The Shape of Things to Come?
Spotted at the Bangalore airport...
...anyone care to take a stab at the equivalent Chinese t-shirt?
- posted by Prince Roy @ 7/30/2004 03:45:00 AM| |

 
Prince Roy: Visa Adjudicator to the Stars
Monday was history in the making at our consulate and I played a small part. We went live with our switch to biometrics. 'Biometrics' is the program by the US to digitally fingerprint every visa applicant. The photo and prints of the applicant go into a database, and DHS then compares the information with that of the person seeking admission into the US at the port of entry. I realize this is a highly controversial move and one that is unpopular with many people. From where I sit in India, however, I consider it a good idea, but for different reasons than you may think. The US has largely rationalized biometrics as a necessary measure in the post 9/11 context, and while this may be a foregone conclusion to Americans, I don't think that explanation resonates with many people in the world. However, biometrics will significantly maintain the integrity and safety of Indian travel, and it is this fact that we should be promoting to the Indian public. Identity fraud is not uncommon here, and we regularly encounter all kinds of forged documents. Even genuine Indian passports are easily obtainable on the black market. Biometrics can go a long way towards preventing this kind of misconduct, making the process of obtaining necessary travel documents much easier for the legitimate traveler. It will also aid us in apprehending those who intend to enter the US for illicit purposes. To kick off our first day of biometrics, we invited several Indian celebrities to receive the first 'bio visas', and the local media came to cover the fun. Who were these famous folk? Three actors: Kamal Hassan, Trisha Krishnan and Rakkia Gounder Sivakumar Surya; cricketer Bappu Krishna Rao Venkatesh Prasad; and composer Daniel Raja Raja Karthikeyan. I volunteered to do fingerprint duty, and I'm happy to report I took the first-ever set of biometric fingerprints at the Chennai consulate, those of actor Kamal Hassan. As mentioned, every major media representative attended, including newpapers and television. Here is a photo that appeared in the Dinamalar Tamil Daily. Click on image for the full view. I'm the doggie in the window and am exactly in the middle in this group of ten. To the right of me is Kamal Hassan, Trisha Krishnan, Bappu Prasad and Daniel Karthikeyan. Standing second from the far left is Rakkia Surya. After the press event, we held a reception for the celebrities in our courtyard. The entertainers were very accommodating and kind with their time, posing for pictures and signing autographs for our Indian employees. We have a lot of Indian nationals who work for us, and they were absolutely thrilled to see these people. We often have movie stars and singers come in for visas (they get special appointments), and our Indian staff never fail to light up when famous people come in. The women employees especially; it always cracks me up to see normally staid and reserved matrons melt into schoolgirl giggles at the sight of a matinee or recording idol. Not that I shy away from a photo op with a big-time Tollywood/Mollywood star, mind you. Here I am with Kamal Hassan. Here's one with Trisha Krishnan. We even have something in common other than our unusually good looks: we wear the same brand of designer watch. Seriously, she is very sweet and classy. She also has a pretty big cyberpresence, with her very own website. Finally, one more newspaper photo, this one from the Dina Thanthi Tamil Daily: I missed out on the newscasts, but I think most of Chennai did as well, because the stations broadcast this story in the early afternoon, and most people don't get home until after 7 at night. Don't ask me to translate this article. Tamil is an extremely difficult language to learn, and I have enough trouble keeping what little room my brain contains free and clear for Chinese. It is a very interesting script, though, I must admit. One of my American colleagues speaks pretty decent Tamil, actually, and he even conducts visa interviews in the language. I thought about taking the beginner's course offered by post, but in the end I decided the effort I would need to expend doesn't pass my own personal cost/benefit analysis. I still hope to pick up some simple phrases here and there, if for nothing other than to chat up the stars.
- posted by Prince Roy @ 7/28/2004 11:15:00 PM| |

