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Talker

Joined: Apr 17, 2005
Posts: 83

Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 01, 2008 - 12:36 PM

To continue with unexpected pleasures, I have been touched by how nice people were when I first arrived. Colleagues would spend their weekends and evenings showing me around, something which they were not obliged to do and which I certainly did not expect. They would spend time looking up directions and travel routes for me because my Chinese was not good enough for me to do that on my own.

When I took my parents to Xiamen, I was very touched by how the youths there would jump up and yield their seats on the ferry to my parents. Chivalry and good manners still exists - it just unfortunately gets forgotten more often than not in the bigger concrete jungles as people get lost in the rat race.

By the same token, it was nice to see the disbelief-turned-into-pleasant-surprise look on the face of an elderly gentleman when I yielded my seat to him on the Metro. And shame on that young lady who actually tried to squeeze into it in that few seconds when the senior gentleman hesitated!!

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maneo

Rocker

Joined: May 12, 2007
Posts: 760
Location: in a gadda vida
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Posted: Mar 01, 2008 - 01:48 PM

Before giving up your seat to the elderly check around you for those likely to try this maneuver. Use your body to block them while you gesture with a strong arm to the seat to prevent any other rude ones from coming around you.

By the way, I have had several occasions on the Metro where young, local teenagers beat me to giving up a seat to the elderly. Good to see.

EnnesX

Reacher

Joined: Aug 03, 2007
Posts: 206

Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 01, 2008 - 04:25 PM

An unexpected pleasure was the drink "Wang Lao Ji"

Now I drink a ton of it

maneo

Rocker

Joined: May 12, 2007
Posts: 760
Location: in a gadda vida
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Posted: Mar 02, 2008 - 01:43 PM

Went to a small ICBC branch at the Han Zhong Lu station to change RMB into USD. Unfortunately, they didn't have enough.

Without me asking, they called around to other branches and found one within walking distance (at the railway station) that did have enough. The money was waiting for me when I got there. Just walked in, showed my passport and bankbook and walked out with the bucks in less than 5 minutes.

Amazing -- such customer service.
It's alive . . . (sometimes).

Rfemmel

Lurker

Joined: Apr 05, 2004
Posts: 21

Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 06, 2008 - 02:55 AM

When I arrived in Shanghai in 1990 to teach at China Textile University (now called Donghua University) in the western part of Shanghai, a friend's brother (Shanghainese) loaned me his bycycle and I used it for the entire 18 months I was in Shanghai and he never asked for it back and I returned it to him right before I left.

SnappySammy

Board Legend

Joined: Nov 01, 2007
Posts: 10143

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Posted: Mar 06, 2008 - 03:16 AM

wonder what your friends brother thought

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arigato
Barker
Barker

Joined: Mar 05, 2005
Posts: 129
Location: Xujiahui

Posted: Mar 06, 2008 - 11:18 AM

people were nicer in 1990.

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SnappySammy

Board Legend

Joined: Nov 01, 2007
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Posted: Mar 20, 2008 - 02:40 AM

but not in 1980

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sbergman

Veejay

Joined: Sep 12, 2007
Posts: 2167

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Posted: Mar 20, 2008 - 10:40 AM

People were nicer in 1990 but it was so hard to make Chinese friends. Every time you started to get close to someone they'd get a "friendly" visit from the PSB. I remember having the definite sense that the wall and guard around my living quarters was to keep me in rather than keeping anyone out. On the other hand, most of the expats who were here had a genuine interest in China and we all seemed to get along.

texasgirl

Barker

Joined: Aug 20, 2007
Posts: 198
Location: Austin, Glasgow, Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Apr 01, 2008 - 03:57 PM

Ahhhh, I'm glad it's not just me that has these "Unexpected Pleasures". Our taxi trip to customs to retrieve some luggage was one of the best unexpected pleasure ever.

http://www.shanghaiexpat.com/index.php?name=MDForum&file=viewtopic&t=7 3987

And then there is the nice lady at the little grocery by our hotel that makes sure I buy enough diet coke to get the "buy 9 get 1 free" discount. And the hotel bellboys who are constantly translating and writing down things in Chinese for me and try to teach me a new Chinese phrase every day.

