This blog has been far too PC so far, so this entry will begin with an offcolor reference - getting a Chinese Visa feels a little bit like a Chinese fire drill! Actually, that's not true at all - I just thought it was an interesting Wikipedia entry. Although the Chinese consulate managed to spell my name wrong on the Visa, I was otherwise rather impressed by their efficiency, professionalism, and ability to win a staring contest. It was actually I who was running back and forth and getting little accomplished.
But I've gotten ahead of myself, let's backup...how does one go about getting a Chinese Work Visa (aka a "Z" visa)?
Step 1, like most visas is to find someone to sponsor you. In our case, this was the university that hired us. But just because you sign the contract doesn't mean you can run off to the nearest consulate. You need to have your papers. In the case of Liaoning province, where Dalian Maritime University is located, we needed two things - a local work permit from the provincial government, and a Foreign Expert Certificate from the central government in Beijing. Your Foreign Affairs Officer at the relevant institution is responsible for acquiring these things after you provide them with your passport information and proof of your credentials. Credentials in my case was a Software Engineering degree that allows me to teach English. Go Figure.
Step 2 involves biting your fingernails and anxiously wishing, waiting, hoping, and praying that the FAO actually follows through your request and that said request does not get lost in the mazes of Chinese bureaucracy. For us, we submitted our information to the FAO on June 20, 2006 and received a fax of our papers on July 20, 2006. All the while we were waiting to book our flights.
Step 3, you have to go to your nearest Chinese consulate IN PERSON - or pay a Visa agent to go on your behalf. Yes, for all your Idahoans out here this means you have to make your way to the Washington DC consulate. In my case I ran over to the New York Consulate which is on 42nd street and 12th avenue, right near the harbor. With my Visa applications filled out, our passports and papers from the FAO in hand I figured nothing could go wrong. And it was pretty painless overall. You take a number when you get in and go up to the deli, er visa counter when your number is displayed. My conversation with the sullen gentlemen behind window number 4 seemed to consist of grunts but he seemed to understand I wanted a work visa. He was rather upset I had faxed copies rather than originals, but relented when I made a copy of my work permit for 25 cents. That afternoon around 2PM, I returned (yes I splurged for same day service!) and picked up our passports. All was well...
Or so I thought!
It turns out that they spelled my name wrong in my Visa. They typed a M as a H. I was horrified given that I invested half my day riding the M42 bus from Lexington Ave to 12th Ave and enduring the silent rage of disgruntled bureaucrats. So I returned a few days later to get it fixed. The helpful but not particularly glib gentleman behind the information window informed that "it no matter". A few google searches also confirmed that Chinese customs officers don't actually care about the Western characters on the Visa - imagine that! Well whatever - it could say Jackie Chan for all I care, we just need to get into the country.
And that is my visa adventure.
Word to the wary - although the procedure for me required a certain set of papers and procedures you cannot count on it being the same. Different provinces have different rules and it changes regularly. Your mileage may vary!
CHINESE CONSULATE INFORMATION
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Monday, July 10, 2006
The International Health Insurance Dilemma
Going to China is a very exciting venture and 9/10 of the planning is pure pleasure. Should we go to Tibet or Shanghai during our holidays? How do I figure out the bus route map? How do I pronounce Carrefour? (a French grocery store with a presence in Dalian). The remaining 1/10 consists of what-if scenarios - what happens when I break my leg in Dalian? Do I want Chinese doctors working on me? Will they be able to speak English? Who is going to pay for it? What if I have an accident in the countryside far from any decent hospital? Yes, if you're going overseas it is important buy good international health insurance - if you can find some that won't break the bank.
During my investigation of overseas medical, I've found that the international medical plans that are available fall into 3 general categories.
