Visa Woes
As you might recall, after the mailman lost my original police check on its way to the school (twice!), I came to Beijing on a tourist visa thus delivering my (third and thankfully final) police check to the school personally. The new plan was that I'd work while HR got the necessary paperwork done and received the documents needed for the work visa and then I'd head to Hong Kong for Christmas and switch the visa class. Easy, peasy.
Except not really.
A few weeks ago, Zhao Ying asked me to bring her my teaching certification. I pointed out that Angel already had them so she asked me to come to her office and she'd show me what she meant. This led to the not-remotely-encouraging realization that she was looking for my ESL certification. Which I, of course, don't have as I'm not that sort of a teacher. Fortunately, Angel was sitting there and caught on, cutting in not to worry and she'd take care of everything but still...confidence building this exchange was not.
And lo and behold, plans have changed.
Of the three documents needed to go for Hong Kong only two have been procured. Additionally, the school administrators have suddenly (cue eye-roll here) realized that trips to Hong Kong during Christmas - both in terms of flight and hotel stays - are exponetially more expensive than trips taken after the break.
And so, the new plan is that I go to Hong Kong in the new year. Except, you might recall, my tourist visa expires in T-minus FIVE FREAKING DAYS. Never let it be said the Chinese do not embrace the idea of doing things last minute.
Thus today was the fun filled process of getting my visa extended. Except I had class. Someone call the circus because I could totally join up; my juggling skills, at least today, deserve some sort of prize.
So. I collected my kiddies from the library same as usual at 8:30 and did guided reading with them until 8:45. Then Ella (their Chinese teacher) arrived to take over and I headed up to HR. We had to go over to my real estate agent's office to get a form from her then go to the police station to be formally registered and, once again, get another form (the Chinese REALLY love their paperwork). It took longer than it could have on account of the clerk's scanner not working when she tried to scan my passport. And the system then needing my information entered three times due to some sort of a glitch. *sigh* Fun times.
I went back to school afterwards, getting there around 10:30 to take back my class. I taught two lessons and did lunchtime duty before having to leave again to go to the Public Service Bureau. In my absence, Ella taught the kids until 1:15PM when Rob (the grade 2 teacher) took over until 2 o'clock to teach some phonics and watch some videos. Ella would then take them back until the end of the day or my return, whichever came first (SPOILER ALERT! I came back first and had them from 3 until the end of the day at 3:45). Over at the PSB, shock of all shocks, I had to fill out some more forms then go and speak with a clerk. Well, no, I had to go and sit in a chair next to Zhao Ying as she did all the talking and handed over all the paperwork. Ultimately, my visa was extended until January 20, 2015, they took my passport to make the necessary changes, and Zhao Ying's sigh of relief as we left the building was retroactively panic inducing.
By all the gods in Heaven, Hell, and in between, I cannot WAIT for my visa situation to be resolved once and for all.