Figuring out the bank

I've been trying to get my bank card to work for about 10 days now. I was given an envelope that had a unique ID in it. Of course I could not read the chinese explanation for this but there was enough English for me to identify the password.

I tried to log on the internet and set up my account using the password. After collection all the information I needed to create my on-line account--passport #, password, account number, etc. I gave it a try--it rejected me.

I thought--maybe I need to activate my account by using by debit card! So I went and tried the cash machine. It didn't work. When I tried the cash machine, I got a piece of paper the came back at me. I couldn't really read the paper.

After a couple of days of contemplating all of this, I called the phone number for help. They in fact confirmed that this was the password on record, that my passport number was correct as well as the account number. They finally said--go to the bank and show them that it doesn't work.

The next day I went to the bank, determined to do this all myself without asking for one of my hosts to help me! The first bank teller looked at the slip of paper that kept coming out of the cash machine and said they could reset the password if I brought my passport #. I went and got the passport number--bringing a copy--only for the next teller to tell me that I needed the actual passport. I went back and got my passport. The third teller looked at it and at the slip of paper and confirmed, absolutely this was saying that the password was wrong. I needed a new one which would be sent to my address in one week. Why I can't say, but they concluded that it could not be sent to my address. I was instructed to come back in one week and they would give me my new password. Luckily, I got LOTS of cash when I opened the account, and I can use my debit card from home :)

Next challenge--getting visas to going into mainland china. The instructions say that we need to fill out the forms, bring passports, new passport photos, and our Hong Kong ID cards. However, since we are staying less that 6 months, we don't need to get a Hong Kong ID card--so...the question of the week is, will the bureaucracy allow us to get the visas without the ID cards which we are not required to get?