#urgent passport replacement

[amitkakkareasyvisa]

(via How to Apply for a New Passport if You've Lost It: A Complete Guide)

[zvaigzdelasas]

Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants Nigeria to increase LNG supplies to Germany and is demanding that Nigerian refugees be accepted back swiftly. Scholz, who held talks on Sunday and Monday in Nigeria's capital Abuja and subsequently in its commercial capital Lagos, is thus continuing his efforts to increase LNG imports from African countries to replace Russian gas [...] The German government had repeatedly urged African countries to abandon fossil fuel extraction. While increasing deportation of Nigerians, Berlin – according to Scholz – is trying to lure more “talents” from the country to work for German companies –a contribution to the brain drain depriving developing countries of urgently needed and expensively trained skilled labor. In Nigeria, Scholz also held talks on the developments in Niger. Last summer, with Nigeria's help, the EU sought to overthrow the military government in Niger that previously had ousted a pro-Western president and is seeking to lead the country to genuine independence from the former colonial powers.

This is Chancellor Olaf Scholz's third trip to Africa and his second to West Africa. In May 2022, Scholz had traveled to Senegal and then on to Niger; where he visited the German troops deployed in that country, before going on to meet with pro-Western President Mohamed Bazoum. Bazoum has since been overthrown by putschists, who can rely on a widespread popular rejection of French dominance in West Africa.[1] This rejection is also growing in Senegal.[2] The two countries Scholz is visiting this time – Nigeria and Ghana – are, like Senegal and Niger, members of the West African regional organization ECOWAS, but they are not former French colonies. Their foreign relations are therefore less affected by the current anti-colonial wave in West Africa’s Francophonie. Moreover, both countries have been Germany’s long-standing cooperation partners of, albeit at a relatively modest level[...]

With his visit in Nigeria on Sunday and Monday, Scholz was seeking to expand bilateral economic relations with a focus on energy resources. German oil imports from Nigeria currently account for around half of the total trade volume. Now the German government also wants to import gas from the country – just as it did from Senegal, where Chancellor Scholz had also negotiated gas supplies in May 2022.[3] This had already raised some eyebrows at the time. Berlin had long been prominent in making the demand that the African continent should abandon its use of fossil fuels. However, subsequent to its decision to halt Russian oil and gas imports, it began to promote tapping new deposits in Africa, for example in Senegal, and is now seeking supplies from the new sources. [...] In 2021, with 14 percent of the EU’s imports, Nigeria was the EU's fourth largest supplier after the USA, Qatar and Russia, with most of it sold to Spain and Portugal.[4] Just before his trip, Scholz had already stated in an interview with the Nigerian newspaper Punch [linked here] that German corporations were also interested in LNG supplies from Nigeria.[5]

To accelerate the repatriation of Nigerians from Germany was Scholz’s second important objective on his visit to Nigeria. Nigerians are rarely granted asylum in Germany. Between January and September of this year, of the 1,850 persons who applied for asylum in Germany only 118 have been granted a reliable right to remain.[6] However, it is currently not easy for Berlin to deport Nigerians, whose bid for asylum has been rejected. The Nigerian authorities only allow those into the country, who have valid original documents. Substitute papers, provided by German authorities to those Nigerians, who have lost their passports, are not recognized in Abuja. That has resulted in around 14,000 Nigerians living in Germany, who, in principle are obliged to leave the country. This year only 262 have actually been deported. Scholz was insisting that Abuja make their repatriation easier. Only “talents from Nigeria,” needed in the labor market, should be allowed to come, says the chancellor.[7] This is Berlin’s admission to lure well, and expensively-trained personnel – the so-called brain drain that inflicts serious damage to developing countries and is regularly criticized by experts.

Scholz used his stay in Nigeria to also discuss the situation in Nigeria’s northern neighbor, Niger. Following the putsch in that country, Nigeria had been one of those countries, that had been particularly advocating for a military intervention in Niger, to restore the overthrown President Bazoum to power. For that purpose, several of the ECOWAS countries, besides Nigeria, for example both Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire wanted to provide the necessary troops. In addition, there was also the prospect of French military assistance. (german-foreign-policy.com reported.[8]) Ultimately the plan was abandoned – also due to the strong resistance from Northern Nigeria, which would have borne the brunt of the extensive damage in the case of a war with the neighboring country. Meanwhile, French troops have begun their withdrawal from Niger. Backing down from the threat of an intervention, supported by Paris and the EU, has cost ECOWAS credibility and weakened its position in West Africa, where it was already widely considered a French and Western lackey. In Abuja, Scholz met with ECOWAS Commission President, Omar Touray, exchanged views on the situation in Niger and praised ECOWAS – in a very odd choice of words – as “a powerful and functioning [!] organization.”[9]

Berlin’s attempt to expand cooperation with Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu is not free of risks. Tinubu came to power in late May – following a quite contested election, winning with around 37 percent of the votes, ahead of two strong opponents (Atiku Abubakar with 29 percent, and Peter Obi, 25 percent). Both opponents alleged the presidential election had been marred by irregularities and challenged the results, but lost their bid a few days ago before the country’s highest court.[10] However, Tinabu is still far from out of the woods. From the beginning of his administration, he imposed stringent austerity measures, such as halting the subventions on gasoline, meaning that many ordinary car owners no longer could afford to drive their cars, and with daily living costs skyrocketing. Whereas Tinubu is praised for his cuts in the West, Germany included – the government owned Germany Trade and Invest (gtai) foreign business agency speaks of “important reforms,”[11] – inside that country, there is great resentment. The number of Nigerians, forced to live on less than US $1/day, could grow from a current 83 million to 120 million and in the worst-case, to as many as 140 to 150 million in a population of 220 million, according to experts.[12] There are already warnings of possible unrest. The supporters of the defeated presidential candidate Obi, who feels cheated out of the victory, are are primarily young, rebellious Nigerians.

31 Oct 23

[bankloanprojectreportblog]

There are several passport options based on your travel needs, and apply for passport online is simple. If you’re a first-time applicant, applying for a New Passport requires ID proof and a police check. For urgent cases, you can apply for a Tatkal Passport, which offers processing in just 1-3 days. If your passport has expired, you can renew it by submitting your old passport along with updated documents. For lost or damaged passports, you can apply for a Tatkal Reissue for a quick replacement. The online application process makes each step easy and fast.

[naydeengonzalezdejesus]

The Consular Officer and Foreign Services Work

A career in foreign service puts professionals on an international stage and requires a sound understanding of cross-cultural communication, diplomatic protocol, and global affairs. Such careers span diverse roles and responsibilities, including those centered on politics, economics, public diplomacy, management, and consular services.

Areas of focus in foreign service include trade negotiations, military relations with other countries, and support for American citizens abroad. Strengthening global cooperation, building strategic ties, and working out US-related matters in a civil, rule-based manner remain some aims of the position. The Foreign Service, through its mission statement, aims to “promote peace, support prosperity, and protect American citizens while advancing the interests of the US abroad.” It carries out the commitment worldwide through 270 diplomatic missions around the world.

Consular officers play unique roles overseas. They act as the principal diplomat with whom US nationals interact. Knowledgeable about local laws, consular officers coordinate with local officials to enable educational and business programs and facilitate tourist travel. They also assist US citizens in evacuations, medical emergencies, and family reunifications, ensuring that arrested Americans have legal counsel. Consular officers report deaths and births abroad, replace passports and offer notary services.

In addition, consular officers deliver reports to Washington, DC, on visa and passport workload, fraud, and legal cases involving US citizens. The officers monitor security issues that help Americans decide whether to visit or remain in a country.

With such wide-ranging responsibilities, professionals act as part counselor and part attorney. It requires skills in foreign languages, crisis management, and working well with people from all walks of life. For this reason, it is an accepted maxim that “consular officers have the best stories.”

There is a limit to the services consular officers perform. For example, they do not mediate disputes between Airbnb hosts and American citizens. However, from the traveler’s perspective, consular officers can become lifesavers. The consular officers will assist if an American traveler finds themselves in a serious accident or someone steals their possessions. Similarly, if an American urgently needs to travel back home and their passport has expired, a consular officer will find a way to expedite a solution.