 
Back From Bangalore
So I've returned and I'm happy to report that I had a great time, minor bout of food poisoning aside. India is a strange place that way. We ate at nothing but five-star hotels the whole weekend and I still got some stomach bug. I think it was the Thai buffet lunch at our hotel, the Leela Palace. I've had the worst luck with Thai food in India. My guess is it is due to the fact that raw vegetables make up a significant component in Thai foods (the salads), and consuming any kind of raw vegetable is a risky proposition here. Well, that settles it: no more Thai food for me; not in Chennai, not in Bangalore, not anywhere in India. I'm happy to say I am finally on more 'solid' ground. The trip started off with a house party thrown by the three interns we have here for the summer. They live in our first home, the one we had before we moved into this one. My predecessors created a noble order they call "The Knights Lungi". Tradition dictates that we take an annual trip, at least part of which is by rail. Required railway attire for males is the lungi, for females the saree. After a couple of hours, we left for Chennai Central Station. Below is a shot of me at the party.
Newest Member of the Venerated Knights Lungi Our group of around 15 booked the entire first class air-con sleeper car on the Chennai-Bangalore express, which leaves Chennai at 11:00pm, arriving in Bangalore at 5:45am. I thought Chinese train stations were a seething mass of humanity, but I think India takes it a step further. The swarm of people, even at that late hour, was unbelievable, and the waiting rooms and platforms were quite unsanitary, which is a shame, because Chennai Central is one of the most striking structures in the city. One odd note: you'd think first class means you'd have to walk the least distance from the platform to board your carriage. Not so in egalitarian India. We had to walk all the hell of a long way to the end of the platform, no mean feat considering we had a couple of (very heavy) beer/booze-laden coolers. It was an instructive walk, though, because I could see what the other classes were like. As in China, India Rail has its own equivalent of hard seat (where most travel) and hard sleeper. Maybe it's been too long since I took a train trip in China, but my recollections are that the trains there are somewhat cleaner and in better condition, at least in hard sleeper. Hard seat hell is a universal torment, though. First-class air con (aka "soft sleeper") also seems to lag behind China in the freshness factor, though I could only afford this class once or twice when I was in China, so maybe my memories are tainted by what seemed to me then incomparable luxury. Most compartments have four bunks, but a couple have only two. I shared a two-bunker with a colleague, and I had the bottom bunk.
My first-class air con compartment
For whatever reason, the gentle swaying, rocking motion of a moving train puts me out like a light. So while everyone else stayed up carousing for practically the entire trip, I soundly slept the whole way. As noted, in Bangalore we stayed at the Leela Palace. This is an amazing hotel, with beautiful, immaculate grounds, a lovely garden, great pool and an excellent spa. The rooms are incredible, with hardwood floors, kashmir carpets, and best of all, a king-size bed.

This photo doesn't do it justice; the room must be seen to be believed. I liked the balcony as well, as it had a nice view of city and cows. Unlike sweltering Chennai, the weather in Bangalore was 'cool'. I could've brought my windbreaker, but the bracing nip in the air was a pleasure in itself; here the breezes were fresh and clean, and you actually wanted to inhale the air.



I can't recommend the Leela Palace enough. I had the most relaxing weekend in quite sometime whether sitting on the balcony cow gazing or reading (I finally finished Poagao's excellent book), or simply dozing. And I must say, I haven't slept better since I've been in India. That is one delightful bed. So by all means stay at the Leela Palace. Just steer clear of the Thai food. Bangalore did disappoint in one way, though. I had heard how great the pub scene was, but it didn't nearly live up to the hype. Most so-called 'pubs' are actually clubs that carry 250 rupee cover charges and serve over-priced club food. For some reason, Japanese food seems to be the latest rage. We did find one bar, called "The 13th Floor" , where we encountered good ol' Indian-style cronyism. The bar has a very nice outdoors section with spectacular views of the city. Naturally, everyone wants to sit out there and most tables have 'reserved' signs on them. We thought we got lucky and found a free table, but we hadn't sat down more than 10 minutes when the manager made us surrender it to some Indian customers; regulars, would be my guess. And the table was not reserved. He shunted us off to the stuffy indoor area, but we weren't having any of it, and promptly left. The traffic situation in Bangalore is atrocious, even worse than Chennai. Sitting for an hour in a traffic jam to travel 3 kilometers is not my idea of a good time; it completely fouled my mood. In fact, that whole 'pub-crawl' evening was a let-down. I never should have left my gorgeous room. But the traffic mess did allow me to experience Bangalore beggars. There are more of them working the vehicles than in Chennai, and what's more the women employ a rather curious gimmick. They invariably clutch a child (rented, I believe) and they come up tapping on vehicle windows. Plenty of windows to tap, too, because traffic is normally paralyzed. At night these women put some kind of vaseline/glistening liquid under their eyes and on their cheeks to make it look like uncontrollable tears are flowing. They are banking on the darkness to pull this off, but it still looks phony, because the effect is too shiny, and their eyes are not red. Still, quite a trip.
- posted by Prince Roy @ 7/28/2004 12:20:00 AM| |

