China Visa with less than 6 months on ARC

I recently went through the process of getting a visa for my upcoming trip to China. When we went to Vietnam I needed one as well and all it involved was filling out a form at the embassy in Seoul and coming back the following week to pick up my passport. Easy peasy.

China though? Not so much. If you're a foreigner living in Korea (specifically a US American since that's what I am in case some of this info may not apply to foreigners of other countries) and you want to take a trip to China, the visa process involves just a bit more work. You can no longer apply for a visa directly at the Chinese embassy so you need to find a travel agency to take care of it for you.

And if you're like me and you have an ARC (Alien Registration Card) that is expiring within the six month period from when you are applying for a visa, you will hear that the Chinese embassy in Seoul no longer grants visas in those cases. So you have to get some extra paper work and send your documents down to a travel agency in Busan where the Chinese embassy there will give you a visa. Still with me?

Once all was said and done, the process wasn't that much more difficult but I think I was just so worried that they wouldn't grant me a visa that I worked myself into a tizzy. This post will probably be way too late to help anyone hoping to head out to China for Chuseok but for future reference I thought I'd compile the steps you need to take if you want a visa for China with less than six months left on your ARC.

Step 1
If your ARC has less than six months on it then you need to get yourself to your local immigration office and pick up a Certificate of Foreign Registration (I have heard you can also get one of these at your city hall or district office but I can't confirm this). Bring your passport, ARC, and a stamp (I bought one at the office) into the immigration office and request this form. It takes less than five minutes and you leave with a sheet of paper that basically just re-states all the information from your ARC and passport but with a fancy stamp on top of it.

If you're in Incheon then the immigration office is located right behind Inha University Hospital. I took a cab and told the driver "Incheon chu-rip-kuk" or "Incheon immigration". I think I also threw in "Sa-mu-shil" or "office" for good measure but kept butchering it and he finally just said in plain English "Office?". Somehow even when I attempt to speak Korean I sound like an idiot...

Step 2
Find a travel agency to send your stuff to. I highly recommend Kangsan Travel as I had a very positive experience with them. They have an office in Seoul as well as one in Busan. I was super paranoid about mailing off my documents, particularly my passport, and having them get lost or be returned with a fat rejection stamp on top. So I emailed them beforehand just to confirm that they definitely would be able to get me a visa with my soon-to-be expired ARC and they assured me it would be fine.

Step 3
Fill out your visa application. You can find the applications through Kangsan Travel here. The first PDF is the main application form and the second is an extra form to fill out if you're applying for the visa in a country other than your country of nationality. So basically all foreigners in Korea need to send that one as well.

Step 4
Gather up your documents. What you'll be sending:
- Passport
- Copy of your ARC, front and back
- A 3cm x 4cm passport photo
- Application forms
- Certificate of Foreign Registration

If you don't have passport sized photos you can either get them taken in a subway station at one of those little photo booths or at a photography shop. Just look for a shop window full of family portraits, walk in, and tell them what you want. I needed one for Vietnam too so I had plenty of extras.

Step 5
Mail your documents off! I just brought everything into the post office, told them I wanted to send something express to Busan, and the worker helped me fill out the address in Korean. You can find the address at the page I linked above.

Step 6
Pay the visa and handling fee. For most foreigners the fee is 70,000 won but for Americans it's 220,000. Gross. On top of that I also paid 30,000 handling to Kangsan. You can pay by wire transfer at your bank which is super easy and safe. The account name and number details can also be found on the applications page linked above. I emailed Kangsan to let them know I'd transferred the money and I also sent them the address to mail my passport back to. 

I'd sent my things off on a Tuesday and by the Friday of the following week my passport was back with a brand new visa inside. I've heard various things about the Chinese embassy in Busan possibly changing to the no-visa-for-an-ARC-with-less-than-six-months like Seoul but at least for the time being you can get one if you follow these steps and go through Kangsan Travel. I'm sure there are other agencies you can use as well, I just know I had success with this one.

Happy travels!

Trivia of the Day: Caribbean Bay is an indoor / outdoor water park located in Yongin, South Korea. Opened in 1996, it is the largest indoor / outdoor water park in the world. The Caribbean Bay park reproduces a typical bay in the Caribbean Sea. The park includes a wave pool, the world's longest lazy river ride, a sandy pool, a wading pool for young children, various water slides, and a salt sauna. The children pool also has a baby pool which is very shallow for adults but perfect for babies. Caribbean Bay has received "Must-see Waterpark Awards" from International Association of Amusement Park Attractions.

