Well, the first thing I have to deal with - now that I am home - is the cold that I probably got from the lady who was sitting next to me on the plane, all the way from Hong Kong to New York. She was coughing most of the way. Actually I am hoping it is just a cold. On the layover in Vancouver I thought I might get a chance to move seats, but 15 minutes before the plane left it started to fill up with late arrivals, and an almost empty plane went to completely packed in a matter of minutes.
I have the rest of the week off so I am just resting and trying to get back on sleep schedule. My kids were over last night and I showed them photos from the trip, and then we watched an episode of Star Trek, and I dozed off. Then when they left I sat in front of the TV for two hours, and I wondered why I wasn't sleepy at all. Before I left I had tried to adjust my sleep schedule and I don't think it helped at all. I think next time I will just wing it.
I liked flying Cathay Pacific, and they seem to have a regular schedule out of JFK. I liked leaving late at night and arriving early in the morning. I checked their schedule for December and they have the same time slots so I think I will go for those. I also discovered that Saturday and Sunday flights are just as cheap as middle of the week flights, so I think I will play around with that.
Anyway, it should be so much easier to do this again, now that I have done it once. I have my passport and visa in hand, I know what to expect, etc.
Stupid question, but I won't need to have hotel reservations and proof of airplane tickets now, right? I just needed them to get the visa, right?
Oh, and a tip that I have not read about here...you have to fill out a two part card when you enter China. They make it seem even more important than a passport. You fill it out, they keep one half, you keep the other half, and then you turn your half in when you go to leave the country.
And one more thing...if you carry too much baby formula with you you could be subject to arrest..! I heard that over the PA system. I couldn't believe it....baby formula....
I am a bird in the hand kind of guy, so I am going to use Visarite to get my single certificate - just like Chris did. The extra cost will balance out against having to make extra trips in China when I get back there.
Now I mentioned that every situation is unique. Here is mine.
Mei is doing well in China. She has an apartment which is paid for. She wants to keep it. She lives in Guangdong, which is warm in the winter. Well, compared to where I live. Apparently it is just peanuts to pay all the parking fees and condo fees, and I think it would be a great place to go to in the winter months. I am a Union electrician, and it can get slow in the winter here, so I figure why not just head to China in those months?
But I wonder what challenges we will face trying to love in two places. Especially if she is just a new arrival to this country. Obviously, right now it is not an issue. But when she does get here I wonder what restrictions will be put on us. The biggest concern is her daughter and schooling. I will look into options for her.
Oh well, this makes life more interesting...