I've been in France for a few days spending time with my nieces and nephew. They are a bundle of energy as usual and it's interesting to see how they've developed in the last year. However, today's post is about my frustration in acquiring visas.
I've gone into Paris twice already. Twice to the China embassy and once to the Taiwan embassy-equivalent. The China one denied visa services to me because I don't have a French ID card. "Go back to the US. It's not our problem, it's your problem." Thanks. That's really helpful. Also really helpful are their office hours - only 2.5 hours in the morning.
The Taiwan office was much nicer. My not having a French ID card meant I wasn't eligible for the multi-entry visa. I could only get a single entry...which for the hefty 89 euro price, really isn't worth it. I could fly to the Philippines with that money and just do a visa run and combine a beach vacation into one.
The difference in the offices wasn't about what visa they could offer but in their method of communication. The China office was just plain rude. The Taiwan office was firm, but polite. It's another reminder about why I'm glad I live in Taiwan now.
I've been researching ways to get a China visa - my last one I got in Australia. Turns out I can't use France, Japan, or Taiwan. One option is Hong Kong, but their website says as an American, I have to go to my home country. So, I can definitely use the US, but even then the hassle of getting a flight ticket (why would I buy an expensive air ticket when I could just go in by ferry/bus/train from HK as I originally planned) and hotel bookings is enough to make me just want to go back to Taiwan early instead of heading into China. Plus there's no way I'm flying back to the US to get a visa...and I can't think of anyone unemployed in SF that could do me this favor.
Here's a blog all about the China Visa policy changes and the effect on business people. And another blog entry about how one guy fooled the system.
In case you need to go the Paris offices, here's the info...
France Consular Office for China
18-20, rue de Washington, 75008 Paris
2 min walk from the George V metro stop, off of Ave Champs Elysees across from Louis Vuitton
Visa hours: 9:30 am - noon M-F
On a Wed at 10:30 am I was behind 50 other people. There is a separate line for Olympics visas.
Services only available to those with French identification.
Bureau de Représentation de Taipei en France
78, rue de l'Université, 75007 Paris
Close to the Solferino metro and Musee d'Orsay RER stops
Visa hours: 9:30 am - 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm - 4pm M-F
The woman I talked to spoke Mandarin, French and English fluently. There are publications about Taiwan in English, French and Chinese that you can read while you're there or take away. There were 3 people in front of me and the office only had 4 desks and two chairs, so I don't expect it ever really gets all that busy.
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Friday, May 30, 2008
Friday, May 09, 2008
Identity
In America, I'm Chinese.
In Taiwan, I'm American.
I identify as an Asian American.
When people in Taiwan ask me where I'm from, I say I'm American. Because of my looks they always want to know what my parents are. I reply that my mom is Taiwanese and that my dad is from Mainland Chinese (and sometimes throw in that he grew up in Taipei). This satisfies Taiwanese quite well, as they can now understand my accent (terrible American) with my looks (Chinese).
However, when I went to China and was asked the same and gave the same response, I would get some funny looks. Distinguishing the fact that my mom is Taiwanese, to them, was redundant - being Taiwanese is being Chinese after all! To them, Taiwan is just another province. So I should just say that my parents are Chinese, instead of one is this and one is that.
Hmmm. This ignores the fact that my mom can speak Taiwanese and my dad doesn't, that my mom's family came from the mainland many generations ago, whereas my dad was the first, that my dad's side speaks Mandarin with something closer to a Beijing accent and my mom sounds Taiwanese.
It's like saying "I'm American" ignores the fact that I'm also of Asian decent (and all that brings with it, growing up in a mostly white American suburb). And saying "I'm Chinese" doesn't make it clear whether you're FOB (Fresh Off the Boat) or an ABC (American Born Chinese). Even people technically within a category may not have the culture associated with it (I grew up on the low end for Chinese culture of an ABC).
* * *
My teacher has mentioned something similar - that in America she is Chinese, in China she is Taiwanese, and in Taiwan she is Taipei-ese. Like my dad, she was born in the mainland and then came to Taiwan as a young child. She also bore children in the US and lived there for quite a while. She is quite liberal and has a mixed identity, not easily labeled.
In Taiwan, I'm American.
I identify as an Asian American.