After spending the last 6 years in the UK where customer service is a dirty word, it's nice to come here and have some people WANT to help. They totally make up for the a**holes who try to run you down, the old men who spit in front of you barely missing your shoes, and the grouchy guard at the BOC by the hotel who wouldn't smile if he had some girl on her knees in front of him. Smile

Thanks much to maneo for pointing out this thread. Made my day.

Buzzd

PopStar

Joined: Jan 30, 2008
Posts: 1092

Status: Offline

Posted: Apr 02, 2008 - 12:33 PM

The guard at the Bank of China. He not only goes out of his way to help me fill out the proper forms, but has gotten into the lovely and unexpected habit of pulling a lower number from his pocket and handing it to me, thereby saving me quite a few minutes waiting time. A guilty pleasure, but I'll take it!

yu888
Board Deity

Joined: Jan 25, 2003
Posts: 18044
Location: ZhongShanParkArea SH

Posted: Apr 03, 2008 - 12:44 PM

Last year, I had our apt repainted and two bathrooms refitted a bit so I finally bit the bullet and bought new fixtures. Found a long neck faucet that was high enough to add the chlorine filter too for the master bath so we could have de-chlorinated water to wash with. The faucet was a local export branded product with a few certifications to its name called Gobo. Yeah, weird name, but the build quality, look and feel of the product convinced me that it would be worth the price.

But then last week, the faucet sprung a leak underneath the counter and sink. I thought at first it was a bad hose, and so did my management staff plumbing guy, though honestly i knew he was just being lazy. So I searched for my original Fapiao and packaging and much o my chagrin, it seemed the Ayi had cleaned out my packaging and owners manual and fapiao. Sigh. My own fault for being so messy. Damn I thought, this was teh perfect designed unit for what we wanted so i figured i'd need to go buy another one and then figure out how to fix this one.

I went back to B&Q and upon reaching the faucets and fixtures department, the lady that worked at that section asked how my faucet was working. I was stunned. After almost a year, she remembered which model and everything! she was the original lady that sold me the now leaking faucet. So I told her the issue and she said, "Oh no worrries, i will make a call for you." and proceeded to call the warranty center, vouched for me and then arraned a warraty guy to call on Monday since they were technically closed that day. Then, since I still needed a faucet, she offered to sell me the replacement at 1/2 off for my troubles. She was adamant that they rarely get issues so since this happened to me, they would need to make sure I was happy. Believe me, I was. By that afternoon, I had our management company send another plumber and the new one was installed.

This in itself was already a nice surprise to get such good service in this case, but the story wasn't over yet...

On Monday, the company tech called and asked to confirm the model and what was leaking. After I described it in detail he acknowledged that this was unusual as usually it would be a hose break and not a seal issue. Given this, he offered to drop by the next day with NEW REPLACEMENT and woudl be happy to swap it out including the removal and installation. I was stunned ... in a happy way of course. But i told him it was already out and in a box so it would just be a simple swap. the next day, they came as promised and so done. i now have a nice NEW faucet that i will probably swap into my guest bath too now, provided my parents dont need it for their place or anything.

Wow, nice surprises. Good service is finally catching on in the bigger companies. Hope the airlines learn someday...

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xat

Barker

Joined: Mar 30, 2006
Posts: 152

Status: Offline

Posted: Apr 03, 2008 - 01:53 PM

I have always found watching people argue (for example the argue between locals and expats on this forum) fun. I'm a local and though I do not join the argue but just like to watch it, for fun and killing time.
But this thread is so good, that it seems the day light up a little bit, especially before the holiday tomorrow. Thanks for the sharing!
And I have also some un-expected pleasures when travelling abroad. Maybe I should also share them here, maybe later.

sbergman

Veejay

Joined: Sep 12, 2007
Posts: 2167

Status: Offline

Posted: Apr 03, 2008 - 06:47 PM

Took a wonderful cooking class today. The teacher only spoke Chinese but was so demonstrative and patient that it wasn't a problem. Even learned to make a dumpling that looks like a fish. I brought my in-laws along and the teacher offered to allow them to take the class for free (although we managed to press some money into her hand before we left).

