Trip to Embassy of China
In an effort to further investigate what my options are regarding my passport status, I wanted to find out if I was eligible to obtain a passport from the People’s Republic of China (not to be confused with Republic of China, a.k.a. Taiwan). Common sense would dictate that I should easily be eligible since China contends that Taiwan is part of China, hence, anyone who’s born in Taiwan with Chinese ancestry is eligible for a Chinese passport. With a Chinese passport, essentially I would solve my “expired passport” issue and be able to go on to Canada to get my PR there… I wish things were always as simple as “common sense” though.
So today I made a trip to the Embassy of China located in San Francisco. When I got there, I was stunned at how many people there were, waiting in line, just to drop off applications for passports and visa. The wait was easily 35 to 45 minutes. Compared to the lack of line at TECO, it makes sense that China is now the popular kid on the block. But then again, nobody gives a rat’s ass about Taiwan anyway…
After having dealt with two information desks and wasted 45 minute of my life waiting in line, I noticed the ladies behind those bullet proof windows were rude as hell. They yelled at people and freely expressed their annoyances at the first sign of what appeared to be “stupid questions” to them. And when someone wanted to make sure what he’d heard by repeating that information back to them, those Embassy bitches ladies would get angry and told them off! Wow! Talk about being backwards in culture and basic respect for others.
At the end of the day, I guess my question was too tough for anyone at the lower level to answer. And as my luck would have it, the persons who would know the answer to my dilemma weren’t available at the time. So finally a nice man said I could write the Consulate a letter to get my answers if I wanted to (no, no emails. A letter written by hand!).
So my first dealings with Chinese officials left a really bitter taste in my mouth. I pondered if I should even consider taking the plunge of becoming a citizen of such public disgrace. Much of what I saw today at the Embassy of China would probably never happen in a Taiwanese “consulate”. Having dealt with various TECO offices in the U.S. and in Thailand, I have yet had one person expressed any signs of annoyance no matter how stupid some questions may be (including my mom’s infamous inquiries).
So maybe I should just play the cards I am dealt and take my chances that the current president of Taiwan won’t say anything dumbass to piss the world off, prompting China to stick it to Taiwan’s butt. Every month passes with more and more of my options being eliminated from the table. Short of becoming illegal, I am cornered by the conditions events around me have created.
Speaking of being illegal, it seems like maybe being illegal in the United States is not such a bad deal after all! Even illegal, ahem, “undocumented” immigrants’ children are eligible for scholarships! WTF!? So a hardworking, previously tax-paying LEGAL immigrant like me gets punished for doing all the right things? How screwed up is that? Like me, I’d say, those kids should just deal with it and find ways to become fricking legal first, damn it!
OK. Enough rant for today.
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September 5th, 2006 at 4:48 pm
dude, I feel for you….I´m still trying to get my Brazilian docs…Taiwan, sadly, is out of the question due to my lack of China-red ooze in my veins…
good luck, though…I too hope China doesn´t stick anything in our beloved Taiwan´s rear end.