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Of Photo Shoots and Writing.

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I like to write. I am pretty sure you have learned this fact about me by now. Writing is a very relaxing activity for me. It helps me organize my thoughts and feeling. It has become a part of my daily night time routine to help me brain slow down and relax.

I have a few projects on the go for writing: I have this blog which I update on Thursdays, and periodically other days of the week. I have the Baldwin Games Blog, which is on Hiatus because most of my games are still in boxes. I am the proud editor of the newly minted School Newspaper. (The SAIS Bullseye). I have a single reporter, but we are open to submissions from anyone in the school community. I have 2 separate novels I am working on.

So each night I have something to work on. But here is what I have noticed with my writing as of late: AI.

Some days I am able to put my thoughts down clearly, and I can write for hours. Some nights, I have vague Ideas and I end up putting prompts into an AI and then spend the night reading and editing the work, because it is easier, and takes less energy. I am willing to admit it. There are chapters in my novels that the initial draft was AI Generated. I am now on draft 10 of those same chapters, but I could not have gotten started on some of them without assistance.

AI has become so ingrained in many work places, it helps so many people. But like any new tool, you need to check it. I cannot count the number of times I have worked with AI, and will get a prompt returned that contradicted the previous chapters or paragraphs. The writing sounds beautiful, but It cannot be used. But there’s the thing, It gives me ideas of terms and impressions I can use. But I cannot use the writing from the AI because it disconnects from the point.

There are so many times that AI has helped me go from overwhelmed to relaxed. When I have gone non-verbal, or am just to physically exhausted to put thoughts to words, I type to AI, and it’s responses, help. They help me process my thoughts. They help me get ideas down before I forget.

So, this week I have spent a good majority of it editing old AI created articles, and chapters. Ones I know I will need for adjustment more later.

I also was given the chance to take some professional photos at work, and really enjoyed it. Except when they put make up on my eyes or lips. That bugged me. But I Did enjoy the experience overall. I am including some of the pictures below for you all to see.

Something Psycho This Way Comes – 25 years later.

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When I was in High School, I made some good friends. All of us were a bit odd. I had my ASD, another member had MS (multiple sclerosis). We had a goth boy who dressed in all black and wanted to be a vampire. This was the Buffy the Vampire Slayer era, not the Twilight Era, so big mean, demonic vampires, not sparkly lonely vampires.

We had a girl who was very vocal about her rights as a woman (shaved her head like Sinead O’Connor). And two “ordinary” guys. We all liked anime, and that was what tied us together. We were an unofficial Anime club at High School. But at that time, Anime was mostly unheard of. People didn’t connect Astro-boy, or Speed Racer to Anime, and so the only example people thought of was Sailor Moon. You can imagine this made us very unpopular. Tie that with our other unusual characteristics, we started calling ourselves the “Psychosix” (there were six of us to start with).

By college time, our numbers had fluctuated, a few people left, and other joined. By the time we finished college there was around 20 of us. We had a website (Psychosix.com) where we posted our art, our songs, our writings, and our comics. We had all created Original Characters to base our stories around, and it was just a way for us to express ourselves.

Over the years, the Psychosix has drifted apart mostly. I am able to contact about half of them, but don’t do so often. The other half have moved on with their lives, and are spread around the world.

I, being the pack-rat that I am, have most of the files on my back-up. And have decided to start re-releasing updated versions. (My Gateways novel I am working on is one of these).  When I use other people work, or art, I contact them if I can to ask permission.

Our member from Los Angeles, Fritters had made comics using sprites from an online avatar making system. I am taking those and using AI, fixing them up. (I know AI Art is not popular with a lot. I am not a great artist anymore, and time is not my friend, so please understand).

I will post these comics up as I finish them.

Each time I do, I will post a profile of one of the characters.

This week is “Robyn Goodfellow”

And the Comic is “Something Psycho This Way Comes #2.

In 19 years, nobody said a word.

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19 years ago, I got married. At the time I was working in South Korea. When I got married, Korea told me that my marriage certificate would not be acceptable for 6 months. Basically I would have to leave my new wife in the Philippines for half a year. I was not ok with that. China, at that time said it was ok. We could come together and work here.

I must have told people that story 100 times over the last 19 years. We applied for our visas in the Chinese embassy in Manila, Philippines. We got the visas. and we came over. 19 years ago, The embassy gave me and my wife visiting visas. The company I was going to work at fixed our visas in country. I now had a work Visa. For 19 years, I thought My wife had a spousal visa. She did not. She had a “Personal Business Visa.”

19 years.

When we moved to Beijing, 18 years ago, nobody batted an eye. They transferred our visas to Beijing and said nothing. Nobody thought it strange that my wife didn’t have a spousal visa. We invited her family to visit using what we thought was her dependence visa as proof of relation. Nobody wanted to do the paperwork to fix that. and worst of all, nobody said anything. Her “Personal Business Visa,” somehow connected her to me closely enough that we could invite her family under my visa? Not once, but 3 or 4 times. No questions asked.

I moved through 3 companies in Beijing, nobody said anything. The HR departments all just looked at it and shrugged, then extended the visa. Why would they question it, if she had been using it for so long.

We moved to Shen Zhen recently. They cannot transfer my visa down like I did when I moved from Haerbin to Beijing 18 years ago. Maybe the policy changed, maybe one or more of my old companies bent the law. I don’t know. So my new company is filing for completely new visas. Work, and spousal.

Great.

But now we need paperwork from the Philippines that we didn’t before to prove our marriage certificate is real.

Ok.

Great.

But nobody seems to know what is needed. We were told to get it translated and notarized. We did that. We got it translated, and then took it to the notary. They re-translated it and stamped that the translation was accurate. Not a Notarization.

Then we were told to get it authenticated at the Philippine Embassy or Consulate. So we headed to GuangZhou, the capital city of this province. We walked into the Philippine Consulate. Nope. They don’t do that.

Now we are told that it has to be apostilled. Which can be done right next to the government building in Manila. Only there.

We have been running around for 2 weeks getting paperwork that didn’t work, wasting money. The Notary was the first person in 19 years to mention that my wife’s visa was not a spousal visa. Itw was not a dependent visa. This shocked me.

For the record, up until 2 years ago, the translation and notary was what was needed. But 2 years ago China joined the Hague Convention. An international agreement that says only apostilles are needed from governments and no longer translations, authentications and notarization.

Good to know for the future, but apparently most people here didn’t know that. Including the Philippine government website… Their Consulate knew it, but the Consular website did not.

What does this all mean. There is a very good chance, my wife will have to leave the country next week. Just before I start work. She will have to wait until my paperwork is processed on August 5th, then start her processing from the Philippines. Most likely, she will be able to return mid to late September, if she has to go. We are exploring all options right now.

I am not blaming. The last 3 schools probably just assumed I knew. But, damn it sucks. Nobody in 19 years happened to mention, “Hey your kids are dependents, but your wife isn’t.”