The consular officer role extends to the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR), a multilateral treaty that allowed all participating countries to establish consulates and define their roles, privileges, and immunities. The consular position often leads to other career paths in foreign service. Many who embark on a career with the State Department go through one or two tours of holding a consular post. It enables them to gain the broad perspective that makes them valuable in other roles in Washington, DC, or abroad.

Some consular officers, such as management officers, foreign service economic officers, political officers, and public diplomacy officers, tend to remain in the position their entire careers.

Public diplomacy officers uniquely serve as a cultural bridge between the US and the mission’s host country. Posts include spokesperson and coordinator of local programs that promote and educate on the United States. Public diplomacy officers also coordinate student and professional development offerings such as the Fulbright Program.

[officialukcertificates01]

Step-by-Step Guide to Replacing Your Marriage Certificate

A marriage certificate is an essential document that legally proves a couple's union. It is often required for various legal and personal matters, such as changing your name, applying for spousal benefits, filing taxes jointly, and proving marital status for insurance or immigration purposes. If you need to replace your marriage certificate due to loss, damage, or other reasons, this comprehensive guide will walk you through the process step-by-step.

Why You Might Need a Replacement Marriage Certificate

There are several reasons why you might need to replace your marriage certificate:

Loss or Misplacement: Marriage certificates can be lost or misplaced over time.

Damage: Physical damage from water, fire, or other means can render a marriage certificate unreadable or unacceptable.

Legal Name Changes: If you’ve legally changed your name or your spouse's name, an updated marriage certificate may be needed.

Personal Records: Having an additional copy for personal records or legal purposes.

Steps to Obtain a Replacement Marriage Certificate

Step 1: Determine the Issuing Authority

In the United States, marriage certificates are typically issued by the county clerk’s office or the vital records office in the county where the marriage took place. Each county has its own procedures for issuing replacement marriage certificates. Begin by identifying the appropriate office. This information can usually be found on the county government’s official website.

Step 2: Gather Required Information

Before you request a replacement marriage certificate, gather the necessary information to ensure a smooth process. This typically includes:

Full names of both spouses at the time of marriage

Date of the marriage

Location (county and state) where the marriage took place

Purpose of the request

Your relationship to the individuals named on the certificate (if you are requesting on behalf of someone else)

Valid identification for the requester

Step 3: Provide Proof of Identity

Most counties require proof of identity to process a replacement marriage certificate request. Acceptable forms of identification typically include:

A government-issued photo ID (e.g., driver’s license, passport)

A copy of a utility bill or bank statement with your current address

Other forms of ID as specified by the county

Step 4: Complete the Application

Complete the application form for a replacement marriage certificate. This form can usually be found on the county’s vital records or clerk’s office website. Make sure all information is accurate and complete to avoid delays in processing. The application generally requires:

Full names of both spouses at the time of marriage

Date and place of the marriage

Your contact information

Your signature

Step 5: Submit the Application

Applications can typically be submitted in several ways:

Online

Many counties offer online applications for faster processing. To request online:

Visit the official website of the county clerk or vital records office where the marriage took place.

Locate the marriage certificate request section.

Fill out the required form with the gathered information.

Upload or provide necessary identification.

Pay the required fee using a credit or debit card.

By Mail

If you prefer, you can request a replacement marriage certificate by mail. To do so:

Obtain a request form from the county clerk or vital records office’s website, or contact the office to have a form mailed to you.

Complete the form with accurate information.

Include copies of required identification.

Prepare a check or money order for the required fee.

Mail the completed form, identification, and payment to the appropriate office.

In Person

If you need the certificate urgently or prefer face-to-face service, you can visit the county clerk or vital records office in person. To request in person:

Visit the office during business hours.

Bring the required information and identification.

Fill out the request form provided at the office.

Pay the required fee (usually accepted in cash, credit/debit card, or check).

In many cases, you can receive the replacement certificate the same day.

Step 6: Pay the Fee

There is usually a fee associated with obtaining a replacement marriage certificate. Fees vary by location and can range from $5 to $30 or more per copy. Check with the specific county clerk or vital records office for the exact fee and accepted payment methods.

Step 7: Wait for Processing

The processing time for obtaining a replacement marriage certificate depends on the method of request:

Online Requests: Typically processed within a few days to a week.

Mail Requests: Can take several weeks, depending on the office's workload and mail delivery times.

In-Person Requests: Often processed on the same day, though some offices may take a few days if the certificate needs to be retrieved from an off-site location.

Special Considerations

Name Changes

If you have changed your name after marriage, you may need to provide additional documentation when requesting a replacement marriage certificate. This can include a copy of your new ID with the updated name and the legal document (e.g., a court order or name change certificate) proving the change.

Out-of-State Marriages

If you were married in a different state, you will need to contact the appropriate county clerk or vital records office in that state. The process for obtaining a replacement may vary slightly from state to state.

International Marriages

If you were married abroad, you will need to contact the foreign country’s issuing authority to obtain a certified copy of your marriage certificate. For marriages involving U.S. citizens, you may also need to register the marriage with the U.S. embassy or consulate in that country.

Avoiding Delays and Errors

To ensure a smooth and timely replacement process, consider the following tips:

Double-Check Information: Ensure all information on the application is accurate and complete.

Follow Instructions: Adhere to the specific submission guidelines provided by the county’s vital records or clerk’s office.

Include All Documents: Submit all required identification and documentation.

Pay Correct Fees: Verify the fee amount and payment method accepted by the county.

Avoiding Scams

Be cautious of third-party websites that offer marriage certificate replacement services for exorbitant fees. Always use official government websites to request your replacement certificate to ensure security and avoid unnecessary costs.

Keeping Your Marriage Certificate Safe

To prevent the need for frequent replacements, store your marriage certificate in a safe and secure location. Consider using a fireproof and waterproof safe. Avoid carrying the original document with you; instead, use copies for routine purposes and keep the original in a secure place.

Replacing a marriage certificate might seem challenging, but by understanding the process and requirements, it can be relatively straightforward. Start by identifying the issuing authority in your county, gather the necessary information and documentation, complete the application accurately, and submit it with the required fee. By following these steps, you can ensure that you obtain a replacement marriage certificate efficiently and securely.

[rohanseoewe]

FOR CHINESE CITIZENS - TURKEY  Official Turkey ETA Visa Online - Immigration Application Process Online  - 土耳其官方签证在线申请 土耳其政府移民中心.

任何希望访问土耳其旅游或商务的人都应满足签证先决条件，即需要从本网站获得合法的土耳其签证。 合格的访客现在可以轻松申请电子签证，这是进入土耳其的最简单方式。 忘记大使馆里的长队吧。 土耳其政府在线电子签证框架 100% 通过笔记本电脑或手机在网络上进行。 旅客填写电子申请表并在大约24小时内，有时甚至不到4小时内通过电子邮件获得批准的签证。 您在本网站上填写在线表格两分钟并提供个人和护照详细信息后，即可获得土耳其的单次和多次访问签证。 那么，土耳其电子签证到底是什么？ 土耳其电子签证（eVisa）是进入或允许访问土耳其共和国的授权。 许多国家的居民可以通过简单易用的在线申请结构获得土耳其电子签证。 电子签证取代了土耳其大使馆之前发放的护照贴纸和护照印章签证。 由于土耳其的电子签证，您只需通过手机或笔记本电脑访问网络即可完成您的申请。 基于互联网的土耳其签证申请仅需 24 小时即可��理。 批准后，电子签证将通过电子邮件直接发送给您。 机场或海港的移民管制官员在其移民政策中确认了土耳其电子签证的合法性。 携带通过电子邮件发送给您的电子签证，或者更好的是，打印出来以防万一您的手机电池没电了。 以下国家和种族有资格获得土耳其网上签证： 安提瓜和巴布达 亚美尼亚 澳大利亚 巴哈马 巴巴多斯 百慕大 加拿大 中国 多米尼加 多米尼加共和国 格林纳达 海地 香港 BNO 牙买加 科威特 马尔代夫 毛里求斯 阿曼 圣卢西亚 圣文森特和格林纳丁斯 沙特阿拉伯 南非 台湾加入贝都因阿联酋航空 美国 Anybody wishing to visit Turkey for Tourism or Business to the should meet the Visa prerequisites, which require having a having a legitimate Turkey visa from this website. Qualified visitor can now easily request for an an electronic visa, which is the simplest way to enter Turkey. Forget about the long queues at Embassy. Online Government of Turkey eVisa framework is 100 percent on the web from laptop or mobile phone. Travelers complete an electronic application application form and get the approved visa by email in about 24 hours, sometimes even less than 4 hours. Single and multiple visit visas for Turkey are accessible after you fill an online form on this website for two minutes and provide personal and passport details. So, what exactly is the Turkey eVisa. The electronic visa for Turkey (eVisa) is an authority to enter or permits visit into the Republic of Turkey. Residents of many nations can obtain their Turkish eVisa through a simple to utilize online application structure. The eVisa replaces the passport sticker and passport stamp visa previously given at Turkish Embassy. Because of the eVisa for Turkey, you just need a web access from phone or laptop to complete your application. The internet based Turkey visa application just requires 24 hours to process. When approve, the eVisa is sent straightforwardly to you by email. Immigration control officials at airports or sea ports ports confirm the legitimacy of the Turkish eVisa in their migration policy. Carry the eVisa sent to you by email or better still, take a print out just in case your phone batter dies. Following nations and ethnicities are qualified for Turkish Visa On the web, Antigua and Barbuda Armenia Australia Bahamas Barbados Bermuda Canada China Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Haiti Hong Kong BNO Jamaica

