Chinese Visa... Check
I headed into Vancouver yesterday to hand in my documents to get my work visa from the Chinese consulate. Everything seems to be in order, so I can pick up the visa on Tuesday after it has been processed.
It was quite interesting though to compare the French and Chinese consulates. When I went to get my French visa, I was maybe 3rd in line, and it took me over an hour to talk to the lady behind the counter. At the Chinese consulate I was 25th in line, and after only 30 minutes I was able to talk to one of the two ladies. Talk about efficiency! So far, this seems to bode well for my time in China.
This of course is not to mention the anal security guard (ex-foreign legion?) at the French consulate who freaked out because I opened the door. Apparently I was supposed to wait for it to fully close, then ring a buzzer, then he would open the door and permit me to enter. I think our entry barely registered on the security guard at the Chinese consulate. The French consulate had a large French flag in the corner, a replicate bust of Marianne, and tourist brochures with the Eiffel Tower prominently placed on the front. The Chinese consulate had photos of their space program, a tourist video (in Mandarin with Chinese subtitles) playing on the TV, and a sign stating that "spitting, eating, and drinking" were forbidden.
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5 comments:
I still prefer French fries to Chinese fires.
Make that Chinese FRIES,
ah, yes, i remember...i should've known what France would be like when i tried to get my visa in Boston... i went during *normal* operating hours, but not when they process visa applications...that only happens for, like, 2 hours in the morning. so i filled out all the paperwork, left it there, and had to come back on a certain day in a certain narrow time range and pick it up the following week. p.s. got your message. it was so weird to hear your voice again...it's been over 2 years, eh? --cindy
Don't knock Chinese fries, these are succulent earthworms, lightly dusted with cilantro, then touched with basil and then deep fried. Umm good.
They'll be interesting in any case.
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