This is going to be an interesting topic this week. Let face it we are shop and over shop and some time even impulse buy.
Shoppers beware if you are shopping in China. Think twice and consider hard, look at all the options before you swipe that card, or (cash which is preferred). What you purchase will be forever yours.
There are certainly some exception like (foreign stores), you already pay more than you shop anywhere else with the same item, plus two extra Tax you have to pay for import goods. In that case you may be able to get them to “exchange your item”, but for a refund. Sorry dear, that is almost unheard of, there were no customer service to speak of, just lots of forms, and lots of questions, if you have a free day, with nothing else better to do, you may be successful.
If you wish for a refund from goods you purchase from a local store, your patience will be on trail. The clerk often told you refund is prohibited and not permitted in China and walk away. (Imagine yourself in one of those movies where you were left in a busy shopping mall holding the bag, while the camera pan away for a wider shot, there were hundreds of people surrounding you all going about their own business, and you were there standing alone. The shot get wider, and you get smaller, until you bend into the crowd and disappeared. Got it. That is the image.
Of course there may be some instances that you hit the jackpot after filling out many forms and investigated, more like interrogated for hours in the managers office. You may get your refund. The question is, does it worth your time.
I suspected this might be the only way my host country knew to discourage or even eliminate corruption (kick back). The following is my encounter that spark this blog story:
I subscribe to a foreign cable service. In the 4 months I had the service. My cable service went down 5 times, each time took them 3-4 days to get it running again. Some time the service disconnected as soon as the technician left the apt. It happened again three days ago, and again tonight, out of frustration I told the service technician that this would be the last time I put up with this nonsense, if the cable company can’t fix the problem. I wanted my refund, (Since cable service were pay once a year). She kindly informed me with a smile that it is not permitted in China. “What do you mean by not permitted?” I asked. She said “No refund, it is the law”.
The firecracker within me exploded. I have to give them a whole year of the cable fee up front when the service is not performed correctly; I was told I wouldn’t get my money back. I found out later it is the norm; you just had to put up with it.
What do you think? I figure the worst it could happen if I protested in front of the largest state own cable company headquarter, might be hotel Siberia with breakfast lunch and dinner included for a while, you think that worth a trial? : O
Would you come to my rescue?
I know some of you will raise holy hell if you were in the same situation, but then it is China, your protest usually fell on death ear. You can either go with the flow or you can just get mad and go nowhere.
The point is that if this country wanted to join the first world as a world power, she must give her people the most basic of choice, after all it is hard earn money from my own savings. Your thought?
Chance Encounter NYC
Friday, February 17, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
My Movie Experience
Week 14:
The exploration in Shanghai goes on at week 14 in the city.
I finally decided to go to a move. Not just any movie, but a Hollywood film, or as we say it here the foreign film. I was frustrated not being able to find any movie info online, even when I find the movie it does not tell me where it is being shown, nor show time information. A far cry for the info I get in the states.
Since there was more than one theater showing foreign films, I must make sure I can get there on public transports. After 12 weeks, the hidden agenda of this latest outing was to start exploring the wonderful modern Metro system in the city, therefore a theatre within walking distance from the metro station was the target plus what better time to do that than a rare beautiful sunny day in the city.
Once the target was identified, the mission was getting there. While I enter the Metro station, I was surprise to found all bags had to go thru security scanning. Not the hand checks like I had experienced at the museums, rather it is like airport scanner for luggage. Once in side, I encountered a clean and efficient modern system, just like the MTR in Hong Kong.
The theatre:
Where do you think the theatre located? It is not that unusual to find movie theatre in a mega shopping mall. However find one on the top floor of the mega mall was a little unusual. This mall had two wings and 6 shopping floors with the entrance atrium at the joint. Which scour all 6 floors provided a dramatic setting of scale as you enter the mall. Plus all the escalators are all free hanging from one floor to another, span between the floors above the atrium, like you saw in some futuristic science fiction movies or rending. It is so hard to explain, I was a little stunned by the setting, or may be I should say, admiration of the interior design.
These malls are not only well designed, the configuration of the shops were well thought off, all had one purpose to give shopping the ultimate shop till you drop experience. They also had an upscale grocery store in the basement, like what we had in numerous New York locations. They were a nice touch. After the shopping empty out their wallets, (seldom credit cards), they could consider a home cook meal for the family, since they can no longer afford to feed them. Just kidding. A devilish thought.
