Alexander Lee Returning to USA

In an effort to be as responsible as possible, I have come from Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport (CAN) to Beijing’s (PEK) this morning and should arrive at 1:30 PM on Monday at New York’s JFK Airport (JFK), where I shall rent a car and drive northwest for several hours. I will be staying for two weeks in Upstate New York within a four-and-a-half hourdrive of Toronto, where I expect six year-old Naomi to arrive on or after March 2—the end of my two-week quarantine and what will be the beginning of hers. My journey is contingent on a promise from Yaya that she will fly Naomi, a Canadian citizen, to Toronto as soon as practicable, and today, Monday, February 17, visit the Canadian Consulate in Guangzhou to obtain a visa to accompany or come join her daughter, of whom I am not (yet) the legal guardian. Please keep her and Harry, who we do not believe will be able to leave Guangzhou, in your prayers.

I believe that the Chinese government is doing its darnedest to contain this, as the economic effect and political fallout from failure to contain the coronavirus known as COVID-19 could well be catastrophic for vast swaths of the population and the regime. The Guardian continues to be the best source of information for me and many others. Again, I encourage a contribution to this British newspaper. The New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet (also British) have published peer-reviewed articles that I commend. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is a reliable governmental source for a lot of important information about the disease, its prevention, and treatment, as well as important updates.

Most restaurants in Guangzhou are on a take-out and delivery basis only; the streets are quiet and everybody is wearing a mask in public (notably not the recommendation of CDC even in Trump’s America, which I am sure is chummy with 3M, the major manufacturer of the coveted N95 type facemask). School will not resume without a week’s notice and no earlier than Monday, March 2, the end of my self-imposed quarantine period. Our island, where Yaya, Naomi, and Harry will remainuntil they are able to depart, is in great shape with no reported illnesses. We have been watching movies almost daily since returning from a five-day vacation to Sabah, Malaysia, during the Chinese New Year holiday, baking and cooking a healthy diet of mostly vegetables, and taking long walks or bike rides along the surrounding abandoned riverside paths. The Year of the (Metal) Rat has come in like a tiger, let’s hope it goes out like a ram.

I will be doing a Forks Over Knives diet for my two weeks of self-imposed captivity, as well as teaching on-line for two sections of AP™ US History, one section of AP Environmental Science, and two sections of English Language Arts for my very understanding employer, Zhixin High School. This will keep me busy on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings for the next two weeks or beyond. As the Chair of Social Studies Department, I will carry out my other duties from afar as best I can until such time as I deem it safe to return. In the meantime, I am doing a fund and materials drive to get 110 washable, re-useable N95 masks for when everybody reconvenes on campus. Please let me know as soon as possible if you want to contribute or help with the procurement or mailing part of this effort, especially since the postal services and airline cargo services are slowing down.

Coal Mining Envy

Warning: Mining Equipment Pornography

dedicated to my old friend and accomplice Dr. Helen Caldicott

This picture is from Monday, prior to the grand opening ceremony

Friday at 1:27 PM

I am about to leave by bicycle for the China Coal & Mining Expo 2013. In the Chinglish version of their promotional website it says, "China Coal & Mining Expo goes back to 1985, when it was first held. It has since been the trade’s only national event every other year. In 2013, China Coal & Mining Expo will have been hosted for 15th anniversary."

In 2011, the bi-annual China Coal & Mining Expo attracted more than 410 exhibitors from 24 countries and regions, occupying more than 70,000 sq. meters, which made it the largest trade show in its sector. 

Friday at 2:59 PM

I am back home already. It is more or less over. It was supposed to run until 2 PM today, but registration closed at noon. Nevertheless, I wandered around the outside grounds with no pass and a camera. Here are the results. Really, it looks like a bunch of over-sized toys for men who like to play in the sand (and play with our future existence, I might add). Compared to the smooth bore of a nuclear warhead, though, one has to admit that these gargantuan dildos are much more exciting for the sadists who wield such weapons of mass destruction.

Penis Length Worldwide

Dr. Caldicott, to whom I've dedicated this post, wrote a book called Missile Envy, making unveiled usage of the pop psychology term "penis envy." As a review in the Christian Science Monitor put it in 1984, "'Missile envy' is partly the illusion that the bigger weapon is the better. It also touches the macho element in our society: The only way to forestall the enemy is to be bigger and tougher than he is." If your enemy is another coal mining company, then you would want to be at this trade show looking for the biggest, toughest hunk of water-squirting metal you could find--maybe from a German company like Krupp. If your enemy is mankind, the smaller Chinese versions will also do. 

Important Red Tape: New Requirements for Criminal Background Checks

Perhaps without an awareness of the extra cost of doing business, the Chinese government now requires schools hiring a foreign expert to have the individual obtain a certificate of no criminal conviction from their home country. I have created a guide to help foreign experts from the US (see below).

