The Z-Visa - 1

Pusher and I went to the health inspection at SITHC way out west in preparation for getting our Z-visas. My last entry is in May, so hopefully I can get my Z-visa stuff sorted by then. I just need to get my diploma, which my university has never officially issued me. I know they accept scanned copies. Although I would prefer for the Big Office to cover it now, they will refund me after being with the Company for 1 year. Yay. That thing cost a grip: 700RMB.

The health check was amusing and incredibly bureaucratic. You can tell because you have to go from desk to desk at reception to get started and all this paperwork to fill out before the fun stuff begins. "What is your occupation?" Um...Editor. Done.

I was getting dizzy because we were told not to eat anything that day and as I kind of forgot to eat dinner the night before, I was rewarded with a stinging hunger headache. They hand you a form with all your info and shove you into a changing room so you strip from the top up and put on a hospital robe and shower caps for your shoes. Pusher heard, "Take everything off except your pants," and being from England, he stripped down to his undies and shocked the Chinese attendance. After, you are taken from room to room as they check off the various items on the back of the form like x-ray, ultrasound, blood sample, gynecology (didn't have to do that), and some other random things. They spent a lot of time in ultrasound checking out the contents of my stomach to find out if anything was inside. They also put all these suction cups on me chest, arms, and legs to check my circulation or something. I saw my paper and it looked flat-line compared to the others in the waiting area. Great. I am young, but almost dead compared to the group of unhealthy white males I was surrounded by.

Shochu already got her Z-visa and One-Man Team effed his up so much he unintentionally spent an extraordinate amount of money to actually get the residency permit in his passport. I'll have to keep that in mind because my pay is already local, though not so "local" I am on 2500RMB per month. But it is close.

If all is well, my health certificate will arrive at my office.