 
Off for a weekend in Bangalore, the capital of Hip in South India! Photos and more upon my triumphant return. Why just my triumphant return? Because 扫兴鬼 aka Princess Roy, isn't going. She'll be making a day trip Saturday to the French enclave of Pondicherry, so perhaps she'll have enough of an adventure to inspire a post in her blog.
- posted by Prince Roy @ 7/23/2004 09:45:00 PM| |

 
Last week was fairly significant from a professional standpoint, as I accomplished two 'firsts' in my burgeoning diplomatic career: the hosting of a social event and a public speaking engagement. The social event consisted of a housewarming party we threw to show all my colleagues our appreciation for the warm reception they have shown us since we arrived at post (and also to let everyone see what we've done to our place). I feel very fortunate in that we are a close-knit group and a community that goes out of its way to support each other---we often get together at our homes or go out to various Chennai 'hot spots', if I can take liberty with that phrase. The ability to socialize and act as a good host is an important part of the diplomat's job description. But I don't want to make this sound like too big a deal---after all, it was a quite informal affair. You might consider it a training wheels event, or even one accomplished on tricycle. Still, I learned a lot, even though my role in the actual preparation was very small. All told, we had around 20-25 guests. We took the pictures of our home that you see in the previous post the day of the party. The qipao you see on Princess Roy is what she wore that night. We served a good amount of food, most of it prepared by our domestic help: vegetable platter, salad, Lebanese flat bread with both eggplant and chickpea dips, sushi (California style), spring rolls, breaded shrimp, chicken and chive Chinese dumplings with two condiment sauces, Indian naan bread, Indian spicy meatballs (with Sichuan sauce), and homemade vegetable pizza. For dessert we had apple cake and mixed fruit. We also provided assorted soft drinks, beer and fruit juices. I think it went well for the most part. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food, but we had plenty left over, which we are still nibbling on three days later. One thing I didn't anticipate was the demand for drinks. Next time we need to get a lot more, including wine, which I didn't think to prepare. We are lucky in that our maid is an excellent cook, and since she's worked many years for foreign families she is familiar with many different world cuisines. It's quite a job being the host, but I'm glad all had a good time. I don't dare imagine what it would be like to host a full-blown diplomatic social, but I think that time is still a good ways off... My other milestone was my first public speaking engagement. I addressed a group of about 80 Indian students aspiring to study in the USA. A big part of my job, especially in the summer, is adjudicating student visa applicants. We hold these sessions to help inform the Indian public on how to better increase their chances of success in obtaining a student visa, because there is so much misinformation floating around. I think visa officers catch a lot of flack when it comes to student visas, much of it undeserved. Even when I first started, I thought I would be very lenient with students, but I've surprised myself. Don't get me wrong, my aim is to issue a visa to every qualified student applicant. I don't enjoy rejecting applicants, because I studied abroad myself, and I know how important and beneficial overseas study can be. But we are bound by US law in making our decisions, a responsibility I take very seriously, and US law requires us to presume that every student is an intending immigrant. The burden for convincing us otherwise lies squarely on the applicant. For students from developed countries, that is not a difficult task. For students from developing countries, however, it is much harder. In more concrete terms, we cannot issue a student visa unless we are satisfied that the applicant: • Has a residence abroad • Has no intention of abandoning that residence • Intends to depart from the US upon completion of the course of study. I would say that at least 90% of students here desiring to study abroad major in some form of engineering, usually computer science. The starting salary in India for a computer science grad is anywhere from 5000-20000 rupees a month (45 rupees=US$1). In the US? Around $4000 a month, and that is at the lower end. So you can see the dilemma. However, we only gauge the intent of applicants at the time of their interview: what is their intention at that moment. If they intend to return to India at the time of the interview, but later end up obtaining a job in the US at the conclusion of their studies, that is perfectly legal. To put it simply, we don't base our decision on what we believe applicants are likely to do in the future, but on their intent when they are before us at the window. India, like China, and perhaps even more so, is a heavily bureaucratic society, a machine driven by the twin-rotary engine of documents and paperwork. The way to get things done in India when dealing with officialdom lies in having the necessary papers at hand. One of our greatest difficulties is convincing people here that documents are only a (small) part of the picture. A colleague of mine put it best: "I have never issued a visa to a document, I issue visas to people." We look at a variety of factors regarding the applicant as a whole. Documents don't really play into the picture, because Indian documents are notoriously unreliable. We reiterate this point again and again, and they nod their heads in seeming comprehension, but I think that at some fundamental level, deep in the Indian psyche, it can never really sink in, no matter how hard we try. I know I didn't get that point across at my presentation, because just about every query posed to me during the question period revolved around whether a certain document or another was enough to guarantee a visa! Well, it is a fascinating job, and I must admit, I enjoy visa interviewing much more than I thought I would. We come into contact with all segments of society, and believe me, the Indian diaspora is nothing if not huge...
- posted by Prince Roy @ 7/21/2004 12:20:00 AM| |

