Comments on: Don’t EVER get a drivers license in Xinzhuang. http://www.sinopenn.com/2009/05/15/dont-ever-get-a-drivers-license-in-xinzhuang/ Not the Answer to Life, the Universe, nor Everything (but a damn good start!) Mon, 18 Jul 2011 23:33:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Finally got my Drivers Licence last Friday! - SinoPenn http://www.sinopenn.com/2009/05/15/dont-ever-get-a-drivers-license-in-xinzhuang/comment-page-1/#comment-123 Finally got my Drivers Licence last Friday! - SinoPenn Wed, 27 May 2009 01:56:07 +0000 http://www.sinopenn.com/?p=413#comment-123 [...] got my Drivers Licence last Friday! May.27, 2009 in SinoPenn After all that I had to put up with getting it, I finally walked out of Building 8 in Xinzhuang with Drivers Licence in [...] [...] got my Drivers Licence last Friday! May.27, 2009 in SinoPenn After all that I had to put up with getting it, I finally walked out of Building 8 in Xinzhuang with Drivers Licence in [...]

]]> By: Eric D http://www.sinopenn.com/2009/05/15/dont-ever-get-a-drivers-license-in-xinzhuang/comment-page-1/#comment-118 Eric D Wed, 20 May 2009 04:21:41 +0000 http://www.sinopenn.com/?p=413#comment-118 I'll remember that one next time they say I'm "late". I’ll remember that one next time they say I’m “late”.

]]> By: Lawrence http://www.sinopenn.com/2009/05/15/dont-ever-get-a-drivers-license-in-xinzhuang/comment-page-1/#comment-114 Lawrence Sat, 16 May 2009 03:27:35 +0000 http://www.sinopenn.com/?p=413#comment-114 The usual trick to that one, is to book into a hotel for a day. Pick a Motel 168 or similar, grab the pink slip, and bring that with... Thats a registration for ya! This old trick probably won't work anymore though, they've gotten smarter, and have finally hooked up registrations at le popo with the customs people. The usual trick to that one, is to book into a hotel for a day.
Pick a Motel 168 or similar, grab the pink slip, and bring that with…

Thats a registration for ya!

This old trick probably won’t work anymore though, they’ve gotten smarter, and have finally hooked up registrations at le popo with the customs people.

]]> By: stuart http://www.sinopenn.com/2009/05/15/dont-ever-get-a-drivers-license-in-xinzhuang/comment-page-1/#comment-113 stuart Sat, 16 May 2009 02:09:39 +0000 http://www.sinopenn.com/?p=413#comment-113 "why do you hate China?" is the reflexive fenqing response to any article that doesn't portray life in China as a harmonious paradise. Here's another example: Stuart: <i>Say, the air quality is not so good this morning, comrade Wang.</i> Wang: <i>Why do you hate China?</i> At a pinch, it could be irony. “why do you hate China?” is the reflexive fenqing response to any article that doesn’t portray life in China as a harmonious paradise. Here’s another example:

Stuart: Say, the air quality is not so good this morning, comrade Wang.

Wang: Why do you hate China?

At a pinch, it could be irony.

]]> By: Chinamatt http://www.sinopenn.com/2009/05/15/dont-ever-get-a-drivers-license-in-xinzhuang/comment-page-1/#comment-112 Chinamatt Sat, 16 May 2009 01:56:12 +0000 http://www.sinopenn.com/?p=413#comment-112 I'm fairly certain that all officials with desks in China are unfriendly and completely unhelpful. I've had to misfortune of asking questions about official documents and such and they just give any answer they feel like, which will change hourly (and my wife was usually asking those questions in Chinese for me). Even the woman who had to get my visa at the university hated dealing with the officials--they kept screwing things up for her after they said it was okay. I’m fairly certain that all officials with desks in China are unfriendly and completely unhelpful. I’ve had to misfortune of asking questions about official documents and such and they just give any answer they feel like, which will change hourly (and my wife was usually asking those questions in Chinese for me).

Even the woman who had to get my visa at the university hated dealing with the officials–they kept screwing things up for her after they said it was okay.

]]> By: Eric D http://www.sinopenn.com/2009/05/15/dont-ever-get-a-drivers-license-in-xinzhuang/comment-page-1/#comment-111 Eric D Fri, 15 May 2009 23:49:22 +0000 http://www.sinopenn.com/?p=413#comment-111 Please do tell where I said I hate China so much. Please do tell where I said I hate China so much.

