Needles and paperwork

Yep, that's right: needles and paperwork. That's all the "voorpret" I'm getting for my upcoming trip to Indonesia and China. (Voorpret, by the way, is a fantastic Dutch word that means something like "enjoying something before you actually get to do it" -- think of it like "foreshadowing" but then only for all the great things in your life. Gotta love that.) So anyway, instead of reading guidebooks and daydreaming about which temples I'm going to visit or which dumplings I'm going to order, I've been spending my time at the GGD (the Dutch version of the CDC) getting multiple shots and at the Chinese embassy in Den Haag, applying for our visas.

The GGD was a hilarious 3-hour process that ended with Jacco and I each getting 3 shots, against 5 illnesses in a grand total of about 7 seconds. There's definitely a bad ratio there of our time spent vs. their time spent.

And the Chinese embassy? A huge disappointment, I must say. I had steeled myself for all kinds of bureaucracy. I had images of stern Chinese men telling me I had done it all wrong and would have to come back tomorrow with the right paperwork. I had prepared for the fact that I would likely be sent from room to room without a clear reason as to why, wait in goal-unspecific lines for hours and would eventually be sent home with my tail between my legs. That's what I've been brought up to believe. What a shame to be helped by a young Chinese hipster who was fluent in English, Dutch and god knows what else, and who handled my request in all of about 30 seconds. Where is the old China, anyway?

More as we get closer to the trip.

In the meantime, anyone with must-see, must-do, must-avoid tips for Bali, Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, or Hong Kong, please send them on through!