The floors are all divided into categories like our department stores. The restaurants are all located on the upper floors, they wanted their shoppers spend money on shops, not just go there to eat. The most amazing for me was the multiplex theatres were located on the top floor.
On all appearance the lobby of the theatre were no different than ours. However that is where the similarity ends. The movie show times where in Chinese I can’t hardly understand what they movie were without any pictures. Trying to get some info from the poster was all but impossible, with crowds of patrons blocking the view.
In front of the ticket windows were multiple long lines waiting to purchase tickets, as if the movies were free. Granted it was my first time going to movie any in Asia, I had no idea what all the lines were all about. I stand there like an idiot (This will be the first and last time you will ever heard me describing myself this way); lost and confused not knowing where to turn and my friend was not much help either. After 8 years in Asia, he spoke no Chinese.
After a looooong while I kind of figure out at least one line out of the three were coupon holders. However I can’t figure out what the other two lines where all about. Suddenly, I was shaken by loud noise from a man with the bullhorn came out from nowhere, and the stampede begun with people rush from one line to the other. In the mist of the confusion, I finally decided that I should really ask someone where I should go; at this rate I could have end up standing there for hours without even getting my hand on any ticket.
With my limited Chinese the guy with the bullhorn (you must ask the one in charge in China.) seems to understood me, or perhaps took pity on me, he shuffled me to the front of the shortest line, in front of everyone else been waiting there. Honestly I do not wanted to cut in line but he insisted that I should stay there and the others do not seem to mind. So there I was first in line. Facing the agent, a (SWEET) girl with a straight face.
Now came another challenge. I have no idea what “Sherlock Holmes 2” was call in Chinese nor I knew what the name of the movie in that matter. I do not remember what I told her. Some how there seems to be a problem; I finally understood she was trying to tell me there were no tickets available for the next two scheduled shows I preferred to see. In the end I manage to get ticket for the show that starts three hours from the time I purchase the ticket. Why can’t they have “Fandango” in China? That would have made things a lot simpler isn’t it?
By the way I forgot to tell you that they had computer ticket machines in the lobby, but it was not working, and not sure if they ever worked, it could be there for show only, I think someone forgot to plug it in.
Next step. Payment.
What is the most expensive movie ticket you ever purchased for a single show? I was in shock when I hand her 100 RMB, and she look at me, as if I am out of my mind. They want 100 RMB (EACH TICKET) that was almost $16.00 USD for a ticket. Talking about highway robbery. How could all these young people afford to go to the movie? Needless to say I have to skip my favorite popcorn. (Yes they had American pop corn, just like back home). However popcorn and a Pepsi combination (No Coke) Pepsi only, and no ice as well was ONLY 28 RMB. (Less than $5) Now that was a bargain. Still I am not paying for it.
More Surprise:
As we enter the theatre hall, we found no one nor sign to show us where the movie is playing. The two of us going from theater to theaters, looking for the theatre that play our movie, it was not that much fun. We were in an out of theatres, and no one notice, we can actually paid once and see every movie that was playing. Just a thought, you know I am too honest to do that kind of thing. Not worth trying either.
Never the less, after the right movie was located, we had to tackle another problem, the assigned seating.
Since we can’t read the tickets, we had to speculate where our seats were and what it meant. This is better than “Some” airlines, they had assign seating in the theatre, although you have no choice on which seat you can pick, but you are assigned anyway. As luck had it. We end up on the wrong side of the theatre in the dark. When we finally got to our seat two girls was in it. Don’t assume that we were the foreign devil that was wrong, because we were the dummy, we came to found out they were on our seats. Since we did not get any dates out of the two young ladies that took our seat. We made them moved.
What is the lesson learn here for me?
Encounter happens every day, even as mundane as going to a movie in a foreign land. You could consider it as a hassle or you could look at it as a wonderful experience.
I hope you share my sense of adventure, the love of foreign culture and travel. My encounter will go on.
Chance Encounter Shanghai
The exploration in Shanghai goes on at week 14 in the city.
I finally decided to go to a move. Not just any movie, but a Hollywood film, or as we say it here the foreign film. I was frustrated not being able to find any movie info online, even when I find the movie it does not tell me where it is being shown, nor show time information. A far cry for the info I get in the states.
Since there was more than one theater showing foreign films, I must make sure I can get there on public transports. After 12 weeks, the hidden agenda of this latest outing was to start exploring the wonderful modern Metro system in the city, therefore a theatre within walking distance from the metro station was the target plus what better time to do that than a rare beautiful sunny day in the city.
