Eric's Beijing Diary

Went to the local police station this morning to register, since I just entered the country again yesterday. One of the young police women there asked me how much vacation American police get. I told her that most working people would get a two week vacation each year, and then after working for the same company for a period of time, their vacation time would be increased. She told me that in China, the police get one week a year. Hats off to those folks. They make China a much more livable place than what it was years ago when the countryside was inhabited by bandits, and you couldn't travel safely from one place to another. There are still plenty of hustlers trying to take your money in China. The cops cannot always spare you the consequences of your own stupidity. But generally speaking, China is considered a safe place to live.