Visa

I received an email from International Ed on Friday, very politely asking me if I had any questions about the Visa Application.  Oh Oh!.  I searched back through my emails and found the one with the Chinese visa application and the 'please fill out, we would like to have them in by Friday'. That was from two weeks before!.  Never don't add an alert!.

I still have that unused passport photo from the Cambodia visa application process/almost disaster, and of course, I had my  passport.  But they were at home.  Fortunately, I had a meeting at the other campus so I was going to be driving in that direction anyway so I figured I could do it and no one would be the wiser.  Until I looked at the visa application.  There were so many questions I had no idea what the answer might be.  I had to fess up and email Luzia for some info (dates, locations, what kind of worker am I - turns out I am not 'company employee', I am 'other', who knew - Luzia knew!).

I don't think I was fooling anyone with my 'responsible, prepared traveler' shtick anyway.  Luzia, who is the nicest person in the world (not just my opinion btw) sent me the info and I dutifully cut and pasted it into my visa application.  Drove by my house to pick up the passport and photo and headed over to Lansdowne for my meeting and to give everything to Luzia.  Except when I got to Lansdowne, I discovered Luzia was at Interurban until noon.  So much for the meeting.

Back in my car, back to Interurban and managed to get the everything into Luzia's hands before she left.  That's when she said, 'oh, not to worry, some of the other participants won't have theirs in until Monday'.  Emotion 1:  Baaahhh!!!.  Emotion 2:  Thank god I'm not the only one.

Update (next day) on my visa application.  Luzia emailed to let me know that China has rejected my photo.  Apparently China is quite particular about the photo for their Visa.  My Vietnam/Cambodia photo was too big. Plus, I was wearing jewelry.  No earrings, no necklace. It seems they are very particular about your photo. (No Tilting, No Crying!) 

So, back to London Drugs on my lunch break (have I whined about how busy I am at work that I don't even have time to do my travel planning!  Feel free to pity me).  They took my picture so many times.  Total shout out to London Drugs Tillicum photo centre.  They did not want me and my mug rejected again.  First the light was wrong, then my tooth was showing (twice - I have been looking at myself for 50 years and it took this to make me realize my tooth sticks out a bit when I blank-face-smile 😐).  Then my ears were showing!  Even with my short hair, ears have to be completely visible.  Anyway, eventually I got my photo and handed it into Luzia in International. 

But wait...  (I am now still writing this five days after I started it, buuuuuuuussssssssssssy). 

Now, China wants my last, cancelled passport.  Why?  I don't know.  China wants it, China gets it.  They are pretty much holding all of the cards.  Plus I don't really care and they seem to, so they win.  I am starting to worry they might say I can't come in.  It is hard to say what they may or may like about my ears and/or past travel.   Cross your fingers. 

I reject your rejection!

I was going to write about funding and other fun stuff but ... (fill in usual refrain about length of post and general winery about busyness). Instead I will search google images for something to spice this post up. 

All's good.  The goal is to meet some great people, see some amazing places and learn some cool stuff.  This is nothing but a minor blip to keep me alert.

Forbidden City, Beijing

The Great Wall

Shanghai