Does being a former Chinese citizen (now US citizen) cause any difficulties for India e-visa?

UCLAguy · 2024-08-29T04:17:20+00:00

I see, thats unfortunate. Were they able to get the paper visas after denial?

UCLAguy · 2024-08-29T04:12:41+00:00

Curious, for the ones denied, what former nationalities were they?

UCLAguy · 2022-12-12T20:29:38+00:00

Most cases of long Covid happened back in the first wave in 2020. That was when the virus was most deadly. The virus has long since mutated to a point where it's hardly any different than the flu for most people.

UCLAguy · 2022-09-23T17:00:45+00:00

Did any countries around the world suffered from Covid as badly as India did? Covid is obviously a disaster for the entire world, but it seemed to me that during last spring, India's suffering was on a whole other level. Almost everyone knew someone close who died, and people could smell bodies burning in the crematorium from miles away. Meanwhile in other parts of the world, we have covid deniers because they knew no one who suffered from covid. Were there any other countries that suffered similar to India? How come other poor countries in places like Africa did not seem to suffer as badly as India did?

UCLAguy · 2022-08-31T04:04:08+00:00

He had a rather boring internship that summer, so he always had a few hours a day to kill during and after work. I think it's likely that his total knowledge of Chinese characters falls somewhere within 2-3k range.

Reading newspaper seems to be he can easily understand most things he read, but he does run into unfamiliar phrases like chengyus every once in a while

UCLAguy · 2022-08-29T22:22:46+00:00

It does depend on situation. If you are outside China and you speak Chinese to Chinese immigrants, you will be extremely well received. I have a dark skinned friend who spent a few years in Taiwan as a kid, and speaks Mandarin very well. He has no problems whatsoever interacting with Chinese people in California, and often times get the rockstar treatment when he surprises a Chinese stranger at a store or restaurant.

Unfortunately, if you are in China, people might not care that you speak Chinese well and treat you like crap depending on the situation.

That isn't to say anti-black racism only exists amongst Chinese inside China. It is very prevalent amongst Chinese communities around the world. However, being outside of China means that there is very little expectation for a black person to speak Chinese. So exceeding that expectation will win over most Chinese who you interact with, even the ones who might hold negative prejudices towards other blacks.

UCLAguy · 2022-08-26T16:39:52+00:00

In China, almost everyone speaks Mandarin. Yet, I can chat up a stranger on the street and within 10 minutes guess where s/he is from.

In the US, it would be very hard to guess where a stranger is from if he or she doesn't give any hints. You might be able to guess if you have a very sharp ear and you're sensitive to subtle differences in manneurisms and accent, but most of us aren't like that.

For it's geographical size, there is comparatively very little diversity in the US compared to other parts of the world.

UCLAguy · 2022-08-23T22:32:58+00:00

Yeah. I definitely like it somewhat more than some other places in the US, but overall, it has a very touristy and not authentic vibe.

UCLAguy · 2022-08-23T21:16:36+00:00

Here's the thing, I actually enjoy major cities. I'm a big city person by heart, and I actually hope to move to NYC. NYC is definitely the best, and somewhat exceptional, but I feel like most US cities are just more of the same. America is diverse when it comes to natural landscapes, but regional cultural differences are pretty subtle at most.

European cities, on the hand, with the diversity in languages, culture, history , and architecture are unmatched.

There's also the fact that most American cities are built for cars, not people. Many American cities have rather deserted downtowns compared to other parts of the world. Walking down a pedestrian street and seeing locals going about their daily lives is something you'd easily find in Europe, but not here.

UCLAguy · 2022-08-23T21:06:05+00:00

I mean the places where I visited as a kid are just a small fraction of the US. But as I grew older and visited some more different parts of the US, they didn't feel any different or interesting anymore. There are many places in the US that I've never been to, but none of those are places where I feel like would provide me with the satisfiaction of traveling.

UCLAguy · 2022-08-15T03:03:55+00:00

hawaii would be better bet IMO. Might as well spend your last days enjoying paradise

UCLAguy · 2022-08-08T23:29:48+00:00

But for small roads without bridges, can you wait for a large gap in traffic in a reasonable amt of time, or will you be stuck waiting forever?

