I'm such a glutton for new experiences

It's great when everything goes according to plan but some of the experiences I enjoy most in China happen when things go wrong.

One recent Saturday morning I got up early to travel to the Public Security Bureau in Beijing to renew my residence permit. I hailed a taxi and nodded patiently at the now-familiar protests of a driver acting like I was asking to be transported to Alpha Centauri.

It was just a five-minute drive to the bureau and I'd gone prepared. Experience has taught me that nothing connected with officialdom happens quickly in China, so I took along my Kindle and got stuck into a Jo Nesbo book after taking my place in the queue. There were hundreds of foreigners milling around, quietly tearing out their hair at the prospect of a very long wait.