When people in Taiwan ask me where I'm from, I say I'm American. Because of my looks they always want to know what my parents are. I reply that my mom is Taiwanese and that my dad is from Mainland Chinese (and sometimes throw in that he grew up in Taipei). This satisfies Taiwanese quite well, as they can now understand my accent (terrible American) with my looks (Chinese).
However, when I went to China and was asked the same and gave the same response, I would get some funny looks. Distinguishing the fact that my mom is Taiwanese, to them, was redundant - being Taiwanese is being Chinese after all! To them, Taiwan is just another province. So I should just say that my parents are Chinese, instead of one is this and one is that.
Hmmm. This ignores the fact that my mom can speak Taiwanese and my dad doesn't, that my mom's family came from the mainland many generations ago, whereas my dad was the first, that my dad's side speaks Mandarin with something closer to a Beijing accent and my mom sounds Taiwanese.
It's like saying "I'm American" ignores the fact that I'm also of Asian decent (and all that brings with it, growing up in a mostly white American suburb). And saying "I'm Chinese" doesn't make it clear whether you're FOB (Fresh Off the Boat) or an ABC (American Born Chinese). Even people technically within a category may not have the culture associated with it (I grew up on the low end for Chinese culture of an ABC).
* * *
My teacher has mentioned something similar - that in America she is Chinese, in China she is Taiwanese, and in Taiwan she is Taipei-ese. Like my dad, she was born in the mainland and then came to Taiwan as a young child. She also bore children in the US and lived there for quite a while. She is quite liberal and has a mixed identity, not easily labeled.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Xian 4/20-23
Airport
XIY, 40 km NW of Xian city center
When you arrive at the airport you can
HQ Hostel
We rented half the hostel, which was really one full apartment, including 2 queen beds and 2 bunk beds, a bathroom, kitchen, dining area, and living area. Great location, within short walking distance to the Muslim area. Downside was lack of any kitchenware or internet. But there is a coffee shop just around the corner with free wireless (however, their drinks are terrible - at least the italian coffee and the fresh milk were both horrendous).
Sites
Terracotta Warriors
Definitely do from least to most impressive order - museum, room 2, 3 and then 1. The folks that built the place were all killed and buried within to keep the location a secret. Only discovered in the early 70's. The places are booby trapped and only partially dug up - also because of the near instantaneous deterioration of the paint on the statues. Scientists are currently working on a way to preserve the colors so they don't disintegrate on contact withe oxygen.
Hua Shan National Park
About a 2 hour drive to the entrance, and then from the parking lot there are shuttles that take you to the base of the hiking area. We walked up the stairs instead of taking the cable car. It takes your breath away - both from the views and the steep incline. On the way, we only passed a few people. At the top, it was clear that people came in by the droves via cable car. We made our way up towards one of the peaks, but it was getting late and cold, so I rested while waiting for my partner to finish. There are toilet facilities near the top, but they aren't pretty (sight or smell).
The City Wall
On a clear day, go to the south or north gate and rent bicycles. They have tandem bikes (good for kids) and normal bikes. We circled around the whole city in one morning. Note: It's closed to biking during rain.
Food
Delicious lamb and beef. Wonderful flat breads. Great noodles (liang pi were the best). We gorged ourselves silly knowing we couldn't get the wonderful spices and breads back in Taiwan.
XIY, 40 km NW of Xian city center
When you arrive at the airport you can
- take the shuttle bus to Bell Tower (last stop) = 25 rmb / person
- you can get 2 taxis (just tell the driver to give us a call for directions)
- we can arrange pick up in a minivan (180 rmb) - we went with this option for 6 people
HQ Hostel
We rented half the hostel, which was really one full apartment, including 2 queen beds and 2 bunk beds, a bathroom, kitchen, dining area, and living area. Great location, within short walking distance to the Muslim area. Downside was lack of any kitchenware or internet. But there is a coffee shop just around the corner with free wireless (however, their drinks are terrible - at least the italian coffee and the fresh milk were both horrendous).
