Submitting our Chinese Visa Application

Knowing that the Consulate of the People's Republic of China visa office has a very narrow window of hours we got ourselves up early and braved Monday morning NYC commute. Thankfully our departure location was a tad closer then home and we managed to arrive a few minutes after they opened at 9:00am. Traffic was as expected but it moved along fairly quickly and it wasn't long before we pulled into the pier 83 parking garage. 

After crossing the busy Henry Hudson Parkway we made our way to the visa office entrance on the Sid of the consulate. A long series of two lines had already formed along West 42nd St. One line was the visa application line. The other was for completed and approved Visa pickup. The line moved in spurts and before we knew it the security guard was checking to make sure we had the correct application before letting us inside. Next we passed through airport style security with a metal detector and baggage scanner.  They temporarily confiscated my camera but since phones and pictures were strictly forbidden I wasn't bothered. I collected my claim check and proceeded to the next line to pick up a number for the visa applications. Our number was C166. They were currently on C130 when we all set down. 

The room reminded me of the DMV where they called numbers at a series of windows and you sat on chairs lined up in rows waiting for your number to finally be called. It took roughly an hour before our turn came. Thankfully the young lady processing our visa application was very efficient. After reviewing the documentation she issued us a receipt and advised us we could pick up our passports and visa's this Friday. 

With a busy day in the Big Apple planned we made our way to the door where I claimed my camera back before leaving. It was a painless process since we were prepared. So many people were obviously not prepared and slowing down the lines.  Now it's just a wait and see. 

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Flashing forward to Friday.  This return trip my parents decided to stay at the beach house and sent us to the city to retrieve all our visa's at the Consulate of the People's Republic of China. As we did earlier this week we braved the NYC morning commute once more.  After successfully parking at the Pier 83 Circle Line parking garage we made our way across the street to the consulate.

Immediately we noticed that the lines were significantly longer then they had been on Monday.  The pickup line was twice as long as the drop off which was the complete opposite. Thankfully the line moved along quickly and before we knew it we made it through security and got in line 9 to turn in our pickup ticket and exchange it for a number.  With a number now in hand we got in th second line. I assume this turn in your receipt and grab a number was a way for them to pull our passports instead of having us stand at the window waiting. 

On Monday we noticed a fair number of people cutting the lines delaying our turn at the window. Similarly this time a gentleman tried to cut us but annoyed enough from our previous visit I prevented him from succeeding and sent him to the back of the line. He was clearly irked that I called him out but went to the back of the line where he belonged. 

When we got to the window she already had our passports ready. After a quick swip of my credit card everything was paid and we left passports in hand. As a joke I called my parents and told them "we have a little problem. Everyone got their visa's but dad.  I immediately sensed their panic and quickly told them I was kidding" I'm not sure they found it as funny as I did. Now we just have to look forward to the trip and the exciting adventures that it will include.  
 

Fisher Cats vs Binghamton Mets

Ready for some minor league fun we took a ride up to Manchester, NH to see the new Hampshire Fisher Cats. It was a trip down memory lane since I attended college at Saint Anselm's located here. At the time there was no minor league team in the city. Today the New Hampshire Fisher Cats call the Northeast Delta Dental Stadium located close to down town home.

The weather forecast wasn't the greatest but it appeared that it would hopefully clear in time for the 1:35pm game. My brother got the suite tickets which included VIP parking. As we walked through he back VIP gate we were each handed a Fisher Cats baseball. The kids loved it and were already asking to play toss.

We headed up the stairs and found our suite. After settling into the luxury suite we enjoyed the view and took some pictures.. The rain was light but steady and somewhat refreshing. The stadium ground crew were busy preparing the field as we relaxed. as the rain began to intensify they rolled out an enormous tarp. It was a fairly impressive feat considering the size. I counted 18 people working to secure the tarp. As we waited for the start of the game which we knew it would be at least delayed we enjoyed the stadium hotdogs and some beer.

45 minutes after the schedule start of the game the grounds crew were again working hard rolling up the large tarp and prepping the field. As they worked hard we could see the umpires touring the field checking on its readiness for the game. Unfortunately we learned shortly there after that the game had not only been delayed but postponed to a later date. Evidently the field was too wet to play.

We took a walk to the box office where we traded in our tickets for another game later this summer. Hopefully it won't get washed out too. As we headed for the car we decided to check out where the new seats were. While they weren't luxury suite seats they were right behind the home team dugout.  I am looking forward to the game in August

Providence/Boston Food Truck Showdown

With 20,000 people descending on Providence Rhode Island's, India Point Park for the first ever Providence/Boston Food Truck Showdown the lines stretched clear across the grassy park for many of the 20 trucks in attendance. It was advertised that there would be 10 trucks from each Boston and Providence to compete.

According to the shows promoter Food Truck Festivals of America they had 15,000 pre-sale tickets and another 5,000 at the gate sales. The event was sold out roughly 1 hour after opening. We arrived a little early with our pre-bought tickets. The line was already pretty long. At 12:00 sharp they opened the gates to general admission. Attendees had the option to purchase VIP tickets allowing them early entry to the event for shorter/no lines.

After passing through the gates we made our way to the far end of the park and decided the first truck we would visit was Happy Taco from Gloucester, MA. I picked their fried Baja Fish Taco while Dan went the Grilled Chicken and Chris with the Braised Beef. My taco was light and delicious. the red onions and light lemony sauce was just the right balance.

Next we decided to try something different at the Uyghur Kitchen. They specialize in Turkish food. We each picked the Lamb Kebab Wrap. It included a spring mix, tomato's, pickles, feta cheese with their special yogurt sauce all wrapped in pita bread. The lamb kebabs were marinated in a mixture of onion, garlic and pomegranate juice, which added a kick of tartness to the lamb. While the sandwich on a whole was very tasty the quality of the ingredients was disappointing. In particular the lamb was very grizzly and nearly inedible with the exception of a few pieces. It was also very strange with the pickles. They added a bizarre flavor I didn't care for.

After finishing the Kebab wrap we went to the Samuel Adams beer garden to collect the beer that we got along with our entrance. Chris I enjoyed Angry Orchards while Dan go a Summer Ale. We all commented that the can's tasted a bit off and wondered if they had been sitting in the sun to long.

After a relaxing brew while listening to some music we decided or rather I decided it was time to hit the trucks once more. Unfortunately the lines had grown to ridiculous lengths and I opted for a desert waffle from Zinnekens of Cambridge. I picked the Sin which was a soft and chewy waffle made with caramelized Belgian pearl sugar covered in Nutella and banana slices. It was just the right way to finish of a fantastic festival and a full stomach.

Stuffed we went for a walk up to Thayer Street to check out all the little stores along the way It was a perfect day and a great time enjoying the sights, smells and tastes of Providence & Boston too.