Stars and Stripes Forever?
I think I need not explain how expensive things are these days. Let us not even go into inflation and taxes. (By the way, the GST and RPGT taxes are another topic which I would love to go into, in maybe the next post)
So yes. Everything is expensive. What's more if you would want to travel to some foreign country. A developed one, mind you and with a currency strength several times higher than your own. Simply put, bloody expensive.
Throw in the visa payment and you have a real slaughter. Your purse and bank account will never be the same again. Ok, I may exaggerate but it still does not detract from the fact that the high costs for visas are often unjustified and not explained to the potential travellers. On top of that, it's a gamble as to whether the visa will be granted at all. Now if this is not the lottery or Big Sweep, I don't know what is.
My current peeve is the US Visa. It has gone up higher and higher since it was introduced post 9/11. Yea, THE 9/11. It is a tragic moment in the history of mankind but it is not reason to justify the cutthroat visascams schemes.
I faced the same problem when I had to deal with the headache (not to mention heartache) that was the UK Visa. Documents after documents have to be shown to justify our intention to visit. Sigh, immigration is such a big issue now.
This brings me to another bone of contention. People who flee their countries not out of persecution or poverty but out of a need to want to make MORE money. It is not as if they are totally mired in destitute in their own country but instead choose to do things like overstay at a country so that they may earn MORE money.
I'm a big advocate of liberty and justice and all that schmalz but frankly these overstayers just gets me riled up. Perhaps the fact that we innoncents have to pay the price for their blatant disregard for sovereignty is what gets me.
It's Monday. I have the blues. I have issues. At least I'm not ranting about work.
So yes. Everything is expensive. What's more if you would want to travel to some foreign country. A developed one, mind you and with a currency strength several times higher than your own. Simply put, bloody expensive.
Throw in the visa payment and you have a real slaughter. Your purse and bank account will never be the same again. Ok, I may exaggerate but it still does not detract from the fact that the high costs for visas are often unjustified and not explained to the potential travellers. On top of that, it's a gamble as to whether the visa will be granted at all. Now if this is not the lottery or Big Sweep, I don't know what is.
My current peeve is the US Visa. It has gone up higher and higher since it was introduced post 9/11. Yea, THE 9/11. It is a tragic moment in the history of mankind but it is not reason to justify the cutthroat visa
I faced the same problem when I had to deal with the headache (not to mention heartache) that was the UK Visa. Documents after documents have to be shown to justify our intention to visit. Sigh, immigration is such a big issue now.
This brings me to another bone of contention. People who flee their countries not out of persecution or poverty but out of a need to want to make MORE money. It is not as if they are totally mired in destitute in their own country but instead choose to do things like overstay at a country so that they may earn MORE money.
I'm a big advocate of liberty and justice and all that schmalz but frankly these overstayers just gets me riled up. Perhaps the fact that we innoncents have to pay the price for their blatant disregard for sovereignty is what gets me.
It's Monday. I have the blues. I have issues. At least I'm not ranting about work.
