Blogs from Tianjin, China, Asia - page 16

Wednesday…I WILL get a camera today - darn it! So we head to another Agricultural Bank of China branch, thinking I got the whole VISA thing cleared up, to first get more money to put on the card. But this of course didn’t work - those ATMs didn’t take VISA, so on the cab ride over we remember seeing a Bank of China about 4 blocks away. Being a beautiful day we decide to walk to it. We finally get there and - wouldn’t you know it - it is a brand new branch and not even open yet! Not believing our luck - and laughing about it- we look around and spot another Bank of China a block away. We get there and actually get money out of the ATM! Yea! Now we are about ... read more

It was Friday and the plan was to open a bank account at the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), which is affiliated with Wells Fargo transfer some money over, get a UnionPay card and - Presto! - a camera. But instead the next day we went to a branch of the ABC who looked at us - yes even the native Chinese man, like we were aliens - I mean who had ever heard of transferring money from one country to another!? (Wells Fargo said they do it all the time - but obviously not at this branch). They sent us to the Bank Of China, who at least knew we were human, but they also were not sure what to do with my account number. Finally I decided that what I would do was ... read more

So I've been meaning to write about bathrooms and sewage for a while now because it's an unforgettable experience in China. Let's start by talking about toilets which are most likely going to be the first thing that you encountered here. Most toilets in China are a hole in the ground. Well - not just a hole. Most of the squatty pottys are set along side each other on a tiled platform that is raised slightly above the walk way. Furthermore, these toilets may or may not be separated from each other by walls, doors or any combination of the two. From above, the toilet often looks similar to a regular toilet seat only set into the ground instead of being set on an actual toilet, so you have to squat over it. You can find ... read more

I apologize for not writing the last few days but I have been VERY busy! Unfortunately most of what I have been busy with isn’t Blog worthy. For the past few I have been studying, doing homework, and test taking. My classes are great though! I am the sole student and so have a lot of personal attentions. I love the fact that I can ask ANY question that comes to mind! I am sure it is a little annoying for my teacher at times but she is very patient and explains things quite well. She is also very adorable - always cutely dressed and smiley. The Chinese I learned in the past (ages ago - OK over 6 months ago) is slowly coming back. I am still struggling with words I should know. It is ... read more

In general, Chinese women dress more conservatively, and some what more formally than American women. For example, sun dresses, blouses, and skirts are very popular here. Chinese women also love wearing miniature pairs of heels for every day casual wear. Usually, they'll wear some type of sock or stocking with this. Wearing sheer black tights or a pair of black knee high stockings under denim shorts (or any pair of shorts for that matter) is also pretty popular, so even casual wear tends to get classed up. Sometimes however, you'll see Chinese women wearing these weird flesh tone stockings that don't match their outfits. It's all in an effort to keep their feet clean. I definitely do not recommend wearing flip flops or sandals here. I mean, some people do it, but the ground's so dirty ... read more