Beijing 2008 

Ends justify means
Ends inherantly Chinese
Go away lao wai

I grew up in Hamilton, New Zealand, a community bearing the curse of an inland city of an island nation. Growing up, the city council adopted the marketing slogan “Hamilton, where its happenning” though later on, having realised that this actually wasn’t the case Hamiltonians sought a new catch phrase.

Finally the powers that be settled on the equally uncomplimentary “Hamilton, it’s not what you expect” Which came to mean waking up after a night out having been savagely beaten, arrested or infected with an STD. Though not long after proud hamiltonians decided it was time to take matters into their own hands.

Whilst the early front runner “Hamilton..what are you looking at!?” found it’s inevitable demise, on the rugged waikato streets a new identity was born and a slogan to match, one fitting of a community yet to realise its dreams.

Hamiltron, city of the future.

Which is why I was thrilled to find “The Trons” Hamiltons latest rock sensation.

(Hamilton is the sister city of Wuxi, a city just an hours drive from Suzhou, China where I currently live and work)

Today I completed my registration with the local PSB and it wasn’t as easy as I would have expected for a mandatory requirement for every foreigner in China within 24 hours of arrival.

Where is my local PSB?
Real Estate Agent (who rented me my apartment) and building management both couldn’t tell me where my friendly local PSB office is. Finally the hotel next door told me it was the HuXi branch.. still no address or phone number.

I Took my passport, lease agreement and work permit to the local PSB
Great, we are finally getting somewhere. Uh-oh, the landlords ID card, printed on the lease agreement isn’t clear enough.

Got a clearer copy, went back to the police station
Meh.. Now they are asking for my employers business licence and company code whatever that is.
Hey.. I have a work permit.. No not good enough

Got the business licence, company code, printed them out and back to the PSB
Woohoo, sorted, done.

Now I’m on the grid, or so to speak, but it’s OK, I know its only for my safety. (now I’m totally owned)

Article 13 Rules for the Implementation of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Control of the Exit and Entry of Citizens says that foreigners must register with the PSB within 24 hours of arriving in China, or changing their address within China (72 hours if your in a rural area) Though for teachers and lucky expatriates most of te formalities are handled by their employer and those of us who have been here for a while have treated this as yet another unenforced Chinese pseudo law. Hotels will do this for you automatically, massage joints will not.

The fact that some foreigners are getting caught out isn’t helped by inconsistent terminology, requirements and enforcement accross China, and he fact that there’s not a single definitive guide to the process anywhere (that I can find).

Foreign personnel living in private apartments

The apartment management company should be contacting foreign tenants / residents and requiring them to register with the local PSB. If this is not done, both the management company and the foreigner can be fined RMB5,000. It is important to note that this rule applies to any foreign person living in any apartment or private dwelling - even if it is for just for one night. If staying overnight or visiting friends in China, registration must be carried out upon arrival with the local PSB office responsible for the area.

Suzhou’s first Subway opened this week at the neibourhood centre on Xian Dai Da Dao, next door to Starbucks. (158 Xian Dai Avenue)

Expect teething problems though, while I was there today the staff was still serving raw bacon in their subs.. still I’m over the moon since now can grab a semi decent sandwich in the SIP without outlaying a small fortune or sitting down at an expensive expat ripoff joint.

In unrelated news phase 1 of Suzhou’s actual subway system is expected to be finished in 2013.

Tea Eggs are a great snack. IThe 7-Eleven chain in Taiwan reportedly sells an average of 40 million tea eggs per year. (source: wikipedia)

Admittedly I sadly have never eaten a tea egg of the street, only served in rice bowls or with noodles. Distrust of bubblng egg stews aside, I’ve aways loved hard boliled eggs, so I decided to have a crack at tea eggs as a convenient summer snack.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp black tea or Chinese Pu’er tea
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar

* 4 pieces star anise
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1 tground black pepper

* I used The stewing pack: Fragrant Spice Complex For Magic Spicy Stewing, as the back of the pack stated it was suitable for stewing Tea Eggs.

Cover the eggs in warm salted water and bing to the boil simmering for about 3 minutes.

Remove the eggs from boiling water and cool under running cold water. Then lightly crack the shells evenly all over.

Add spices, soy sauce, salt, pepper and sugar to the water with the eggs and simmer for as long as you like.

Feel free to refrigerate overnight covered in the liquid and reheat the next day, or refrigerate dry for a ready to eat snack.