My colleague blogging as mayvelous recently got her 1.5hr. US Transit Visa rejected by some uptight, rude, retarded buffoons at the US Embassy in Suva. I started this post as comment on her blog entry about the experience, but figured it was too long so decided to post it here.

Everytime I walk past the American Embassy in Suva, I see a line of people waiting outside the embassy, like beggars. I guess these people are waiting for their interviews or submitting their visa applications.

I guess the Americans couldn't care less if I had or not the desire to visit their country, but the scene outside the embassy has definitely turned me off. The image I have of the country, is that the border control officials are really uptight bastards, the people are generally paranoid, rude and they must have streets of gold which they want to prevent from trampled by us third world peasants. May's experience confirms that perception (except for the streets of gold bit).

As a Fijian, I really don't understand our relationship with the US. We really don't need to have any greater a relationship with them, as we need with say Afghanistan. Yet we have their huge embassy in the middle of Suva, with a whole street closed off for them. How pathetic! We do a lot of business and travel more frequently in and out of NZ, yet they have a tiny office in the Reserve Bank building. I guess the Americans have always needed to parade their wealth, so can't be seen to have a marginal presence compared to the others. Hence their large, useless embassy.

Now they're building an even bigger one in Tamavua. It'll probably turn out to be just as big as the Australian one. Certainly bigger then the Chinese one. I particularly dislike the location of this embassy, because it will be sitting on prime real estate in Suva. The location could have been put to much better use I suppose.

You might think, I am another US hating, right/left wing, extremist. Far from it. I have nothing against the average American. I think they're great individuals (at least those I consider friends). What really irks me, is the US politics and their treatment of visa seeking Fijians (and a Burmese living in Fiji).

I'd love to be able to visit the country provided I don't have line up outside the embassy like a beggar, be treated rudely by their staff and sit for an interview like a third world, peasant prisoner seeking parole. Fat chance!