Non-adventurey

I realized that most of my posts on here are basically just a round-up of pictures and stories from things I did over the weekend. Saw a temple here, went to a museum there, got stared down on the train by a two-year-old boy who was also pointing his plastic cross-bow at my face and alternating arms so I wouldn't think I was safe, etc. You know, that sort of thing. Though I enjoy sharing the more interesting ways that I spend my time, it probably doesn't really paint an accurate picture of my life here.

Most nights, like tonight, I get back from work, put on my pjs, eat dinner, and just hang out for a few hours. When I wake up in the morning it's lather, rinse, repeat, except with putting on clothes for work and having lunch. Sure, there are nights when I get dinner with coworkers or we go out for drinks and there are mornings when I'm much more productive, hitting up Costco for deli turkey and provolone cheese (oh my god I miss deli meats and good cheese so much) or hiking the mountain or going shopping somewhere. But even on those days it's a pretty regular routine. Yeah I'm in Korea but I'm probably doing the same sorts of the things someone would be doing at home- just living their life. That's not to say I'm not loving it here and having a ball, just that I don't usually write about my regular routine and what's happening in the day-to-day.

I'm just a day or two shy of my 6-months-in-Korea mark. It's pretty amazing to me, how the time has gone. And I'm feeling pretty proud of myself for having made it this far. I didn't really think I would ever be the type to cut and run but you never know until you're knee deep in it, right? Half-way through though and I'm feeling good.

So we're in the middle of week 12 at work right now. Next week is our last of the term and once again there are some kids I'll be sad to see move on to other teachers and some kids who I will be soundly shoving out the door. Like the kid who sleeps during class and is all attitude when he's awake or the one who signs his vocab tests "God of Brian" instead of just Brian. He's so weird. I'll miss my angel class though with my student who loves Friends and writes her homework sentences about "Rachel" and "Chandler" and my elementary Memory class with the kid who had the biggest smile on his face when I told him his word for Pictionary was "Voldemort".

Next week then means summer term schedules come out and I can't wait to see what I'm teaching. I had to observe one of the higher level classes recently (well, one class above the highest level I teach now) so I'm expecting that's either because I'll be teaching something higher next term or in the future. That's a good sign as far as how I'm performing at work goes but mostly I just want to know when my two breaks off during the week will be! Girl has her priorities.

Just this past weekend my boyfriend booked his flight to Korea and will be coming in late June to stay for a month! To say I'm excited would be an understatement. I have a week off from work at the end of June so we're going to Vietnam. We finally decided this morning after bouncing between a couple different countries and as the planning process begins I'm getting pretty excited for it. I spent this evening searching for flights and hostels and trains and things to do and think it will shape up to be a great trip.

This morning I finally got around to setting up wire transfers at my bank so I can send money home. I probably should have taken care of it a while ago but it hasn't really been necessary yet. I've decided to go ahead and purchase a DSLR though, not in small part because my point-in-shoot is essentially dead, and want to order it from home through my account in the US. Anyway, the whole process at the bank was pretty easy. I went in with all my bank info- account and routing numbers, address, etc. and the teller spoke enough English (plus the form was in Korean/English) for me to explain what I wanted to do. Now, each time I want to send money home I can take care of it from an ATM which is nice and convenient. Okay so that isn't particular exciting news to anyone except me but I'm still new enough to managing real grownup-y type things in a foreign country that I feel good after taking care of something like this.

In an attempt to get myself on a better sleep schedule and be awake early enough to chat with my 5am riser back home before he's in bed, I've instituted an "Up before 11" rule for myself each morning. That probably sounds pitiful to most but for us night owls hitting the hay at 4 or 5, 11am is still prime sleep time. So far I'm adhering to it and was actually awake by 9:45 this morning. Incoherent, groggy, and not sure why the guy who drives a truck with speakers blaring "Would you like to buy some lovely bananas?" wasn't driving down my street waking me up like always yet until I remembered he shows up around noon... but still, I was awake. This will take some getting used to.

