Visa

I got my Chinese visa! Woohoo. It did take 130 dollars, 4 hours, 2 subway rides, and whole heck of a lot of cajoling but I got it.

The consulate was in a strange part of town - 42nd St at the West Side Highway - not the usual UES haunts, and over 4 avenues from a metro stop. When I got there, there was the usual security screening and a deli-style number dispensing machine. The waiting room was super packed by 9:45AM, only 45 minutes after opening. About half of the visa-hopefuls appeared to be of Chinese descent, with the rest a hodge podge of students and visa courriers.