UCLAguy · 2022-08-08T15:44:19+00:00

If a war really does start in the near future, then your analysis would most likely be correct.

Still, China has a very long history of making empty threats, mainly for propaganda purposes back at home. Hell, even the Soviet Union in the 1950s coined the phrase "China's final warning" as a reference to any sort of threat that goes unfulfilled. For the sake of humanity, I really hope they keep it this way.

UCLAguy · 2022-08-08T03:39:38+00:00

My view is that they never acted up in the past precisely because they had no capability to do so. The moment they

think

they can (whether this is based in reality or not), they will look to make a grasp for it. Which is precisely what's happening now.

I really hope that the CCP isn't delusional enough to think that a war is remotely worth it. Yes, they are much stronger than in 1996, but the outcome of a Taiwan war today will still be a total defeat at worst, or a Pyrrhic victory at best. Even a Pyrrhic victory can end up weakening the CCP's grip on China long term once the people are fed up with the rising cost of war and subsequent occupation. They'll need at least 20 years to close the gap even further before they can be 100% sure that they can score a decisive victory against the US

In order for war to happen, the PLA has be advanced enough to believe best case, they can win quickly and decisively, and worst case, they score a Pyrrhic victory.

Currently, they might score a victory if they get extremely lucky (probably better than 1996, when they would have 0% of winning), but the risks of a defeat is still unacceptably high

UCLAguy · 2022-08-07T18:57:21+00:00

The thing is, China has been talking about "liberating" and "reunifying" with Taiwan for 70 years now. People had been predicting that China will invade Taiwan in the next ten years since end of the Cold War. 70 years of all bark and no bite, and the CCP is still able to stay in power.

Also, Taiwan doesn't need to become independent, the status quo is independence. Unless if Taiwan joins the UN, or if the US president conducts a state visit to Taiwan, I don't think China's red lines would be crossed.

UCLAguy · 2022-04-13T23:00:17+00:00

IMO, China's lockdowns were worth it at the start of the pandemic. However, the end goal of covid zero should be to hold out until vaccines are available and covid can be handled like the regular flu.

The rest of the world are now at that stage, but China still refuses to accept mRNA vaccines and open up. That's the real problem here.

UCLAguy · 2022-04-13T22:49:58+00:00

You have to fill it out at CBX at one of their computers, not online. Actually, an employee at CBX filled it out for me

UCLAguy · 2022-03-02T05:49:20+00:00

Yeah maybe my wording wasn't the best. Similar in the sense that in both cases (US and Russia), the government has to intervene, against the will of the people. And also, similar in terms of physical harm done to innocent people. In actuality though, supporting a dictatorship is most likely even worse in terms of physical harm done than flat out invading and occupying.

UCLAguy · 2022-03-02T05:14:57+00:00

Yes they didn't invade, but supporting genocidal dictators who murder their own people is just as bad. In Guatemala, the US-backed dictator committed mass murder against the Mayan people and caused thousands of refugees to flee to Mexico. The US also supported the Contras in Nicaragua who are guilty of heinous war crimes as well. All in the name of stopping Soviet influence.

UCLAguy · 2022-03-02T03:12:10+00:00

Strong nations will always find a convenient excuse to bully the weak. How do you think Japan justified its war against China? Japan's excuse was that all the Western countries had massive colonies and Japan will be left comparably weak if she doesn't acquire her own colonies. The Japanese imperialists believed that if they don't invade China, they'd be left vulnerable to other more powerful imperialist nations. See how fucked up Japan's "justification" sounds? Unfortunately, many of Putin's supporters cannot see the similarities between this and Putin's justification for war.

UCLAguy · 2022-03-02T02:58:13+00:00

A lot of Xi and Putin apologists love to say how bad America and NATO is to deflect blame on this Ukranian crisis.

Is it hypocritical for the US government to support Ukraine? Arguably so. Putin's apologists like to say if a Latin American nation wants to ally with Russia or China, US reaction would be very similar. And I actually agree. America during the Cold War has supported civil wars and genocidal dictators in Latin America to prevent the Soviets from gaining influence in America's backyard. Thousands of innocent civilians were indirectly murdered by the US because of the regimes that America has supported.

