Z Visa

Today, as planned, I returned to the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco to pick up my visa.  I arrived at about 09:30 or so, and the wait was significantly longer than before.  In fact, there were so many people in the office that they held up the security line outside until the lines inside thinned out.  When I finally got in, I got in another line that snaked back and forth a few times like a Chinese dragon.  That took a while.

When I finally got to the front of the pickup line, I gave my claim ticket to the woman behind the window.  She found my passport, took a pair of laminated tickets, gave me one, and paired the other with the passport, which she passed to a woman at a cashier window.  I then took my ticket to the appropriate cashier window, where I exchanged the ticket and my $140 cashier's check for my passport.  When I opened it, this is what I saw (personal information obscured):

The tag says:

IMPORTANT

The holder of this visa is kindly reminded to go through the procedures for obtaining the residence permit for aliens in local public security bureau within 30 days of entry, to avoid illegal stay.

I doubt my employer would let me forget this, so I didn't see any reason to leave the tag stapled to my passport.  When I got the tag off, this is what the visa looked like:

The permitted length of stay is unclear.  I'm not sure whether I can stay until my contract expires without renewing, or if I have to renew a year from my actual entry date, and if so, what I would have to do to renew.  I know it should be good for at least a year.  What is crystal clear is the number of entries:  one (1).  That seems to restrict my vacation plans to travel within China, not that I was planning on going any farther.

Whew!  That's pretty much all the paperwork I have to do before I go to China.  I still have to bring all my original diplomas, certificates, letter of reference, etc. to China, probably for the residence permit procedure mentioned above.  I will also get a physical exam in China to make sure I'm not bringing in the bubonic plague or anything.  (Hopefully my allergies won't be too bad by then.  I hope I'm not allergic to Chinese grass the way I am to California grass.)

So, now the packing really begins.  Well, laundry first, then packing.  I just took my five best dress shirts to the cleaners.  Not that they really needed cleaning, but I wanted them pressed and folded so that I can pack them easily without worrying about wrinkles.  I'll be able to pick them up on Tuesday.  The claim ticket is taped to my Purchases list next to the entry "Dry Clean Shirts".  Otherwise, I'll start the laundry tomorrow.  Meanwhile, I'll be going over my mental packing list before I go to sleep, making preliminary decisions about what I need to take.  Of course, this is all subject to change if the bags are too heavy.  Tomorrow should see me breaking out the luggage and beginning to put things in.  (No, I'm not likely to forget my toothbrush.)

Prayer Requests
Firstly, praise God for the orderly issue of my visa!  This is a very good sign.  If God didn't want me to go, then He could have stopped me from getting the visa by any number of impediments.  The fact that He didn't is a good indication to me that I am following His will in going to China.

Next, please pray for my preparations, especially finances.  I must leave money in my bank account to cover some bills while I'm gone, until I can start transferring money from China.  I must also take some cash to cover my living expenses until my first substantial paycheck.  There definitely won't be much to spare.

That's about it.  Thanks for reading, and thanks for praying!

Kindle!

Today, I answered the doorbell to find a package on the doorstep.  I wasn't expecting anything, but since it had my name on it, I opened it.  Guess what I found inside?

That's right, a brand new Amazon Kindle!  Apparently, my sister and brother-in-law, in characteristically generous and thoughtful fashion, decided to combine their birthday and Christmas presents for me into the one thing that I really wanted (but did not absolutely need) for my trip to China.  Of course, they sent it to me in plenty of time for me to charge and load it before I leave.  Thank you!

Chinese Consulate

Or, to use the full title, the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China.  (Sorry, no pictures this time.  I left my camera behind, which was good, because they are not allowed inside.)

Today I returned to the big house on Geary & Laguna, and this time I actually made it inside the visa office.  Appropriately enough, as I approached my destination the second time around, the first visible sign of the Consulate's location was not, as before, the flag of the P.R.C., but a long line of people extending from mid-block (where the door of the visa office is located) almost to the corner.  I had walked from the BART station to save on bus fare.  It's about 1.5 miles, slightly uphill, not a difficult walk for someone like me.

I arrived at about 12:45, and lined up behind a gentleman who was clearly not Chinese, and we chatted for a little bit.  The line wasn't moving, because the office was closed for lunch.  At 13:00 we were allowed in, after a security screening.  The number system wasn't working, which actually didn't surprise me too much, so I got in the visa line, which was clearly labeled in English (and, I presume, in Chinese as well).  I had a pleasant conversation with the woman behind me, and just as I was about to run out of yarn on my knitting project, I got to the front of the line.

