Passport Fun
OK, today was bittersweet because I got my new passport, but I had all of my passport/visa related issues (see Angry Blog)
So anyway, since I have my nice shiny new blank passport, I thought I would thumb through the old passport and reminsce about some of the good memories attached and its contents:
Origins: The passport was issued back in 1997 in Philadelphia just before I went with my college orchestra to France as part of an amazing weeklong trip. That was the first usage, and that trip rocked. I hung out with Sid and Cordelia most of the time, but it also included such fun memories as:
a) Staying in a run-down ex-orphanage with crazy orchestra kids
b) Getting really sick after walking through freezing rain on the day of arrival, which included (but was not limited too) loose bowels on the day that we had dinner with a local "host family" and I got to use my rusty high school french with the host mom
c) Waking up every morning to rhythm of TonyToniTone (the person, not the group) and his bouncing bedsprings. What was he up to that make them creak so much? Pushups…(I know, we thought it was something else too at first)
d) Falling asleep in the Musee D'Orsay (see most ridiculous experiences list)
e) Sid saying "Stupide Americains" repeatedly with a bad french accent
f) TonyToniTone and others chasing a women they thought was hot around the Louvre for three hours
g) La Belle Epoque (ask Cordelia, because she does the face the best but honestly it is an experience that none of us really want to talk about)
Anyway, it was great way to christen the passport. Since then this thing has been with me to a lot of places. Some of the contents include:
Visas for:
Australia
Hong Kong
China
Indonesia
Stamps from:
Canada
Australia
Japan
Hong Kong
Thailand
New Zealand
Argentina
Singapore
UK
Macau
Indonesia
Some noteworthy places I have been to during this period but for which I lack stamps:
Belgium
Netherlands
Uruguay
Vietnam
Ah, so many memories attached to them. If you ever want a full rundown on any of these venues I can give you the details and some anecdotes about the most memorable experiences in each. Just post a comment…yes, I take requests!
Angry Blog
OK Kids, since I haven't done it enough, here is another post in which I am going to bitch about stuff. Today's topic: VISA/Passport issues. OK, this is going to be complicated, and involves my travel plans, among other things.
I have been on the road and planning a number of things. At this point, some things are set in stone:
May 13 - Depart China for HK
May 15 - Depart HK to Malaysia
These are set in stone. Meanwhile, the following was the plan for the next several weeks:
This Weekend - Party like a rockstar
Next Friday (Apr 28) - Fly to XinJiang to meet up with old friend Lisa (aka Brown Girl for those of you "in the know") and her friend for the May Holiday
Following Friday (May 5) - Return from XinJiang
So althogether I was going to be doing a lot of travel. In the meantime, my passport has gotten old and crusty and the photo was close to falling out. As such, I was getting more hastle from the immigration checkpoints and at some point soon I would no longer be able to use it. Since I still have to hit up 10 more countries, China was my only choice for a place to replace the passport for a new one. HOWEVER, the old passport had my Chinese Visa in in.
OK, so the plan was going to be easy (and the US Embassy actually came up with it):
1) Replace Old Passport
2) Have Old Visa (still with 50 Days validity) transferred to the new passport by the Chinese government
Step 1 has been accomplished. When they gave me the new passport, they punched holes in the old one and told me to bring both to the Chinese Police Authority to transfer the visa. When I went there, I was told that I would need a new passport since the old one was no longer valid. Make sense? It doesn't to me either!
So anyway, this all went down this afternoon. Later I spoke with the woman from my language school (which sponsors my Visa) to ask for assistance. Her response was that a) she was going on vacation next week and b) asked me why I didn't check with the Police Authority before getting the new passport. OK, this is what pisses me off:
A) She knew this was the plan and said nothing about it being problematic
B) The US Embassy also advised me that this was the correct course of action
C) The Police Authority doesn't exactly have the best command of English, and since I'm no expert on Chinese immigration law I'm kinda screwed her and would assume that my "visa sponsoring school" would be a little more supportive in this process.
Anyway, I'm just stressed because
A) nobody has any bright ideas about the best course of action (although I have to go into school tomorrow, Saturday, to try to sort this out
B) I might have to surrender both passports for some period of time while I'm supposed to be in XinJiang, which means I need to kabosh the trip which pisses of Lisa, makes my travel agent angry, and I'm stuck in Beijing for the week which could also kinda blow
OK, that’s me venting. Any advise of course would be appreciated. Have a good night!