 
金窝银窝,不如自家狗窝

Our Den I thought readers might be interested in taking a look at our home. Here's a shot of our living room. To see the rest of our home, please visit my companion site. This is our second home in Chennai. The first was very nice, but it was humongous, and we felt swallowed within. We are uncomplicated folk, with not a lot of possessions at this point, so the place seemed cavernous and empty. We requested a housing change, because the person living in our present quarters was due for transfer to another post, and we believed it suited our needs far better. Luckily, the Housing Board acquiesced, and we moved in a month later. Life is much better here. Because the house is so much smaller, it is much easier to keep cool; it also gets a lot of shade, which is important because from March through September, Chennai averages over 33.0° C (91.8° F). We also have a number of fruit-producing mango trees in our yard. The house comes pretty much fully furnished, except for carpets, paintings and other knick-knack items. The nice thing is we don't pay any rent or utilities, except for our phone bill (and Internet connection, which I don't even dare think about). Princess Roy has done an great job of interior design, though I still enjoy teasing her about spending all my money! But it's kind of fun to come home after work and try to figure out what new touch she's done to the place. Friends and family are always welcome---we have plenty of room, so do come see us...otherwise, please continue to do so vicariously virtually...
- posted by Prince Roy @ 7/18/2004 05:10:00 PM| |

 
For Any Stat Geek FSO Wannabes
I found out the numbers for the year (2002) I took the Foreign Service exam. As you may know, the exam consists of a two-stage process. First you take a written exam (FSWE), and if you pass that you take an oral assessment (FSOA). Both exams are free of charge; testing guru ACT administers the written exam at hundreds of locations in the US and around the world, but State itself handles the oral at just a few testing sites in the US. The hopeful applicant bears all expenses (if any) for travel and lodging associated with the FSOA. In 2002 State offered the FSWE twice---once in April and then in September. Now it is back to once a year (usually in April). I took it in April 2002 and the FSOA in September of that year. So here's how it all broke down: Takers of FSWE in 2002: 31442 Number who passed: 9258 Takers of FSOA in 2002: 6295 Number who passed: 1547 How many job openings were available that year? Something in the neighborhood of 400-500. The actual number varies year to year, and passing the FSOA is no guarantee of an eventual offer: first the applicant must clear the medical and background checks, then a "Final Review Panel" determines a candidate's suitability for service. A successful candidate remains on the hiring register for 18 months (State has now increased this to 24 months), ranked according to FSOA score only (you can receive extra points for foreign language and/or military service, but only after you make it on to the list). State fills each class from this list, working its way down from the highest-ranked candidates. So only around 500 of 31442 candidates eventually made it through; that's less than 2%. If I had known those odds the day I took the FSWE, I probably never would have bothered to show up. Just goes to show anything can happen, so don't give up!
- posted by Prince Roy @ 7/17/2004 07:06:00 PM| |

 