Sites
Terracotta Warriors
Definitely do from least to most impressive order - museum, room 2, 3 and then 1. The folks that built the place were all killed and buried within to keep the location a secret. Only discovered in the early 70's. The places are booby trapped and only partially dug up - also because of the near instantaneous deterioration of the paint on the statues. Scientists are currently working on a way to preserve the colors so they don't disintegrate on contact withe oxygen.Hua Shan National Park
About a 2 hour drive to the entrance, and then from the parking lot there are shuttles that take you to the base of the hiking area. We walked up the stairs instead of taking the cable car. It takes your breath away - both from the views and the steep incline. On the way, we only passed a few people. At the top, it was clear that people came in by the droves via cable car. We made our way up towards one of the peaks, but it was getting late and cold, so I rested while waiting for my partner to finish. There are toilet facilities near the top, but they aren't pretty (sight or smell).The City Wall
On a clear day, go to the south or north gate and rent bicycles. They have tandem bikes (good for kids) and normal bikes. We circled around the whole city in one morning. Note: It's closed to biking during rain.Food
Delicious lamb and beef. Wonderful flat breads. Great noodles (liang pi were the best). We gorged ourselves silly knowing we couldn't get the wonderful spices and breads back in Taiwan.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Beijing 4/16-20
Airport
On our way, I read that direct flights are scheduled to start July 4 (between Taiwan and Mainland China, of course). So of course, we stopped in Hong Kong before landing in Beijing. The public bus outside was cheap and easy to find and figure out. Routes are explained in Chinese and English, with one going to DongSiShiTiao.
Accommodation
Beijing East Gate Plaza Service Apartment
Reserved online through sinohotel.com We were willing to go fancy but not so much as paying 4 star prices. This turned out to be remarkably good, especially for 3 young kids. Very spacious apartment with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a huge common room with comfortable sofas and a tv. There was a big fridge, dining table, fluffy (but strangely non-absorbent) towels, washer/dryer, high speed ethernet and A/C.
It was in a decent location as well, with a big mall next door with a supermarket, squash court, bowling alley, and restaurants. It was walking distance to DongSiShiTiao and DongZhiMen subway stations, as well as to Da Dong Roast Duck and Ghost Street (with lots of restaurant choices).
Sites
Summer Palace
A strikingly large grounds area. What was more striking was watching the Chinese reaction to seeing a Chinese woman holding a blond, blue-eyed 5 year old's hand walking around. People would not stop to gawk, take pictures, touch, and other mildly-to-extremely uncomfortable things. People usually wanted to talk to me, and I was happy to get in some Chinese speaking-listening practice in. However, after a while, it just became plain annoying. 
Mostly because it was freaking the kids out - having people stand 2 feet from them, staring into their faces while trying to eat lunch. No one appreciated being stroked and then picked up suddenly by a complete stranger and hugged close for a picture. I can understand the novelty of the situation, but I also think some lines of respect were crossed.
The Great Wall
Against all advice, we went to Badaling, since it was the shortest distance to the wall and 3 kids in a van for longer than necessary just puts more pain on everyone than bearable. So we braved the crowds instead. The wall, of course, is extremely impressive in person. It was fun walking the open sections, flowing with the crowds and discussing prices. There was one vendor selling shirts with your picture on it. For the number of people wanting a picture of the kids, I think we could have charged them for taking our picture instead of paying for a shirt.
On our way home, the makeshift van carrying 7 of us, was stopped by police. Apparently the van was not licensed for cabbing, nor was the driver. My Chinese still isn't so hot, especially combined with listening to the Beijing accent (after all this time hearing the Taiwan accent). However, I do understand that a driver doing something illegal and being taken away from us, leaving us stranded in the middle of nowhere would not be a good situation (especially with 3 tired kids in the car). And after the policeman asked me if the driver was a friend and watching the driver vehemently shake his head up and down behind him, I decided to say yes. "So you didn't pay him any money?" And this I was happy to answer truthfully with a no.
I think they must have seen through the lies, but luckily, he was only slapped with a 100 RMB fine and we were on our way again.
Tiananmen
The largest city center in the world - coming out from the underground stairs, we saw a Chinese woman seriously peeved off at a police officer. She was well into her tirade, chastising him for wronging her. She even went so far as to poke him a few times, and I was surprised to see he just stood and took it. Half an hour later, she was still going strong - him not budging to the apology she may have been waiting for, and her not relenting to stop the shouting in his face that she was doing seemingly without breathing.
Forbidden City
My images of the Imperial Palace all come from the movie, The Last Emperor. Walking through the grounds, I realized how much bigger it is than I imagined. Yet even for its size, imagining being confined within its walls as a child still seemed suffocating.
