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Gulluoglu posted:Yeah, that was what I figured. You write English awfully well for a Ministry of State Security agent. 
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Jun 4, 2014 17:29
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There's an ID checkpoint at Tiananmen square and it's usual? There wasn't one there when I went in January of 2009.
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Jun 4, 2014 17:50
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MeramJert posted:There's an ID checkpoint at Tiananmen square and it's usual? There wasn't one there when I went in January of 2009. It wasn't there two years ago either, except at the subway station (but that was just a general bag check too)
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Jun 4, 2014 18:55
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I tried to go to Tiananmen sometime a week ago, but the area was closed off because of a visit by Malaysian dignitaries (which is why I wondered if it would be closed off again entirely yesterday). Those same dignitaries rolled into BFSU the next day and made it difficult for me to meet one of my translators that morning because the police had campus access locked down to VIPs and students only. It was kind of cool to see the motorcade, though. Anyway, I was here two years ago too (May-June 2012), and I seemed to remember that they were checking identification at those main sub-walks beneath the street that lead into Tiananmen square; that's where the ID check was again this time. They just looked at my passport for five seconds or so to make sure I had a valid visa and said okay. It looked like they were checking everyone for ID at these points. There were separate mini-checkpoints along the streets leading towards the square/Forbidden city, but I think those are normally there? I only had to pass one of those and they didn't bother with me, I just strolled past them and the few people they had stopped. My most intense security scrutiny was when I tried to get on the subway later at the Tiananmen West station when I was leaving because the lady wanding me wanted to see what was in my pockets.
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Jun 5, 2014 00:48
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Gulluoglu posted:I tried to go to Tiananmen sometime a week ago, but the area was closed off because of a visit by Malaysian dignitaries (which is why I wondered if it would be closed off again entirely yesterday). Those same dignitaries rolled into BFSU the next day and made it difficult for me to meet one of my translators that morning because the police had campus access locked down to VIPs and students only. It was kind of cool to see the motorcade, though. Those are totally not normal. I've never had to show my passport on the street anywhere in Beijing the handful of times I've been there.
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Jun 5, 2014 00:54
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Magna Kaser posted:Those are totally not normal. I've never had to show my passport on the street anywhere in Beijing the handful of times I've been there. Fair point. I've never had to show ID anywhere else I go either, but yesterday since I was going to a potentially controversial area on a potentially controversial day, I figured I should bring my passport with me.
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Jun 5, 2014 01:28
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There have always been a lot of security checkpoints but never have I been asked for an ID when going to Tiananmen. The only time anyone has ever asked my passport are the old people who roam my housing complex.
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Jun 5, 2014 02:45
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Aero737 posted:There have always been a lot of security checkpoints but never have I been asked for an ID when going to Tiananmen. I haven't gone there in almost 2 years; when I went there were no checkpoints at all, just lots and lots of cops and military roaming around. quote:The only time anyone has ever asked my passport are the old people who roam my housing complex. WTF
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Jun 5, 2014 02:52
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Old people don't know what to do with themselves. For all they bother waiguoren I imagine they must bother young Chinese even more. It's only going to get worse as the population pyramid tips over.
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Jun 5, 2014 02:59
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Old people in Tianjin sit around on little stools all day in a shaded area and stare at people as they walk by. I was taught last year that this is actually called 乘凉 and means to sit in the shade and relax in a cool place. Would bore the hell out of me but more power to them, I guess.
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Jun 5, 2014 03:20
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I don't know, they had a list of everyone who lived in our housing complex and a big Hammer and Sickle stamp on it and were asking everyone for registration. I was nice and gave them my passport and now they bring me 饺子 from time to time.
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Jun 5, 2014 06:30
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Aero737 posted:I don't know, they had a list of everyone who lived in our housing complex and a big Hammer and Sickle stamp on it and were asking everyone for registration. I was nice and gave them my passport and now they bring me 饺子 from time to time. Gave them as in let them glance at it in your hands right?
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Jun 5, 2014 09:39
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goldboilermark posted:Old people in Tianjin sit around on little stools all day in a shaded area and stare at people as they walk by. I was taught last year that this is actually called 乘凉 and means to sit in the shade and relax in a cool place. Would bore the hell out of me but more power to them, I guess. Add in beer and that's basically what old people in Latin America do.
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Jun 5, 2014 14:41
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goldboilermark posted:Old people in Tianjin sit around on little stools all day in a shaded area and stare at people as they walk by. I was taught last year that this is actually called 乘凉 and means to sit in the shade and relax in a cool place. Would bore the hell out of me but more power to them, I guess. People watching is popular among many people really!
