A trip to the Chinese consulate
11/13/2008
Yesterday a friend and I made a whirlwind trip to Chicago to apply for visas at the Chinese consulate. I would estimate we spent 10 hours in the car for a 1/2 hour appointment because the consulate does not accept mail requests. The trip was a bit stressful, so it was a GREAT relief to finally arrive on Erie Street and spot a parking lot. Both of us had always thought people were crazy to be driving a car in downtown Chicago, and there we were...doing just that. The parking lot attendant was quite nice and when we asked where the consulate was he pointed to a rather ordinary city building just across the street.
There was nothing outside to indicate that the Chinese consulate is inside, but we took the elevator to the 5th floor and found a space resembling a crowded Bureau of Motor Vehicles branch. Since it was now 11 a.m Chicago time, and the office closed at noon for lunch, I figured we wouldn't get through in time. Much to my surprise, we were in and out in a half our or less. Once it was my turn to approach the plexiglass window, a businesslike woman on the other side asked for my visa application, passport, photo, money order, and postage-paid envelope. That was it! I was prepared to provide airplane and hotel reservations, the name of a contact in China, a copy of my Fulbright letter, etc., so the actual process was a bit anti-climactic.
Next up...getting my Vietnamese visa. I'm still waiting for the visa approval code to arrive, and until it does, I can't do anything. Lesson learned: Be Patient. But this is hard to do for someone with years of experience being obsessive compulsive!
