Stamped and Cleared
The Red Stamp. Yes, it seems a bit archaic - the entire Chinese business system still revolves around the placement and authentification of red stamps.
The number and intricacy of the stamp depends on what you're trying to get done:
Buy a sweater from an small shop: 2 stamps
Purchase a hair dryer at a supermarket: 6 stamps
Open a bank account: 12 stamps
Apply for a residency permit in Beijing: 18 stamps
Lease an apartment: 22 stamps
and the most complicated of all, receive money from Western Union: 38 stamps.
That's right, it took me 4 hours and 38 stamps to receive my tuition money at the bank from Western Union. In addition to all the stamping, I had to photocopy my passport four times and fill out three separate forms (each in triplicate copy) of my name and every shred of identifying information I have. After jumping through several other hoops of passwords, passnumbers, and passcodes, they finally handed over three inch high stacks of cash, held together by paper strips with official red stamps, in a paper bag, closed and sealed with a red stamp.
The number and intricacy of the stamp depends on what you're trying to get done:
Buy a sweater from an small shop: 2 stamps
Purchase a hair dryer at a supermarket: 6 stamps
Open a bank account: 12 stamps
Apply for a residency permit in Beijing: 18 stamps
Lease an apartment: 22 stamps
and the most complicated of all, receive money from Western Union: 38 stamps.
That's right, it took me 4 hours and 38 stamps to receive my tuition money at the bank from Western Union. In addition to all the stamping, I had to photocopy my passport four times and fill out three separate forms (each in triplicate copy) of my name and every shred of identifying information I have. After jumping through several other hoops of passwords, passnumbers, and passcodes, they finally handed over three inch high stacks of cash, held together by paper strips with official red stamps, in a paper bag, closed and sealed with a red stamp.
posted by CC at
12:08 PM
1 Comments:
Hello sweet Carmen! Botswana, too, is enchancted by its stamps - I've thought of purchasing my own, just for the sake of officiality.
How in the world did you manage to hold my attention with an entire blog entry about tampons and tums? I swear...
If I could make a list here, the immediate inclusions would be good pens, graham crackers, duct tape, books, more books, maple syrup and vegetables, just off the top of my head.
By
Mark Clayton Hand, at 1:49 AM
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