Trivia of the Day;  Thundersticks, sometimes known as cheerstix, bangers or bambams, are long, narrow plastic balloons that are used as promotional noise makers. The noise is created when two thundersticks are struck together. They are most often used at sporting events, political rallies and concerts. Thundersticks were first created in the Republic of Korea, and thundersticks gained popularity in the United States when used by fans of the Anaheim Angels during the 2002 World Series. Today thundersticks are used by fans of many sports teams in order to show their support.

Haha this trivia is for you Mom, since I know how much you hate Thundersticks and mentioned their use at the Wyverns game you saw here. At least you can now say you experienced Thundersticks in their original habitat!

Baby, it's COLD outside

Though technically it's still Fall until next week, if the weather is any indication then it's safe to say Winter is in full swing here in Korea. It was freeeeezing on Wednesday. When I left work at 7:30pm the temp was down in the teens and the wind chill made it feel even colder. It looks like it's supposed to bounce back into the 30's and 40's which would be nice because I'd like to be out and about this weekend.

Despite wanting to stay bundled up inside watching Christmas specials all day, it's been a pretty productive week. I now have my Alien Registration Card (I filled out the application and the school took care of the rest) and a bank account with a nice chunk of change in it because Friday was payday, holla! After helping the other new teacher and I set up our accounts at the bank, Kevin, who works in the office at school, also helped me get a cell phone at one of the SK Telecom cell phone stores that pepper every street in Korea. The phone we picked out was the one that I could get for free and the plan gives me something like a hundred texts a month for the next two months at which point I can change it if I want. It's nice having a way to easily get in touch with people again, I was feeling pretty weird without a phone.

Also I have legit internet now which is a beautiful, beautiful thing. I've been snagging wi-fi from surrounding areas since I moved in and for the most part it's worked fine but the connection has been slow and the quality of Skype calls less than stellar. I paid my first utilities bill as well which was not such a beautiful thing, but now I know where and how to take care of that each month so I feel more comfortable about the whole living-on-my-own thing. I've never lived in an apartment before, let alone by myself, so a lot of this is brand new to me.

Work itself has been fairly good this week. This is my homeroom by the way:

It's pretty barren because they just cleaned out all the old books leftover from the previous teacher but I'll add a few things eventually. I don't actually teach in here because our classes are in all different rooms but it's where I prep all my materials and everything before classes start. It's a bummer not having a window but at this time of year probably more like a blessing because most of the windows leak air anyway.

My first class of the day yesterday was a group of elementary kids, 4th-6th graders, that I see twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They're good kids but it can be a potentially awful class if the boys are acting up. Today they were fine though. The story we were reading involved someone stealing something to sell for money. Whenever we're talking about prizes or money I always like to ask them what they would want for a prize or what they would buy with the money. Class can be kind of boring but they get all excited to start yelling out the crazy things they'd buy so it breaks things up a bit and wakes them up. Here's an excerpt from our class discussion:

Me: So what would you buy with all that money?
Kevin: An island!
John: A house!
Alex: Harry Potter's house!
Me: What, the one he lived in with the Durselys?
Kelly: The USA!
Me: I don't think it's for sale. 
Alex: I would buy Hogwarts.
Me: I would buy that too. What other things would you get?
Alex: I like Ron Weasley.
Kelly: The Earth!
Me: Okay so Kelly wants to take over the world, what else?
Alex: You know what a firebolt is?
Me: It's a broom.
Tom: Neptune!
Alex: I like Sirius Black.
Jennifer: Space!
Alex: I would buy Voldemort.
Me: You can't just buyVoldemort.
Lily: I would buy Dumbledore, he's nicer.
Me: Okay we seriously need to get back on topic...

They can give me a run for my money when they're acting out but times like these when they are saying adorable things that make no sense remind me why I'm here doing this.

And just a note on their names since perhaps you're wondering why my class of Korean students is filled with Toms and Johns and Jennifers. The majority of the kids when they start at CDI choose an English nickname to go by in the classroom. It's basically like Spanish class in junior high when you can pick a Spanish name for yourself. They aren't required to do so and I have a few kids who I just call by their given names. When new students come in during the term you can pick a name for them or have the class brainstorm to come up with something. I've had three new students so far and none of them wanted a nickname. That's totally cool with me however I was a little bummed that I didn't get the chance to make suggestions. I was hoping to nudge a few kids into going by the everyday names of superheroes. In one class two boys just started and sit right next to each other and if I could have gotten one to go by "Bruce" and the other "Wayne", well, it would have made me happy during roll call every class.