Address : 22 Dongfang E Rd, Sanyuan Bridge, Chaoyang, Beijing, China, 100600

Phone : +86 10 6532 7650

Email : contactus@turkeyvisa-online.org

Website : https://www.visa-turkey.org/zh-CN/visa/

Business Hours : 24/7/365

Owner / Official Contact Name :James Charleton  Bolton.

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[terriwriting]

Just checking in, are the English still being weird about Brexit and the right of sovereign nations to set their own travel requirements?

Eyup.

"I was just saying to my partner that I must renew my passport soon, as we walked along the bridge to get to the boarding gate. It was very stressful and humiliating to have to be escorted back through the airport like a criminal," she said. Jane, who used to live in Barcelona and was travelling to see friends, was left hundreds of pounds out of pocket after having to rearrange the trip with her partner. The architect spent about £400 on last minute replacement flights and a fast tracked passport. She says the issue with her passport was "a technicality" the airlines should be able to deal with. "I feel lucky I was going on holiday and it wasn't an urgent visit like a funeral. "As someone who used to live in Spain, I feel angry that I cannot go to Spain as easily as I used to," she added.

YOU'RE A FOREIGN TOURIST. RENEW YOUR FUCKING PASSPORT.

[gassada]

Records show Jeffrey Epstein’s requests for multiple passports, travels to Africa and Middle East

#Epstein #EpsteinList #Epsteinadasi 

In June 2011, the U.S. Department of State received an urgent request from an American businessman who sought a second U.S passport for impending trips to Europe and multiple African nations.

"I am frequently required on extremely short notice to schedule international trips with itineraries to multiple destinations requiring me to obtain multiple visas at the same time, which is simply not possible on such short notice without a second passport," the letter said.

The applicant, who identified himself as the president of an international financial consulting firm, said he had business trips scheduled in the coming weeks to France, Sierra Leone, Mali and Gabon.

"Please issue me a second passport so I may have the 3 visas issued for Africa while I am using my current passport in France," he wrote.

The businessman's name: Jeffrey Edward Epstein.

Three years earlier, Epstein had pleaded guilty in Florida to solicitation of an underaged girl, a felony that required him to register as a sex offender for life.

The letter is found among several passport applications and renewal forms submitted over three decades by Epstein, whose staggering wealth and proximity to power have long defied ready explanation.

More than 50 pages from Epstein's files were obtained by ABC News in a public records request to the State Department. The records span from the early 1980s, when Epstein was an unknown bushy-haired broker from Brooklyn, to 2019, when his indictment in New York for alleged sex-trafficking of children made him notorious worldwide.

The documents reveal Epstein's penchant for reporting lost passports and his intentions to travel to far-flung destinations, including several countries -- Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Senegal -- that have not appeared in other accounts of Epstein's travel.

The earliest application is from April 1983 when Epstein sought to replace a lost passport in time for an upcoming trip to London. In barely legible handwriting, then 30-year-old Epstein lists his occupation as "banker" and his address as an apartment on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The stapled color photograph depicts Epstein, who in later years favored loose-fitting track suits, in a crisp black suit and glossy tie.

[swldx]

BBC 0428 2 Nov 2023

12095Khz 0358 2 NOV 2023 - BBC (UNITED KINGDOM) in ENGLISH from TALATA VOLONONDRY. SINPO = 55445. English, dead carrier s/on @0358z then ID@0359z then carrier cuts off. Signal return s @0400z with Newsroom preview in progress and weakened audio. @0401z World News anchored by Neil Nunes. (@0402z full modulation returns). More than 400 people have left Gaza as the Rafah crossing to Egypt opens to civilians for the first time in more than three weeks. 335 foreign passport holders and 76 injured Gazans have been able to leave so far, Palestinian officials say. British and US passport holders are among those who have exited the territory, according to officials. US President Joe Biden says the opening of the crossing is the result of "intense and urgent diplomacy". In Gaza, phone and internet services are completely cut, the provider Paltel says. Jabalia refugee camp airstrikes strikes could be war crimes, UN commission says. President Joe Biden will launch a new national strategy to combat Islamophobia amid criticism from some Muslim Americans over the administration’s support for Israel’s campaign against Hamas. An Australian woman has been arrested over the suspected mushroom poisoning deaths of three people. The American Ornithological Society has committed to replacing all bird names derived from people so as not to honor figures tied to slavery or racism. @0406z "The Newsroom" begins. 250ft unterminated BoG antenna pointed E/W w/MFJ-1020C active antenna (used as a preamplifier/preselector), Tecsun PL-680. 250kW, beamAz 315°, bearing 63°. Received at Plymouth, United States, 15359KM from transmitter at Talata Volonondry. Local time: 2258.

[passport-consult2003]

Passport Agents near Talaopali, Thane - Jai Maa Santoshi Passport Consulting 

When it comes to hassle-free passport services in Thane, Jai Maa Santoshi Passport Consulting stands as a trusted name near Talaopali. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, we have built a reputation as one of the leading government service providers in Thane, offering a range of passport-related services at your doorstep. Whether you need a fresh passport, reissue, or tatkal passport, we are here to ensure that your application process is smooth and quick.

Comprehensive Passport Services in Thane

At Jai Maa Santoshi Passport Consulting, we offer a wide array of passport services tailored to meet your needs:

Fresh Passport: Are you applying for your first passport? Our team will guide you through the entire process, ensuring that all documentation is accurate and submitted on time.

Reissue Passport: If your passport is nearing expiration or has already expired, we assist in the reissue process with minimal delays.

Tatkal Passport: In urgent situations, our Tatkal Passport services in Thane guarantee that you receive your passport as quickly as possible.

Lost & Damage Passport: Misplaced or damaged your passport? We offer expert guidance in obtaining a replacement quickly and efficiently.

Additional Booklet Passport: We facilitate the process of obtaining an additional booklet for frequent travelers who need extra pages in their passports.

PCC & ECNR Passport Services: Our expertise extends to Police Clearance Certificates (PCC), and Emigration Check Not Required (ECNR) passport services, ensuring a seamless experience.

Beyond Passport Services

Our services extend beyond just passports. We provide a range of other document-related services in Thane, making us a one-stop solution for all your needs:

Online GST Registration: Hassle-free online GST registration services for businesses in Thane.

Online Food License Registration: Obtain your food license with ease through our expert consultancy.

Udyam Aadhar Registration: We assist in registering your small business with Udyam Aadhar for government recognition.

Affidavit & Notary Services: Comprehensive legal documentation services, including affidavits and notary work.

PF Withdrawal Services: Assistance with PF withdrawal applications, ensuring smooth processing.