My First Lunch in Singapore (Give or Take 14 Years) That was a most enjoyable lunch, at what is my favorite hawker centre in Singapore, the one on Maxwell Road. Maybe it qualifies as more of a pre-dinner snack, because this was at around 3:30 in the afternoon. It is one of Singapore’s signature dishes, chicken rice. Although seemingly unadorned and plain, there is a certain beauty in its simplicity. The flavors of soy, scallions and coriander balance each other perfectly. The chicken is melt-in-your-mouth tender and the bok choy is crispy-fresh. And of course you are always free to redistribute the nuanced balance with the minced ginger and chili sauce provided by the vendor (which is what you see on my plate). All this for only S$3 (US$1=S$ 1.71). And that lovely, large cold Tiger Beer? Not a bad bargain at all, at S$5. We arrived in Singapore at around 7 in the morning on the 11:45 red-eye from Chennai. I have no idea why, but international flights don’t leave Chennai until after 10:00 at night, even quick 3-hour hops to Singapore. What that means is you get there completely knackered, and Day One is practically history. I don’t know if this is yet another incomprehensible policy of the Tamil Nadu government or what. We checked into our hotel by 9 and immediately crashed until after 1:00pm. We stayed in the Orchard Parade, a place that makes Fawlty Towers appear the epitome of excellence in hotel management. Don’t make that same mistake. It has a great location but that is it. Check-in was a dreadful experience, even though there was only one other guest at the counter. Glaciers move faster than the challenged staff at the Orchard Parade. The room they assigned us (Room 400) was a debacle. Only a bare concrete wall separates it from a dance club located in the same building. A dance club that stays open on weekends until 5:00am. We found this out when we came back from dinner at 10:00pm and promptly changed rooms. In our haste to vacate, I left my Guanyin Bodhisattva necklace in the room. I didn’t notice it until the next morning, but the housekeeping staff claimed not to have found it. I insisted on checking myself, but it was long gone. Maxwell Road Hawker Centre Hawker centres abound in Singapore, but I think the one on Maxwell Road is the best. I like how it is open-air and the activities of the vendors, their interactions with each other and their customers, are all on display. We tried a few indoor ones located in the big shopping centers, but with the exception of the Funan IT Mall food centre, they were disappointing. You can find a variety of food in hawker centres, but Chinese seafood noodle soups predominate. The taste reminds me a lot of Taiwan; in fact many Chinese in Singapore are Hokkien whose ancestors came from the Xiamen area of Fujian, same as the Taiwanese. Of course, Singapore has a variety of ethnic groups, and all their cuisines represent at these centers. But after three months in Chennai, it was all about Chinese food, all the time.
Be sure to give The Magic of Chongqing Hotpot a try. It’s in the Tanglin Shopping Centre. The evening hotpot buffet is S$24; excellent value and even vegetarians can have a great meal here. But I recommend you get the whole thing in spicy hotpot base---don’t split it up into two broths like we did.
The pictures above are from the Harbor Cruise tour offered by the Cheng Ho (Zheng He) company. They model the boat after one used by legendary Chinese admiral Zheng He, who sailed as far as the eastern coast of Africa several decades before Columbus set sail to the New World. The cruise takes around three hours, almost all of it on the boat, except for about 20 minutes and a quick temple stop on Kusu Island (龟屿 Gui Yu). All told, I think you can give this tour a pass unless you really like boat rides. The temple on Kusu Island is quite interesting, though, and Kusu would be a great place for a picnic/BBQ and an overnight camping trip. We also did the Singapore Zoo’s Night Safari tour. This one is worth it, but we went on the wrong night (Saturday). It was a mob scene. This would probably be better during the week when you only have to worry about other tourists. On the weekends a lot of Singaporeans go too. One piece of advice: don’t bother booking the tour through your hotel--- you are better off just going directly to the Night Safari and buying a ticket there. The Main Event is a 30-minute tram ride where you’ll see a variety of nocturnal critters from around the world. They put food out so the animals come into the open. The tour guides emphasize constantly “no flash photography” because this disturbs the animals. Inevitably, though, people take pictures with the damn flash. And for some reason it’s always Asian tourists that break the rules, particularly the older ones. A number of walking trails intersect the tram ride, so you can spend a good bit of time exploring on your own. There’s always the clown who thinks he is being enormously clever by making howling animal noises in the dark: Bravo pal, you are the star attraction of the new jackass exhibit. Be sure to do the Fishing Cat trail, They have these wild cats, I think from South America, that actually fish from a stream running through their enclosure. I believe we even filmed a successful catch on our video camera (before you try to get wise, our camera has night vision, so no flash or light). If so, I’ll try to post a video stream at some point.
All in all, we had a blast. Singapore is a beautiful, clean and convenient city with great food and lots to do. Did I mention it is clean? To contrast it with Hong Kong, I’d say Singapore is the more beautiful city, but Hong Kong’s harbour scenery blows Singapore’s out of the water. Singapore is definitely near the top of our list for a future State Department assignment, but then again, I bet it is for just about everyone else at State.
- posted by Prince Roy @ 7/12/2004 12:25:00 AM| |

