Hot on the paper trail
<p><span word="Winning">Winning</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="paperwork">paperwork</span> <span word="war">war</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="challenge">challenge</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="test">test</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="expat">expat</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="temperament">temperament</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="pushed">pushed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="limit">limit</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="week">week</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="counter">counter</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span> <span word="bank">bank</span>.</p><p><span word="Frustrations">Frustrations</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="boil">boil</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="translator">translator</span> <span word="friend">friend</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="me">me</span>: "<span word="Do">Do</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="fill">fill</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="form">form</span>? <span word="Maybe">Maybe</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="better">better</span>."</p><p>"<span word="What">What</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="mean">mean</span>?" <span word="I">I</span> <span word="moaned">moaned</span>. "<span word="This">This</span> <span word="form">form</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="English">English</span>."</p><p><span word="After">After</span> <span word="five">five</span> <span word="attempts">attempts</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="failed">failed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="correctly">correctly</span> <span word="fill">fill</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Western">Western</span> <span word="Union">Union</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="transfer">transfer</span> <span word="form">form</span> <span word="despite">despite</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fact">fact</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="native">native</span> <span word="language">language</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="house">house</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="needs">needs</span> <span word="major">major</span> <span word="repairs">repairs</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="forced">forced</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="send">send</span> <span word="back">back</span> $7,000 - <span word="the">the</span> <span word="maximum">maximum</span> <span word="transfer">transfer</span> <span word="amount">amount</span> <span word="Western">Western</span> <span word="Union">Union</span> <span word="allows">allows</span> - <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="Fast">Fast</span> <span word="Eddie">Eddie</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Roofer">Roofer</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Ironbark">Ironbark</span>, <span word="Australia">Australia</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="holes">holes</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="application">application</span> <span word="form">form</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="broken">broken</span> <span word="roof">roof</span>.</p><p>(<span word="One">One</span>), <span word="I">I</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="capital">capital</span> <span word="letters">letters</span> <span word="throughout">throughout</span>, (<span word="two">two</span>) <span word="I">I</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="include">include</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="father">father</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="middle">middle</span> <span word="name">name</span>, (<span word="three">three</span>), <span word="I">I</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="write">write</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="middle">middle</span> <span word="name">name</span>, (<span word="four">four</span>) <span word="I">I</span> <span word="kept">kept</span> <span word="writing">writing</span> <span word="outside">outside</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="boxes">boxes</span>, <span word="and">and</span> (<span word="five">five</span>) <span word="I">I</span> <span word="forget">forget</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="five">five</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="for">for</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="friend">friend</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="right">right</span>. <span word="She">She</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="filled">filled</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="form">form</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="second">second</span> <span word="language">language</span>.</p><p><span word="After">After</span> <span word="mustering">mustering</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="concentration">concentration</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="brain">brain</span> <span word="surgeon">surgeon</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="completed">completed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sixth">sixth</span> <span word="form">form</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="passed">passed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="all">all</span>-<span word="important">important</span> <span word="paperwork">paperwork</span> <span word="under">under</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bulletproof">bulletproof</span> <span word="glass">glass</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="teller">teller</span>.</p><p><span word="Tasks">Tasks</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="about">about</span> 15 <span word="minutes">minutes</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="home">home</span>, <span word="often">often</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span>.</p><p><span word="Thank">Thank</span> <span word="goodness">goodness</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="friends">friends</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="help">help</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="weave">weave</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="maze">maze</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="banking">banking</span> <span word="bureaucracy">bureaucracy</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="areas">areas</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="daily">daily</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Middle">Middle</span> <span word="Kingdom">Kingdom</span>.</p>
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