We Had A Bad Day - We Turned It All Around - Day 36

Immigrants trying to get Residency Permits

Our Temporary Residency Cards

Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile, and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down, and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day

It all started on Monday. We decided that we would take a 4 day trip to Macau. Lulu went on Trips.com and bought plane tickets and hotel rooms for a trip to this special tropical gambling paradise. It totaled about $1400 - she even landed 3 days of the famous Four Seasons Hotel. She called the University to make sure it was all okay. She teaches her class on Tuesday and we would leave Wednesday after her class. 

The University said that all our papers were not in order for a Permanent Long Term Resident Visa. If we left China to go to Macau - we might not get back in. So our interpreter - Chu - yes she is also Lulu's Grad Asst - rushed over and we went to the police station. We waited an hour for our turn. When we got to the agent - she told us that our temporary visa ran out two days before. They are very strict about the 30 days limit. It took a lot of time because we had to fill out a bunch of papers - yes Lulu and I had to sign and date papers using Kanji - the Chinese lettering. It was like working with kindergarten copy workbooks. This was around 10 AM - and Lulu had her class to teach at 1 PM. We got the paper done - I thought great - we still might be able to make to to Lulu's class and our trip. 

The agents then said - through our translator - and now the punishment. She physically walked us to police precinct - outside the building and through another door. We were there waiting as other petty problems came before the desk officer. Chu explained our problem - we sat there two hours - while they decided what to do with us. I envisioned Chinese Water Torture - Lulu envisioned us being deported. Around noon - Lulu emailed her students to postpone the class to 8 PM. 

After a couple hours wait - the police told us we would get a warning. They said - do not ever come to China on a visa and not report our residence after 30 days. We apologized and said we would not. They gave us some papers and send us to another office about 5 miles across town. Lulu was really bummed about having to reschedule her class - I was happy to not be sent off to Siberia. 

We went to the immigration office about 7 miles away to get another approval -  We thought we were done - they took our picture. After waiting another two hours - we got called to the counter and they said we need the police report of our crime. During the wait I talked to a group of young Pakistani men who were studying in China to be electrical engineers.  Another delay - no trip to Macau. 

At 8 PM - Lulu taught her class. They all showed up - without one complaint. Lulu explained her police visit - when she said punishment - the whole class nodded in unison. The class was over and she went home. She was bummed because she realized we lost $1400 on the trip. For me - to top it all off - our wifi at the apartment was terrible. My web page was suffering :-)

Wednesday morning - the time of our flight to Macau. We were back in the police station - in front of an office preparing the report of our Resident Visa Expiration. With all the beautiful computer systems and office - the officer was preparing it in Kanji - hand written picture letters. It took quite a while. After he was done the reports - Lulu and I had to sign them in quadruple - each one by hand. After we were done - he said I spelled my signature wrong on two of the forms. By hand he rewrote two pages and I signed them again in Kanji. I have no idea what I signed. For a minute I thought Columbia House had caught up with me for buying those rock and roll records in the 1960s. 

Next - the Chief of Police - came out and asked what we were doing there. He spoke English - and we told him - we were applying for our Resident Cards. He said okay - and cleared the papers. He smiled and said to call him David and that he was in charge of immigration at the station.  He was interested in Lulu's work. He asked Lulu if she had WeChat - and when she said yes - they exchanged WeChat emails and now are chat buddies.

With papers in hand - we rushed off to the Residency Office - far away. We officially filed our papers for our Residency. They took our Passports - and gave us our Temporary Passports. With those we could travel - we are not sure if we can leave the country. On October 10th - they said we can pick up our Passports - Permanent Visa glued in - Residency Permits - and all the rights and privileges it represents.  It was another hour wait but Chu tutored Lulu in online shopping in China and she bought a vacuum cleaner and a bedspread. 

We were relieved - but still were out $1400 for the Macau trip. We accepted it as a minor price for such a major adventure in China. We would not let them get us down. 

Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down

In the middle of the night - Lulu got an email. Trips.com and Macau Airlines - waived all fees. We did not lose any money. 

You work at a smile, and you go for a ride
You had a bad day

Filling out forms

Exit and Entry Services

We spent a couple days in here. Applying for Visas.