And then there was... my shipment

Ok, many of you true friends out there probably had to endure my endless whining about not getting my shipment yet. Well, it finally happened this weekend - I got my stuff! It was so exciting, I spent most of my weekend sorting through the boxes and doing massive loads of laundry. I know, I know, it's the obsessive compulsive side of me. No, I didn't ship them dirty, but since they've been sitting around for a month, through the moldy season, they developed a not so "Febreze" odor.

You must be asking - why did it take so long to get your shipment? Did you forget to fill out some paperwork? Great question.. let me provide an in-depth explanation. Getting your shipment in China is a step-by-step process.
1 - You need to physically arrive in China: June 25
2 - You need to apply for your work Visa, only after arrival: June 26
Time to process - one week
3 - You need to apply for your residence permit, only after your work Visa: July 9
Time to process - one week
4 - After your residence permit is processed, you can have your shipment shipped to China
Shipping time - one day
5 - All shipments will need to go through a physical inspection by China customs
Time to process - unknown, the logistics company kept calling on the status. The policy was, "don't call us, we'll call you" In addition, shipments were not being inspected in the order they were received
6 - After shipment is inspected, it will need to go through another few days of quarantine. I laughed a little b/c I always thought "quarantine" meant you had pets or food products, not clothes, books and movies.
7 - Shipment is ready for delivery - thus, bringing us to August 9, the magical day

I found it quite amusing that my shipment arrived exactly one week before Bill arrives. My pillows and blanket never felt sooo goooood.