Other
We took a stroll through Beihai Park, bartered our way through Silk Market and then again through the much more reasonable YaShou Market. On the first night, we also spotted a garbage can in full flame. On the last night we meandered all along Ghost Street. After so many days of relentless staring, touching, commenting and general rudeness from many Chinese people, I was happy to end the night on something good. The pollution was striking as soon as we got into the city. Even on sunny days, with no clouds in the sky, it was impossible to see any blue. The haze seems to forever laze over the city. With so much sand in the air, I had a bit of trouble with my contacts. I stopped at one point to take it out, but instead of landing in my hand, it fell on the sidewalk. And this was well into the night. I stood my ground so as not to step on it, but couldn't spot it anywhere. People walking by noticed us looking for something on the ground, and they all eventually slowed and started to help. Some people were looking without even knowing what they were looking for! When I looked up there was easily a group of 15 people around me, with one particular person pulling out a flashlight (which really did the trick). We finally spotted it, I picked it up and someone asked "What is it?!" We said it was my contact, and they peered closer to look at the tiny curved lens. "Ohhh" I rinsed it off, put it back in my eye, and thanked everyone for their help.
Food
I really enjoyed the mango opportunities - we had some 'normal' sized ones, but the best ones were the kidney mangoes - shaped like a kidney, incredibly small, but with a seed that is razor thin, and a peelable skin, leaving plenty of meat to be eaten. Yum.
On the other hand, I had some of the worst Chinese food I've ever eaten. I didn't have a single good dan-ta (egg custard tart) nor any good jiao zi (dumplings). The former was mushy and gross, and the latter was poorly made (the filling was just awful - strange ingredient combinations and overly salted). I guess it's best to just get your dan-ta in Hong Kong.
We did end on a lovely traditional breakfast opportunity, walking distance from the apartment - consisting of a bowl of noodles, a tasty bing, and a bowl of a tofu-soup mixture.
On our way, I read that direct flights are scheduled to start July 4 (between Taiwan and Mainland China, of course). So of course, we stopped in Hong Kong before landing in Beijing. The public bus outside was cheap and easy to find and figure out. Routes are explained in Chinese and English, with one going to DongSiShiTiao.
Accommodation
Beijing East Gate Plaza Service Apartment
Reserved online through sinohotel.com We were willing to go fancy but not so much as paying 4 star prices. This turned out to be remarkably good, especially for 3 young kids. Very spacious apartment with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a huge common room with comfortable sofas and a tv. There was a big fridge, dining table, fluffy (but strangely non-absorbent) towels, washer/dryer, high speed ethernet and A/C.
It was in a decent location as well, with a big mall next door with a supermarket, squash court, bowling alley, and restaurants. It was walking distance to DongSiShiTiao and DongZhiMen subway stations, as well as to Da Dong Roast Duck and Ghost Street (with lots of restaurant choices).
Sites
Summer Palace
A strikingly large grounds area. What was more striking was watching the Chinese reaction to seeing a Chinese woman holding a blond, blue-eyed 5 year old's hand walking around. People would not stop to gawk, take pictures, touch, and other mildly-to-extremely uncomfortable things. People usually wanted to talk to me, and I was happy to get in some Chinese speaking-listening practice in. However, after a while, it just became plain annoying. 
Mostly because it was freaking the kids out - having people stand 2 feet from them, staring into their faces while trying to eat lunch. No one appreciated being stroked and then picked up suddenly by a complete stranger and hugged close for a picture. I can understand the novelty of the situation, but I also think some lines of respect were crossed.The Great Wall
Against all advice, we went to Badaling, since it was the shortest distance to the wall and 3 kids in a van for longer than necessary just puts more pain on everyone than bearable. So we braved the crowds instead. The wall, of course, is extremely impressive in person. It was fun walking the open sections, flowing with the crowds and discussing prices. There was one vendor selling shirts with your picture on it. For the number of people wanting a picture of the kids, I think we could have charged them for taking our picture instead of paying for a shirt.On our way home, the makeshift van carrying 7 of us, was stopped by police. Apparently the van was not licensed for cabbing, nor was the driver. My Chinese still isn't so hot, especially combined with listening to the Beijing accent (after all this time hearing the Taiwan accent). However, I do understand that a driver doing something illegal and being taken away from us, leaving us stranded in the middle of nowhere would not be a good situation (especially with 3 tired kids in the car). And after the policeman asked me if the driver was a friend and watching the driver vehemently shake his head up and down behind him, I decided to say yes. "So you didn't pay him any money?" And this I was happy to answer truthfully with a no.