1) Short term travel insurance that includes medical coverage
2) Full international medical with overseas (non-US/Canada) coverage only
3) Full international medical including US/Canada
You typically can't get 1) if you're going an extended trip (greater than 6 months). The payouts as well are limited (max of $1,000,000 medical on the most generous plans with $50,000-100,000 being more typical). These plans seem to be more geared towards short-term travellers who have full health coverage in their home country and want a little extra comfort that they are covered. For example, a US health plan is not going to pay for emergency medical evacuation from China to the US for critical surgery. Travel insurance will cover this however, typically up to $100,000. The plan premium in this category ranges of course but tends to be $300-800 for a year. Nonethless 1) is not for us given the year-long nature of our trip.
For 2), you can get some pretty good coverage and the companies claim they have put together an international provider network to find doctors that speak English and meet certain minimum criteria. The best example of this plan is the Global Citizen EXP plan offered by HTH Worldwide. This plan is underwritten by Unicare, which seems to be the only US based insurance company that offers these types of plans. Aetna has their Global Benefits plan but they only offer it as a group rates to corporations. All the other companies out there appear to be offshore. The biggest one seems to be Multi-National Underwriters. Their plans don't seem too bad and the premiums are actually reasonable (around $1800 for my wife and I with a $2500 deductible). The problem is that they aren't regulated by any US body. So while their underwriter, Lloyd's is a reputable global insurance market, it makes me a little too nervous to get a MNUI plan given I can't even sue (they are an insurance broker, not provider in the US so they can't be sued). Of course the issue with 2) is that it's only overseas. So all the treatment would have to be in China. This makes the plan significantly cheaper but I am not getting the warmest of fuzzies from being stuck in a Chinese hospital and unable to go home because I have no insurance there.
So we fit into category 3). We need a plan that covers us in the US and abroad. Unfortunately, the Global Citizen plan which has the best looking cover from HTH Worldwide/Unicare is prohibitively expensive. For $3500, my wife and I can get 12 months of coverage with a $2500 deductible overseas and a $5000 deductible back home. We may have to bite the bullet but that's a lot of dough. Fortunately our school will provide up to 10,000 RMB in medical assistance while in China. That's not going to pay for chemo, but it should be sufficient for bumps and bruises.
Summary of companies providing various forms of international coverage:
HTH Worldwide / UniCare
Specialty Risk International
Multinational Underwriters / Lloyd's
International Medical Group / Sirius
TravelGuard International / AIG
During my investigation of overseas medical, I've found that the international medical plans that are available fall into 3 general categories.
1) Short term travel insurance that includes medical coverage
2) Full international medical with overseas (non-US/Canada) coverage only
3) Full international medical including US/Canada
You typically can't get 1) if you're going an extended trip (greater than 6 months). The payouts as well are limited (max of $1,000,000 medical on the most generous plans with $50,000-100,000 being more typical). These plans seem to be more geared towards short-term travellers who have full health coverage in their home country and want a little extra comfort that they are covered. For example, a US health plan is not going to pay for emergency medical evacuation from China to the US for critical surgery. Travel insurance will cover this however, typically up to $100,000. The plan premium in this category ranges of course but tends to be $300-800 for a year. Nonethless 1) is not for us given the year-long nature of our trip.
For 2), you can get some pretty good coverage and the companies claim they have put together an international provider network to find doctors that speak English and meet certain minimum criteria. The best example of this plan is the Global Citizen EXP plan offered by HTH Worldwide. This plan is underwritten by Unicare, which seems to be the only US based insurance company that offers these types of plans. Aetna has their Global Benefits plan but they only offer it as a group rates to corporations. All the other companies out there appear to be offshore. The biggest one seems to be Multi-National Underwriters. Their plans don't seem too bad and the premiums are actually reasonable (around $1800 for my wife and I with a $2500 deductible). The problem is that they aren't regulated by any US body. So while their underwriter, Lloyd's is a reputable global insurance market, it makes me a little too nervous to get a MNUI plan given I can't even sue (they are an insurance broker, not provider in the US so they can't be sued). Of course the issue with 2) is that it's only overseas. So all the treatment would have to be in China. This makes the plan significantly cheaper but I am not getting the warmest of fuzzies from being stuck in a Chinese hospital and unable to go home because I have no insurance there.
