7-31-19 - China visa appt & John music program

Today 45. The day of our appointment at the China visa processing center has finally arrived.  With all the work I’ve put into the visa application, there is going to be an international incident if I don’t get our visas.  No sooner than we walk into the visa center than the chaos starts.  Their website said you could do 6 applications in one appointment so I figure I’ll have all the kids with me and they don’t really need to know or say anything. I’m informed that the actual appointments are two people at a time.  “But we’re a family – all 7 of us” “2 people at one time”, “But we are all US passport not Australian” “2 people at one time”, “But the kids are minors and I prepared the forms and signed them” “2 people at one time”,  “Ah, I see, 2 people at one time.”  He brightens up and shakes his head in approval as I’m sure he thinking to himself that Americans can be very slow to catch on.  I hit the machine and 4 tickets pop-out.  

The next thing falls under the category of no matter how much you prepare, there will always be something you didn’t think of.  I am informed that we need photo copies of our passport.  I hadn’t anticipated this but I actually did have copies for our normal traveling.  I distribute them and realize that the photocopies are from before everyone signed their passports so the signature line is blank.  I quickly have everyone sign it when Ashley says dad, my signature doesn’t look anything like the one on the passport.  We’re going to have to risk this one.

Dad, our number is about to be called.  Ug, I still have to attach the passport photos to the applications since I didn’t have a stapler in our place.  After borrowing their stapler, and frantically attaching the photos, I divide the paperwork by person and distribute the application and passports. I grab Ashley and were going to our assigned window when Ashley accidentally drops the application and papers go flying all over the place.  I’m now on the floor frantically trying to put the 20 page application and documentation back in the right order.

The clerk is behind a solid, clear, bullet-proof plastic window.  Hmmm.  I guess people don’t react well to getting their application rejected.  I’m thinking it’s a good thing they have it if I’m the one who gets rejected.  The clerk is looking over every page of my application and paperwork and looks up and smiles and says, “it looks good.”  I can’t believe it – too good to be true.  Alas it is.  “Oh no, you have a US address and phone number here.”  “Yes – I live in the US.”  “This is no good.”  She’s being a little judgmental here in my opinion.  “You need Australian address and phone number.”  Ok, I get it now and make the corrections.  All is good until she looks at the photocopy of the passport and actual passport.  “Signatures not match.”  Ug, Ashley has warned me about this.  She discusses it with the clerk next to her and apparently decides it is not that important after all.  She hands me a slip of paper saying it will be ready for pickup Friday at 9am.  I slump in my chair exhausted but relieved. 

The reason we are in Sydney is that John was accepted into the Sydney High School Honors Program and will be performing at Sydney Opera House later in the week.  Leanne takes John to check into the program for the week. He will be staying at the Sydney Intercontinental Hotel while we are relegated to our somewhat austere but functional Air BnB.

I spent the rest of the day catching up on the blog (I’m finally caught up).  Leanne takes Ashley and Ashlynn to the Museum of Sydney. Leanne loved it.  I know there will be plenty of museums to come when we go back to Europe so I’m not all that bummed to have missed it.  John is free for dinner so we take a taxi over to his hotel.

 I met the coolest taxi driver (by far) of the trip so far.  He is Indian and moved here from his village in the Himalayas of India near the Pakistani border.  He has a similar story to Inna (our Air BnB owner).  He wanted to leave his village so he applied for visas to the UK, US and Australia.  The Australia one was the first to come through so that is where he moved.  He said he would have preferred London.  I’m left wondering just how many people live in Australia as their second choice simply because Australia is apparently superfast in processing and granting visas.  He says his goal now is return to his village as his entire family is still there but he will have to settle for 6 months driving a taxi in Sydney and living 6 months in his village.