I think they must have seen through the lies, but luckily, he was only slapped with a 100 RMB fine and we were on our way again.
Tiananmen
The largest city center in the world - coming out from the underground stairs, we saw a Chinese woman seriously peeved off at a police officer. She was well into her tirade, chastising him for wronging her. She even went so far as to poke him a few times, and I was surprised to see he just stood and took it. Half an hour later, she was still going strong - him not budging to the apology she may have been waiting for, and her not relenting to stop the shouting in his face that she was doing seemingly without breathing.
Forbidden City
My images of the Imperial Palace all come from the movie, The Last Emperor. Walking through the grounds, I realized how much bigger it is than I imagined. Yet even for its size, imagining being confined within its walls as a child still seemed suffocating.
Other
We took a stroll through Beihai Park, bartered our way through Silk Market and then again through the much more reasonable YaShou Market. On the first night, we also spotted a garbage can in full flame. On the last night we meandered all along Ghost Street. After so many days of relentless staring, touching, commenting and general rudeness from many Chinese people, I was happy to end the night on something good. The pollution was striking as soon as we got into the city. Even on sunny days, with no clouds in the sky, it was impossible to see any blue. The haze seems to forever laze over the city. With so much sand in the air, I had a bit of trouble with my contacts. I stopped at one point to take it out, but instead of landing in my hand, it fell on the sidewalk. And this was well into the night. I stood my ground so as not to step on it, but couldn't spot it anywhere. People walking by noticed us looking for something on the ground, and they all eventually slowed and started to help. Some people were looking without even knowing what they were looking for! When I looked up there was easily a group of 15 people around me, with one particular person pulling out a flashlight (which really did the trick). We finally spotted it, I picked it up and someone asked "What is it?!" We said it was my contact, and they peered closer to look at the tiny curved lens. "Ohhh" I rinsed it off, put it back in my eye, and thanked everyone for their help.
Food
I really enjoyed the mango opportunities - we had some 'normal' sized ones, but the best ones were the kidney mangoes - shaped like a kidney, incredibly small, but with a seed that is razor thin, and a peelable skin, leaving plenty of meat to be eaten. Yum.
On the other hand, I had some of the worst Chinese food I've ever eaten. I didn't have a single good dan-ta (egg custard tart) nor any good jiao zi (dumplings). The former was mushy and gross, and the latter was poorly made (the filling was just awful - strange ingredient combinations and overly salted). I guess it's best to just get your dan-ta in Hong Kong.
We did end on a lovely traditional breakfast opportunity, walking distance from the apartment - consisting of a bowl of noodles, a tasty bing, and a bowl of a tofu-soup mixture.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Return from China
I just got back from a trip to Beijing, Xian and Hong Kong. I'm waaaaay behind on word memorization and homework...so this will be a short entry just to say hello I'm alive and back.
I went with Geoff, Tim, Sam, Alani and Hannah. Some of my favorite kid quotes from the trip:
While driving to the Taipei airport and looking out the taxi window trying to spot Taipei 101, formerly the tallest building in the world, Lani's thought on big buildings, "It's bigger than Jesus!"
On the flight to Beijing, on a very quiet airplane, Hannah at the age of 3 hasn't quite mastered volume control yet and shouted "DADDY! I've got a snotty nose!"
And while eating a pile of mangoes on my own in the kitchen, Hannah came up to me, looked up and said, "You know, you're supposed to share mangoes with little people."
I went with Geoff, Tim, Sam, Alani and Hannah. Some of my favorite kid quotes from the trip:
While driving to the Taipei airport and looking out the taxi window trying to spot Taipei 101, formerly the tallest building in the world, Lani's thought on big buildings, "It's bigger than Jesus!"
On the flight to Beijing, on a very quiet airplane, Hannah at the age of 3 hasn't quite mastered volume control yet and shouted "DADDY! I've got a snotty nose!"
And while eating a pile of mangoes on my own in the kitchen, Hannah came up to me, looked up and said, "You know, you're supposed to share mangoes with little people."
