Today, I obtained my China Visa. Finally. As this has been a process, I don't want you to think it came to an uneventful end, so lend an ear and I will fill you in.
Grandpa George and I headed out this am at 6 so that we could get to the Chinese Consulate General in Vancouver BC by the time they opened at 9. This alternative was suggested after 1. China feigned that they couldn't possibly get me my paperwork sooner despite having it for 4 months, 2. China told me I would have to go to LA or Hong Kong to get my Visa, and 3. China told me that as I wasn't willing to do either of those things, I would HAVE TO stay in the NYC. In the end, they told me there was a consulate in BC, a mere 120 miles from Seattle, so that is what I did.
ANYWAY, we get to the CCG at 8:45 without incident. Now, this bit of hatred is going to the Madre who made the flippant comment, "Now watch and there will be a million people there!" There were roughly 100 people waiting in a line that went throughout the building, down the hall, down the stairs to the parking garage, and then winding back. As Gpa so adeptly pointed out, "there are billions of Chinese people in the world, so it only makes sense". Well said.
The good part was that we got my application in within the hour. Now, we get to the "China-hates-Americans" part. Some of you may remember the whole "Insane levels of Canadian Pride at Sasquatch" last summer, if you don't...it's too harrowing to relive. Just thinking about any Canadian you have met, and times it by a country. For some reason, as of March, the CCG has put in place a $60 fee for applicants for Chinese Visas that hold US Passports. No reason is given for this, it just is. And, it just as easily doubles the extremely high visa fee.
If ever I was to think the hate stopped there, when we returned in 2 hours to get the Visa, the girl shook her head at my debit card....(and that was it). Not knowing what this meant, I say "It is debit, not credit!" I figured this was the problem as the nearby sign said NO CREDIT. She then says "Try it then," and throws the handheld debit machine at me. The card doesn't work. I look at her and she just smiles. Ummm....wtf?
Thank goodness some man behind us spoke up (he must not be a native Canadian) and says that US debit cards do not work in Canada. He then allows us to pay him Canadian dollars and he puts my Visa on his debit card. <b>HE</b> was amazing...the girl behind the counter was a straight up hater. We thankfully left "Our Friendly Neighbor to the North" after some decent sushi and some good times at the BC aquarium without much further incident.
Thinking that all I had to do now was try to figure out how to get the last of my errands completed and lighten my suitcases, I have been thrown another curve ball. As many know, I have no concept of geography. This comes into play during many times, but none so great as tonight when I attempted to look up airfare from China to Egypt for the Forum in November. Apparently they are actually quite far away from each other and it's going to involve multiple modes of transportation, multiple layovers, and multiple dollars. The good news is I think I have something worked out that just might require me to spend two nights in Paris. Wait, what was I complaining about?
Long Live the Queen. God Bless America.
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