The woman behind the window checked over my papers, taking my passport and a color copy thereof, taking the application with pasted passport photo, and the copies of the working permit and letter of invitation.  (She looked at the originals and let me keep them.)  She showed me that I needed to sign the application, which I did, and gave me a ticket to pick up my visa on the 29th (Friday).  She did not take payment at that time.  I was told I would have to pay when I picked it up.  She kept my passport, as expected.

Having read some negative reviews online, I was mentally prepared for a huge hassle and runaround.  I must say, I got out with rather less trouble than I expected, thank God.

Prayer Requests
First of all, praise God for helping me resolve that personal issue that I mentioned several posts back.  I just had to ask for help, as it says: "Ask, and you will receive."  (Thanks also for the help that I received, you know who you are.)

Also, praise God for a relatively painless trip to the Consulate and the successful submission of my visa paperwork.

At the same time, please pray for my return trip on Friday and the timely issue of my visa at that time.  In addition, please continue to pray for the rest of my preparations, which are numerous and sometimes complex.  You'd think I'd never done this before!

Thanks for reading, and thanks for praying.

Working Permit

This is what I've been waiting for.

A letter of invitation and a working permit from the People's Republic of China.  (I've blurred out the private information that's legible to English-readers.)  This is what I took, along with my passport, visa application, photo, etc., to the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco.  When I got there, I was glad, for the first time in my life, to see a flag of the P.R.C.  However, there were a few things I didn't expect.  Apparently, my naïveté knows no bounds.

For one thing, I didn't expect to see a group of Free Tibet protesters.  If you're familiar with the cause of that group, you know about what it was like.  I don't know how often they hold this protest, and neither did the person in front of me (or else she didn't speak English).

Secondly, I didn't expect a long line of apparently all ethnic Chinese.  Yes, I probably should have.  However, once I got in line it seemed to be moving right along.  This heartened me until I got close to the front door, where I learned the reason for this particular line.

Thirdly (and this is the kicker), for some reason I didn't expect a security screening and metal detector.  In the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China!  That was really silly (of me).  Since I was carrying at least four knives which would have been banned, and I was not willing to part with them, I simply left the line and walked to the bus stop.

Perhaps that was a good thing, because since then, in re-planning my return for tomorrow, I stumbled across some consumer reviews of the consulate service, detailing the problems that others have had, including one person who applied for a Z visa very recently.  Now, the consulate staff is not likely to improve their service in response to these reviews.  However, reading them should help me prepare for my return visit.  For example, one person said that they didn't take credit cards in spite of the information on the website.  So, I'd better get a cashier's check.  That will delay me until the bank opens tomorrow.  I also learned that the fee had increased, something I hadn't checked.  I really can't afford to have this delayed, so I'm going to try to be extra careful tomorrow, to be prepared to do the drop-off in one stop.

Apparently, I really need God's help, because there seem to be ample opportunities for snags in what is supposed to be a relatively straightforward process.

Prayer Requests
Clearly, someone's been praying for the visa process, because I clearly needed a dry run and a look at the consumer reviews, and I got both, and it only cost me eighteen bucks.  Tomorrow I'm planning to walk from the BART station, which will save me four bucks.  Please pray that I will be able to complete the visa application process tomorrow.

Also, please continue to pray for the packing process, especially the choices about which items to bring and how to prepare them for the trip.  I'm making some changes from last time, based on my experience and what I have available now.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for praying.

T minus 10

Days, that is.  The flight has been scheduled, and there are 10 days remaining before I leave.  No, I don't have the visa yet, but it should be just a matter of paperwork.  Also, I really couldn't wait anymore if I wanted to get an affordable airfare and still arrive in good time.

After the e-mail with the subject of "good news", informing me that the invitation letter would be sent that day, it wasn't long before Jane started asking me about my flight number.  Now, the Chinese Consulate suggests that travelers wait until the visa has been granted before booking their flights.  However, my visa should already be guaranteed, assuming I don't mess up the application.  And, waiting longer would only cost me more. So, I booked my flight.  Unfortunately, the one that I had my eye on was no longer available, and I had to choose one that had one extra stop.  Fortunately, it only cost $8 more, and it shouldn't cost me too much sleep.

