Vancouver Confusion

So yesterday Jodene, Chelsie and I headed to Vancouver to visit the Chinese consulate general to get our visas (!) so we're 'allowed' to go to China, and to meet Curtis after he finished work for supper. So, here's the story of our day...

We had debated whether we should take the sky train in from Surrey or drive in. The address I had for the Chinese CG was on Granville Street, but a 14-block walk from the nearest sky train station. So we decided to drive. Using the trusty GPS, we parked on Granville Street, got out and paid for our 30 minutes. After paying, we walked up the street to the building I assumed would be the Chinese CG. Nope. It wasn't. So we continued walking. Turned out we had parked in the 3100 block of Granville Street, but the address was 3380. So, up a steep hill we went. Arrived at the correct address and read the sign. "Chinese Consulate General." Good. Why is the gate closed? Read the next sign. "For visa inquiries, please go to West Broadway..." Oh brother. So, back down the steep hill to the Envoy. Get back in, 20 minutes have passed. So much for our $1 for parking! ;) Plug in the address given on the sign, and it's several more blocks away. Very thankful to be driving and not walking in the rain, we head over to West Broadway. Again we park without trouble, pay for our 30 minutes and head inside. This time we're in the right place - surrounded by Chinese and feeling very pale. We were the only blonde people in the entire room - talk about sticking out! Jodene commented, "Maybe this is how Dave and Trichelle feel all the time!" The whole process was a little confusing - as we entered the room, a security guard gave me a number. They were serving number 68, I was 77. Okay. So we sat down to wait...and noticed a line of people being served as the numbers changed. Okay. So do I use my number or do I join the line? By this time, number 74 is being served. I head back to the security guard and ask her if I'm supposed to line up. She looks at my number and says, "oh yes, number seventy NINE is already lined up!" So I join the line, behind number 82. Whatever! THEN the security guard from the front of our line says to the guy at the front, "what number are you?" 76. "Who's number 77?" That would be me. My reserved spot at the front of the line awaited :). Then I got to the wicket. Again a few discrepancies from the website of info on how to get a Chinese visa to the actual getting. The website: cash, money order or certified cheque only. The CCG: no cash. Money order or debit only. Good thing I took out a bunch of cash for this! After giving the last info required (apparently they need to know we're INVITED to China ;)), I asked how long it takes to receive the visas. "Oh, you have to come back Monday for them." Come back?! Seriously?! Yes. "You don't have a mailing option." "No, we don't do mail." Great. So guess what I'm doing Monday?! Maybe the whole 'send it with a designated visa courier' would have been worth it after all. Anyway, that was the CCG.

From there, Jodene and I spent hours wandering around in Metrotown and enjoying watching people. We didn't buy much but it was still fun. At 3:30 we headed on the skytrain from Metrotown to downtown again where we were to meet Curtis at his building after he finished work. Chelsie thought the sky train was pretty neat :) Look Mom, I'm holding on tight!

She had had a grand total of 10 minutes napping so far during the day, so we were thankful she was still so cheerful! She was very good. We got to Curtis' building around 4 and waited 1/2 hour for him to finish up his training. This is the landscaping (water falls) outside his building...and his building itself. He works on floors 14 and 13. The lobby had a waterfall in it - very neat.Chelsie was happy to see Uncle Curtis when he arrived. He took us out to the Keg for supper - a very nice time!
Chelsie enjoyed a lemon after her dinner...fun faces.
After dinner we all got back on the sky train. Curtis got off at Joyce Street to walk a few blocks home, and we got back in the Envoy at Metrotown for the drive home. After Curtis got off the sky train, Chelsie grabbed her teddy and was sleeping before we got off the train 2 stops later! Pretty funny. She slept the whole way home. We were thankful to get home just after 8:00 and all 3 of us went to bed pretty quickly - it had been a long day!