Dear Customs: BACK OFF!!

The frustration I am experiencing is about to drive me over the edge. The kids are being hand-fulls, but that is  not even close to being the issue this week. I couldn't find a medicine here in China that I take. So, I switched to the "brand name" version. Unfortunately, the side effects have really been bothersome. Thankfully, the "you got two hours of sleep and that seems to be enough" week is over. But, the other side effects are still keeping me irritated.

In need of my own medicine, I went ahead and took the costly approach. I had my mom pick up the medication for me from home. Then, I paid to FedEx it here to China. Everything was going well. It was shipped out on Thursday and had arrived for delivery on Monday here in  China. But then, all hell broke loose. My box was held up in customs.  Not only did they not notify us why until a day later, but then it's been a game of back and forth with the office to prove it is worth me having. First, I had to send them a copy of my passport and visa. I did. THEN, that wasn't good enough. I had to have a CHINESE doctor write that the medicine was safe and that I was supposed to take it. SO, we got a pharmacist to sign off on that. BUT, that STILL wasn't good enough. They said I had to have a Temporary Residence Card.

At this point in time, I was now at another campus location and away from all of the original documents I had been working with. Luckily, my company did have that form I need. It seems we got them when we got our work visas. So, I now have a copy in possession AND a copy emailed to me via PDF.

So tomorrow  morning, we will submit all of the paperwork AGAIN and see if I can get my box released. I have been told that I am being charged for each day that it sits in customs. My guess is they do not give two shits about whether or not this medicine is safe, but rather want me to pay the extra money for it being held up. It would be much easier for all involved if they would just say, "Hey, we can screw you and you can't do anything about it, so just pay us x amount and we'll deliver".  I would have just paid to get the medicine on Monday like I should have.

My first really big frustration and disappointment in living here. :(  I'm pretty sure at one point in the day I said, "I don't want to live here anymore!"  I know it was just the pressure getting to me. I like it here. But today, well, it just sucked.