Currently, I am waiting for the letter of invitation to arrive.  Hopefully, that package should have the rest of the documents that I need to apply for a Chinese Z visa.  It should arrive today or tomorrow.  I hope that it will arrive soon enough for me to get the visa this week.

Meanwhile, I've shifted my preparations into high gear.  Along with that, I'm getting a little more anxious.  So, instead of worrying, I need to pray.  Here's what I need prayer for:

Prayer Requests
First, praise God for allowing my voice to last through all six Easter services!  I had been nursing a bit of a sore throat (allergy-induced), and I wasn't sure I would make it through Good Friday and all six choir performances on Easter.  But God was faithful, and I figured out how to sing with a cough drop in my mouth.  That helped.

Also, please pray for the visa process and all the accompanying preparations.  I've done most of this before, but I haven't done the visa before, so I'm a bit nervous about it.

Finally, please pray that I would be able to wrap up everything here before I leave.  I don't want to leave any unnecessary loose ends for my parents to deal with.

That's it for now.  Thanks for reading, and thanks for praying.

good news

That was the subject of Jane's e-mail. The content did not disappoint:

Hi Sean,
Our HR is going to Nanjing this afternoon, right now. She will send you the invitation letter today. You may get it in 4 or 5 days, I think.
Please wait and get it next week!
I am excited to see you soon!
Jane

For the record, this is the first time I have actually been approved for a work visa in a foreign country.  My first visa was actually issued to my parents, as I was a babe in arms and my passport was merely an added page in my mother's passport.  My latest trip overseas was on a 90-day visitor's pass.  This time I'm legit.  It's not exactly a green card, but it's good enough for now.

Prayer Requests

First of all, praise God for allowing my invitation letter to be issued!  I was getting a bit worried that it was taking slightly longer than estimated.  In fact, it only took two days longer.  That may not slow me down very much.  This after her previous e-mail led me to think that it might take an extra week.

Secondly, please pray for the visa application on my end.  I know it's just supposed to be routine, but anything could happen.  I don't want to take God for granted now.

Finally, I would appreciate it if you would please pray for my packing and other preparations.  There are a thousand and one little details, and it would be so easy to forget something like, say, getting my hair cut and beard trimmed before the photo and visa interview.

That's it.  Thanks for reading, and thanks for praying.  God bless.

Checklists

Today's post is about checklists; things to do, places to go, people to sniff, etc.  But first, some questions to answer from the comments in the last post.  Blogless A.R. very reasonably asks, "What's the reasoning for purchasing a round-trip ticket?"  Well, my reasoning was that I was sure I'd want to come home sometime, and it's cheaper to purchase a round-trip ticket at about $1000 than two one-way tickets at about $700 each.  Also, I have a three-week break between school terms, and although the school calendar is not available yet, the break coincides with the Lunar New Year (a.k.a. Chinese New Year), so the timing is fairly predictable.  My thinking was that I could save some money.

On the other hand, I'd love to see the New Year's celebration in a major Chinese city like Shanghai.  I could also use the time to check off one or two things from my bucket list, like seeing the Great Wall of China.  Also, my parents will never visit me there if I come home whenever I have the opportunity.  And, it would be more expensive than just coming home for summer vacation.  In addition, the initial expense is greater, and after some research (more on that later), I decided that I might need the extra $300 in the short term.  So, I will probably purchase a one-way ticket after all.

Murielle asks "What part of China?"  For a full answer to that question, see the entry from 09 March.  And now, if there are no more questions, we shall proceed with today's topic.

I'm pretty good at packing without a checklist.  From six years with Boy Scouts, plus several family vacations, I know that I can pack from memory alone, and only leave out one or two minor things at the worst.  But this trip is significantly more complicated than a weekend campout, a skiing trip, or even a 50-Miler.  The last time I did this, I did pretty well, but I did end up having to check an extra bag, with mostly bed linens.  This time my school will provide those, so I am determined to avoid any extra baggage charges.  For this, as well as other reasons, I have decided to make a few checklists.  And, here they are:

Yes, they're big.  They're the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I see when I go to bed.  This is what my life is all about from now until I leave.

You can see I have three lists:

• Purchases, or things I will need to buy (or want to buy), tangible and otherwise;
• Questions, or information that I need to assist in my preparations;
• Tasks, or small chores that might be forgotten or neglected.

You will note that there is no comprehensive list of things to pack.  This is deliberate.  Such a list would necessarily be very long, and include mostly things I am not likely forget, like slacks and shirts.  At one time I had a habit of forgetting pajamas or the equivalent, but I'm past that.  And a list is only as good as the person who makes it.

