None of what she wrote surprises me in the least. As I have always said "you get what you give", and she gave (and probably still does) with the best of them. btw, her husband is a saint.



My post said nothing negative regarding Mr. and Mrs. King. I only used their well written post as an example of a gentle family who was treated with little respect from Government employees. I read not just this one post, but, many of their beautiful experiences here on the island and in Belize. I'm sorry they left and hope, others like them, will stay. But, if I offended you by using their experiences, I apologize. I found the post on Facebook.


You took my post the wrong way. I'll come right out and say it...Sabina had (and, again, probably still does) a strong sense of entitlement. She thought she deserved special treatment and often demanded it in a not so pleasant way. Of course her blog doesn't reflect that to the casual reader. It is _her_ blog after all.


Newfoundlanders are the only people in heaven who want to go home.
Joined: Feb 2004
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I've dealt with immigration in more than one country. I've always found the immigration people in Belize to be some of the better ones. I've never had any problems with them and also understand that they are going through a difficult time, administratively, right now. I'm sure people get frustrated when things don't happen as quickly as they think they should, when mistakes are made and when paperwork goes missing but that happens all over the world. As a UK citizen, trying to get a passport renewed recently has been an absolute nightmare. Try going through the process of getting something as basic as a tourist Visa with a Belizean to the USA and you'll see a truly inhuman and humiliating process. Try being a Belizean trying to get a Green Card. Sure there are corrupt individuals (as there are in governments everywhere) and sure, mistakes can and are made - but I think the overwhelming experience of most people I know is that even though it may take an annoying length of time and even though it's not always perfect, it's pretty awe inspiring that Belize welcomes us all and allows us to live and work here.


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SnowWhite5080, when you said you "paid" do you mean you continued to go in for your stamp and pay for it? Or did the immigration officer actually make you pay them also to get the stamp? That was never asked of me.

Re: the officer in the photo, I went in to get my stamp just after she was attacked by two women who came in to the office (to get passports or something - I don't remember) and got angry because they needed to show ID - their word was not enough to identify them as Belizean. Her face was pretty beaten up but she was still friendly and professional. I'm not saying others did not have bad experiences with her, just that I feel lucky that my visits were always so easy and pleasant.

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