Why Choose Jai Maa Santoshi Passport Consulting?

Our clients trust us for our reliable services and our commitment to providing quick and efficient solutions. As a leading passport consultant in Thane, we pride ourselves on delivering excellent customer service right at your doorstep. Whether you are in Talaopali, Mulund, Wagle Estate, or anywhere in Thane, we are just a call away.

Additional Services

In addition to the services mentioned above, we also offer:

Drug License Services: New drug license applications and renewals.

Gazette Services: Assistance with official government gazette publications.

Online Pharmacist Supply Registration: Smooth and efficient registration services for pharmacists.

For anyone seeking reliable and fast passport services near Talaopali, Thane, Jai Maa Santoshi Passport Consulting is the name you can trust. Contact us today for all your passport-related needs, and let us take care of the rest.

[clatterbane]

Oh yes, the next quest in line after finally successfully completing the big one which gave me one crucial inventory item needed to even unlock the rest of this particular game? (After one hell of a tutorial level, I have to say! 😵)

Another smaller prerequisite side quest completed, and one step closer to obtaining the next major item needed to proceed!

OK, the other half of the current party may have also heavily contributed to this minor victory again! 😅 He is also playing on a MUCH lower difficulty setting, so yeah.

Anyway, it didn't take Mr. C long to start looking into it on his own, and find out how we're even supposed to get me the physical residency card. That involves the equivalent of taking the letter and your passport over to the DMV so they can take a lovely driver's license photo once you've passed whatever tests .

No, really. 😆

The exact format/appearance also apparently varies some depending on the country, btw--as long as it meets certain uniform standards.

Though, in this case? The DMV is insisting that you need to schedule an appointment in advance.

Oh yeah, and they also want your fingerprints. (Though, who knows by now back in the good old USA... 😑)

Surprisingly, Mr. C did see one open appointment slot at our nearest Migrationsverket office--for tomorrow afternoon! There wasn't anything else showing as available for weeks, so he snapped up that opening immediately. (After quickly checking with me, since it is technically my appointment!)

That was a little stroke of luck. They are probably also limiting the number of supplicants in the building for now, because Plague Time. 😵

(Trying NOT to remember the fun of trying to extract a replacement passport from the US Embassy in London, to escape Plague Island and travel here. When they were just completely closed to the public for many months, and I finally did just squeak by with an Extra Urgent Emergency appointment less than a week before we were already booked to fly out. Because that was still how they were handling things by summer 2021. 😱It could be SO. MUCH. WORSE.)

Anyway, at least Migrationsverket does have a branch office where we can do that, not far from us. In a particularly immigrant-heavy area of town, which honestly sounds much more sensible than I would expect from bureaucratic agencies.

And yeah, thinking about it in terms of popping over to a smaller DMV branch for a strictly pro forma photo session helps. Because that really is pretty much what it's looking like, in terms of how much I really need to stress about it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Not to mention the rest of the half-joking approach, tbh. Though I seriously doubt I would have continued voluntarily playing any actual game where I got bogged down even a quarter this bad before even making it out of the tutorial.

[stularsen]

THE HURRICANE vs THE CORONAVIRUS (part one) 

That time we planned a once in a lifetime hurricane world tour for March 2020..

I’m currently on a plane for the first time in six months. It feels strange to not have been in the air for this longer than usual period of time but also strangely normal to find myself once again on a flight surrounded by complete strangers. The main difference now is that everyone seems even more in their own worlds than before. Maybe this is because we have replaced invisible masks with real ones and we now happily hide behind these physical barriers, to protect us and others from the virus that stopped the world from moving almost entirely. 

The last time I was on a flight was back in March 2020 as the planet was beginning to understand just how serious the situation was becoming. Unfortunately for me, I had planned a once in a lifetime tour for this exact period of time.. The Hurricane Tour. It was an adventure I had been dreaming up for many years and planning for many months. The idea was simple enough, to travel around the earth in one month, playing eleven shows in eleven different countries, experiencing different cultures and meeting different people all along the way. We would start in Australia on the first day of March and then visit Japan, India, Botswana, Turkey, Germany, England, Canada, USA and Mexico before eventually finishing in Argentina on the last day of March. 

The lead-up to this crazy tour wasn’t particularly smooth and it was looking like it might be a kind of storm before the calm scenario. One week before we were due to begin, I landed back in Australia from a few months away only to find my precious guitar had been split right down the middle during the flight and my passport had somehow been damaged and needed to be replaced urgently. At the same time Jarrad Seng (the man behind the photos and videos) was having some major laptop issues and needed to find a decent replacement in the last remaining days before we set off on this epic journey. Through some minor miracles and generous support from friends and strangers and also a tour manager who refuses to ever say the word ‘impossible’ (thank you Thomas!) we began this absolutely insane tour where we would quickly learn that we would need to rely on more miracles and friends and strangers to help solve some pretty interesting problems every single day throughout the tour. 

The first show was in AUSTRALIA and somehow everything went pretty much to plan. A very jet-lagged Tim Hart (album producer as well as band member and support act for the night) had flown back from London the day before to then drive out west and play one of the best shows I have ever seen him play (while his newborn son watched with us from backstage). My slightly nervous and always teary mother joined me on stage for a little song. My dream of playing a show at Empire Theatre in Toowoomba had finally come true with 500 of the loveliest people to share the moment together. It was a truly special evening with lots of family in attendance as well as old friends from so many places and work colleagues from the bank days. Perhaps the most special person in the crowd for me was Bob Cook, the man who taught me to play guitar when I was a very shy 14yr old kid, to whom I am forever grateful. What a night! It seemed like the storm before the calm scenario had played out and we were about to have the smoothest and most incredible tour of our lives! In reality though, it would turn out to be the exact opposite and what we had just experienced was actually the calm and the greatest storm I’ve ever witnessed was fast approaching.

Thomas, Jarrad and I were up early the next morning and off to Brisbane Airport where we should have been boarding a flight for Tokyo, but a few days earlier we had been notified that due to the virus situation we would not be able to play the show in Japan and would potentially be putting the rest of the tour at risk if we even entered the country. So we somehow managed to change our flights very last minute and head to SINGAPORE instead, but without a show to play. We decided to put the word out and see if anyone knew anybody who might be able to help. It was truly incredible to receive so many messages and comments from people who desperately wanted to help us find a place to play. It didn’t take too long before the team at Timbre X @ The Substation came to the rescue and let us bring in a few people and play a few songs on their outdoor stage before Supersonic helped everyone dance the night away. Show number two, somehow completed. 

INDIA is next on the list and it’s looking like everything is maybe going to happen as planned.. until we are waiting to board the flight to Mumbai. I hear my name called over the speaker at the airport in Singapore. An upgrade to business class perhaps? Oh how nice that would be. But no, there was a problem with my visa not being recognised with my new emergency passport and they would not allow me to board the flight.. we pleaded with them to see what they could do while I scrambled to contact people in India at 5am local time to try and amend the visa. It was beginning to feel impossible. If I missed this flight there was a chance there would be a knock-on effect and the rest of my flights for the month could be cancelled. With no other viable option, we decided it might be best for Jarrad and Thomas to board the flight for India and for me to wait in Singapore to try and fix the problem and hopefully get on a flight later that day. But just as we were saying goodbye to each other I heard my name called again and we were told that they had heard back from the flight captain and he had overturned the decision and I would now be allowed to fly?? A medium sized miracle! We celebrated and quickly disappeared feeling both jubilation and disbelief. Surely now is where good things start to happen.. 

Of course not.. We landed in India to an email notifying us that our show had been cancelled, with very little explanation. We pleaded with them to reverse their decision but it wasn’t looking hopeful, so we put the word out to the people, again. Very soon we had been saved, again, this time by the wonderful people at Veranda Bandra who rearranged their schedule to fit us in super last minute. It was crazy to play a show in India and have people singing along to my songs, it just didn’t feel real, but it was happening right in front of me. Our time in Mumbai was so short but so incredible and we made fast friends with some amazing people. But onwards now to our next destination, the most random location of the tour but also maybe the smoothest show of the tour.. 