Anybody who has taught in the US has been fingerprinted and gone through a similar background check. I think it is great that the Chinese government is implementing this new system to insure that China does not become a haven for pedophiles or other criminals who should not be around or influencing children; however, I am not sure they anticipated the work and money involved in the full, proper implementation of this policy.

A Guide to Criminal Background Checks for US Citizens in China

In July 2013, the Chinese government passed stringent new rules for foreign experts. Among the new requirements for people working as teachers is the presentation of an affidavit or certificate of no criminal conviction. In order to obtain this, there are several steps that you must undertake.

If you are a US citizen and have not yet come to China, you may go to your municipal police department or state police barracks to obtain the needed document. The responsible agency varies from state-to-state; a list of the responsible agencies appears at the end of this document.

If you are already in China and your local criminal background certificate-granting agency does not require you to appear in person, you may send for the necessary document by mail.

In New Hampshire, for instance, if you are not able to appear in person, you must submit a form and fee of $25 (cost in August, 2013) to the Central Repository for Criminal Records at the Department of Safety, Division of State Police. The form requires a notarized signature and the signature of the receiving party, if you are having the report sent directly to your firm or some person other than yourself. The cost for the report varies from state-to-state.

To obtain a notarized signature in Beijing, the easiest thing to do is to submit a request for an appointment with the US Embassy, but this is costly. The cost to get something notarized there is $50 and they do not take personal checks so you must pay with U.S. cash, equivalent RMB cash, traveler’s checks or credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, or Discover; U.S. dollars only). See http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/acs_notary.html for more details. If you live and work in another Chinese municipality, you may go to the local consulate, as well. For instance, in Changchun, you would need to travel to Shenyang to obtain a notarized signature. Expect for it to take a long time. My appointment for which I was punctual was for 10:45 (actually I was 15 minutes early) and I was not done until around 11:40.

The Chinese notary services, though local law enforcement may accept their signature (NH State Police said they would), proved, in my case, unwilling to sign and sent me to the US Embassy…of course, only after I had made a personal appearance with what they knew ahead of time were US documents.

The Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) is given to Board certified, non-criminal justice agencies such as schools, day care centers, home health aides, youth athletic coaches, and municipal government agencies. Individuals may also obtain a copy of their personal criminal record. Listed below is the contact information for requesting CORI in all US states.

ALABAMA
Criminal Justice Information Center
770 Washington Ave, Suite 350
Montgomery, AL 36310
(334) 242-4900
website

ALASKA
Dept. of Public Safety Records Section
450 Whitter Ave, Room 103
Juneau, AK 99801-1745
(907) 465-4343

ARIZONA
Dept. of Public Safety Criminal Records
2102 W. Encanto Boulevard
Phoenix, AZ 85005
(602) 223-2222

ARKANSAS
Arkansas Crime Information Center
One Capitol Mall
Little Rock, AK 72201
(501) 682-2222

CALIFORNIA
Dept. of Justice Records Review Unit
P.O. Box 903417
Sacramento, CA 94203
(916) 227-3849

COLORADO
Bureau of Special Investigations
690 Kipling Street, Suite 3000
Denver, CO 80215-5844
(303) 239-4208
website

CONNECTICUT
State Police Bureau of Identification
1111 Country Road
Middletown, CT 06457-9294
(860) 685-8480
Fax (860) 685-8361
website

DELAWARE
Bureau of Special Investigations
P.O. Box 430
Dover, DE 19903
(302) 739-5901
website

DIST. OF COLUMBIA
Metropolitan P.D. Criminal Records Section
300 Indiana Ave. NW MPD HQ Room 3055
Washington D.C. 20001
(202) 727-4245

FLORIDA
Dept. of Law Enforcement CJIS Services
USB/Public Records PO Box 1489
Tallahassee, FL 32302
(850) 410-8109
website

GEORGIA
Crime Information Center
PO Box370748
Decatur, GA 30037-0748
(404) 244-2601
website

HAWAII
Criminal Justice Data Center
465 S. King St, Room 101
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 587-3279

IDAHO
Bureau of Criminal Identification
700 S. Stratford Drive
Ste. 120
Meridian, ID 83642
(208) 884-7130

ILLINOIS
Bureau of Identification
260 North Chicago Street
Joliet, IL 60432-4075
(815) 740-5176
Fax (815)740-4401
website

INDIANA
Indiana State Police
Criminal History Limited Check
PO Box 6188
Indianapolis, IN 46206
(317) 233-2010

IOWA
Division of Criminal Investigation
215 East 7th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 725-6066

