Hong Kong Woes
Whew… it has been a long couple of days. I discovered two things this weekend:
1. What to bring when getting a business visa in Hong Kong
Make sure that when you are applying for a business visa in Hong Kong that you have business cards with your US or other foreign information, including business name, position, name, fax number, phone, address, email. If not, you may face a whole host of problems when trying to get your visa.
2. Air conditioning is too cold
Living in Shenzhen, China, has changed the way I view heat, humidity, and especially air-conditioning. I used to love AC, now… well, not so much, really. The hotel I stayed in had strong AC. Usually in my apartment I don’t turn on the AC to save power, even though it is really hot. The strong AC was too much, along with the AC in every store in Hong Kong. It left me wishing they didn’t have AC.
Don’t bring business cards with China information for a China visa
So my trip to Hong Kong took a day longer than expected. The problem was that I had given them a business card with some China information, address, phone number, etc, on it… not a good choice. Turns out a very bad choice, as it meant an extra day and a stay at Chung King Mansions.
Scary Chung King Mansions
Now, Chung King Mansions sounds like a nice name, but I can tell you it is a pretty scary place. Tiny, tiny rooms with no locks on the inside that cannot be opened from the outside. I made a little prayer that nothing would happen to me overnight and that I would be able to make it back to China and see my girlfriend again.
Of course, I am writing this, so you know that the happy ending is in place. I got my visa on the second try, and headed back to China, thankful to be able to get back in across the border with no hassle.
That’s not to say I don’t like Hong Kong, I do, very much. And if I had a job there I wouldn’t mind living there, but that isn’t the case.
Anyway, take my advice, if you ever need a business visa for China, look at #1 above.
