Today I went to the Chinese Consulate to pickup our Visas. I had dropped off our Passports last week and we now have them back – Visas installed. The Consulate is on Geary Street near Japantown and the Visa office is jumping. But everything went very quickly and I was in and out in about 20 minutes and $260 lighter.

The visit to the Consulate was a little strange because there are protesters out in front being watched by a pair of menacing foo dogs – a reminder that China is not your run of the mill liberal democracy.