Passport Addition

I just got my passport back from the Chinese Embassy...actually, I got it back from the USAT staff that sent it to the embassy...but I now have my first Chinese Visa! It is good for multiple entries for one year starting on August 13th, 2007. That means I can go into the country next month for the World Cup Triathlon...and then if I make the 2008 Olympic Games, I can enter the country again on the same visa (as long as I get in before August 13th)!
I might have to reapply for another Visa before then because the Triathlon race is on the 18th and with the bad air quality, I probably won't want to be in the country for 5 days before the race...just like this year when I am arriving into Beijing less than 48 hours before the start of my race.

My big Chinese Visa...of course they HAVE to take up a WHOLE page of my passport that is already running low on blank pages! After this race season is over, and before we head 'down under', I am going to have to send it in and get some extra pages added.

Extra pages are one option, and getting a new passport is another option. My expiration date is fast approaching...at the end of 2009...my only concern is that they let me keep the old passport when I get a new one (there are a LOT of memories stamped into this one)!