This is sort of a two post day. I'm sitting in a Beijing Hotel, waiting for the appropriate time to move around without bothering my roommate...Why does being in a new place make you a light sleeper...I mean, yeah, I was in bed by 11 last night because I've had a long, work out filled work week...but 6:45 on a Saturday morning is ungodly!
I digress...I wanted to share major pet peeves I have while adjusting to life in China...and there aren't that many. Before I say this, I will promise to support any negative comments with a positive so that I don't seem to be....complaining about cultural differences...though I am.
1. When I say something in English to a Chinese customer service person, but they don't understand the phrase, they repeat the last thing they said to me, or completely change the subject instead of address the question I've asked. This has happened to me in banks, cell phone stores, and, most recently, with my Chinese tutor. I asked, how old are you (which is not a rude question here...more on that later), and he, not hearing/understanding says: yes, I've been working for four years. The response is never immediate; there is always a moment when they are thinking about what you said, and trying to decipher it...yet, they never ask what you said. They understand that you require some sort of response and anything will do.
2. Spitting everywhere!!!!!! I was in the train station yesterday and this guy did one of those cough lougie things, and SPIT ON THE FLOOR IN THE TRAIN STATION. Now, this train station ain't like 5 points in MARTA...it's indoor and sort of nice, with tile floors and all. But this guy just spit on the floor like it was nothing. And that's how they role...with this, they smoking everywhere, too. But I guess when your government controls the cigarette companies, you have that right.
Now the positives:
1. Most of the Chinese people I've met have been welcoming and kind. They are accommodating and, despite my Chinese skills, helpful. They have also been filled with a weird sense of curiosity and wonder about who I am...which makes me feel cool....just don't stare and take pictures of me like I'm a zoo animal. That drives me crazy.
2. There are fruit vendors everywhere! And everything is so cheap. Also, spring is here and the weather has been gorgeous!
So that's it..for now. I'm tired still, so I think I will sleep for another 30 minutes. Be sure to comment and share my post. Send me questions you have and I'll be glad to get back to you!
Ayeshah
Friday, March 21, 2014
Chinese Banks
HELLO!!! I've been trying to post this for weeks...but I'm just getting solid enough internet to make it happen! I recently got my first Chinese paycheck and I am HAPPY!!! I wasn't
struggling, but getting paid just makes me wanna happy dance.
Anyway, because I still have to pay bills back home, I decide to go on a field trip with Momo to see what needs to be done. Foolishly, I thought it'd be like living in the states: stand in a long line, get to the counter, find out you were in the wrong line, and re-queue in the right line, find out I had the wrong paperwork, go home, get the right paperwork, come back, and start back at the end of the line...but all the while in the right building.
I guess you can say the experience was similar here in China...only, the bank my company set our bank account up at is not able to wire money internationally...but they can help me withdraw (as the lady repeatedly said behind the counter). The wiring money process in China may just be a bureaucratic wet dream filled with ridiculously difficult to understand paperwork and official stamps and official locations that will make your head spin!
First, you have to find the right location. One cannot blindly walk into ones bank and expect a simple bank to bank transfer. No, no. If you are fortunate enough to bank at the Bank of China, maybe....but your run of the mill local bank will not be able to help. Did I add that my company only works with one bank, and it's not the Bank of China...nor does the Bank of China process transfers for non-members...and I can't read enough Chinese to open an account, so....yeah.
Second, once you find the right place, this took about an hour and a half and 3 taxi rides, be prepared to western union your cash to someone on the other end. You'll need to be sure you have the right amount you want to send on hand. You will also need to convert your money to USD, so any fees associated must be calculated. This won't be such a bad issue for me when I repeat this process this week, but for someone like Momo just wanting to send money to the UK, you can see the problem. They don't use USD, they use GBP....
The process looks like this get your RMB changed to USD, send via western union, get the person in the UK to change the USD to GBP and then deposit for you....it's a little....aggravating. But I won't complain, at least I know the hassle, and expense, to expect when I get my sister to deposit money for me this week...
Anyway, because I still have to pay bills back home, I decide to go on a field trip with Momo to see what needs to be done. Foolishly, I thought it'd be like living in the states: stand in a long line, get to the counter, find out you were in the wrong line, and re-queue in the right line, find out I had the wrong paperwork, go home, get the right paperwork, come back, and start back at the end of the line...but all the while in the right building.
I guess you can say the experience was similar here in China...only, the bank my company set our bank account up at is not able to wire money internationally...but they can help me withdraw (as the lady repeatedly said behind the counter). The wiring money process in China may just be a bureaucratic wet dream filled with ridiculously difficult to understand paperwork and official stamps and official locations that will make your head spin!
First, you have to find the right location. One cannot blindly walk into ones bank and expect a simple bank to bank transfer. No, no. If you are fortunate enough to bank at the Bank of China, maybe....but your run of the mill local bank will not be able to help. Did I add that my company only works with one bank, and it's not the Bank of China...nor does the Bank of China process transfers for non-members...and I can't read enough Chinese to open an account, so....yeah.
