Point China

Passport photos. Everyone hates them not only because they make you look like a dufus but because they are expensive and just annoying. I’ve gone to Walgreens before and gotten some, just to go back to the Immigration Office and find out that they weren’t properly done and did not meet the requirements, forcing me to run back down stairs and do them again! Another time I went to Wolf Camera and had to wait 20 minutes because some guy in front of me was printing 300 pictures! It’s just never a fun process.

Here in China, 8 passport photos cost 30RMB (aka 5 bucks) and they take maybe 5 minutes. You walk in and go straight to take the picture. The place does passport photos and only passport photos so there is very little talking that needs to happen. They take you picture and it gets saved to a shared drive. You walk over to another computer station where they open your picture up with Photoshop, and change the background to the required color (blue in our case), edit your blemishes on your face, and fix any stray hair fuzzies. Then they print 8 copies for you on one piece of paper. Then you walk over to the last station where they have cutting boards and do the cutting for you. As they cut, you pay. Then you walk out of the place with pictures and you go on your merry way.

So quick, so easy, so efficient. I can’t help but award China another point. USA 78: China 2

Point China

Ever step into an elevator and push the close door button to receive no response from the elevator? Yup, we’ve all done and then immediately wondered why was this button put here in the first place?! Well, the button, here in China, actually works! You push it, and bam! Instantly, the door starts moving to close. It’s magic! Granted the elevators here move at the speed of molasses, but the close door works!

As such, I award one point to China. Current standings: USA 57: China 1

We also got stuck in said elevator for ten minutes but I will not let that small hiccup interfere with China's well earned point.