It's finally Friday and it's snowy and wet today and tonight after I'm out at 10:30 I'm going to see The Deathly Hallows again with a bunch of people from work. A nice end to the week and good start to the weekend I think.

Movie Trivia of the Day: The Host: The event described in the beginning of the film is based on an actual event. In February 2000 at a US military facility located in the center of Seoul, a US military civilian employee named Mr. McFarland was ordered to dispose of formaldehyde by dumping it into the sewer system that led to the Han River, despite the objection of a South Korean subordinate. The government attempted to prosecute Mr. McFarland in court, but the US military refused to hand over the custody of Mr. McFarland to the South Korean legal system. Later, a South Korean judge convicted Mr. McFarland in absentia. The Public was enraged at the government's inability to enforce its law on its own soil. In 2005, nearly five years after the original incident, Mr. McFarland was finally found guilty in a court in his presence. However, he never served the actual prison sentence, and there have been no sightings of a mutant creature in the Han River - yet.

Of tedious details and aeroplanes

So it's been a pretty productive week in terms of getting my actual travel plans off the ground.

Last week I headed into Newton to apply for a work visa at the Korean Consulate. The whole process was pretty simple, especially since my recruiter at Aclipse told me exactly what I needed to bring: completed visa application form, passport sized pic, passport, sealed university transcript, the actual visa code issued by Korean immigration, and the visa fee ($45 which covers for a multiple entry visa and is something you want to have in case you plan to travel outside the country during your stay). I'm not sure if the requirements are the same country-wide but I imagine this is about what most consulates or embassies in the US would be looking for.

My appointment was for 2:00pm and I was told to arrive 15 minutes early to fill out some paperwork. Basically it was the same health forms I'd submitted with my Chungdahm application so nothing new there. Then I had a hasty interview about my intentions for going to Korea, my experience working with kids, what I did in college, etc. I swear it lasted less than 5 minutes and as soon as the woman finished asking me one question she was already looking back down at her paper to shoot me the next one. So that was a breeze.

The only snag was with my college transcript because apparently I'd requested it from the school before they'd actually updated the system to say that yes, I did in fact graduate, so the transcript didn't reflect this. Luckily they just said for me to bring a new one when I came to pick the visa up and honestly when I did they didn't even check it to make sure so it was kind of a moot point.

So long story short I now have my visa and as soon as I got back home with it I went about getting my flight booked to Seoul. Like I said, I'm not a very experienced flier/traveler so I went through the travel agency that Aclipse recommended. The agent I talked to was really helpful and found me a wicked sweet deal in no time flat so now I'm booked to head out of Boston in the early am on Friday November 19th! I connect in San Francisco and then arrive in Seoul Saturday evening.

I kind of can't believe that after so many months of having it take forever, for various reasons, to gather the right paperwork and have everything be accepted without issue (just love Korean immigration for changing their requirements at the last second) that all of a sudden I have my visa and my flights are really booked. It's crazy.

So I'm feeling pretty good about where things stand right now. I expect once Monday rolls around and it's officially the month of my departure some of my composure might fly out the window though. Originally I'd requested to head out in September and though I knew that was tentative, I really had been hoping I'd be over there by now. But it's worked out for the best. Autumn is my favorite time of year and I think it's been good for me to spend the extra time at home once the craziness of summer wore off. It's given me a chance to really mentally and emotionally prepare for such a big transition and I now I don't feel as though I'm rushing off.

There's only three weekends left until I leave and I'm spending this one in Amherst, visiting my boyfriend and catching up with friends and all around just hoping to partake in some Halloween shenanigans. Or at the very least bum some Reese's Cups off someone. I'm not picky.

Movie Trivia of the Day: Oldboy:  Four live octopodes were eaten for the scene with Dae-su in the sushi bar, a scene which provoked some controversy abroad. Eating live octopus in Korea is commonplace although it is usually sliced first. When the film won the Grand Prix at Cannes, the director thanked the octopodes along with the cast and crew.

On my other blog I'm in the habit of snagging a random tidbit of movie trivia from IMDB to add to each of my posts and I thought I might do something similar here but with a focus on Korean trivia. Movies are a given but I'll also probably rotate through bits of history, literature, culture, and whatever else. Just things I come across that I think are interesting and worth sharing.

And who doesn't love fanciful factoids? You can use them at dinner parties to impress or, like the above, to gross out people you don't like who are turned off by seafood. Win win win.