 

In a very pleasant surprise today, I received Poagao's book 台湾馒头美国兵 [Counting Mantou: An American in Taiwan's Army], which I ordered a few weeks back from yesasia.com. Poagao (T. Christopher Locke/林道明) is an American by birth who became a citizen of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in 1994. I wonder if he has as bizarre a tale to tell about renouncing his US citizenship as this guy. I would have loved to have been in the AIT the day Poagao showed up. The book is his autobiography of his two years in the Taiwan army, fulfilling the mandatory military obligation of every Taiwanese male. Well, at least mandatory for every male who doesn't flee to the US or Canada to avoid service, that is, and I've met several. As someone who voluntarily served my country in the US Army for four years on active duty, this trend disturbs me to no end, in no small part because many Taiwanese seem to think it is a foregone conclusion, as well as their birthright, that the US will defend Taiwan at all costs. I admire Poagao for showing this kind of dedication to his adopted country, especially as he intimates in the book that as a laowai, he could have avoided service had he really wanted to do so. What a massive loss of face for those native-born Taiwanese who choose to ignore their civic duty. Anyway, I've just started Chapter 1, and I think this is going to be a most fascinating read. The amazing thing is that I actually know Poagao. We attended the UMass at Tunghai program together in 1989-1990. Neither of us went to UMass; he was a student at Washington and Lee and I was a junior at the University of Oregon. I got to know him early on in the program because it was immediately apparent that unlike the majority of our yahoo classmates, who were just there to piss off a year abroad, he was completely smitten with Taiwan and the Chinese culture/language. He was almost obsessed with perfecting Chinese, as was I, and in that way we were something of kindred spirits. Of course, he ended up taking it a lot further than I did! I was one of the few other foreigners he would talk to, because I would speak in Chinese with him, whereas most others in the program would always speak in English with the other participants. I remember that he was very much into photography, and he would show me his photos on occasion. He has a great gift for the medium, which you can see for yourself at his website (in my links). I understand he is shopping around the English version of his book, but I don't know if he's found a publisher yet. If you read Chinese, however, you can order it here. I'm curious as to how his editors dealt with the manuscript. Did they alter it to try and exoticize Poagao so as to make it more attractive to a Taiwanese readership, or did they leave it basically untouched? In any event, it's had at least two printings, so apparently it has sold ok. I wonder who will play Poagao in the film adaptation...
- posted by Prince Roy @ 7/07/2004 11:35:00 PM| |

 
We're back and had a great time even if I didn't complete my main mission (purchasing a new TV). I'll post about the trip this weekend, along with a few photos. In the meantime, I'd like to suggest that any Foreign Service officer wannabes head over to Renato's Worldwide Adventures. He's done an admirable job of scouting out a number of Foreign Service-themed sites. I always thought my claim to fame was that I was the first to blog about life in A-100. While that still may be true, I'm much less confident of that claim than before, because there are at least a couple of blogs he links to that predate mine by a year or more. I haven't found any descriptions of A-100 yet, but they do go into what life is like for a new diplomat at post. And while one guy did upload a lot of pictures he took during A-100, it qualifies more as a photo album, not a written record of his experiences. It hasn't even been a day, and already I miss Singapore, and a fine old friend with whom I made a most joyful reacquaintance, Tiger Beer.
- posted by Prince Roy @ 7/06/2004 10:05:00 PM| |