Embassies Tuesday

Today is mostly preoccupied with embassy errants. First up was Malaysian embassy, built in 2004 but not yet captured in the local online maps. Interestingly, it is behind a main road just next to the Israeli embassy, what an odd couple. The Australian Embassy is located adjacent to the Canadian's. The lady Malaysian consular asked for a certified copy of my Australian passport, to be done by her counterpart at the Aust embassy, some 1500m walk away. The walk was interesting, but it was 1130am. The Australian Consular section opens only from 2pm. Even a lunch at a local copy of Japanese Gyu Don fast food could not kill all the time. Walking around the embassy neighbourhood was long, interesting but exhausting in 30degC. Walked past a real estate agent to realise how expensive old apartments near the embassies are selling. Some other notable landmarks were a Xinjiang restaurant, Workers Stadium, a nice Sichuan restaurant we had lunch with Grace's friend a year ago, a LauPaSat - a Singaporean hawker food style restaurant, and several shops similar to the one in the photo....

Even with the extended walk, I was 15 mins early at the Aust embassy entrance. The Military Police guarding the embassy entrace was keen to chat. They stand on duty 2 hrs at time, rotating to different embassies. They get extra pay if they pass an embassy exam. Tour of duty is 2 years and they get moved again. The Canadian embassy engages private security firm, while the Australian, Malaysian use the Military Police. Those private security guards get extra pay if they improve their English, but that option is not opened to the MPs. I was amazed I could enter the Malaysian embassy without my backpack being checked, nor needing to walk past a metal detector, which the Australian embassy requires.

The passport copy certificaion took less than 10mins, but at RMB145 each. Then it was delivered to the Malaysian embassy to conclude my tour of the embassy district.