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Day 2 - The Headless Chicken Impression
Apr. 9th, 2008 07:00 pm7 PM local time - On the train from Shanghai to Nanjing
So early this morning we made calls again to the taxi company, etc. But by the time we were heading out the door, we didn't bear much hope of getting our passports back. In retrospect, it seems much more likely that they were pick pocketed during the short time we got off the bus from the airport and before we caught the cab to the hotel.
Anyway, theft is the story we're sticking when we headed to the embassy. There they told us that to file for replacement passports, we'll first need a loss report from the Entry/Exit Bureau. They also said that it will take around 10 (business?) days for a new passport to be issued.
So next we headed to the Entry/Exit Bureau to get the loss report. There they said that we wouldn't be able to get the report once we filed the forms until Friday. They also said that it could take anywhere from 1-5 business days to get the VISA to leave China once we get our replacement passports.
This presents the possibility that we won't be able to get the VISA in time for the time on our return plane tickets. Worst case scenario, we may be stuck in China for an extra week. In which case, we'll also need to inform our jobs. This kinda sucks since I don't have enough leave time for an extra week of PTO, so I'll need to borrow the time from future work hours. I'm sure my colleagues will not love me for this, but well, there's not much I can do at this point.
Anyway, once we got out of the Entry/Exit office (which is also the place that does VISA's), we dropped by the train station to put our other carry-on luggage in holding. Then we headed downtown for some lunch and shopping while we waited for the time to call the airport about our missing luggage from yesterday.
At about 3:30 PM we called the airport, and they told us they'd already mailed the luggage to the address we gave in Nanjing. So at least we didn't have to spend another 2+ hours on the road to/from Pudong airport. At that point, we finished up shopping and headed back to the train station to book a train to Nanjing.
(No, we decided not to spend another 2 nights in Shanghai waiting for the loss report on Friday morning because there is a huge hassle for us to book a place anywhere without passports, and the place we stayed in last night was... less than comfortable, I'll leave it at that. What with the two-hour trains between Shanghai & Nanjing, it would be simpler just to take a train back to Shanghai on Friday morning to file for the passport.)
Special thanks must be extended today to the family friend who we'd contacted last night. She came with us the whole day today and was a huge help in navigating the public transport system in Shanghai - eg. the bullet subway train thing. (I still kind of boggle at the problem my mom was having with the ticketing and entry/exit system the subway used even though it's almost exactly like BART.) She was also instrumental in preventing my mom from buying some really fugly clothing and attempting to make me try some of the same. *hugs and kisses*
I did end up buying 3 pairs of pants (they adjusted the length in-store for me), one skirt, and a shirt or two to match 'em.
Once we get to my grandparents' place in Nanjing, I expect much nagging and scolding from my grandma on the stupidity of losing our passports. Fortunately, my mom will most likely be the recipient of the sermon, so I might be able to slip by on the radar. *crosses fingers*
Other than that, I hope to be able to take a real bath (shower) tonight and sleep in a real bed. (Did I already mention that our changes of clothing and sleepwear are all in the luggage that's now supposedly going to arrive by mail in Nanjing tomorrow?) Unfortunately, at this point, I still rather prefer to be living my average day at work than be in China with all the hassles that lie waiting in the near future.
Also, I miss internet.
So early this morning we made calls again to the taxi company, etc. But by the time we were heading out the door, we didn't bear much hope of getting our passports back. In retrospect, it seems much more likely that they were pick pocketed during the short time we got off the bus from the airport and before we caught the cab to the hotel.
Anyway, theft is the story we're sticking when we headed to the embassy. There they told us that to file for replacement passports, we'll first need a loss report from the Entry/Exit Bureau. They also said that it will take around 10 (business?) days for a new passport to be issued.
So next we headed to the Entry/Exit Bureau to get the loss report. There they said that we wouldn't be able to get the report once we filed the forms until Friday. They also said that it could take anywhere from 1-5 business days to get the VISA to leave China once we get our replacement passports.
This presents the possibility that we won't be able to get the VISA in time for the time on our return plane tickets. Worst case scenario, we may be stuck in China for an extra week. In which case, we'll also need to inform our jobs. This kinda sucks since I don't have enough leave time for an extra week of PTO, so I'll need to borrow the time from future work hours. I'm sure my colleagues will not love me for this, but well, there's not much I can do at this point.
Anyway, once we got out of the Entry/Exit office (which is also the place that does VISA's), we dropped by the train station to put our other carry-on luggage in holding. Then we headed downtown for some lunch and shopping while we waited for the time to call the airport about our missing luggage from yesterday.
At about 3:30 PM we called the airport, and they told us they'd already mailed the luggage to the address we gave in Nanjing. So at least we didn't have to spend another 2+ hours on the road to/from Pudong airport. At that point, we finished up shopping and headed back to the train station to book a train to Nanjing.
(No, we decided not to spend another 2 nights in Shanghai waiting for the loss report on Friday morning because there is a huge hassle for us to book a place anywhere without passports, and the place we stayed in last night was... less than comfortable, I'll leave it at that. What with the two-hour trains between Shanghai & Nanjing, it would be simpler just to take a train back to Shanghai on Friday morning to file for the passport.)
Special thanks must be extended today to the family friend who we'd contacted last night. She came with us the whole day today and was a huge help in navigating the public transport system in Shanghai - eg. the bullet subway train thing. (I still kind of boggle at the problem my mom was having with the ticketing and entry/exit system the subway used even though it's almost exactly like BART.) She was also instrumental in preventing my mom from buying some really fugly clothing and attempting to make me try some of the same. *hugs and kisses*
I did end up buying 3 pairs of pants (they adjusted the length in-store for me), one skirt, and a shirt or two to match 'em.
Once we get to my grandparents' place in Nanjing, I expect much nagging and scolding from my grandma on the stupidity of losing our passports. Fortunately, my mom will most likely be the recipient of the sermon, so I might be able to slip by on the radar. *crosses fingers*
Other than that, I hope to be able to take a real bath (shower) tonight and sleep in a real bed. (Did I already mention that our changes of clothing and sleepwear are all in the luggage that's now supposedly going to arrive by mail in Nanjing tomorrow?) Unfortunately, at this point, I still rather prefer to be living my average day at work than be in China with all the hassles that lie waiting in the near future.
Also, I miss internet.
