August 24, 2007 at 3:46 am · Filed under Uncategorized, Tourism
It seems the Chinese have it tough when it comes to international travel.
First of all, most of my Chinese friends have barely been ventured further than the 2 provinces nearest to their hometown. Those that have are lucky if they’ve been to Hong Kong. I point this out because Hong Kong is a different immigration system from China and it’s actually surprisingly difficult for Mainland citizens to get permits to Hong Kong. I can think of only 1 Chinese friend (of those still living in China) who has actually left the Chinese-speaking world for vacation.
Why is this? Well, undoubtedly there are countless reasons, including China’s a big country so there is a lot to see here, lack of money or time, commitments to always visit family on vacations, etc. But the reason I want to focus on is the visa process…
My roommate decided she wanted to go to Italy for a 3 week holiday in late September. She called the Italian consulate in late-July/early-August and asked for an appointment.
Note the process: For Chinese citizens to get a visa to go abroad on holiday–and they need visas to go everywhere (except Thailand, supposedly)–the person must call the embassy/consulate of the intended destination and ask for a visa interview. An interview appointment may be set, the interview will occur during which the traveler will be asked questions to ascertain the reasons for going to the intended destination and whether the traveler will return to China, after that the embassy/consulate will make a decision whether or not to issue the tourist(!) visa. Following which, if granted, the traveler will return to the consulate, pay for the visa (ususally upwards of $100 depeding on the country and length of stay), and obtain the visa.
When my roommate called the Italian consulate in Shanghai to make an appointment for the interview, they told her you can have your interview in October. She said, but my trip is planned for September. And they said, too bad. A few days later, they called her and said, ok you can have your interview in the end of August. A huge improvement! But all the while prices of plane tickets are increasing weekly and obviously there’s no point in buying plane tickets if you can’t get a visa. My roommate has an extensive spreadsheet of her trip planning and half of her hotels booked. Nonetheless, there’s still only a 20% chance she’ll get a visa because she is a single girl. She’s certainly doing all she can to try to prepare for the interview and then prove she won’t stay in the country, but alas, I guess for most foreign governments the fear that solo Chinese travelers will try to stay in the country is stronger than the wish for tourism income from Chinese.
If you think my roommate’s situation is tough, France is even worse. Appointments for those visa interviews have to be made 6 months in advance! And the US is even worse than France. Calling the consulate just to make the interview appointment costs CNY6 per minute (I think). I don’t know how the process works after that, but when I went to the US Consulate at 9:20am on a Wednesday morning the sidewalk outside the entrance was swarming with Chinese people waiting to be let into the building. Then they had to queue outside the office to make sure their info was correct and go through security. Then, the waiting room was filled with non-Americans. Meanwhile, I, flashing my American passport, was waived through doors, to the front of lines, and was quickly in, taken care of, and out again. Unbelieveable. I was in shock.
(Would be) Chinese travelers, don’t feel too bad–they screen other countries citizens quite thoroughly as well. My Ecuadorian friend living in Beijing wanted to go to Greece for a 2 week holiday and she had to show proof of a Chinese bank account with savings in it, a job in China, and a plan to return to China after her holiday. Intense.
Sometimes there are perks to holding an American passport, even if China keeps raising visa prices and introducing stricter regulations.
August 8, 2007 at 12:37 am · Filed under Knowledge and Experiences, Tourism, Traveling
As this 2008 Beijing Olympics are now less than 1 year away, its scary to think the number and types of scams perpetrated by Chinese on foreigners is only increasing. Most of the following examples have actually happened to my guests when in Beijing or other parts of China, and a few are commonly reported elsewhere around China.
- At the capital airport, a guy claiming to drive a taxi says he’ll take you to town for 700RMB! And he makes you walk a long way to his taxi.
- –> Go outside to the taxi queue and insist that the driver use the meter. Most rides to downtown Beijing are less than 200RMB.