So we fit into category 3). We need a plan that covers us in the US and abroad. Unfortunately, the Global Citizen plan which has the best looking cover from HTH Worldwide/Unicare is prohibitively expensive. For $3500, my wife and I can get 12 months of coverage with a $2500 deductible overseas and a $5000 deductible back home. We may have to bite the bullet but that's a lot of dough. Fortunately our school will provide up to 10,000 RMB in medical assistance while in China. That's not going to pay for chemo, but it should be sufficient for bumps and bruises.
Summary of companies providing various forms of international coverage:
HTH Worldwide / UniCare
Specialty Risk International
Multinational Underwriters / Lloyd's
International Medical Group / Sirius
TravelGuard International / AIG
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Dalian
In my first post, I shared that C and I will be teaching English in Dalian, Liaoning Province, PRC. So where is Dalian? And why are we going there?
Dalian is located on a peninsula that juts into the Yellow Sea between the Korean peninsula and mainland China. It is China's northernmost ice-free port, which makes it a very strategic location. Of course, this is also why Japan invaded China through Dalian in the past, and why post World War 2 the Russians also held onto Dalian until the 1950s. Although tragic, these occupations give Dalian an interesting mix of Chinese, Japanese, and Russian architecture. In today's world Dalian is still a crossroads of these nations - but this time in terms of business and trade rather than conquest. In addition, Dalian is a huge import/export terminal for oil in China. And of course being a port city, it's not complete without a maritime university, which of course is where C and I will be teaching.
Dalian's place in the world can be seen here courtesy of Wikipedia:
Dalian is also known for its fashion festivals and as a regional hub for foreign banks. It's also becoming known as a major provider of software services in Southeast Asia as many different tech companies setup shop there. Probably having the Dalian University of Technology (one of the most presitigious schools in China) and the Neusoft Institute does not hurt in this regard.
To learn even more about Dalian, check out the Runsky news site. It reads like a Communist Party advertisement for Dalian but there's definitely some good information to be had.
So why Dalian? Let's review our criteria for a city in China.
1) The city must be in North/Northeast China so that the Mandarin Chinese spoken there has less of an accent. In case you weren't aware, there are many different dialects of Chinese in use in China. The Communist party has designated putonghua, or Mandarin as the official language which is taught in schools and used in government and business. Gao Shu and I wish we could learn it all but since we need to stick to one language, so Mandarin seems like the sensible choice. Point 1 rules out Shanghai and other southern cities.
2) The city must not be heavily polluted. The sad reality is that China has a very poor environmental record and many cities in China are covered in smog daily. Although we will travel through polluted areas, we preferred not to live in one. Dalian is blessed with strong ocean winds that carry the pollution away from the city. In addition it is the site of less heavy industry than some other cities in the Northeast (such as Beijing and Shenyang).
3) The city must be of a reasonable size (relative to China) and have a reasonable number of services available. Since we're so new to this China thing, just being anywhere in China is going to be challenge enough. To help us with the transition we wanted to live somewhere we can buy what we need (as we can't bring it all) and maybe see another Westerner or two once in a blue moon. Good thing they've got Walmart!
4) The city must not be unbearably cold. This rules out cities in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces - aka Chinese Siberia.
The only downside to Dalian I've read about so far is that it is missing some of the other ancient charms of China (e.g. the Great Wall, the Forbidden City). To me this is minor however as we primarily want to experience the people, the culture, and the language. Travel to tourist destinations will be easy enough during time off.
Dalian is located on a peninsula that juts into the Yellow Sea between the Korean peninsula and mainland China. It is China's northernmost ice-free port, which makes it a very strategic location. Of course, this is also why Japan invaded China through Dalian in the past, and why post World War 2 the Russians also held onto Dalian until the 1950s. Although tragic, these occupations give Dalian an interesting mix of Chinese, Japanese, and Russian architecture. In today's world Dalian is still a crossroads of these nations - but this time in terms of business and trade rather than conquest. In addition, Dalian is a huge import/export terminal for oil in China. And of course being a port city, it's not complete without a maritime university, which of course is where C and I will be teaching.