More to the point, the final packing list is not firm, and is not likely to be firm until the last bag is packed and weighed.  In compliance with a corollary of Parkinson's Law, it is likely that I will want to bring more of my belongings than I can fit into my free baggage allowance of space and weight.  I will have to make up the packing list as I pack, based on what will fit and how heavy the bag is.  Based on past experience, I should do pretty well.

One question that I need answered is the amount of money that I should take with me to pay for food and other expenses until my first good payday.  You can see that listed on the center list as "Initial Living Expenses".  One contact estimates that $1,000 would be a good amount.  I haven't heard from the other contact yet.  I hope it won't cost that much, but in order to reduce my initial expense, I won't be buying a round-trip ticket.

One thing that is annoying me is the list of restricted items.  I took up knitting about a year ago, and now I can't imagine sitting through an intercontinental flight without some knitting to keep me busy.  I even had a project all picked out: a helmetliner from the official Operation Helmetliner pattern, slightly modified, in 100% naturally black alpaca from Alpaca Direct, shorn from a locally raised alpaca named Sunny.  However, Korean Airlines (who appear to have the most economical fare to Shanghai) include knitting needles on their list of restricted carry-on items.  This is even more annoying because I know that knitters flying in the USA and Canada normally have no problem bringing knitting needles on a flight.  I'm thinking about bringing a couple of wooden pencils, and knitting a potholder or two, to be felted in China.

Of course, this is just a minor issue.  There are more serious concerns, like visa approval, and the question of whether I'll have enough money to live in China until my first decent payday.  Clearly, I need to keep some perspective, and trust God to take care of me.

Prayer Requests
As in my previous posts, please pray for my work visa request to be approved.  Also, I've been adding up the costs and looking at my account balance, and I might have to spread my butter pretty thin to make it to my first payday.  Please pray that the financial issues would be sorted out.  I also have another issue that's really worrying me, that is too private to mention here.  Please pray for a successful resolution to this problem.

Most importantly, please pray that God will give me peace about this whole process, and especially this private issue that's just come up.  Thanks for reading, and thanks for praying.

Invitation

Well, my friend finally came through. This afternoon he faxed me the letter, which I promptly scanned and sent on to Jane. About two hours later, Jane sent me the following e-mail, apparently from her iPhone:

GREAT!
I will give it to the related department early this morning.
It is 6:30 am on April 14 now.
I will let you know as soon as I get any news.
Thank you!
Good day!
Jane

I replied, expressing my appreciation for her work ethic, and asking when she expected to get the foreign expert certificate.  A few minutes ago she replied that they expected to get the invitation letter and send it next Tuesday by express courier, estimated transit time 4 or 5 days, which means I can expect it on Saturday the 23rd of April at the earliest.  When I get the letter, I will take it to the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco to get my Z visa.  That process is estimated to take about a week.

This means that, Lord willing, I can expect to get the visa around Friday the 29th or Tuesday, May 3rd, since May 2nd is International Labor Day, an official Chinese holiday.  Theoretically, I can leave as soon as I have my visa.  Of course, in practice, I need to book a flight.  In theory, I would feel comfortable paying for a flight as soon as Jane tells me that they have the invitation letter.  Of course, when I pay for a flight I also need to choose a date.  If I choose a departure date before I have the visa in hand, I need to allow enough slack time to make sure that I will have the visa by the time I leave, otherwise I might have to change my flight, which would be expensive.

I do want my parents to be able to see me off at the airport.  I think if I book my flight for May 5th, that should allow enough slack time.  A quick check on three leading flight search sites indicates that a round trip returning at the Lunar New Year should cost about $1057, with a connection in Seoul.  Not bad.  I'll wait to book until Jane has the letter in hand.

Yes, I'm getting a little excited.  It's finally starting to feel real.

Prayer Requests

Obviously, I have very little control over the visa process, so please pray that it will go smoothly and quickly, and that the visa will be approved.  Also, unlike last time, I have no excuse for not cleaning up before I leave. So, please pray that I would be able to make the necessary decisions about the disposition of my possessions in a timely manner.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for praying.

Reference Letter

In my last post, I wrote about how the school wants me to come ASAP when the visa is ready.  Although I agreed, I'm not the one who's responsible for getting the visa ready at this point.  Jane is gathering those documents for submission to the Foreign Expert Bureau (FEB).  I would be happy to let her do that, but there are certain things that seem to be taking more time than they should, especially for someone who wants me ASAP.

