Like many Brits by birth, I’ve become accustomed to my democratic privacy. I enjoy free movement across borders without much hassle.
Enter The Dragon
Since a kid, I’ve been fascinated with Chinese culture so it’s actually awesome to be finally going there as 40+ years later. It becomes apparent at the Visa application stage how controlling the authorities are and this is made worst with media coverage of official spyware install by immigration…WTF and I have to pay for the privilege of a Visa. Having an assumption of my privacy rights does not help my situation and so my anxiety level rise and hello Mr Myasthenia.
So what’s in my toolkit?
- Linux Tails iPad
- new iCloud account
- New Facebook account for self tracking ….and a few encrypted devices.
…but essentially, I’ll be offline as much as possible.
My top 5 Barriers to China
- You have to scan and upload your picture. This is easy enough but not everyone has a decent document scanner or knows how to use it.
- Confirmed hotel booking…maybe I just want to be free and last minute. Nope, this is not an option.
- Form filling 10 pages of personal data..This is Your Life
- Appointment in person…2-3 hours if you are lucky
- Figuring out the geography…China is freaking massive. I will definitely get lost at some point.
I have no freaking idea what I’m getting into but hey, it’s just another level.