We arrived in BOTSWANA after a long day of travel via Ethiopia and Zimbabwe to the warmest of welcomes. Local musician and Stu Larsen fan, OneSpared, was there to greet us. We had connected a while back when OneSpared (Thuso) had covered one of my songs and I couldn’t believe that someone so far away was not only a fan of my music but was also singing my songs. When the idea for this tour started to become a reality, I contacted Thuso to see what he thought about playing a show together in Gaborone. He said we should do it, so we did. We turned up. The crowd turned up. It was magical and so full of love and energy. Finishing the show at The No1 Ladies Coffee House by singing Whisky & Blankets unplugged with the entire crowd singing and dancing was maybe the highlight of the tour for me, it still feels so surreal when I think about that moment. 

With things starting to feel a little smoother, we felt like we were maybe going to be okay in the next days. But when we turn up at the airport to fly to TURKEY we’re told our flight is no longer departing. At this point, we don’t really react. We are so used to being hit with bad news every day. We are in a good frame of mind for finding solutions and after some fast talking and a little bit of confusion, a few minutes later we have another option sorted. We arrive in Istanbul to more bad news, the venue is unsure if we can go ahead with the show due to the worsening and frightening virus situation. It’s now the 11th of March and things are getting serious with the virus, but we want to push ahead while we can and play another show if we can, so we agree to keep the numbers low, the windows open and provide masks and hand sanitiser for the crowd and thankfully Cem at Norm Coffee agreed to let the show go ahead under these conditions. It was a very intimate show with a percentage of the crowd consisting of local cats, an actual dream situation for me :) 

After the show, I could see a slightly worried Thomas, he seemed to be rushing to get us all packed up and out the door and back to the apartment.. but why..? Because, he told me as we walked away from the venue, not only our flight, but all flights for the next morning were apparently cancelled. We would spend the next hours trying to work out if there was another way to somehow make the journey from Istanbul to Munich without spending too much time or money or if we would be stranded in Turkey for the coming days/weeks/months. Nothing seemed to make sense so we did what we knew best, we kept moving forward. We had been told that the flight had been cancelled and that the airlines were stopping all flights instantly and that we should not go to the airport the next morning, but every time we searched our flight number it showed that it hadn’t been cancelled and was still on schedule…? We decided to wake up early and make our way to the airport to see what would happen. We didn’t know what we would find when we arrived, but it was eerily quiet and by some miracle our flight was one of only a few flights still operating while the airline and airport finished shutting everything down. 

We were so relieved to be able to fly to GERMANY but landed in Munich knowing that the sold out show at Folks! Club was probably going to be cancelled and that it was getting close to game over for the three of us. We searched for an alternate option for the show but we realised that bringing people together was just not the right thing to do anymore. We were starting to understand just how big this virus situation was becoming. We had to accept this and cancel the show and decided to replace it with a livestream instead. We found a friend with a beautiful living room where I played a few songs and shared the experience with a handful of friends and a wider audience online. It was hard to accept that we maybe had to stop this once in a lifetime dream tour which had been unfortunately planned for the exact same month that a global pandemic took hold of the planet, but more and more it was becoming clear that this was the likely outcome. 

Waking up in Munich the morning after the little livestream we were told that our next flight had been cancelled, but we managed to be put on another flight which took us to our seventh destination. We arrived in ENGLAND and of course one last thing went wrong. None of our luggage turned up. No suitcases, no guitar, nothing. We waited and waited and waited and waited. We were hoping that for some reason it would just turn up, even after everyone else had collected their belongings and left the airport. Our luggage didn’t arrive and it kind of felt right for things to be this way after somehow surviving the challenges of the previous weeks. We started to make our way towards the ‘lost luggage’ counter to see what we could do but along the way we saw some lonely but familiar suitcases and a guitar sitting beside a completely different luggage belt. We three idiots had been waiting in the wrong place the whole time. Call it exhaustion, call it stupidity, call it what you want, we don’t mind, we were just thankful to not have actually lost our luggage that day in London. 

From here, things moved quickly, we made the decision to cancel the sold out London show and we knew we then had to cancel the remaining shows for CANADA (sold out), USA, MEXICO (sold out) and ARGENTINA (sold out). We announced one final live stream from a little cafe in London called Hotshoe 333 where we would officially call it a day. It was a weird feeling, we didn’t want the tour to end, but it simply had to. It was not possible nor sensible to continue. The Coronavirus had well and truly overpowered the Hurricane. Thomas, Jarrad and I said goodbye the next morning and we headed our separate ways.. which is when things started to get really interesting… 

Check out the new video for Hurricane - https://youtu.be/xttiOK-0CCE

[weekleegeography]

What To Prepare to China?

China, the most populous country in the world at 1.436 billion people (approximately 44 times of Malaysia’s population of 32.15 million people) and also the third or fourth largest country in the world (approximately 29 times the size of Malaysia). We have definitely heard a thing or two about China, with most notable “Made in China” in majority of your items. Production cost is one of the lowest in the world, hence why it is known as the world’s factory.

You might be planning to go to China, and so happened to stumble upon this blog as you are finding for some information on what to prepare before heading there. Otherwise, you could be my friend who read this because you saw me posting, or you just happened to see this for whatever reason. Not to worry. For my first ever travel blog, I will be sharing based on my experience on what you should prepare before heading to China and some things to keep in mind. I will be writing this from a Malaysian’s perspective (I’m a proud Malaysian), but I will try my utmost best to be as international-friendly as possible. Ya know… need to reach out to more readers! Anyways, hope you enjoy!

1) Let’s talk Visa.

No, I’m not talking about the credit card Visa. I’m talking about your permission to travel into the country visa. As of 26 December 2019, all Malaysians are required to apply for a visa before entering into the People’s Republic of China. You may use Passport Index to check if your passport requires a visa before entering to China. The link is right here!  

https://www.passportindex.org/

However, the process of applying a visa is incredibly simple. All you need to do is to go to this website. shown below!

https://www.visaforchina.org/web/guidance/StepByStep_questions.action?visacenterCode=KUL&request_locale=en_US&site_alias=KUL_EN

Just follow the process. It’s a very quick process and shouldn’t take more than a week. However, it’s always good to apply at least one month before your trip.

2) Cashless Society Is Real

You might or might not heard about it, but China is currently in a transition to a cashless society. By “transition” I meant like it’s probably 95% complete. You can literally pay anything and everything with the two e-wallets in China, which is WeChat Pay and Alipay. Even small shops, roadside vendors, and markets have their own QR codes which you can scan and pay. There is a higher chance that you are not able to pay with cash than e-wallet.

WeChat Pay

As of 23 December 2019, a foreigner is still unable to use WeChat Pay in China as WeChat Pay in Mainland China requires you to have a local phone number and a Chinese bank account to be able to use. Well, no cashless society for foreigners then.

BUT WAIT.

Alipay

Alipay has just very recently launched a Tour Pass which enables foreigners to join in the cool Chinese gang and pay with your mobile phone. Just download the Alipay app, register yourself as an international user, follow the steps to register and you will be able to use Alipay e-wallet in China for 90 days. How it works is that you will receive a virtual prepaid card issued by the Bank of Shanghai. Don’t worry at all, any remaining balance in the wallet will be refunded back to your registered card once the 90 days has ended. Alexander Wong from Soya Cincau wrote a simple article on this. Tap this link below to read more about it.

https://www.soyacincau.com/2019/11/06/alipay-ewallet-tour-pass-for-tourists/

In a nutshell, as foreigners, just set up Alipay and you will be able to pay with your phone everywhere.

Malaysians, if you have not gotten BigPay, you are missing out big times. BigPay is basically a credit/debit card based on a Mastercard prepaid introduced by AirAsia. You can use it to make payments at over 30 million Mastercard merchants worldwide as it functions like a normal credit/debit card that is managed by the BigPay app. Just install the app, sign up, top up some cash into it and you are ready to use the card. While there are countless of benefits on using BigPay, I will highlight two big reasons to get this card.

i) BigPay offers the best exchange rate when you purchase an item with BigPay card when you travel overseas. In other words, by using BigPay and purchase items using the BigPay card in another country, BigPay offers the best rate and pays to the merchant at the current exchange rate. To elaborate further, the money that you change at your local money changer will have a higher rate due to many hidden fees, but BigPay does not have any hidden fees. 

ii) If you are a frequent AirAsia flyer, use BigPay and enjoy zero processing fee while buying any flight tickets from AirAsia. Not only that, spend with BigPay and you can collect BIG points which can be used to redeem flight tickets.