For instance, I don't understand why, after she got my corrected résumé, it took her four days to request a reference letter from one of two previous organizations listed in my work experience.  Fortunately, I already had a letter from one of them, obtained for my previous job in Korea, which letter I promptly sent to her.  Unfortunately, it was a Word document, with no signature, and, although it was positive, it was quite brief.  Jane wanted a more detailed letter, with an authentic signature, to submit to the FEB.

So, I promptly wrote to my old business associate, who is still one of my most trusted friends, though we don't communicate very often since I moved.  I asked for a more detailed letter, with a personal signature.  After about a week, I hadn't heard from him, so I called him.  He's pretty busy, but he promised to help me.  After about four more days, I dropped him an e-mail to let him know (in case I'd forgotten to mention it) that there is some time urgency on this letter.  He then wrote back to me, expressing some confusion about what kind of additional detail was required, and asking me to put in the necessary detail, which he would then check and sign if it was acceptable.  So, I promptly edited the letter and sent it back for his approval.

The next day, he wrote back to me late, asking me to make a minor change.  The following morning, when I checked my e-mail, I made the change and sent it back.  Then I let Jane know that the letter was almost ready.  This brings us up to yesterday morning, the 11th of April.  That evening, which was morning China time, I heard from Jane, who finally let me know what the rush was all about.

Apparently, one of the math teachers is taking a two-week vacation to attend a wedding in the USA.  After asking for more info, I found out that this trip is expected to happen from the end of April to the middle of May.  It would have been nice to know this earlier!  I would definitely have been more proactive about getting the letter from Peter.  It would have been even better if she had requested the letter earlier, along with giving me this information in the original "We are looking for a maths teacher now" e-mail.

Actually, I think I know what's going on.  She had written earlier that she would give my documents to HR.  My guess is that she's my contact because of her English skills, and she's passing on the requests and information that she gets from HR.  It appears that someone underestimated the time it would take to get the reference letter, which so far is 12 days and counting.

At any rate, right after I heard from Jane about the time frame, I e-mailed Peter to let him know that there was more time urgency than I originally thought.  This morning, I was planning to call him around noon, if I hadn't heard from him.  But then, in mid-morning, he e-mailed me to let me know that he had been busy with appointments most of yesterday, but he had the letter in his briefcase and would try to get it to me today.  I trust that he will do that.

More importantly, however, I trust God to make sure that everything works out.  My primary concern with timing is the fact that it could take two or three weeks to get the visa, and I don't want to book my flight to China before I know that I will be admitted into the country.  That's just common sense.  At the same time, I want to book my flight well in advance to save money.  Last time I did this, I knew when I wanted to fly over a month in advance, and I was able to fly Singapore Airlines nonstop to Seoul for a very reasonable price.  This time, I may have to settle for a one-stop with a lesser airline, and even so it will probably be more expensive.

Update:  I just had a Google Chat with an old recruiter in Korea.  He invited me to visit.  I told him I might change planes in Incheon (인전, Korea's main airport), and said I might take a day and see Seoul (서울).  He gave me his phone number (I have it already) and said I could call him there.  He also said to send my schedule when I had it.  It's not likely I would have an extra day to do that, but it's possible, if God is willing.  I would really love some Korean barbecue.

2nd Update:  I just remembered what I wrote in my last post about containing my curiosity.  Apparently, I need to be judicious in my questions.  If I had asked about the reason for the sudden rush, maybe I could have helped better.  (Note to self:  It's not necessarily better to wait with questions.  Some questions are better asked sooner, in case the answers will affect current decisions.)

Prayer Requests
I don't know where to start.  Everything's waiting on this one letter of recommendation.  Then the visa process in China, then the visa process here, then fly to China.  Somewhere in there I've got to book flights and pack. Packing is dependent on knowing which airline(s) I'm flying to know the specific baggage limits.  Flights are dependent on knowing when the visa will be ready.  I know when I want to get there, but at this rate, I doubt the visa will be ready in time, even though I will do everything I can to expedite the process.  Please pray that God would sort out everything regarding the visa, the flight, and my packing list.  My experience will help me with some of that, but there is a lot that is outside my knowledge, my control, or both.  I expect that God does this so I will rely on Him more.  Please pray that I would be able to trust God and be at peace in the midst of uncertainty.