- Exiting the Summe Palace, a guy claiming to drive a taxi offers to take you back to downtown Beijing. You see that his car has a ‘taxi’ sign on top so you think it must me legit and you agree. However, after the taxi starts, you realize the meter is clicking over 2-2.5times as fast as it should be. When you arrive at your destination the meter reads RMB400. The meter is rigged. You protest but the driver pretends not to understand you and so you give in and pay.
- –> Instead of taking a taxi whose driver seeks you out, go and find your own taxi, maybe even walk a block away from the attraction. Also, choose standard taxis–(in Beijing) red, green/yellow, blue/yellow, red/yellow. If you do find yourself in a taxi where the meter is rigged (and you don’t have any luggage), get out immediately, without paying. If you’ve reached your destination and find its too late to get yourself out of this situation, take the driver’s license (visibly located about the glove box), then report it to the police to try to get your money back. In another case, if the driver refuses to start the meter, get out immediately without paying.
- You’ve just paid the driver of the previous taxi his exorbitant rate of RMB400, then he tells you 3 of your RMB100 notes are fake. You tell him that can’t possibly be because you got them at the bank in your home country. And you know he had plenty of time to switch them while you were getting out of the taxi. But he again pretends not to understand. You refuse to give him new notes, he gets angry and makes for a nearby policeman. You guess involving the police probably won’t help the situation given your inability to speak Chinese and a system know as guanxi. Again, you give in and give the driver RMB300 more just to have it done with. All-in-all, you paid RMB700 for a taxi ride which should have cost less than RMB200.
- –> If paying with large bills, sit in the front of the taxi, then watch the driver as he checks the bills. Don’t give him the opportunity to switch them and don’t get out until he’s satisfied with them. If its too late, take the driver’s license (visibly located about the glove box), then report it to the police to try to get your money back.
- You’re wandering through the hutong watching and learning about local life and a Chinese person starts to chat with you in excellent English. You think, wow, great. This person is so friendly and helpful and I’ll learn so much more about the local culture by having a native to talk to. He shows you around, then brings you to a teahouse. There you sample tea and the beneficial properties of each type of tea are explained to you. At the end you’re told you owe RMB2400(!!) because each tea you tried was between RMB80-500. ‘What,’ you balk, ‘I can’t pay that much. I don’t have that much money. I didn’t drink that much tea.’ ‘That’s ok,’ they explain, ‘they accept credit cards.’ (Note: Credit cards are rarely accepted in China, therefore this is also likely credit card fraud as well.) Reluctantly, you give them your credit card.
- –> Before drinking tea, whether in Chengdu, Beijing, or elsewhere, always check the pricelist/menu and ascertain the price of the tea you will be drinking beforehand. There are some very expensive teas in China and for the most part, you won’t know the difference so stick with teas in the range of RMB30-40.
- You’re wandering down Nanjing Road in Shanghai and someone with decent, but not great English approaches you and asks if you will practice English with them. You think, wow a great opportunity to interact with locals, learn more about local life, and do someone a favor. So you follow them and then take you to a top floor of a building and together you drink tea and chat in English. After a while you say you have to go and get up and leave but they say, ‘wait, you need to pay RMB1500 for the tea.’
- –> This is also a tea scam and possibly credit card fraud as well. See above for how to deal.
- You’re walking toward Forbidden City or maybe down Nanjing Road and a young person speaking exellent English approaches you and says ‘I’m an art student and we’re having an exhibition, please come look.’
- –> This is a scam, usually also involving tea or an art viewing fee. Say no and continue on your way.
- You’re wandering through Tiananmen marveling at its size, then a tout asks you if you want to buy a Mao watch, or other souvenir. You decide you like that Mao watch then you haggle over price. You agree on 20RMB. When you go to pay, you realize you only have a RMB100 note. You give it to the seller and he gives you a RMB50 and 3 RMB10s in change. You think wow, what a deal, until later you try to use that RMB50 to buy lunch but they tell you, ‘no, that’s fake.’ You realize you just paid RMB70 for that watch, not such a great price after all.
- –> Always keep small change on you to pay for little things. Learn the security features of the RMB50 and RMB100 notes. Then check for them everytime you’re handed one of those bills.
