And I managed to fit in 3 episodes of Little Busters! while SP1 was being applied.
I'm not quite sure what it says about me or Microsoft's patch process.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
So I spent my weekend updating a computer to SP1
And I managed to fit in 3 episodes of Little Busters! while SP1 was being applied.
I'm not quite sure what it says about me or Microsoft's patch process.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica episode 5. Still on ABC3, but that's no longer the point.
Kyouko!
I must say that Sayaka (Sarah Williams) still sounds weird. Kitamura Eri is a high bar to match.
And Lauren Landa (Kyouko) is no Ai-pon~.
I suppose there are worst ways for my tax dollars to be spent.
女子かしまし物語
Somebody get this song out of my head please.
The lyrics are gold BTW. They don't make stuff like this anymore.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Twitter Gems, part 54
As much as it pains me to say this, that is the truth. If only KyoAni had put even half the amount of effort they commit to FREE! into CLANNAD ~After Story~. Maybe then we would have had a Wonderful Life.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Zits 24 June 2013
It is nice to know I'm not the only one who thought of this.
Mothers must be same all over the world.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Puella Magi Madoka Magica episode 4. Still on ABC3, believe it or not.
So it does look like I'm the only person watching Madoka on ABC3. Ep 4 came on air as scheduled this evening. So the ABC wasn't inundated with moral outrage.
Remember kids, most people are ungrateful to begin with. Life is a zero sum game. You can't win.
Next up: Sayaka!
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Passport issuing authorities
Recently I was asked an interesting question: “What is the issuing authority of the Malaysian passport?”
The answer, interestingly, is the place/location under the heading “Issuing Office”
From top to bottom: Australian student visa immigration form, Japan tourist visa application form, UK Tier-2 visa application form
Anyone who lives outside of Malaysia has to fill up an immigration form sooner or later, one way or the other. Inevitably the main form of ID used to prove the identity of the individual is the Malaysian Passport. And the one question on the paperwork that seems to trip up generations of Malaysian students, holiday seekers and workers is the question: “Issuing Authority of Passport”
I have seen answers such as “Department of Immigration, Malaysia”, “Malaysian department of Immigration”. Interestingly, I have yet to hear of anyone being denied a visa filling their immigration forms in this way. However, I feel that it is a topic which has not been well discussed, and hence in this post I will briefly touch on what makes a passport, and do a comparative analysis on how other countries format their passport data page.
ICAO standards
This is not a post on the history of passports. However, the world has generally fallen in line with the “ICAO passport standard” (ie. That lovely thing which looks like the Australian aboriginal flag at the front of your passport), which is defined in ICAO Document 9303. Being a nerd I am, I’m probably one of the few people in this world to actually find reading such documentation interesting.
The document is pretty lengthy, with Part 1 clocking in at 100 pages. The bit we are interested in is page IV-12, which states:
The Data Element 15/III defines under what authority the passport is being issued. And it makes clear that the issuing office where the passport was issued is the same as the authority under which the passport is given to the holder of the passport.
How Malaysia does it
It’s amazing how many passport data pages one can get with a few keystrokes these days:
Source.
Source
Source
Source
Source
Source
Oh look! The new polycarbonate passports!
The point I’m trying to get to in between all these images is that the issuing office is different depending on where you apply and receive your passport. So yes, the issuing authority of Malaysian passports is where you applied for them.
I’ve always wondered what about those who applied for their Malaysian passports overseas. Is the issuing place the same as the Malaysian representative location?
How Australia does it
Source
Source
Before you scream murder at me for these images, read up on “Assassination of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh” These are images publicly published on the media for all to see. But that's not why I've put them up. My point for these images is to illustrate that Australia also uses the place where the passport was issued as the Issuing Passport Authority.
Source
Source
Personal experience indicates that the Australian passport office isn't very consistent when it comes to the issuing authority. I have seen the Issuing Authority alternate between simply “Australia” and the capital city of the state where one applied for their passport.
How New Zealand does it
Source
Like Australia, New Zealand puts where the passport was issued as the issuing authority.