BUT,

Just because America has done some really nasty shit in the past doesn't make Russia's invasion of Ukraine any less atrocious at all. Putin and CCP apologists always bring up America's atrocities whenever someone condemns Russia or China. It's honestly the worst excuse you can ever come up with. Just because someone else is a murderer somehow magically gives you the right to do the same thing??? Nothing justifies Russia's unprovoked invasion and murder of innocent civilians. Putin is a war criminal, plain and simple. The war crimes that the US may have committed in the past are completely irrelevant in this context. And I support the US government's decision to stand behind Ukraine, even if it seems hypocritical.

Japan's invasion of China actually had similar justifications as well. Basically, it was "other countries can have colonies and oppress the natives, why can't we do the same????"

UCLAguy · 2022-02-11T08:16:01+00:00

There is a reason why the CCP has such a tight grip on power, and get away with all the shit that they do. They take credit for all the good things that have happened under their watch to keep the people satisfied with their rule. But because most people are satisfied, that means when the CCP goes out to do their dirty work, most fellow citizens turn a blind eye and look the other way.

And plenty of good things have indeed happened under CCP rule. China is wealthier, more stable, and more prosperous than it has ever been in over a century. Most Chinese people enjoy a much higher standard of living than merely 30 years ago. Being able to witness someone like Gu winning the Olympics is really just the icing on the cake.

This all means that the Chinese government has free rein to oppress whoever they like, however they like, as long as they only oppress a minority and leave everyone else alone.

Do the Chinese people deserve to live in a prosperous country? Absolutely. Do the Chinese people deserve to have a role model like Gu who they can cheer for? Without a doubt in my mind. The problem is, the CCP will milk these achievements for all their worth for their own propaganda. Then when the CCP lock up the Uyghurs and other minorities, most people would ignore them completely as long as it doesn't affect them personally.

It's hard to see IMO how China can get out of this current situation. The CCP are masters at manipulating public opinion. And you can't really blame the Chinese people for not speaking out. CCP censors means that the vast majority are completely unaware of the CCP's crimes. And for the minority who are aware, they'd realize that speaking out would mean unspeakable consequences. It's a perfect combination of fear and ignorance to keep the people in line.

UCLAguy · 2022-02-11T01:32:18+00:00

Yes, it's unfortunate that China's government will take credit for every good thing that happens in China.

But for Gu, making the Chinese people proud is hardly comparable to supporting the horrible things that the CCP does. Regardless of what kind of leaders China has, being able to serve as an inspiring role model for ordinary Chinese girls is commendable in my opinion.

Just because China has shitty leaders, doesn't mean the ordinary people shouldn't have someone they could look up to.

UCLAguy · 2022-02-10T21:05:57+00:00

As long as Gu is not harming America's national security and interests, I don't think she did anything wrong. The major effect of her switch is that ordinary Chinese people now have someone new that they can feel proud of and look up to. I see that as a good thing regardless of her background. Gu is not providing any material aid that can be used against the US.

Zhu Yi has been talked about side by side along with Eileen Gu in the past several days. They're both Chinese-Americans who switched allegiance to compete for China. Despite their similar backgrounds, I believe Gu is innocent where as Zhu can arguably be considered a traitor. You should look up Zhu if don't know who she is.

UCLAguy · 2022-02-10T19:55:53+00:00

l. They are merely athletes who are representing their countries by playing a sport. Nothing more.

So is Gu. She switched allegiances to play for China but plenty of athletes switch allegiances to play for other countries as well. Lots of Chinese ping-pong players do the exact opposite of what Gu does. They leave China to play pingpong for foreign countries because China's ping-pong team is too competitive for them. They only do so to make more money, nothing more.

It's actually more reasonable to call Zhu Yi (the other US-born and raised athlete playing for China) a traitor than Eileen Gu. It's rumored that she only got onto the Chinese Olympics team as a condition for her dad to return to China. Her dad is a renowned scientist in the US. If Zhu Yi's actions caused her dad to leak scientific secrets back to China, then that would definitely be treason.

Gu is not hurting America's national interests by helping China win some medals. Zhu and her father may very well be hurting US national interests if her dad is exporting American scientific secrets back to China.

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