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Jun 5, 2014 14:47
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Gawking is China's national pastime.
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Jun 5, 2014 14:58
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I feel like Peter Hessler nailed this one:river town posted:I was both disturbed and fascinated by Fuling crowds, partly because they so often gathered around me. If I stumbled upon an argument or any other public event that had attracted a crowd, I invariably stopped to watch. But usually I watched the faces of the crowd rather than the actors themselves, and in their expressions it was hard to recognize anything other than that single eager observation: something was happening. That's exactly what disturbs me about Chinese circle-gawking. I can't remember the Chinese word for it at the moment but there's a specific word 围观 and it's creepy. Arglebargle III fucked around with this message at 15:24 on Jun 5, 2014 |
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Jun 5, 2014 15:16
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看客
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Jun 5, 2014 16:01
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blinkyzero posted:Gawking is China's national pastime. When I lived in Zhengzhou, a fist fight or loud argument where the threat of violence was present was primetime entertainment. I can't really blame people for having people watching as their main past time when everything on TV outside of CCTV5 is poo poo. RocknRollaAyatollah fucked around with this message at 16:09 on Jun 5, 2014 |
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Jun 5, 2014 16:05
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Arglebargle III posted:That's exactly what disturbs me about Chinese circle-gawking. I can't remember the Chinese word for it at the moment but there's a specific word 围观 and it's creepy. I described it in one of these threads a long time ago by saying "that staring thing that the zombies do in Walking Dead comics when they see fireworks."
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Jun 6, 2014 02:58
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Arglebargle III posted:I feel like Peter Hessler nailed this one: 看热闹
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Jun 6, 2014 03:08
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Is there a way for a Chinese person who doesn't have a driver's license in China to get a learner's permit or something equivalent here in the States? I've been teaching my wife how to drive in our neighborhood but she kind of needs real road experience. Anyone ever hear of anything like that?
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Jun 9, 2014 19:02
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Uhh it depends on the state but basically you just go to the DMV and take a written test which gives you a learner's permit. Then you can have her take the real driving test once you think she's ready for it. I did this with my wife and it was quite the ordeal! She got her license really easy, then right after she got it she crashed into a fire hydrant during the probationary period, so she had to re-take the test and failed it like five times!
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Jun 9, 2014 19:22
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Cuatal posted:Is there a way for a Chinese person who doesn't have a driver's license in China to get a learner's permit or something equivalent here in the States? I've been teaching my wife how to drive in our neighborhood but she kind of needs real road experience. What systran said. Just gather your documents (she'll need several, basically all her immigration/visa docs to prove her legality in the country). She can then take the written test and get a driver's permit, then you can take her out to practice driving legally. After that, depending on your state, she can take the driving test within 6-12 months at the earliest. Also, do your best to practice patience. Teaching my girlfriend how to drive might have been one of the more difficult and stressful things I've ever done.
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Jun 10, 2014 00:54
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It only took 30 minutes start to finish to get my wife a license, all she needed to bring was her social security card (no substitutions), they didn't even ask for her foreign license or anything. It may vary from state to state since licensing vehicle operation is one of those dumb things we never centralized. Edit: she did bring her international driver's permit but I don't recall them asking for it, it was just written test, eye/hearing test, road test, here's your license enjoy driving! Sheep fucked around with this message at 02:42 on Jun 10, 2014 |
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Jun 10, 2014 02:39
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SB35 posted:Also, do your best to practice patience. Teaching my girlfriend how to drive might have been one of the more difficult and stressful things I've ever done. I am guessing one reason is because, as I had explained to me by a friend born and raised in Tianjin, that he was taught to always be looking immediately ahead of them and for free space ahead of him. He said he never bothered looking behind him because "it is behind me, it doesn't matter". It kind of matters, actually, especially when you are driving a car. Dude is Canadian now and has a Canadian license and said he has to drive a lot differently over there. Said when he comes back to Tianjin it takes a few weeks to revert to driving like locals. So I can understand his thought process but I will never understand how adults teach children things behind them don't matter. Saw a (I am guessing) Xinjiang dude pickpocketing a girl last week and he was right up against her walking step for step behind her going through her bag and she was just OBLIVIOUS. Still can't figure out how people can't feel any presence behind them, might still be the biggest mystery to me about anything in this country, I feel like most living creatures can sense things around them, but maybe not?, I dunno.
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Jun 10, 2014 02:48
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She was probably terrified that he had a knife.
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Jun 10, 2014 03:07
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Nah, I didn't have to "re-teach" her. She had never driven before so I was free to mold her into a good driver. But I now understand the stress my parents must've felt.