Second, once you find the right place, this took about an hour and a half and 3 taxi rides, be prepared to western union your cash to someone on the other end. You'll need to be sure you have the right amount you want to send on hand. You will also need to convert your money to USD, so any fees associated must be calculated. This won't be such a bad issue for me when I repeat this process this week, but for someone like Momo just wanting to send money to the UK, you can see the problem. They don't use USD, they use GBP....
The process looks like this get your RMB changed to USD, send via western union, get the person in the UK to change the USD to GBP and then deposit for you....it's a little....aggravating. But I won't complain, at least I know the hassle, and expense, to expect when I get my sister to deposit money for me this week...
Thursday, March 6, 2014
The English name conumdrum
So, I have been slacking!!! I know. I meant to write this post a week ago, but here I am...
Forgive me.
There are many things that I am still getting used to in China and many things are becoming normal....like that squat toilet I swore I would never use...well, sometimes, you just gotta suck it up and hold your breathe....and go.
Anyway, there are many, many things I question and don't understand. But the primary thing that sort of grinds my gears, sort of makes me happy is the concept of an English name. Some of you may have met a Chinese Wendy or John and was like, oh, cool, easy name. The dark truth you may not know is that many Chinese children are forced to take English names if they are studying English. Now, this is very similar to the experience I had in Spanish class, and later in French, when I had to choose a "Spanish" name. My teacher used the name to call me in class, my classmates used it to identify me within my Spanish class bubble. It was cool. I didn't go out into the world and introduce myself as "Shakira". It was my super secret Spanish class alias and it was cool to use....in class. Many Chinese children, forced to choose English names, usually keep some sort of an English name throughout their lives...likely changing them with every time they find a better name. The meet foreigners like me and tell me their English name and you could go forever never knowing your Chinese coworkers actual government name.
This leaves me torn for a couple of reasons:
1. How dare I come to your country and demand you change your name to something easier for me to pronounce! It's like someone telling you the name your mother gave you isn't good enough and that you will now be called Heather because it flows off the tongue better than Zhihi or Ylin (neither of which are pronounced the way they are romanized). You can't imagine how many Lilies or Rachels have trouble spelling or saying their names because English is not their first languages and those sounds are not always natural! I've misheard more names in the past month than I've ever done in my life.
2. I like being able to pronounce my student's names. I've also named more kids than I've ever had the responsibility to name before. Suffice it to say, I have been playing around with many different potential future children names like Ian, Aiden, and Ezra.....anything that's NOT John, Mike, or Peter.
This English name business seems a lil' bit imperialistic to me. What do you think?
I was going to write about some other events/none events, but I think this post is pretty long. Oh, check out Jamie Cullum "Don't Stop the Music"....Listening to it right now and I'm loving him!!!!
Stay positive,
Ayeshah, Teacher
Forgive me.
There are many things that I am still getting used to in China and many things are becoming normal....like that squat toilet I swore I would never use...well, sometimes, you just gotta suck it up and hold your breathe....and go.
Anyway, there are many, many things I question and don't understand. But the primary thing that sort of grinds my gears, sort of makes me happy is the concept of an English name. Some of you may have met a Chinese Wendy or John and was like, oh, cool, easy name. The dark truth you may not know is that many Chinese children are forced to take English names if they are studying English. Now, this is very similar to the experience I had in Spanish class, and later in French, when I had to choose a "Spanish" name. My teacher used the name to call me in class, my classmates used it to identify me within my Spanish class bubble. It was cool. I didn't go out into the world and introduce myself as "Shakira". It was my super secret Spanish class alias and it was cool to use....in class. Many Chinese children, forced to choose English names, usually keep some sort of an English name throughout their lives...likely changing them with every time they find a better name. The meet foreigners like me and tell me their English name and you could go forever never knowing your Chinese coworkers actual government name.
This leaves me torn for a couple of reasons:
1. How dare I come to your country and demand you change your name to something easier for me to pronounce! It's like someone telling you the name your mother gave you isn't good enough and that you will now be called Heather because it flows off the tongue better than Zhihi or Ylin (neither of which are pronounced the way they are romanized). You can't imagine how many Lilies or Rachels have trouble spelling or saying their names because English is not their first languages and those sounds are not always natural! I've misheard more names in the past month than I've ever done in my life.
2. I like being able to pronounce my student's names. I've also named more kids than I've ever had the responsibility to name before. Suffice it to say, I have been playing around with many different potential future children names like Ian, Aiden, and Ezra.....anything that's NOT John, Mike, or Peter.
This English name business seems a lil' bit imperialistic to me. What do you think?
I was going to write about some other events/none events, but I think this post is pretty long. Oh, check out Jamie Cullum "Don't Stop the Music"....Listening to it right now and I'm loving him!!!!
Stay positive,
Ayeshah, Teacher
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