Wow, have things changed! I remember when we got visas here in San Francisco years ago. I don't know about Archie, but I felt very uncomfortable. The wait was long and the clerk was quite rude.
Now there is a special new office at the Chinese Consulate on Geary for getting visas. It is clean and highly efficient. Operates like our driver's license office at home. You get a number and can immediately fill out a form. The board lights up with your ticket number and the number of the window to go to. A pleasant female voice announces this information as well.
There is even a station for having passport photos made on the spot!
We were in and out in less than a half hour.
We will pick up our visas in four business days. For additional fees you can get one in two days or even one day.
About half the people there were Westerners who seemed to be going as tourists. The Chinese are not slow studies. Having the Olympics has definitely made them a top tourism destination and they have the visa process under control.
FRIENDLY REMINDER: CHECK THE EXPIRATION DATE ON YOUR PASSPORT! I didn't until about a month ago. We went to teach in Qingdao ten years ago. Archie has been back to China, but I have not. My passport was expiring so had to pay extra to expedite the process.
Grace
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