[h2]Beauracracy & Tea or Photographs & Jail[/h2]

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It wasn't a difficult choice, so that means that there are no photographs of my afternoon. It had been suggested to me that I didn't take photographs around the Local Government buildings, or I might end up in jail. It wasn't a hypothesis that I was going to put to the test.

It all started with a taxi ride to the Local Government building. The taxi wouldn't drop us off outside the main entrance, so we started walking towards there ourselves. Lihong stopped and told me to turn around - there were protesters outside the main entrance and the door had been locked. We head for the alternative way in, through a secure gate. We get stopped by men in uniforms. Apparently they are suspicious of the bald-headed white guy. They demand to see Lihong's proof of identity, so she shows them her NZ passport. My identification is not required. Having passed their scrutiny, Lihong mutters something in Putianese as we head up the driveway to the alternative entrance.

First stop - the office of her old boss. It is an occassion for tea. The water is boiled, the cups are rinsed in the bolied water, the first pot of tea is made and discarded onto the tea tray (which has either a self-draining mechanism or a hand purge valve which drains the water into a receptacle under the table). Tea is poured into the tiny tea cups, and distributed to everyone, starting with the bald-headed white guy. As the tea is drunk, the cups are refilled. As the person's cup is being refilled, sometimes they tap their fingers on the table next to the cup. Much laughter occurs over the course of the gathering. Rich gets given a DVD collection extolling the virtues of Putian.

Second stop, accompanied by her old boss, is to the office of the head of police for Putian, who used to be Lihong's colleague. It is indeed, another occassion for tea. More laughter occurs. Rich gets given a box of tea.

Assessment of beauracracy:
It all seemed pretty relaxed. Jeans and polo shirts appeared to be dress code for the men. No ties were witnessed. The offices were cellular with exterior opening windows (the breeze helping wave the Chinese flag on the desk). They were with minimal decoration, and simple but elegant furnishings. There was a meeting table in each, on which the tea set took pride of place. There was a small bar fridge in each office (and presumeably every office), in which to store the tea.

It was nice to drink with the beaurocrats, and nicer not to end up in jail!

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