Mobs in exile
There is a unique brand of exhaustion that comes from four hours jostling at the visa office. Well, actually its pricier but more efficient front, the China Travel Service in Kowloon.
A hundred or so people queued up and shoved in for the 7:30pm pickup; at 8 the doors opened. Squish. I finally got near the front, and a space opened up. I tried to squeeze in, as did a 40ish Australian guy. "Bitch," he complained as he elbowed me in the tit, offended that I as a small female did not immediately bow to his precedence as a large male, "where's your manners?" I didn't push back, just didn't move either. I, and the Aussie asshole, were amongst the fourty people told to come back after 9:30.
In the meanwhile, I got a beer from a 7-11 and wandered back to the waterfront, catching the utterly tacky light/music show, ignoring the equally tacky display of Fuwa lanterns. I leaned over the rails, appreciating the view of the Central skyline, contemplating what will become of me and how I can sort out this mess.
A Hong Kong Chinese man, perhaps late 30s, accosted me for the time, then made conversation. I no doubt stood out as the only person there not frantically photographing myself. He wanted to know whether I was a tourist, where I'm from, what I did. Not really, Shanghai, and the same semi-truth on my visa application. I wondered whether he was hitting on me or spying on me.
Back at CTS at 9:15, but the wait stretched almost until 11. An older, Mandarin-speaking Japanese gentleman lurking next to me chatted in the meanwhile with the harried attendent. From their conversation, I learned how lucky I am - today is the last day 30 day visas will be issued; starting tomorrow, it's 14 day stays only, and several nationalities (Indian, not sure what else) are banned entirely.
Fuck. That has been my reaction to this entire ludicrous ordeal, but the fucks just keep escalating.
Thus, as batches came in without my passport among them, I waxed quite nervous. The Japanese gentleman and I commiserated in Mandarin. Finally, after politely ceding counter space to each other, we both finally received ours, and shook hands and bowed in congratulations.
I have been down in Hong Kong temporarily sorting out my visa woes. It's a long story, and remains far from resolved. I'll try to elaborate eventually, but it is just such a nightmare dealing with that I have little time or energy to put it into writing. China seems intent on purging itself of many of its foreign nationals, for reasons we can only speculate upon. As a self-employed/part-timer for several different companies, on an F visa, I am feeling the brunt of this. However, today's reduction of the maximum stay makes me feel lucky to be ahead of the curve. Surviving in China requires a continued ability to stay there.
A hundred or so people queued up and shoved in for the 7:30pm pickup; at 8 the doors opened. Squish. I finally got near the front, and a space opened up. I tried to squeeze in, as did a 40ish Australian guy. "Bitch," he complained as he elbowed me in the tit, offended that I as a small female did not immediately bow to his precedence as a large male, "where's your manners?" I didn't push back, just didn't move either. I, and the Aussie asshole, were amongst the fourty people told to come back after 9:30.
In the meanwhile, I got a beer from a 7-11 and wandered back to the waterfront, catching the utterly tacky light/music show, ignoring the equally tacky display of Fuwa lanterns. I leaned over the rails, appreciating the view of the Central skyline, contemplating what will become of me and how I can sort out this mess.
A Hong Kong Chinese man, perhaps late 30s, accosted me for the time, then made conversation. I no doubt stood out as the only person there not frantically photographing myself. He wanted to know whether I was a tourist, where I'm from, what I did. Not really, Shanghai, and the same semi-truth on my visa application. I wondered whether he was hitting on me or spying on me.
Back at CTS at 9:15, but the wait stretched almost until 11. An older, Mandarin-speaking Japanese gentleman lurking next to me chatted in the meanwhile with the harried attendent. From their conversation, I learned how lucky I am - today is the last day 30 day visas will be issued; starting tomorrow, it's 14 day stays only, and several nationalities (Indian, not sure what else) are banned entirely.
Fuck. That has been my reaction to this entire ludicrous ordeal, but the fucks just keep escalating.
Thus, as batches came in without my passport among them, I waxed quite nervous. The Japanese gentleman and I commiserated in Mandarin. Finally, after politely ceding counter space to each other, we both finally received ours, and shook hands and bowed in congratulations.
I have been down in Hong Kong temporarily sorting out my visa woes. It's a long story, and remains far from resolved. I'll try to elaborate eventually, but it is just such a nightmare dealing with that I have little time or energy to put it into writing. China seems intent on purging itself of many of its foreign nationals, for reasons we can only speculate upon. As a self-employed/part-timer for several different companies, on an F visa, I am feeling the brunt of this. However, today's reduction of the maximum stay makes me feel lucky to be ahead of the curve. Surviving in China requires a continued ability to stay there.
