Today was Visa Day. For those of you "Westerners" (haha) who don't know, you have to have a separate visa to enter China-- whether it be from the US, Ghana or Hong Kong. Doesn't matter. Ok, well, it does matter. Because if you're from the United States, you get to pay an extremely inflated fee of $1020HK... or $130US. The new mandate, which went into effect on January 20th, states that this fee applies to all US citizen visas no matter how long your stay. Before then, an American would pay a different fee if he/she was applying for a single, double or multiple entry visa (all with different expiration dates)... just like everyone else.
I don't know why it was so irritating. Oh, wait. Maybe it was the hour long line I stood in to get the freakin building. Or maybe it was the 30 minutes it took me to find the visa office once I got to Wan Chai. Or maybe it was the people in front of me who couldn't pass through the metal detector... conveniently forgetting that their KEYS were in their pockets. Hello?!!!!
The worst part might be that I have to go BACK to the visa office to pick up my passport and documentation. Stupid system. Nice bathrooms and waiting area, though.
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Study Abroad Spring 2008: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
2 comments:
Do you think that our government will return the favor? Hope you are having a wonderful time and are taking lots of pictures. See you when you get home.
Love,
Uncle Craig
Babe. I've just wrapped up the first half of the worst day of my entire life.
Stay tuned for hilarity.
Sorry about your visa woes, too. Are the Chinese better/worse at bureaucracy than Americans? I would assume not, as we are decent at forming lines.
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