You mean I have to STAY at this luxury resort hotel...

So I'm here in China on a 30 day visa. This trip was supposed to be like 2-3 weeks. Now it looks like Billy will be here well into January. Which means:

1. I might get to spend more holidays here in China. No complaints from me. This hotel is awesome.


2. My visa will expire, and an extension will probably only get me another 30 days. The fact that even that may not be long enough is a bridge I'll cross when I get there.


3. We would probably go directly from China to Brazil for the next job. But Brazil requires an entirely different wardrobe. Clothes which are in my house in NY.

Looks like I'll be buying what I need and seeing if I can get some things (like more contact lenses) shipped. The flights Brazil would be paid for by the company, but a trip home just to change out our stuff almost certainly would not. The cheapest possible flight home from here to Albany is about $1300. We can buy or ship everything we'd need for a whole lot less than that. And I know I shouldn't be complaining about getting to go for a shopping spree. But it still seems somehow wrong.

Oh, and did I mention our hotel is around the corner from the US consulate? And they have a church there? It's totally surreal to see a Church of Christ plopped down in the middle of a Chinese city. Of course, all the tourist shops on this street sell Chrismas ornaments (including crosses) and these cool 3-D carvings of the last supper. I promise to grab some pics another day. Maybe I'll flash my passport at the Chinese guards and go through the barricade for a peek inside.