Beijing - Visa battle part II

We flew to Beijing to take care of Visa stuff... that evening we are going over the process with our helper, and find out we can't go from my tourist status visa to a residence permit! (Which is the opposite of what SH's visa office told us last week)
So, our only other option was to apply for a 6 month visa, and then need to leave the country and buy a diff visa and re-enter SH. Another plane ticket we didn't want to have to pay for.

The next morning I met our helper at the visa office (This is when I read my first SMS in Chinese, ”我到了“）and we photocopy and fax and fill out forms for the officer until she's satisfied (lots of running between copy machine and standing in line) and then we find out that they CHANGED THE RULE THAT MORNING so I could change my tourist visa into a residence permit!!! How awesome is that?

SO awesome, that we went to Ho Hi with T's colleague for lunch.



The lake was frozen.



Abundant blessings!