Dalian's place in the world can be seen here courtesy of Wikipedia:
Dalian is also known for its fashion festivals and as a regional hub for foreign banks. It's also becoming known as a major provider of software services in Southeast Asia as many different tech companies setup shop there. Probably having the Dalian University of Technology (one of the most presitigious schools in China) and the Neusoft Institute does not hurt in this regard.
To learn even more about Dalian, check out the Runsky news site. It reads like a Communist Party advertisement for Dalian but there's definitely some good information to be had.
So why Dalian? Let's review our criteria for a city in China.
1) The city must be in North/Northeast China so that the Mandarin Chinese spoken there has less of an accent. In case you weren't aware, there are many different dialects of Chinese in use in China. The Communist party has designated putonghua, or Mandarin as the official language which is taught in schools and used in government and business. Gao Shu and I wish we could learn it all but since we need to stick to one language, so Mandarin seems like the sensible choice. Point 1 rules out Shanghai and other southern cities.
2) The city must not be heavily polluted. The sad reality is that China has a very poor environmental record and many cities in China are covered in smog daily. Although we will travel through polluted areas, we preferred not to live in one. Dalian is blessed with strong ocean winds that carry the pollution away from the city. In addition it is the site of less heavy industry than some other cities in the Northeast (such as Beijing and Shenyang).
3) The city must be of a reasonable size (relative to China) and have a reasonable number of services available. Since we're so new to this China thing, just being anywhere in China is going to be challenge enough. To help us with the transition we wanted to live somewhere we can buy what we need (as we can't bring it all) and maybe see another Westerner or two once in a blue moon. Good thing they've got Walmart!
4) The city must not be unbearably cold. This rules out cities in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces - aka Chinese Siberia.
The only downside to Dalian I've read about so far is that it is missing some of the other ancient charms of China (e.g. the Great Wall, the Forbidden City). To me this is minor however as we primarily want to experience the people, the culture, and the language. Travel to tourist destinations will be easy enough during time off.
Monday, June 26, 2006
The beginning
Like the rest of the modern world, I have considered on many occasions writing a blog. Unfortunately, my 9-5 job never seemed to justify the existence of such a project. Nor have I had a strong inclination to write. In the working world, you get home, you're tired and it can be tough just to make dinner if you let yourself slip into that mode. An investment bank (where I've worked the past 2 years) does not lend itself to explosions of literary creativity.
But something interesting happened along the way to a plump 401k, a rich attorney wife, and a cushy VP job in a well respected corporation. Something that's actually worth writing about. You see, my wife C (LSAT genius that she is) was on her way to Duke Law School this fall. I, ever the "dutiful" husband was going to follow her down there and continue consulting at my current investment bank position for a rather generous hourly rate. Of course, it was actually me that was pushing to move south. My family hails from the south and I have been itching to get back. Something about experiencing my heritage. So I was pushing her to go to Duke, to give us an excuse to live there a for years - principally for the barbeque, partially for the southern accents, and finally for her to get a good education.
To be perfectly honest, it wasn't right. After we made the decision to go, every day seemed to make it more clear this wasn't what we should do. Oh, she was going to go through with it but it wasn't what she wanted. I kept assuring myself that she would come around and see what a tremendous opportunity it was to munch on pulled pork while camping out in Krzyzewskiville and studying Civil Procedure. Surprisingly, I was the one who pulled the plug. In addition to our general struggles on figuring out what law school C should go to, I have struggled with the wanderlust that seems to mark reasonably well off 20-somethings who are lucky enough to afford the notion. Although potentially lucrative, my position doesn't hold much for the soul. My coworkers are great and I work reasonable hours but I feel like I've become an adult too quickly. Combine that with a lack of obligations other than a stupid car lease - no kids, no mortgage, no sick parents and there is nothing stopping us from getting up and...moving...to...China.