How Japan does it
Source
Source
Source
That’s interesting: passports issued in Japan are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but outside Japan they are issued by the Japanese representative outside Japan. And instead of recording where the holder was born, it records where the holder is domiciled.
How South Korea does it
Source
Source
Source
With the number of South Korean’s in Brisbane, I’ve seen a few South Korean passports in my time. They are all issued by the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
How China does it
Source
Source
I suppose one pro of living with housemates from China is that I’ve seen probably more than my fair share of PRC passports. And when I look at them I am very grateful for my Malaysian passport. Compared to them Malaysian passport holders have it easy for most of the world. I had a housemate who was denied a tourist visa to the UK for the reason that she was a student and couldn’t prove enough funds. I was asked how did I do it to improve my changes. I just said: “As a Malaysian passport holder we just get on a plane with a round trip ticket”
You can’t do that on a PRC passport.
Passports issued in China have the location where it was issued under the authority of the Ministry of Public Security. For those passports renewed outside China, it simply states the city where the PRC representative is.
Pub trivia: China only issues 10 year passports. There is no option to have a shorter time period. This new policy was put in place from 2007. I suppose its scant consolation when they need a visa to pretty much enter any country.
How Singapore does it
Source
Source
Singaporean passports are issued by the Singaporean Ministry of Home Affairs. I suppose Singapore is small enough to have only one Passport Office.
How Taiwan (sorry, "Republic of China") does it
Source
Source
Passports are issued by the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with no information on where it was applied for, unless they were applied for outside of Taiwan.
Taiwan passports have always fascinated me. Before 2002 anyone of Chinese ethnicity (overseas born Chinese) was technically eligible for a Taiwanese passport. Anyone who can prove descent to ROC persons were also eligible.
Strange then: I don’t quite remember the Chinese culturalists (Y’know, the ones that keep harping on 2000 (or 4000; it seems to change depending on who you talk to) years of Chinese culture, language and education) in Malaysia lining up outside the Taiwanese embassy (sorry, "Taipei Cultural and Economic Office") to get a Taiwanese passport.
Interestingly it looks like Taiwan also includes a provision for those who have adapted Western names in their name column.
How Denmark does it
Source
Oh look, another polycarbonate passport!
Danish passports look very busy: they are written in English, Danish and French.
How Indonesia does it
Source
Source
Source
Like Malaysia and Singapore, Indonesia does not have separate columns for Surnames and Given names. Unlike Malaysia however, at least the MRZ has a provision for the surname (see 2nd image), even if it is left blank (see top image). Alternatively it is omitted completely. (See image above)
Anyway, all this is academic. I highly doubt any immigration authority will reject an application form which states the "Department of Immigration, Malaysia" as the issuing authority. It is just another column in the never ending mountain of paperwork that bureaucracy loves.
The answer, interestingly, is the place/location under the heading “Issuing Office”
From top to bottom: Australian student visa immigration form, Japan tourist visa application form, UK Tier-2 visa application form
Anyone who lives outside of Malaysia has to fill up an immigration form sooner or later, one way or the other. Inevitably the main form of ID used to prove the identity of the individual is the Malaysian Passport. And the one question on the paperwork that seems to trip up generations of Malaysian students, holiday seekers and workers is the question: “Issuing Authority of Passport”
I have seen answers such as “Department of Immigration, Malaysia”, “Malaysian department of Immigration”. Interestingly, I have yet to hear of anyone being denied a visa filling their immigration forms in this way. However, I feel that it is a topic which has not been well discussed, and hence in this post I will briefly touch on what makes a passport, and do a comparative analysis on how other countries format their passport data page.
ICAO standards
This is not a post on the history of passports. However, the world has generally fallen in line with the “ICAO passport standard” (ie. That lovely thing which looks like the Australian aboriginal flag at the front of your passport), which is defined in ICAO Document 9303. Being a nerd I am, I’m probably one of the few people in this world to actually find reading such documentation interesting.
