Are you a good reader?
Monday, November 21, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
MY TRUE STORY
I did say that I wanted to see the world.
I just didn't mean all in two weeks.
So, I definitely have a blog coming soon about my travels to Buenos Aires. BUT in the mean time you should probably know that I'm off to China...tomorrow. True Story.
Let me back up a few days...
Things were well underway in Buenos Aires - the meeting was going smoothly. I was traveling with both my boss and the owner of the company. My boss was multitasking and working on another meeting she had for the following week in Guanzhou, China. As the details started to unfold it became more and more apparent that we needed another staff person to travel to that event. Unfortunately the moving parts were growing leaps and bounds and it was beginning to be too much for just one person to handle. The problem is (if you've ever read a single blog of mine) that meeting planner's tend to be a little busy in the fall. Literally, there wasn't one person in the office available to travel the following week except me.
It was a no brainer, I was totally on board! I was going to CHINA!
With one catch...
I didn't have a Visa for China.
Ok, no big deal. Let's just call the agency we always use and have them get my Visa same day.
Oh right, except that I'm in ARGENTINA and how would the get my passport?
Ok, no big deal. I'll land and send them my passport same day so they can get it for me.
Oh right, the Chinese Embassy has been on holiday for 3 days and the agency says they can't guarantee same day service.
Ok, no big deal.
Wait, now what?
Solution: I flew from Buenos Aires to Dallas on my original flight. I got off the flight and RAN through customs. Stopping only for a moment to be so proud when the guy said "Welcome back to the United States." I'm not sure why, but that stopped me in my tracks. Cue the song "Proud to be an American."
THEN I got to the American Airlines ticket counter where I had them both print out my boarding pass to Houston (booked a few hours before) and my itinerary for my flight to China. Without hesitation I was on the move again to get to the Admirals Club where I knew there would be a printer. See, the Chinese have tough laws and your Visa application has to be typed, not hand written.
Ok, no big deal.
Once I landed in Houston I had my cab driver head straight to the Walgreens located next to the Chinese Consulate. Thanks, Mom and Dad for texting me the address!
To complete my application I needed two totally unflattering photos that Walgreens was able to produce. It was standing in line at Walgreens that I started to realize I was surrounded by Chinese people doing the exact same thing...this did not bode well for the line of people that was surly waiting for me at the Embassy.
Ok, no big deal. I can figure this out.
I walk down the block, turn the corner and find people lined up outside the building half way down the block.
Ok, no big deal???
Long story short, they close the doors at 11:30am and don't re-open until 1:00pm. IF your request is not processed in the morning you are no longer eligible for same day processing. I had to beg, borrow and almost cry my way to the front of the line - narrowly making it in the building by the cutoff time. I was literally the last person in the building that morning.
At 2:30pm I walked away with my Visa securely in hand. I cabbed it back to the airport and jumped on the first flight home.
I have never, in my life, been so excited to see my shower and my bed. TRUE STORY.
Oh, and tomorrow, I leave for China. :)
Posted by Amanda
I just didn't mean all in two weeks.
So, I definitely have a blog coming soon about my travels to Buenos Aires. BUT in the mean time you should probably know that I'm off to China...tomorrow. True Story.
Let me back up a few days...
Things were well underway in Buenos Aires - the meeting was going smoothly. I was traveling with both my boss and the owner of the company. My boss was multitasking and working on another meeting she had for the following week in Guanzhou, China. As the details started to unfold it became more and more apparent that we needed another staff person to travel to that event. Unfortunately the moving parts were growing leaps and bounds and it was beginning to be too much for just one person to handle. The problem is (if you've ever read a single blog of mine) that meeting planner's tend to be a little busy in the fall. Literally, there wasn't one person in the office available to travel the following week except me.
It was a no brainer, I was totally on board! I was going to CHINA!
With one catch...
I didn't have a Visa for China.
Ok, no big deal. Let's just call the agency we always use and have them get my Visa same day.
Oh right, except that I'm in ARGENTINA and how would the get my passport?
Ok, no big deal. I'll land and send them my passport same day so they can get it for me.
Oh right, the Chinese Embassy has been on holiday for 3 days and the agency says they can't guarantee same day service.
Ok, no big deal.
Wait, now what?
Solution: I flew from Buenos Aires to Dallas on my original flight. I got off the flight and RAN through customs. Stopping only for a moment to be so proud when the guy said "Welcome back to the United States." I'm not sure why, but that stopped me in my tracks. Cue the song "Proud to be an American."
THEN I got to the American Airlines ticket counter where I had them both print out my boarding pass to Houston (booked a few hours before) and my itinerary for my flight to China. Without hesitation I was on the move again to get to the Admirals Club where I knew there would be a printer. See, the Chinese have tough laws and your Visa application has to be typed, not hand written.
Ok, no big deal.
Once I landed in Houston I had my cab driver head straight to the Walgreens located next to the Chinese Consulate. Thanks, Mom and Dad for texting me the address!
To complete my application I needed two totally unflattering photos that Walgreens was able to produce. It was standing in line at Walgreens that I started to realize I was surrounded by Chinese people doing the exact same thing...this did not bode well for the line of people that was surly waiting for me at the Embassy.
Ok, no big deal. I can figure this out.
I walk down the block, turn the corner and find people lined up outside the building half way down the block.
Ok, no big deal???
Long story short, they close the doors at 11:30am and don't re-open until 1:00pm. IF your request is not processed in the morning you are no longer eligible for same day processing. I had to beg, borrow and almost cry my way to the front of the line - narrowly making it in the building by the cutoff time. I was literally the last person in the building that morning.
At 2:30pm I walked away with my Visa securely in hand. I cabbed it back to the airport and jumped on the first flight home.
I have never, in my life, been so excited to see my shower and my bed. TRUE STORY.
Oh, and tomorrow, I leave for China. :)
Posted by Amanda
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)