At last! Today, after a strenuous, two-month process, I finally got my phone! Mind you, it won't actually start working for at least three more days, but the point, I have something tangible in my possession now, and for that, I am content. But Lord Almighty, could it have taken any longer to get?? Here's the rough layout of what I had to do to get this crazy thing:
1) Sign up for a Hong Kong bank account (did this the first day I arrived)
2) Get my Staff ID card, which involved:
2a. Going to the personnel office and giving, receiving, photocopying, signing lots of paperwork
2b. Waiting for my staff ID number confirmation (this took four more days than anticipated)
2c. Going to pick up my staff ID card (this finally happened two weeks in)
3) After receipt of staff ID card, go to apply for HK residence card
3a. Try to make phone appointment, get confused by directions, get flatmate to interpret directions for me
3b. Go to immigration, apply for card in person
3c. Wait four weeks for card to process before I can pick up real thing
3d. Get paper copy of card to tide me over for four weeks
4) Go back to bank and apply for HK credit card
4a. Do preliminary paper work
4b. Come back when I have real HK residence card, make copies of said card
4c. Wait for confirmation letter in the mail
4d. Receive two letters over three weeks, both telling me to return to bank to give them more information (both times they just needed HK residence card, which I had already given to them...)
4e. Finally receive confirmation letter, go to bank to pick up new HK credit card
5) Go to Shatin 3Mobile store to buy new iPhone and 24-month contract
5a. Get told that store is out of iPhones, will have to register online and wait up to three weeks
5b. Throw a hissy fit in the store
5c. Check with other 3Mobile stores in Shatin and Mongkok, turns out that yes, I have to register online and wait if I want an iPhone in Hong Kong
5d. Register for iPhone on 3Mobile website
5e. Receive text message two days later that phone is ready for pick-up
5f. Go to store, purchase iPhone and contract - now wait three days for phone number to transfer from old sim card to new
Was this story long, arduous, and frustrating to read? Good, because it was twice that to go through. I am once again reminded that bureaucracy sucks anywhere, but bureaucracy in a very loud, crowded place with a language barrier sucks even more. However, the saga has hopefully come to a close now and my iPhone and I can be very happy together.
On another note, classes start in nine days! So I'm off to go look through some material so I can seem like I know what I'm doing that first day. Hope everyone's having a good start to the beginning of the school year!
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