The Way It Works Around Here

It looks like any other big city; the tall buildings, the traffic and the bazillion people on the street. Entry into the Beijing community in the People's Republic of China is far more tricky than one might think, particularly if one plans to work here for several years. 

Once you are in your apartment, you must register with the police within 48 hours.  This is not the police station across the street, this is the one in your district—which could be miles away in some little neighborhood. This is why our housing agent, Peter, is our best resource for help. He arranged the paperwork with the landlord, gathered us and our passports as we taxied to the police. One hour later, we were officially registered. We will need to re-register every time we travel outside of China, so it is important that we remember how to get there. (We don't.) 

After the police registration, our school arranged for our Required Foreigners Medical Exam. All the new teachers were taken in a bus (with our school doctor) to the medical facility. This is a very efficient process. We were told to fast the night before. Upon arrival, we filled out paperwork, approached the counter with our passports and paperwork and received another piece of paperwork with six spots on it. It was now time for us to rotate rooms to complete the exam.  Room 1 - sonogram, Room 2 - X-ray, Room 3 - vision check, Room 4 - blood pressure, Room 5 - electrocardiogram (something with electrodes?), Room 6 - Blood test. I was wondering at many points about the safety issues of the various devices, but, "when in Rome ..." (or China).  

Next: "the Fapio." I cannot say I actually understand this, but it has something to do with Chinese taxation. When we shop or take a taxi, we are supposed to make sure to ask for a Fapio. We were told this makes sure that the business actually is paying for the taxes—it holds them accountable. However, to the lay person, it is a very odd process. For example, when we were at Ikea, we purchased our items at the register, and then had to go to another line to get the "Fapio." We did it because our school requires receipts for some of our initial expenses, but really—this seems like additional step that we don't want to participate in if not needed. 

On a final note for this entry—DRIVING. No one believes in stopping at intersections here. They just fly into them and then look around. Bikes, cars, motorcycles, electric bikes, scooters all compete for their space on the road. And pedestrians beware: they will NOT stop for you.