CoffeeHawk_0
Board Buddha

Joined: July 14, 2005
Posts: 14444

Posted: Apr 03, 2008 - 07:01 PM

Me: at ICBC trying to pay my utility bills at the automated bill scanning machine for about 10 minutes.
ICBC bill scanning machine: HAHA! Faakk u whitey!
ICBC Security Gaurd: comes over and does the process for me in a manner that allow me to save face. Xie xie ni dude.

booboo

Reacher

Joined: Jan 19, 2006
Posts: 289

Status: Offline

Posted: Apr 03, 2008 - 08:42 PM

i had all traffic stop for me at a crossing today hehe

texasgirl

Barker

Joined: Aug 20, 2007
Posts: 198
Location: Austin, Glasgow, Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Apr 03, 2008 - 09:02 PM

Another most wonderful unexpected pleasure happened today.

My man's horrible multinational is notorious for taking a coon's age to approve housing. Our very young and very naive estate agent felt certain she could get us out of the hotel and into the apartment we chose by April 5th. Since we only started the approval process on April 1st, we knew better. Well, youth and enthusiasm beat out obstinance and cynicism every day cause the girl did it. We're out of the hotel and into our new apartment on Saturday.

I'm not sure what the girl did, but I applaud her and highly recommend Wing at WellWell Shanghai for your property search. Hmmmmm, holiday weekend, new flat.......sounds like party on the patio to me. Smile

SnappySammy

Board Legend

Joined: Nov 01, 2007
Posts: 10143

Status: Offline

Posted: Apr 03, 2008 - 10:43 PM

I Checked into a hotel in Qingdao and left my man purse, with passport and cash, on the counter at check in. I was in my room about 30 minutes when there was a knock on my door. They was the bellman with my purse and evertything was there.

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hautumncloud
LoopKicker

Joined: Nov 04, 2006
Posts: 912

Posted: Apr 03, 2008 - 11:06 PM

I bought a Midea water dispenser from Carrefour when we first go here. It was delivered free the next day. When I unpacked it, the manuals were all in Chinese and there were stickers on the plugs with Chinese readings. I instantly plug it in to see if it works (there are lights in front to indicate that). Immediately there was a burning smell followed by smoke from the back of the machine. By time I plung in the water bottle, the hot water feature was dead. My husband called Midea's customer service, spoke to them in English and the next day a tech came. He spoke alot of Chinese to me while fixing the machine. I gathered that I should have put in the bottle before plugging in the unit. I expected to pay for the repair since I burned it but it was free of charge. Plus the guy gave me a bottle opener with a magnet at the back so it stick to the machine. Before he left, he again attempted to give me instructions on how to use the machine using sign language - looked like a game of charade but I was very appreciative.

maneo

Rocker

Joined: May 12, 2007
Posts: 760
Location: in a gadda vida
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Posted: Apr 04, 2008 - 02:57 AM

booboo wrote:

i had all traffic stop for me at a crossing today hehe

In Puxi?
Now that's beyond unexpected.
That's amazing.

soapsud

Talker

Joined: Sep 28, 2004
Posts: 90
Location:
Status: Offline

Posted: Apr 06, 2008 - 11:34 AM

I have had a lot of experences that make you feel so humble, especially from those that have very little to give.

A month or so a go I went to the bank to put money into a guys account, and I pushed the button too many times of the ticket machine, and a lot of numbers came out about 6 of them , numbers kept flashed up on the tellers that no one went to, and about half an hour later I heard a commotion behind me (not unusual in the bank) lots of people were in a group waving their numbers, for some reason they had missed their place, I looked at all my tickets in my bag, got up and went over to the group and dished out all the numbers, the look on their faces, was pricessless, they looked so confussed, but then it dawned on them, what I had done they looked like they had won the lottery.I was still laughing when I sat down again, but those frosty stares from the rest of the 50 people or so was perhaps not the best, I agree with some one else who said by making one friend you make 5 enemies

sandgroper

Seeker

Joined: Nov 09, 2006
Posts: 52

Status: Offline

Posted: Apr 12, 2008 - 05:11 PM
Post subject: another one

My daughter is potty training and almost every day she has an 'accident' of the number 1 or 2 kind. The helper at her school scrubs out her pants and sends them home freshly laundered two days later

ThomasCaron

Raver

Joined: Dec 11, 2006
Posts: 472
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Apr 12, 2008 - 05:40 PM

Went to the bank the other day for the first time in five weeks. Produced a pen, and the girl behind the counter gave me a different one, which I took to mean she preferred I use because I was making carbon copies. Turns out the pen she gave me was one I had left behind the last time I was there! She'd been holding it for me until I came back. That's a first, anywhere.

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Diomed

Reacher

Joined: Jan 30, 2008
Posts: 250

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