Friday Flim-Flam

The Wife and Child are away...

....so I am watching Oklahoma! on DVD.  If my memory serves me correct, my parents had the soundtrack album, for this 1955 musical, way back in the 1970s.  Or was it The King and I?

 

Either way, I am sure most readers won't understand my desire to watch old Hollywood musicals.   I can say that hey come from a time and place that I am sure we can't go back to.  Also, the music and dancing is wonderful.  You can hear the lyrics, which are often very clever, and you can't help but want to sing and dance along. 

 

You need a spring in your step everyday I say.  Especially in any job where you do have to do some performing.

 

Jenny and Tony will be back in Wuxi Friday afternoon.  They went to Beixing for a day.

 

Visa Application Confusion

It started when I went to a website to find out when we could go to the Visa Centre in Shanghai to drop off Jenny's application.  Our plan is to go next Wednesday.  Looking at one site, I read this:

 

Office Hours:	Monday: 08:00 – 17:00 Tuesday: 08:00 – 17:00 Wednesday: 08:00 – 17:00 Thursday: 08:00 – 17:00 Friday: 08:00 – 13:30 Comments: Open to public Monday to Thursday from 10:45 to 11:45 to submit in-person applications only; 15:00 to 16:00 for in-person document pick-up only.

 

Notice the part, I have put in bold letters.  That confused the hell out of me.  I thought it meant the place was only open for an hour a day.  I sent an email to the Visa office to confirm this. (They were fast -- I will give them credit).

Within the text of the email I read this:

 

Effective August 7, 2008, you are required to book an appointment to submit in-person applications for Temporary Resident Visa and Permanent Resident Travel Document...  Opening hours: Monday to Thursday from 10:45 AM to 11:45 AM. This counter exclusively provides an appointment booking service.  ... And you have to be there in person to make the appointment!

 

I got to make an appointment?  And what if I don't get an appointment for that day?  It would be a waste of time for me to go to Shanghai.   I had to send another email. 

 

They responded, again very quickly, and told me that no in-person appointments would be available till June 21st.  But continuing on, they said my wife could drop off her application at the Visa Application Centre.  What was the Visa Application Centre?

 

Anyway, visiting another site, I saw this:

 

The Canadian Visa Application Centre in Shanghai will be open Monday to Friday, from 0800 to 1500 hrs excluding Consulate holidays.

 

As far as I can make out, there are either one or two places in Shanghai you can make a visa application. 

 

And while I grant, I may be the confused one.  The two sites I have linked you to are contradictory.