Hong Kong Visa Run

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Ever since I arrived in Hong Kong on 2 September, I knew that I would be returning sooner or later to collect a working Z visa.  Having agreed to work for Bell-Beijing, the timing of my appointment meant that I travelled on a 3 months visitor's visa.  I have now upgraded this to a full working visa, which covers me for another 12 months, not that I will be staying here that long.

The company paid for the flight, but I am left to foot the hotel bill.  Two nights at The Charterhouse, in Wan Chai, on Hong Kong Island.  It was an opportunity to have a little break from the biting cold winds of Beijing, and to spend the HK dollars which had been burning a hole since I collected them along with my Chinese Renminbi back in August.

I had to take a taxi to Terminal 2, Beijing Airport, as it was early on Sunday morning.  Despite the pricey fare I correctly guessed which terminal (of 3) I was leaving from, as my booking was solely in Chinese.  The flight with 'Hong Kong Express', an airline I had never heard of before, was fine.  I actually managed to sleep on a plane for once.  I took another 'Airport Express' - the MTR from Lantau to HK Island.  I am familiar with the line having used it a few times before.  Taxi to the hotel, door to door.  No problems.  No fuss.  A single room on the 19th floor.  This was my 4th time to HK, including my brief flirtation back at the beginning of September.

This time, I met Ian Clark, a frequent HK visitor, albeit to visit his nephew, Alex, in Mong Kok.  He is happy enough in Hong Kong, as happy as a grumpy person can be.  He has his Octopus Card - the original and first contactless smart card system in the world.  He moans about the price of things generally, but he gets massive discounts for being 'old' and 'grumpy'.  He claims to be finishing off with the Youth Hostel in Wells very soon.  He will then put his house back on the market in the new year, with a view to move to Fakenham later in the year.  I persuaded him to visit Victoria Peak, which I had never previously got round to doing.  So, I managed to tick off something on my to-do list.  We naturally took the Peak Tram.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_Tram.


We avoided paying extra for the Sky Terrace, as we had excellent views anyway on a sunny day.  I found Ian a willing if unqualified camera operator, the latest in a long line of camera assistants.  I was a tourist and I didn't care if I looked like one.  It was Sunday, so the streets of the Island from Central to Old Causeway were packed with the familiar sight of Filipino, Malay and Sri Lanka 'amahs' domestic workers, sitting in every available concrete corner.  Saturday and Sunday are typically their days off. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amah_(occupation)

With no BBC on the hotel TV, just FOX and strangely, Arirang (the English language Korean station), I ventured back out into the Wan Chai area on Sunday evening, looking for entertainment.  I had to concentrate and not get led astray, as I needed to be up early for my appointment with the Visa Consular Department.  I took in a few beers along Lockhart Road, whilst wondering what lay behind the doors of places such as 'New Makati', 'Club King' and 'San Fransisco'.  Actually, the window dressing gave it away.  Needless to say, not all Filipino or Thai girls are 9-5 'amahs'.   I settled for a reasonably early night, having watched England beat South Africa handsomely in the 2nd one-day international in Centurion.  The next day I caught Premiership highlights of Tottenham's 9-1 demolition of Wigan at the Old China Hand, a quintessential 'British' pub.  I was not bothered about seeking out dim-sum on this occasion, although I did have some Cantonese Noodles on Sunday evening.

After taking breakfast at the Chaterhouse, I quickly made my way down to the Visa Consular Department, where a bustling queue was already established.  Mondays are the busiest day, apparently.  But the queue was ordered, organised and we were all quickly seen to one-by-one.  I was in and out of the building in less than 30 minutes and my Z-Visa application was completed before 10am.  Everything I had read said that the 'rush' processed visa would take 24 hours.  The sign inside, which said that it now takes '2 working days' concerned me.  However, it simply meant that a 10am application on one morning would be processed by the same time, next day!  

With time to kill, I took the nearby Wan Chai Star Ferry over to Tsim Sha Tsui, on the other side of Victoria Harbour.  A couple of photos later I was back on a ferry over to Central for a little wander around.  I took the cheap, old-fashioned tram and mostly avoided the subway, as I did a bit more sightseeing than i have done previously here. My best decision today, however, was to have an afternoon Thai Massage.  I believe I could get quite addicted to them.  45 minutes of pressing and stretching in a dark room with a girl I didn't set eyes upon until I paid my 88 HK dollars, just before leaving.  It chilled me out well and good, and I was a little bit soporific after that.

I spent most of the evening reading stuff and people-watching at a few different bars along the notorious Lockhart Road.   I then had a little dance in a nearby club, knowing I didn't have to be up at the crack of dawn.   My immediate boss at Bell lived in Hong Kong for almost two years and stayed in this part of Wan Chai.   She remembers negotiating stairwells and sidewalks full of immigrant 'night workers', here for a quick 'dollar' at overpriced bars.  Despite being a stone's throw from the visa office, or maybe because of it, this is/was one of the more seedy areas of town.  I had another surprisingly early night, knowing my original mission was still not complete.

On Tuesday morning, I collected my Z visa, for 700 HK Dollars.  I had opted to pay for the multiple entry visa just in case I needed to leave China inbetween now and the end of June, although the chances are slim.  I know that I had 3 weeks holiday due, but I am already planning for 2 of those to be taken at the end so that I can leave in June, rather than July.  It was confirmed today (Wed) that I can claim back the cost of both hotel and visa. Meanwhile,  I flexed my other visa and bought a few items of clothing which I have been putting off doing for a while.  I may have purchased a couple of uneccessary items, but I felt temporarily weakened surrounded by consumerism.  However, roll on the beginning of next month when i will hopefully be able to settle my outstanding debts.

I boarded the plane back to Beijing, and was reminded about the importance of health declaration forms and declaring my new residency.  I am unsure if my landlady has a problem with this, but I told her this evening (Wed) and I think she wants to visit the police herself.  Maybe she has her own 'spin' on how and why i am living at 1603.

TP