**I am not promoting BigPay but it’ll be good if they can pay me for writing about them. It’s a real life saver for travels.

***But if you are going to get BigPay, why not use my referral code to sign up? You get RM10, I get RM10. It’s a win-win. My referral code is ZW1PKS7ATN.

So what is the bottom line from this long segment? I’ve topped up the Alipay app using the BigPay card, which I get the best rates while able to use Alipay to make purchase in China conveniently.

3) The Great Firewall of China

Took a nice photo and wanted to post it on Instagram? How about posting a status about how you are having a good time so far on Facebook? Want to make a video call with your friend using WhatsApp? Sorry, you can’t do it in China.

Yes, if you still do not know about this, China bans many, many websites that we access on a daily basis. Some top notable sites are:

Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit

Messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Line

Anything from Google, including your Gmail, YouTube, and even Google Play Store

For a more complete list, I have attached a website here which you can take a look.

https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/the-complete-list-of-blocked-websites-in-china-how-to-access-them/

Unless you are fine with WeChat, which is the only messaging app I can think of that is able to use in China, you will need a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to bypass the firewall.

My own experience to get by this problem is by getting a portable WiFi from Klook to bring over to China. Be sure to read the reviews stating that it can access the firewall. I got it from this website below!

https://www.klook.com/en-MY/activity/18737-3g-4g-wifi-mainland-china/?krt=s20&krid=3c37b711-5b56-4331-6e62-5a33130b4b6a

I also downloaded at least 3 to 4 of free VPNs from Google Play Store before heading to China with hopes that some of them work. China has been actively cracking down these VPNs, so not all VPN works. If you are able to afford a proper VPN, you can subscribe to a legitimate VPN service which will be much better. I have not subscribed to a VPN service before this trip, but now I have.

I personally subscribed to Nord VPN about a week ago and it is working charms so far. I managed to get a great deal of only paying RM230 for a 3-year subscription! PM me to know how or wait a while as I will post a new blog on how I got such a good deal! 

Be sure to download and prepare the VPNs before heading to China as you won’t be able to access to the Google Play Store once you are using China’s internet.

So with so many apps unable to be used, what do you use? That brings me to my next point.

4) Baidu Maps, WeChat, and Didi as your replacement

If you are able to read Chinese, then Baidu Maps is your alternative to Google Maps. It is basically China version Google Maps. Baidu is basically China’s Google.

Baidu Maps helped me to determine if it was worth walking, taking the public transport or driving to a destination. For public transport, it showed me the exact route to take, the exact bus number or train line to take, and even the total fare of the trip. As there is no access to Google in China, it is quite unreliable to use Google Maps in China even with VPN access as it does not tell you as much as Baidu Maps does. However, do take note again that it is only in Chinese, so for my fellow friends who can’t read Chinese, you can still download and try to work your way around the app.

WeChat is your replacement for WhatsApp, and why I would suggest to get a WeChat account is so that you can communicate should you need to communicate urgently. There was once that I was separated from my group, and thankfully I was able to find a café with WiFi and used WeChat to communicate. Sometimes, VPN can fail you, so it’s always better to get an app that allows direct communication.

Didi is your replacement for Uber. Sometimes, you need a taxi ride but perhaps you are too used to the e-hailing lifestyle. Didi is the app for you. Works just like Uber, except it is China version.

5) Bicycle apps

Now this was one of the things that I regretted not doing on my previous trip to China. The city of Chengdu has an excellent bicycle rental service and it’s literally so easy to cycle around the city. Sometimes, cycling is the fastest way to get to one point to another, and the rental is cheap.

The most notable bike sharing application that I’ve observed in Chengdu are OFO and Mobike. I did not do this process, but my guess it that the steps are:

1) Set up your Alipay account and top in money as told in the previous point. Make sure you sign up under the tour pass.

2) Download OFO or Mobike or both and complete the set up. Use the Alipay account to link it together.

3) Fly to China and enjoy using the service.

Again, make sure to do any downloading and signing up BEFORE heading to China.

6) Bin your toilet papers

Malaysia is blessed with an awesome sewage system, at least awesome enough that we can flush our soiled toilet papers into the toilet bowl and flush everything away. However, not everywhere is like this, and China is one of the countries that bins their soiled toilet papers instead of flushing it down. As habits are hard to break so soon, we might sometimes throw into the toilet bowl by accident or intentionally because it might be too unacceptable to bin it as it might smell or it is just pure disgusting thinking about it.

I’ve learned this the hard way in my trip, as one of my travel mate forgotten to bin his used toilet paper, and the result was that the whole toilet was clogged. By the time we managed to clear the clog, half of our day was gone and we had to throw some of our plans away due to a lack of time.

It’s real guys, you just got to bin it. It’s much more disgusting to see a clogged toilet bowl than a soiled toilet paper.  Speaking about toilets.

7) Yeah, it’s paper.

China has no bidets. So for #TeamWater, you can either shower in your accommodation, or bring wet tissue out in case the production happens outside.

8) Plug outlet

It’s different. Malaysia uses the Type G as we were once under British influence.

[Type G plug used in Malaysia]

​China uses the Type A plug, so be sure to bring a universal adapter to the trip. My little hack is that I also bring an extension wire along to plug into the universal adapter so that I can have more plugs to charge more devices.

[Type A plug used in China]

Be sure to always check for the plug outlet before visiting any countries. It’s a good investment to get a universal adapter.

9) Mala (麻辣) everywhere

At least for Chongqing and Chengdu, they take their mala very seriously. It’s hard to run away from their distinct mala taste in most of the food there. They even placed the Sichuan pepper into their stir-fried vegetables.

So if you are not a fan of mala or the numbing sensation from the mala, try to

bring some local food

from your country to compensate. Hard for me to suggest, as I’m usually very curious about the cuisines of each countries and will just try no matter how weird it is.

In a nutshell: 

I hope that some of these tips can help you to prepare before heading to China. I hope that you enjoyed my blog, and do share it with those who might need it. It is a big country with too many things to offer, but some fundamental preparation will be great. I am sure after visiting ones, you will know better on some hacks. Do share it with me too! I would love to hear them!

Pack your bags, and let’s get travelling! 

Just kidding, not now. Stay at home now as we are in a middle of Covid-19 pandemic. 

[paullicino]

Point Roberts

Taken from and generously funded by my Patreon.

“Who else is doing a landing?” asked the customs officer. Someone put their hand up as well as me. Someone else had just had their documents completed. Another person responded affirmatively to every single question asked, including the one about landing, because she was either confused or just wanted to beat the queue.

There wasn’t much of a queue to beat. The waiting room of the border crossing was the size of a living room. On the other side of a broad counter, half a dozen Canadian immigration officers sat around desks, quietly typing away as if they were doing any other job in the world.

* * *

A landing is a formal arrival in Canada. It marks your change of immigration status. Of course, to arrive in Canada, a person must first be outside of Canada. Fortunately, even though Canada is the second-largest country in the world, I was pretty near the edge of it.

I was near a  very weird edge of it.

But before I tell you about Point Roberts, I should probably tell you about the corner of British Columbia called the Lower Mainland. Vancouver and its surrounding settlements are all within twenty miles of the United States, making a trip to a different country a very quick, even spontaneous affair. If you’re a Canadian, you can even cross this border without being photographed, fingerprinted or interviewed. Then, suddenly, you’re in the land of Different.

And the land of Different presents all sorts of possibilities, possibilities with substantial economic considerations. Gasoline is much cheaper. Electronics often are, too. International shipping and distribution are no longer relevant, as you become the importer of your own goods. And, in Washington State, firearms are readily available and long guns can be bought by American citizens without need of any permit, or by “non-immigrant aliens” if they spend a hundred and fifty dollars getting a state ID, a hunting license and an Alien Firearms License.

