Visa

I have a visa! My passport just got back to me, finally, after a near 2-month absence*, and it has a beautiful Chinese visa sticker on page 14. It is neat and compact, unlike my paper-folded-over-many-times-and-stapled-in Japanese visa; intricately multicolored in shades of turquoise, green, orange, and peach; and has an engraving of part of the Great Wall on it. I'd take a picture to show people, but that's probably illegal, and besides which, it would have my passport number on it. If anyone wants to see it, they'll have to see me in person.

*No, this is not the length of time it takes to get a visa. This is just the length of time it took our entire group's worth of passports and visa applications to be gathered and organized and taken to Chicago. One person sent hers in separately and got it back in one day. Things will be more organized next year. It's a learning experience.