A sleepless day continued'¦

Well albeit being knackered the ID card issue seemed solvable and looked promising that I would be given indefinite right to stay in Hong Kong within a couple of hours, BUT a queue with 300 or so people had spiralled all the way through the waiting hall. I was fortunate enough after waking up at the unforgivable hour of 6 in the morning to travel all the way to Fan Look (a town adjacent to the truly massive shopping/business district of Shatin). I was waiting in this hall (the immigration office being on the third floor of a shopping plaza; the Chinese are shopping obsessed) for about 2 and a half hours and amidst this down time were pleas from this elderly man to jump position in the queue. He was making such a commotion, jibing at the Chinese government etc that he was politely told to buzz off with no chance to apply for immigration services for that day- poor bugger!

Well I looked completely bored out of my head and my mum didn't look so pleased either. We managed to enter the immigration office and I was told by the official to return in 4 hours to be interrogated by a customs and immigration officer- fun, not really! This queuing fiasco did transpire to be not a complete shambles, because my mum met a London Friend by accident that needed to get the same pass for her son, Han. I met Han in Hong Kong 10 years prior and he looked taller (bearing in mind I'm only 5 foot four) and quiet in his demeanour, than the last time I saw him on a 2 week holiday in the capital.

I ate a meal costing a measly 1 pound 50 at a restaurant called 'Fareway' and then trawled around in one of the many shopping malls with me, Han, my mum and her friend. I then had a delightful hour interview with the customs officer who enquired why I had not been visiting Hong Kong for over 7 years (being bloody poor, university and work doesn't help). A conversation ensued between my mum and this man about the technicalities of me not being termed a 'permanent' Hong Kong resident. Usually a foreign born Chinese person is required to visit Hong Kong once every three years to gain an amount of points on their immigration card. The more points or stars, the better! I used to have 3 points, which meant that I had the same rights as a national, but now it looks like that it will take longer to get my renewed pass with only 2 stars entitling me for indefinite stay and WITH limitations on my healthcare provision. I would need to stay in Hong Kong or Southern China for at least 2 years on a consistent basis to gain full rights.

The next blog will deal with my wandering around my village with my dad and visiting the family temples (2 of them) and then talking to some of the locals, of whom are related to me by a common ancestor (as well as sharing the same surname).

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