I'm a Foreign Expert, so says the People's Republic

The most critical, if usually pro forma, event of the Peace Corps China Volunteer in the first month of service is to make sure his or her visa is renewed. Otherwise, goodbye China, hello home-front.

Thanks to the able assistance of my college Waiban (foreign affairs) Director and my professor counterpart Fan Bo, all went smoothly.

I am now a "Foreign Expert," which it seems entitles me to certain rights while staying in country. In some ways I now have more privileges than a Chinese National, but I still can't go to Tibet without permission.