KANSAS
Bureau of Investigation
Attn: Criminal History Section
1620 South West Tyler Street
Topeka, KS 66612-1837
(785) 296-6518 or 1-800-452-6727
website

KENTUCKY
Kentucky State Police
Criminal Dissemination Center
100 Fair Oaks Lane
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 227-8700

LOUISIANA
Bureau of Criminal ID & Information
265 South Foster Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
(225) 925-6095
website

MAINE
Bureau of Identification
State House Station 42, 36 Hospital Street
Augusta, ME 04333
(207) 624-7240

MARYLAND
CJIS Central Repository
PO Box 32708
Pikesville, MD 21282
(410) 764-4501
website

MASSACHUSETTS
Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) Services
200 Arlington Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 2200
Chelsea, MA 02150
Ph: (617) 660-4640
Fax: (617) 660-5973
website

MICHIGAN
Michigan State Police Headquarters
333 S. Grand Ave
PO Box 30634
Lansing, MI 48909
(517) 241-0621
website

MINNESOTA
Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
1430 Maryland Avenue E.
St. Paul, MN 55108
(651) 793-2400
website

MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi Department of Public Safety
Special Processing Unit
PO Box 958
Jackson, MS 39205
(601) 987-1212

MISSOURI
State Highway Patrol
Annex Building
1510 East Elm Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101
(573) 526-6153

MONTANA
Dept. of Justice Identification Bureau
303 North Roberts, P.O. Box 201403
Helena, MT 59620-1405
(406) 444-3625
website

NEBRASKA
Nebraska State Patrol
Criminal Identification Division
3800 NW 12th Street-Suite A
Lincoln, NE 68521
(402) 471-4545

NEVADA
Nevada Department of Public Safety
333 West Nye Lane
Suite 100
Carson City, NV 89706
(775) 684-6262

NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire Department of Public Safety
Division of State Police
10 Hazen Drive, Room 106
Concord, NH 03305
(603) 223-3867
website

NEW JERSEY
State Police Records and ID Section
PO Box 7068
Trenton, NJ 08628-0068
(609) 882-2000 x2918
website

NEW MEXICO
New Mexico State Police
PO Box 1628
Santa Fe, NM 87504-1628
(505) 827-9300

NEW YORK
Division of Criminal Justice Services
4 Tower Place, Stuyvesant Plaza
Albany, NY 12203-3764
(518) 457-5837 or (800)262-3257
website

NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts
P.O. Box 2448
Raleigh, NC 27602
(919) 890-1000

NORTH DAKOTA
Bureau of Criminal Investigations
P.O. Box 1054
Bismarck, ND 58502
(701) 328-5500
website

OHIO
Civilian Identification
PO Box 365
London, OH 43140
(877)224-0043
website

OKLAHOMA
Bureau of Investigation Criminal History Unit
6600 North Harvey Place, Bldg 6, Suite 300
Oklahoma City, OK 73116
(405) 848-6724

OREGON
Oregon State Police
Identification Services Section
3772 Portland Road NE
Salem, OR 97301
website

PENNSYLVANIA
State Police, Central Repository-164
1800 Elmerton Ave
Harrisburg, PA 17110
(888)783-7972

RHODE ISLAND
Attorney General Bureau of Criminal ID
150 South Main Street
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 421-5268
website

SOUTH CAROLINA
State Law Enforcement Division
P.O. Box 21398
Columbia, SC 29221-1398
(803) 896-7043
website

SOUTH DAKOTA
Attorney General Division of Criminal Invest.
500 East Capitol Ave.
Pierre, SD 57501-5070
(605) 773-3331
website

TENNESSEE
Bureau of Investigation
901 R.S. Gass Boulevard
Nashville,TN 37210
(615) 744-4000
website

TEXAS
Dept. of Public Safety Crime Records
5805 North Lamar
Austin, TX 78752
(512) 424-2079
website

UTAH
Department of Public Safety
Bureau of Criminal Identification
3888 West 5400 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84129
(801) 965-4445
website

VERMONT
Criminal Information Center
103 South Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05671-2101
(802) 244-8727
website

VIRGINIA
State Police Criminal Record Exchange
P.O. Box C-85076
Richmond, VA 23261-5076
(804) 674-6718

WASHINGTON
State Patrol Criminal History Division
P.O. Box 42633
Olympia, WA 98504-2633
(360) 534-2000

WEST VIRGINIA
State Police Criminal Records
725 Jefferson Road
South Charleston, WV 25309
(304) 746-2170

WISCONSIN
Crime Information Bureau
P.O. Box 2688
Madison, WI 53701-2688
(608) 266-5764

WYOMING
Division of Criminal Investigation
208 South College Drive
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307)777-7181

   

This guide was prepared by Alexander Lee for New Oriental and is meant as a guide. There is no guarantee that the information in this guide is current or accurate.