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Jun 10, 2014 03:21
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Henan goons (or is to goon?) how long did the PSB tell you it would take to renew your residence permit? I went with a group of our school's teachers today and they said it would take 15 working days until our passports are returned. The first year I was here it was 5 days, last year it was 10 days, now it's 15 days? What the hell is going on that makes them consistently less efficient over time? What are they using the extra time for?
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Jun 10, 2014 07:49
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Best way to learn driving is euro truck simulator.
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Jun 10, 2014 08:16
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Woodsy Owl posted:Henan goons (or is to goon?) how long did the PSB tell you it would take to renew your residence permit? I went with a group of our school's teachers today and they said it would take 15 working days until our passports are returned. There were new regulations put into effect across all of China last July and now it takes 15 days for everyone, not just Henan.
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Jun 10, 2014 09:51
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MeramJert posted:There were new regulations put into effect across all of China last July and now it takes 15 days for everyone, not just Henan.  What's the reasoning behind it? What exactly are they doing with that extra time?edit: Are they actually doing a more thorough job of checking crap? If you have all the paperwork collected then what exactly are they checking up on? Reuters says it's to double-check paperwork and employment offers, sound about right? GuestBob, have you been dealing with any of your new team-members' paperwork? Learn anything about what's going on? store time: Two months ago I called my foreign affairs officer to check and see if there would be ample time to renew my RP before the flight I was planning to book. I got a "don't worry, is no problerm, trust me," and so I booked it. And then, today, we went to the PSB (17 days before my flight) and I learned that I won't get my passport back until four days after my flight departs. Again, the FAO says "don't worry, is not problerm, I am knowning the PSB director."
Woodsy Owl fucked around with this message at 14:45 on Jun 10, 2014 |
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Jun 10, 2014 10:39
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Woodsy Owl posted:
Taking naps.
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Jun 10, 2014 12:36
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Woodsy Owl posted:
You still might get it back early. I got mine back in less than 3 weeks, and one of the weeks in there was National Day week.
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Jun 10, 2014 14:52
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Woodsy Owl posted:Again, the FAO says "don't worry, is not problerm, I am knowning the PSB director." Can he talk to the PSB director about making a copy of your passport and giving it back right now?
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Jun 10, 2014 15:18
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Okay, I think I'm 90% done with my visa application but I think I might be confused in some respects. I've been following the application procedure from here: http://chinavisas.abriggs.com/visas/c/china_tourist_houston_visa.php I have my passport, my visa application, my passport photo, a copy of my driver's license, and an invitation letter. I also have a travel itinerary but it's literally just "these are the points I'm flying to in and out of China", it's not actually plane tickets or anything like that. I haven't yet reserved hotel accommodations because that was sort of up in the air until the visa came in, but I did put some places on the application. I guess my question is - should I make hotel reservations now to add to my itinerary, or is the material i have sufficient? Also, for my invitation letter do I need a copy of the person's ID, or is that only if I'm staying in their house rather than a hotel? (and I know I sort of asked this a few days ago but I just need clarification because I'm confused)
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Jun 10, 2014 21:46
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goldboilermark posted:I am guessing one reason is because, as I had explained to me by a friend born and raised in Tianjin, that he was taught to always be looking immediately ahead of them and for free space ahead of him. He said he never bothered looking behind him because "it is behind me, it doesn't matter". It kind of matters, actually, especially when you are driving a car. Haha, sounds just like here. A Korea goon was docked points on his license test for checking mirrors/behind him. 
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Jun 11, 2014 00:54
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Eifert Posting posted:Haha, sounds just like here. A Korea goon was docked points on his license test for checking mirrors/behind him. I lost points on my Japanese driver's license test for checking left and right too often before turning. Of course I also failed three times despite doing the test perfectly every time. No point having a system setup to scam money out of people if you just let them pass on the first try, I guess!
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Jun 11, 2014 01:15
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Sheep posted:I lost points on my Japanese driver's license test for checking left and right too often before turning. Are you trolling?
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Jun 11, 2014 02:36
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MeramJert posted:Are you trolling? No more than Japan's license centers are! Edit: My problem was that I went in thinking that it was an actual driving test instead of a bullshit "memorize these arbitrary steps only tangentially related to driving"-test. Once you figure that out you're gold. Sheep fucked around with this message at 03:34 on Jun 11, 2014 |
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Jun 11, 2014 03:25
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I mean, a Japanese poster came into the China thread saying you were docked points yet passed perfectly every time? Do you really think we're that dense?
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Jun 11, 2014 03:50
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