- You go to rent a coat, or a bike, or whatever and you’re required to pay a deposit of RMB100-200. When returning the item, and receiving your deposit back, the bills don’t seem to hae the right texture and feel.
- –> Learn the security features of the bills and always remember to check them. If the notes seem fake, insist on different ones or smaller denominations. Consider telling the local police bureau.
These scams may change as they become more well-known to the foreigners visiting China so always be aware. Please pass this along to anyone you know visiting China to help protect them and teach China that they can’t treat foreigners this way.
August 7, 2007 at 1:47 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Though I received a fair bit of criticism for my entry titled Responsible Tourism in Reverse: Educating the Chinese, I do not think I’m totally in the wrong. Consider the following excerpts from an article in City Weekend, titled: One Year and Counting: With just one year until the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Jonathan Haagen takes a look at what’s being done to get the city ready for its world debut.
Lu-Chin Mischke walks impatiently across the Lido Hotel Starbucks. She stands over the glob of phlegm, just discharged on the ground by a Chinese businessman, and hands the offending party a card detailing the harm done by public spitting. The man, stunned, stands dumbfounded for a moment, but then reaches for a napkin to clean the floor. “I suppose I could just let it go,” says Mischke, the founder of the Pride Institute, a non-profit organization aimed at improving Chinese etiquette, “but in just one year, the eyes of the whole world will be on China. We can’t keep hacking and spitting all the time.”
The Olympics are a powerful motivator for change. Never before has the world’s focus been directed at Beijing in the way it will be during the 2008 Games. In preparation for this unprecedented attention—and scrutiny—the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, city officials and regular citizens like Mischke are on a mission to makeover the capital inside and out. With the Olympics just one year away, how are they doing and what is left to be done?
[…]
Mischke agrees: “I don’t think improving the outside of the city will mean much, if we don’t improve the inside as well.” Eager to help Beijingers lose their reputation for jumping in front of the line, expectorating rudeness, officials at the Capital Ethics Development Office sent almost 2 million etiquette books to city families. China Daily also printed numerous articles this year on acceptable spectator behavior. Even the Beijing police joined the movement, investing millions of yuan in a surveillance van equipped with infrared cameras capable of spotting spitters at a distance of 250 meters. Private operators like Mischke have also helped the cause by offering seminars to encourage good manners and positive peer pressure.
Bussing her own table, Mischke describes what it will take for the Beijing Olympics to be a success: “We have enough volunteers. We have the drive. The key will be reaching a tipping point where regular Chinese people start to exhibit pride in themselves and their country.” Across the café, a customer stamps out his cigarette on the floor, and turns to leave. Mischke hands him a card warning him of the harmful effects of littering. The man stares at her blankly and then drops the card on the floor by his cigarette butt.
“We have made a lot of progress,” Mischke sighs. “We still have some work to do, too.”
Based on that, it seems you can think of me as an NGO also helping China prepare for its world debut with the 2008 Olympics.
August 6, 2007 at 3:28 am · Filed under Uncategorized, Tourism, Traveling
Eating/Drinking
- Marvel at the view & enjoy cuisine from some of Bangkok’s best chefs at Central Chidlom Food Loft.
- Live the high life (literally) and splurge on drinks at the Rooftop Bar of the Banyan Tree Hotel.
Activities
- Dress very conservatively while admiring the splendor of the Grand Palace.
- Feel the wind in your hair and the pollution in your eyes as you motor down the Chao Praya River.
- Enjoy one of Asia’s favorite pastimes as you shop-till-you-drop at MBK, Khao San Road or one of Bangkok’s many glitzy, air-conditioned shopping malls.
Accommodation
- Pretend you’re living down one of Bangkok’s old alleyways and enjoy complimentary breakfast at Suk 11 (Sukhimvit, Soi 11)
Digg/USCfemme
Flickr/tofflerann
Facebook/Toffler
Linkedin/Toffler
Twitter/TofflerAnn
YouTube/USCfemme
italki.com/Toffler