Foreigners in Beijing

Jonathan Ansfield, who runs one of Beijing's most pleasant bars and also writes for a big American newsweekly that isn't TIME, has a nice piece out this week about life as a foreigner in Beijing.

He writes about, among other things, the increasing vigilance with which the police are checking out foreigners' visas. I had my own experience with these dutiful officers about a week and a half ago, when I came home to find a neighbor waiting at my door with a helpful card from the police. Along with an ad for car repair and reminders to not gamble, use drugs, prostitute myself or pay for sex (so many rules!), the card told me to hurry up and register with the man. Apparently I had exceeded the 24-hour registration window by about 864 hours.

The next morning an officer banged on my door at 8:30. Not being so coherent at that hour on a weekend, I didn't get up in time to make the constable's acquaintance, but there was another card. So I walked down to the station and registered. There was no unpleasantness or $65 fine. But unlike a friend who had to register recently, I wasn't asked out by the desk officer either. Alas.

The back of card....