The document is pretty lengthy, with Part 1 clocking in at 100 pages. The bit we are interested in is page IV-12, which states:
The Data Element 15/III defines under what authority the passport is being issued. And it makes clear that the issuing office where the passport was issued is the same as the authority under which the passport is given to the holder of the passport.
How Malaysia does it
It’s amazing how many passport data pages one can get with a few keystrokes these days:
Source.
Source
Source
Source
Source
Source
Oh look! The new polycarbonate passports!
The point I’m trying to get to in between all these images is that the issuing office is different depending on where you apply and receive your passport. So yes, the issuing authority of Malaysian passports is where you applied for them.
I’ve always wondered what about those who applied for their Malaysian passports overseas. Is the issuing place the same as the Malaysian representative location?
How Australia does it
Source
Source
Before you scream murder at me for these images, read up on “Assassination of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh” These are images publicly published on the media for all to see. But that's not why I've put them up. My point for these images is to illustrate that Australia also uses the place where the passport was issued as the Issuing Passport Authority.
Source
Source
Personal experience indicates that the Australian passport office isn't very consistent when it comes to the issuing authority. I have seen the Issuing Authority alternate between simply “Australia” and the capital city of the state where one applied for their passport.
How New Zealand does it
Source
Like Australia, New Zealand puts where the passport was issued as the issuing authority.
How Japan does it
Source
Source
Source
That’s interesting: passports issued in Japan are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but outside Japan they are issued by the Japanese representative outside Japan. And instead of recording where the holder was born, it records where the holder is domiciled.
How South Korea does it
Source
Source
Source
With the number of South Korean’s in Brisbane, I’ve seen a few South Korean passports in my time. They are all issued by the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
How China does it
Source
Source
I suppose one pro of living with housemates from China is that I’ve seen probably more than my fair share of PRC passports. And when I look at them I am very grateful for my Malaysian passport. Compared to them Malaysian passport holders have it easy for most of the world. I had a housemate who was denied a tourist visa to the UK for the reason that she was a student and couldn’t prove enough funds. I was asked how did I do it to improve my changes. I just said: “As a Malaysian passport holder we just get on a plane with a round trip ticket”
You can’t do that on a PRC passport.
Passports issued in China have the location where it was issued under the authority of the Ministry of Public Security. For those passports renewed outside China, it simply states the city where the PRC representative is.
Pub trivia: China only issues 10 year passports. There is no option to have a shorter time period. This new policy was put in place from 2007. I suppose its scant consolation when they need a visa to pretty much enter any country.
How Singapore does it
Source
Source
Singaporean passports are issued by the Singaporean Ministry of Home Affairs. I suppose Singapore is small enough to have only one Passport Office.
How Taiwan (sorry, "Republic of China") does it
Source
Source
Passports are issued by the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with no information on where it was applied for, unless they were applied for outside of Taiwan.
Taiwan passports have always fascinated me. Before 2002 anyone of Chinese ethnicity (overseas born Chinese) was technically eligible for a Taiwanese passport. Anyone who can prove descent to ROC persons were also eligible.
Strange then: I don’t quite remember the Chinese culturalists (Y’know, the ones that keep harping on 2000 (or 4000; it seems to change depending on who you talk to) years of Chinese culture, language and education) in Malaysia lining up outside the Taiwanese embassy (sorry, "Taipei Cultural and Economic Office") to get a Taiwanese passport.
Interestingly it looks like Taiwan also includes a provision for those who have adapted Western names in their name column.
How Denmark does it
Source
Oh look, another polycarbonate passport!
Danish passports look very busy: they are written in English, Danish and French.
How Indonesia does it
Source
Source
Source
Like Malaysia and Singapore, Indonesia does not have separate columns for Surnames and Given names. Unlike Malaysia however, at least the MRZ has a provision for the surname (see 2nd image), even if it is left blank (see top image). Alternatively it is omitted completely. (See image above)
Anyway, all this is academic. I highly doubt any immigration authority will reject an application form which states the "Department of Immigration, Malaysia" as the issuing authority. It is just another column in the never ending mountain of paperwork that bureaucracy loves.
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