No Mr. Policeman, you can't come to my house.

I haven't written in a bit because well, I had nothing pleasant (or unpleasantly entertaining at least) to write about. I went through a week, turned into two or so, of being really unhappy about being here. Things are looking up now though, so no worries, and I have a fresh bullshit story to share the start of my happier times here.

Yesterday I was walking home. It was a goreous day, sunny and pushing 40F. Beautiful. I'm about to walk into my apartment complex when a police officer says "hey" to me. So I smiled and said "ni hao" and kept walking. Unfortunately he wanted to talk to me. Well, I haven't done anything wrong, and I was taught from a young age that police officers 'are your friends,' so I went to talk to him. I was forseeing a very short covnersation anyway what with my limited language skills.

He wasn't mean to me but certainly spoke with an air of "I have more power than you in life." He asked me where I live, I said just up the street. How long have I been here, 4 months, standard stuff. The he asked to see my passport. As luck would have it I had just cleaned out my wallet and forgot to put the copy I usually carry back in it. So i said to him, "I'm sorry I don't have it on me, but I live just up the street and can get it and show you." He said no, and then he started saying stuff that I didn't understand, and he wanted me to give him my phone number. I asked why, a perfectly normal question (apparently rude to ask to one's 'superior'), and he said some more stuff I didn't understand, and wanted to know my address. I told him the number of my building complex and apartment number, but that I didn't know which number the building was (there are 6 or 7 buildings for every block number). I said "it's the one on the corner, and like I said let me get my passport I will be right back."

He says, "Just take me to your house."
Instead of getting angry and demanding to know why he was bothering me (which I may have done with better Chinese skills), I just said "I don't understand why you need this, what's wrong what's wrong?"

So he tells me to get a friend on the phone who speaks Chinese. I call the school, and they talk for a while. When the cop hands me the phone Eva from school says something like, "because it's the New Year you need to re-register with the Police, we didn't know this. you have to go to the police station tomorrow and get a new paper."

that is a load of bullshit. None of the other foreigners (or Chinese) that I asked have ever heard of anything like this. The general consensus was that even though I hadn't done anything wrong (The cop had confirmed with my school all the basic questions he asked me), because he had already taken the time to bother me and my school, he may as well make up a reason for it in order to 'save face.'

I had to cancel my class this morning, which was really really really irritating. Not only that, one of the teachers from school had to come to translate for me (she was so nice about everything though), and the nice guy that fixed my hot water heater from my landlord's office had to come too.

We spent about 45 minutes at the station doing all the same paperwork as before. Lingling (the teacher that came with me) and the man from the rental agency, LiXia, talked about having his daughter enroll at our school at one point, which was appropriate, that being the only useful thing that came out of this whole ordeal.

I didn't really understand what exactly it was but LiXia had to sign some paperwork and pay some money for something, and got into an argument with the cop over who is more familiar with the rules. It was heated.

So now I have two blue papers, both of which along with my passport I am supposed to carry with me at all times. I have already put a new copy of my passport in my wallet and will be making copies today of my blue forms. I just know that this cop (who is apparently the neighborhood patrolman) will stop me again to spite me. Because of refilling out the paperwork he now knows exactly where my apartment is, but I don't answer my door anyway so that shouldn't be a problem.

the point of this story? Sorry if you're looking for one and have wasted your time reading this, kinda like I wasted my morning and that of two others at the police station for no good reason.

ta. da.