If I stayed in Washington State and got those documents could buy this Barratt rifle that takes bullets half an inch in diameter and which can hit targets almost two miles away. I just called the gun shop to check. They said yes.

The economic pull of the United States pulls Lower Mainlanders south a lot. They order packages to special shipping centers just across the border, then rush back with them. They fill up their cars. They head to shopping malls and department stores. They find everything that’s Different.

This can sometimes create weird problems for distribution. Why even bother to try to sell your product in the Lower Mainland when so many of the customers there are going to come to your country to get it? Why even ship it?

Americans are  pulled the other way by the relative strength of their dollar. Right now, those dollars stretch 33% further. They drive up to eat, to camp, to study and to buy medications, including insulin. For someone in Seattle, it’s an easy day trip. For someone closer, it’s barely an afternoon.

As a European, I know that there’s a different version of this strange symbiosis in so many places. Scandinavia has its jokes about who is buying alcohol from which country. British travellers head to France for cheap wine and cigarettes. Italy and France... argue about fashion.

Weird things happen at borders. Weird things. It’s a weird thing to divide the world so arbitrarily and it creates weird behaviours. You walk a short distance and reality is suddenly different. Or you are different. Or both.

* * *

All this contributes to Point Roberts being a weird, weird corner of the world. History is geography, particularly if Britain is involved and, in a classically British move, the Oregon Treaty of 1846 drew a big and broad line across western North America at the 49th Parallel. It divided the continent between the UK and the US. Broad strokes are rarely wise and not only were there some subsequent arguments over who owned which islands (during which a pig was tragically killed), there was also the issue of a piece of land two miles long, jutting south out of Canada.

It’s ours, said the United States. We’re keeping it. They filled it up with soldiers and it became a stopping-off point for travellers headed elsewhere. It would be a little over fifty years before settlers had permission to make their homes there and then the 20th Century would see a gradual influx of immigrants from… Canada.

Point Roberts is full of Canadians. Not completely, but significantly. They own holiday homes. They own boats. They are visiting to collect packages. They are visiting to buy gasoline. They are visiting for the summer. Meanwhile, the Americans there have no hospital, no dentist, no public transport and no high school. They have a lighthouse. They have an airfield. They have a single border crossing through which all traffic must come and go. They assume you’ll have a car.

I walked across it, but not before a man on a bicycle beat me to it, pedalling off into the United States to never be seen again. A sign told pedestrians to follow little painted footprints up to an office door and a man inside asked why I was visiting his country. I had to tell him that I wasn’t and to kick me out.

* * *

Flagpoling is the act of leaving Canada and returning to validate a new visa or, in my case, Permanent Residence documents. I could, in theory, also book an appointment somewhere in Canada to validate my documents but the waiting time for this is long and if you want to be seen within sixty days you must classify as urgent.

People flagpole at the US border all the time. They flagpole at Peace Arch, the fancy monument between British Columbia and Washington. They flagpole at Niagara Falls. They flagpole at Lewiston, Ontario or Sault Ste Marie.

The thing is, all those border crossings are busy. They’re full of tourists and travellers and guards and security. In Point Roberts, one bored man in an office stamped my passport, gave it back to me and told me to walk back around the small building he worked in to the other small building that the Canadians worked in. His colleagues talked about a party that was happening later.

I looked south. A long, bare road ran all the way down to the sea. There were no barriers anywhere. I could just… walk off. The man continued to be bored. Do you need to escort me, I asked him?

“Do you need to be escorted?” he asked. “Are you a danger?”

I walked out. I was in the United States and there was nothing between me and the rest of it. There was, I guess, a chance for the bored man to pursue me if I dashed south. There was also only two miles of land for me to flee too. The range of a high caliber rifle round.

There were hardly any cars. There were hardly any people. There was hardly any anything, just like there never has been.

* * *

I re-entered the United States later that day and I can tell you that Point Roberts has a thousand residents, three places to eat, a couple of gas stations, no sidewalks and a shitty fisherman statue that looks like a budget Gandalf. Most license plates I saw were Canadian. The most developed and impressive structure is a marina. There were hardly any shops. There were hardly any facilities. There was hardly any anything, not even that cyclist, just roads leading into trees and quiet, sleeping houses.

A few more of those are being built. I bet they’ll be sold to Canadians.

While I was there, the sun went down. It plunged into the Pacific and the sky was all dark grey clouds and the distant yellow mottling of tankers, ferries and island towns. I saw a working lighthouse, which I have never before seen in my life, and I discovered it was little more than scaffolding and a lamp. I didn’t care. I’d never seen a lighthouse in person before.

I’d been sick that morning. I hadn’t slept much because I had been expecting to go to Point Roberts, which I’d never done before, to flagpole, which I’d never done before, then hopefully complete my Permanent Residence process, which I’d never done before. When I’d started that process, I was told it might take as little as six to nine months. It had been more than two years and I had received two rejection letters, as well as an email from my lawyer saying this was a big mistake.

My mind had turned everything over and then my stomach had decided to do that, too.

* * *

But as I had crossed straight back into Canada after that flagpoling, nothing at all was happening. Everyone, everywhere was bored. A Canadian border guard asked my why I was entering his country. He scribbled “PR” on a slip of yellow paper that was mostly full of questions about what firearms I might have, maybe which states they were from or what licenses I held.

British Columbia is weird not only because of its ongoing economic symbiosis with Washington State, nor because of the curious exclave of Point Roberts, but also because it cuts off Alaska from the rest of the US. A lot of people like to hunt in Alaska. A lot of people try to bring their guns from other parts of the United States into Alaska through British Columbia. British Columbia doesn’t really like this but it does allow it if those guns and their method of transport fit very, very specific criteria.

It’s the complete opposite to asking for ninety days residence and a twenty dollar hunting license.

Once again, I could apparently have just walked off, back into Canada, but instead I ended up in that living room-sized waiting area. A family sat to my left. Someone who did nothing but read a book the entire time sat to my right. A picture of the Queen of England was mounted dead ahead. That probably wasn’t necessary.

The officer asking who else was landing left the room and she was replaced by a grumpy man who called me up. I showed him what documents I had and he asked me what visa I had with me. I listed the items I’d been posted.

“I can see what you have,” he said. “I don’t need you to tell me what I can already see.” But I didn’t have anything else. Nobody had issued me anything the last time I’d entered Canada and nobody had really cared after hearing that I was waiting for these Permanent Residence documents to arrive, the ones I was laying out now.

The grumpy man made me sign and initial my papers, stating that I hadn’t suddenly committed crimes and forgotten to tell them or got married and forgotten to tell them or had children and forgotten to tell them and yes yes everything was spelled correctly. He took the papers away and joined the other people who were typing quietly at their desks.

A balding man walking in and asked everyone in the room if they’d been seen by an officer. Everyone said yes. “You’re all waiting so patiently?” He asked. “Thank you!”

He walked out.

For some reason, I took a picture of myself. I took it to see if I was suddenly different, but found no signs of this. The Queen stared at me. I sat there in silence. There was no noise and no smell and no movement. I played Peggle nervously on my phone, because at the US border they don’t like you to have your phone out. Nobody here gave a damn. A large TV showed soundless sports recaps.

The grumpy man called my name. He had stapled one of my documents into my passport on what was the shonkiest, most ramshackle way. It was infinitely folded. He had signed and dated it. I will never forget his name.

He gave me a piece of paper with numbers to call to register for health care and social security. My Permanent Resident card would be mailed to me and reach me hopefully two to three weeks after my landing date of September 21st, 2019.

I stood there.

“Do you have any questions?” he asked.

“Is that it?”

He looked up at the room. “Who’s next?”

[supersecure-blog]

Week 7 Case Study - Pre-readings

This week’s case study concerns privacy - specifically should the government be allowed to collect data for individuals to be used in the interest of public safety?