C has wanted to teach English in China for several years now. I flat out said no. The idea of living, let alone working China was anathema to me. But love has a way of changing your mind. As does faith. One day, about a month ago, I came home from work after a particularly disenchanting day and I said "Let's go to China". I've seen how I will be spending the rest of my life. Doing work I don't love to pay off things I don't need and having a comfortable life to show for it. Well, I can't deny I want to be comfortable when I'm 65 but taking one year off isn't going to ruin my career. It was C's dream she thought would never be realized due to my stubborness and my conviction that dedicating every year of our lives to our careers was the right thing to do. But when you love someone and accept them and care about their deepest desires, it has a way of changing your heart radically. I can't explain how I went from sneering at her dream, to embracing it and making it my own, but it happened and I am grateful.
Life is full of energy again. I feel invigorated to get up everyday knowing the experiences we have ahead of us. To face this challenge with C at my side is wonderful.
And so on August 17, 2006, we will be flying to Dalian, Liaoning Province, People's Republic of China to begin a one year contract as oral english teachers at Dalian Maritime University. This blog will detail our experiences there. It will also feature opinions and thoughts on various topics that come up throughout the process.
But something interesting happened along the way to a plump 401k, a rich attorney wife, and a cushy VP job in a well respected corporation. Something that's actually worth writing about. You see, my wife C (LSAT genius that she is) was on her way to Duke Law School this fall. I, ever the "dutiful" husband was going to follow her down there and continue consulting at my current investment bank position for a rather generous hourly rate. Of course, it was actually me that was pushing to move south. My family hails from the south and I have been itching to get back. Something about experiencing my heritage. So I was pushing her to go to Duke, to give us an excuse to live there a for years - principally for the barbeque, partially for the southern accents, and finally for her to get a good education.
To be perfectly honest, it wasn't right. After we made the decision to go, every day seemed to make it more clear this wasn't what we should do. Oh, she was going to go through with it but it wasn't what she wanted. I kept assuring myself that she would come around and see what a tremendous opportunity it was to munch on pulled pork while camping out in Krzyzewskiville and studying Civil Procedure. Surprisingly, I was the one who pulled the plug. In addition to our general struggles on figuring out what law school C should go to, I have struggled with the wanderlust that seems to mark reasonably well off 20-somethings who are lucky enough to afford the notion. Although potentially lucrative, my position doesn't hold much for the soul. My coworkers are great and I work reasonable hours but I feel like I've become an adult too quickly. Combine that with a lack of obligations other than a stupid car lease - no kids, no mortgage, no sick parents and there is nothing stopping us from getting up and...moving...to...China.
C has wanted to teach English in China for several years now. I flat out said no. The idea of living, let alone working China was anathema to me. But love has a way of changing your mind. As does faith. One day, about a month ago, I came home from work after a particularly disenchanting day and I said "Let's go to China". I've seen how I will be spending the rest of my life. Doing work I don't love to pay off things I don't need and having a comfortable life to show for it. Well, I can't deny I want to be comfortable when I'm 65 but taking one year off isn't going to ruin my career. It was C's dream she thought would never be realized due to my stubborness and my conviction that dedicating every year of our lives to our careers was the right thing to do. But when you love someone and accept them and care about their deepest desires, it has a way of changing your heart radically. I can't explain how I went from sneering at her dream, to embracing it and making it my own, but it happened and I am grateful.
Life is full of energy again. I feel invigorated to get up everyday knowing the experiences we have ahead of us. To face this challenge with C at my side is wonderful.
And so on August 17, 2006, we will be flying to Dalian, Liaoning Province, People's Republic of China to begin a one year contract as oral english teachers at Dalian Maritime University. This blog will detail our experiences there. It will also feature opinions and thoughts on various topics that come up throughout the process.
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