]]> By: me http://www.sinopenn.com/2009/05/15/dont-ever-get-a-drivers-license-in-xinzhuang/comment-page-1/#comment-110 me Fri, 15 May 2009 23:10:41 +0000 http://www.sinopenn.com/?p=413#comment-110 Why stay in China if you hate the place so much? Pack your bags, go home and enjoy life. As Americans like to say, 'love it or leave it." Why stay in China if you hate the place so much? Pack your bags, go home and enjoy life. As Americans like to say, ‘love it or leave it.”

]]> By: Hao Hao Report http://www.sinopenn.com/2009/05/15/dont-ever-get-a-drivers-license-in-xinzhuang/comment-page-1/#comment-109 Hao Hao Report Fri, 15 May 2009 16:37:56 +0000 http://www.sinopenn.com/?p=413#comment-109 <strong>Someone thinks this story is fantastic...</strong> This story was submitted to Hao Hao Report - a collection of China's best stories and blog posts. If you like this story, be sure to go vote for it.... Someone thinks this story is fantastic…

This story was submitted to Hao Hao Report – a collection of China’s best stories and blog posts. If you like this story, be sure to go vote for it….

]]> By: Eric D http://www.sinopenn.com/2009/05/15/dont-ever-get-a-drivers-license-in-xinzhuang/comment-page-1/#comment-108 Eric D Fri, 15 May 2009 15:39:49 +0000 http://www.sinopenn.com/?p=413#comment-108 Maybe it IS the same girl then. My recent visit to register as living in the apartment I'm now in was just as "productive". I'd avoided it as much as possible, but because my visa was up, I needed to get the paperwork from them saying I'm living there. Girl looks at my passport and says, you've been here 40 days. You MUST register within 24 hours. I told her, "I was in Beijing & Xi'an! I couldn't be here. "We know that's not true." she says, rather sternly. Fair enough. It's not. Haven't been to Beijing OR Xi'an for years. But she did let me off with a signed warning. Not sure what that means, but it's not my first time getting a written warning. Kind of like High School. If only she knew it wasn't 40 days, but more like 400 days. Maybe it IS the same girl then.

My recent visit to register as living in the apartment I’m now in was just as “productive”. I’d avoided it as much as possible, but because my visa was up, I needed to get the paperwork from them saying I’m living there.

Girl looks at my passport and says, you’ve been here 40 days. You MUST register within 24 hours. I told her, “I was in Beijing & Xi’an! I couldn’t be here.

“We know that’s not true.” she says, rather sternly. Fair enough. It’s not. Haven’t been to Beijing OR Xi’an for years. But she did let me off with a signed warning. Not sure what that means, but it’s not my first time getting a written warning. Kind of like High School.

If only she knew it wasn’t 40 days, but more like 400 days.

]]> By: Lawrence http://www.sinopenn.com/2009/05/15/dont-ever-get-a-drivers-license-in-xinzhuang/comment-page-1/#comment-107 Lawrence Fri, 15 May 2009 14:21:42 +0000 http://www.sinopenn.com/?p=413#comment-107 No, *I* was the one who said "thank you for your kind assistance" (rubbing it in some more...). Today I had another "fun day with bureaucrats"(tm) over at the housing department place for Putuo District. Did someone say there was a recession on? Hell, no from the state of chaos that reigned over there. Worse than a train station at new year i tells ya, although I did end up with a nice fat check at the end of it. I was very zen throughout the process, what with being prepared and all. Ignoring what we were told, we brought anything and everything that might possibly in some miniscule way be remotely relevant, plus multiple photocopies of ID etc. Sure fooled them, when they thought they had us on the - oh, but you didn't forget to bring your aunts grandmothers, twin sisters friends neighbours birth certificate did you? and we pull out 3 copies stamped in triplicate. Now I have to do it all over again next week in a different district. Yay! (or not). No, *I* was the one who said “thank you for your kind assistance” (rubbing it in some more…).

Today I had another “fun day with bureaucrats”(tm) over at the housing department place for Putuo District.

Did someone say there was a recession on? Hell, no from the state of chaos that reigned over there. Worse than a train station at new year i tells ya, although I did end up with a nice fat check at the end of it.

I was very zen throughout the process, what with being prepared and all.

Ignoring what we were told, we brought anything and everything that might possibly in some miniscule way be remotely relevant, plus multiple photocopies of ID etc.

Sure fooled them, when they thought they had us on the – oh, but you didn’t forget to bring your aunts grandmothers, twin sisters friends neighbours birth certificate did you? and we pull out 3 copies stamped in triplicate.

Now I have to do it all over again next week in a different district. Yay! (or not).

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