I’ve compiled some notes on the sources we were given:

2019 - Facial Recognition to Replace Opal Cards

Facial recognition could be used to replace opal cards

Digital rights groups say it would pose a risk to privacy

Transport minister said facial recognition would provide convenience for commuters -> envisioned something similar to Amazon's "Just Walk Out" technology. "All about making the journey easier and faster for people"

Opposition have major concerns about technology being rolled out -> data collected would be of large commercial value to owner. "NSW taxpayer shouldn't be used by their government to make money, and government shouldn't be trusted with this technology

Tim Norton - "worrying to see such flippancy from the gov about potential rollout of technology like this across public services like transport -> these decisions shouldn't be taken lightly, and require extensive public consultation to ensure citizen's rights aren't impacted"

People must have trust that governments are taking appropriate action to protect the privacy that people expect when in public

Justin Warren, board member of Electronic Frontiers Australia - how would an opt-out system be used if everyone is scanned. "needs to be public debate about plans to roll out this technology, need to stop taking the framing from government that this is something that needs to happen -> ask why?"

2019 - Australian Views on Surveillance

“Australians tend to accept government surveillance, particularly if they think it necessary or trust the government"

If surveillance continues to increase -> general public opinion might reach a turning point and start adopting measures to 'hide' themselves

Government surveillance justified as necessary to protect us from criminal or terrorist attacks

Intelligence agencies, federal and state police can request access to telephone and internet records. This can reveal info about location, recent contacts

Proposed legislation would allow the government to share photos and other identifying info between government agencies, and private organisations for law enforcement, road safety, national security purposes

Recently passed "Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018 - allows gov agencies greater access to encrypted messages like from WhatsApp

Study with 100 Aus residents about their views on gov surveillance

52% said they accept gov surveillance

Average response was 3.1 (acceptance for surveillance)

Two main factors that influenced acceptance:

Is surveillance needed

Most influential factor

Practical implications as lawmakers capitalise on people's responses to events to justify new legislation

For example - "The need for the powers in this bill has become more urgent in the light of the recent fatal terrorist attack in Melbourne and the subsequent disruption of alleged planning for a mass casualty attack by three individuals last month – also, sadly, in Melbourne. Individuals in both of these cases are known to have used encrypted communications."

Do I trust the gov?

Overall trust in the gov also determined their acceptance -> trust in the Aus gov is generally quite low

Might be more influenced by general view of gov rather than their views of specific policies and practices

Large amount of people opting out of the My Health Record

No link between people's level of trust in the way the gov manages data and their acceptance of surveillance

AI can analyse CCTV footage without human input -> when face recognition is used to identify suspects, there is the risk of matching people with similar, close matching profiles. Results in a high error rate, posing risks for innocent people.

Threat of repurposing - when info is collected for one purpose and used for another

Concerns that insurance companies could access and use info from the My Health Record

2018 - Facial Recognition Used by Aus Authorities

NSW police and crime agencies preparing to use new facial recognition system to match pictures of people on CCTV with their driver's license photo to detect criminals and identity theft

Federal and state gov has access to data and photos from passports, driver licences, visas for facial recognition system

People do not have the option to opt out of their details being included from the facial recognition system

NSW gov has allocated $52.6 million over 4 years to support this tool

Two parts:

Face Verification service: 1-1 image-based match of a person's photo against a government record such as a passport - already operational

Face Identification Service - one-to-many, image match of an unknown person such as a criminal against multiple government records to help establish their identity. Access to the FIS will be limited and expected to come online this year

 Monash Uni Professor said the system breaches privacy rights by allowing collection, storage and sharing of personal details from innocent people

Gov spokesperson said laws allow these services to be used for "identity and community protection activities"

Research indicates that ethnic minorities and women are misidentified at higher rates than the rest of the population

Significant concerns about the reliability or otherwise of its algorithms and biases that can be inherent

 "There are no proper definitions of how the data will be used under the current bill"

 Law enforcement authorities habitually push for greater access to private data and info to help them do their job

Government has to balance safety and welfare of citizens, and the limitation on people's civil liberties, and the threat to life in the case of terrorist attack

2017 - Benefits of Surveillance

Issue of mass surveillance

Amount of data collected - bulk collection only way to handle volumes of data

What data is collected - some places don't have clear distinctions of what data is to be collected

How data is collected

Key points of intelligence officials' statements on the effectiveness of surveillance technology are that:

Difficult if not impossible to evaluate the effectiveness of surveillance programs

Because data is aggregated with other data to form a larger picture, it becomes hard to evaluate the effectiveness of surveillance tech

Purpose of intelligence is to inform policy makers and to improve their decision making, but it is hard to measure this impact

Seven measures of effectiveness drawn:

Thwarted attacks 

Lives saved

Criminal organisations destroyed

Output

Context

Support

Informed policy-making

However: counting successful cases seems to have merit with officials as a measure of effectiveness of surveillance technology employed for tactical intelligence purposes, but not for strategic intelligence

2015 Australian Metadata Retention Laws

Following information need to be retained be telcom service providers:

Incoming and outgoing telephone caller ID 

Date, time and duration of a phone call

Location of the device from where phone call was made

Unique ID assigned to a particular mobile phone of the phones involved in each particular phone call

Email address from which an email is sent

Time, date, recipients of emails

Size of any attachment set with emails and their file formats

Account details held by the ISP such as whether the account is active or suspended

"The content or substance of a communication is not considered to be metadata and will not be stored"

ASIO, police, Crime Commission, ATO, ICAC are able to view stored metadata without a warrant except for journalists (need to seek a warrant)

Act was supported by law enforcement and security agencies including federal police and ASIO - argued telcom data is critical to criminal investigations, need to be made accessible through legislation

Act questioned for its effectiveness as a tool to combat crime, increasing encroachment of privacy in Aus, consequences for journalism and journalistic practice

2013 - Opinion: Why We Need Government Surveillance

Edward Snowden - leaked classified intelligence

Willing to give up on his job, family, home, relationships to stop the U.S government from destroying privacy, internet freedom and basic liberties with their surveillance

New revelations about gov surveillance programs -> why are same policies being used across presidents?

Government overreach

21st century war is different - requires new ways of gathering info

Move towards 'home-grown' terror will require collection of U.S citizen's conversations with potential overseas people of interest

Constant armed struggle against terrorist threats has adjusted beliefs on what citizen's expect government to do in order to protect society

Need for enhanced intelligence activities is necessary, but abuse can occur easily

After compiling these notes I’ve also drafted some points to answer the discussion from both perspectives, which summarise the main points raised in the articles above.

Government agencies should collect and have access to your data for good purposes:

Necessary to sacrifice privacy for the greater good - if you're not a criminal then in an ideal system you shouldn't have to worry about being falsely accused

Protect against terrorist/criminal attacks - lives saved

Identify suspects/unknowns in the database before they are able to execute an attack -> prevention, attacks thwarted

Can be used in biometric technology like facial recognition which has applications for public transport -> replace physical cards, and provides convenience for commuters

Data can be used to help inform policy makers, and better increase the quality of their decision making

Shift towards 'cyber warfare' context has caused a shift in people's expectations for what role the government should play in protecting the welfare of all citizens ->collected intelligence might be necessary to thwart terrorist attacks

Government agencies should not collect and have access to your personal data:

For use in public transport, etc:

Does the benefit of convenience really outweigh the cost of lack of privacy, and risk of having data being stolen from the government?

For use in the interest of public safety:

Are terrorist attacks so rampant that they warrant action of this scale?

Can we put complete faith into this technology to make life-implicating decisions for individuals?

Studies have shown that minority groups and women are more likely to be mismatched -> higher rates of error

Can policy catch up to the technology -> currently there are no definitions in bills/acts which distinctly determine what data is allowed to be stored and collected -> grey area

Significant concerns about the reliability or otherwise of its algorithms and biases that can be inherent

Risk of matching people with similar, close matching profiles. Results in a high error rate, posing risks for innocent people.

Threat of repurposing - when info is collected for one purpose and used for another

How is data collected and stored? Is it ethical? Are there any risks of data being leaked or the risk of an insider attack?

Overall increase in surveillance activities -> might lead public opinion to distrust the government, and ask why is it necessary to be monitored so heavily -> where are our human liberties to privacy?

Public opinion of NSW already as the "nanny state" -> could be the tipping point for complete rejection of government

[greysagent]

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