Once the target was identified, the mission was getting there. While I enter the Metro station, I was surprise to found all bags had to go thru security scanning. Not the hand checks like I had experienced at the museums, rather it is like airport scanner for luggage. Once in side, I encountered a clean and efficient modern system, just like the MTR in Hong Kong.
The theatre:
Where do you think the theatre located? It is not that unusual to find movie theatre in a mega shopping mall. However find one on the top floor of the mega mall was a little unusual. This mall had two wings and 6 shopping floors with the entrance atrium at the joint. Which scour all 6 floors provided a dramatic setting of scale as you enter the mall. Plus all the escalators are all free hanging from one floor to another, span between the floors above the atrium, like you saw in some futuristic science fiction movies or rending. It is so hard to explain, I was a little stunned by the setting, or may be I should say, admiration of the interior design.
These malls are not only well designed, the configuration of the shops were well thought off, all had one purpose to give shopping the ultimate shop till you drop experience. They also had an upscale grocery store in the basement, like what we had in numerous New York locations. They were a nice touch. After the shopping empty out their wallets, (seldom credit cards), they could consider a home cook meal for the family, since they can no longer afford to feed them. Just kidding. A devilish thought.
The floors are all divided into categories like our department stores. The restaurants are all located on the upper floors, they wanted their shoppers spend money on shops, not just go there to eat. The most amazing for me was the multiplex theatres were located on the top floor.
On all appearance the lobby of the theatre were no different than ours. However that is where the similarity ends. The movie show times where in Chinese I can’t hardly understand what they movie were without any pictures. Trying to get some info from the poster was all but impossible, with crowds of patrons blocking the view.
In front of the ticket windows were multiple long lines waiting to purchase tickets, as if the movies were free. Granted it was my first time going to movie any in Asia, I had no idea what all the lines were all about. I stand there like an idiot (This will be the first and last time you will ever heard me describing myself this way); lost and confused not knowing where to turn and my friend was not much help either. After 8 years in Asia, he spoke no Chinese.
After a looooong while I kind of figure out at least one line out of the three were coupon holders. However I can’t figure out what the other two lines where all about. Suddenly, I was shaken by loud noise from a man with the bullhorn came out from nowhere, and the stampede begun with people rush from one line to the other. In the mist of the confusion, I finally decided that I should really ask someone where I should go; at this rate I could have end up standing there for hours without even getting my hand on any ticket.
With my limited Chinese the guy with the bullhorn (you must ask the one in charge in China.) seems to understood me, or perhaps took pity on me, he shuffled me to the front of the shortest line, in front of everyone else been waiting there. Honestly I do not wanted to cut in line but he insisted that I should stay there and the others do not seem to mind. So there I was first in line. Facing the agent, a (SWEET) girl with a straight face.
Now came another challenge. I have no idea what “Sherlock Holmes 2” was call in Chinese nor I knew what the name of the movie in that matter. I do not remember what I told her. Some how there seems to be a problem; I finally understood she was trying to tell me there were no tickets available for the next two scheduled shows I preferred to see. In the end I manage to get ticket for the show that starts three hours from the time I purchase the ticket. Why can’t they have “Fandango” in China? That would have made things a lot simpler isn’t it?
By the way I forgot to tell you that they had computer ticket machines in the lobby, but it was not working, and not sure if they ever worked, it could be there for show only, I think someone forgot to plug it in.
Next step. Payment.
What is the most expensive movie ticket you ever purchased for a single show? I was in shock when I hand her 100 RMB, and she look at me, as if I am out of my mind. They want 100 RMB (EACH TICKET) that was almost $16.00 USD for a ticket. Talking about highway robbery. How could all these young people afford to go to the movie? Needless to say I have to skip my favorite popcorn. (Yes they had American pop corn, just like back home). However popcorn and a Pepsi combination (No Coke) Pepsi only, and no ice as well was ONLY 28 RMB. (Less than $5) Now that was a bargain. Still I am not paying for it.
More Surprise:
As we enter the theatre hall, we found no one nor sign to show us where the movie is playing. The two of us going from theater to theaters, looking for the theatre that play our movie, it was not that much fun. We were in an out of theatres, and no one notice, we can actually paid once and see every movie that was playing. Just a thought, you know I am too honest to do that kind of thing. Not worth trying either.
Never the less, after the right movie was located, we had to tackle another problem, the assigned seating.
Since we can’t read the tickets, we had to speculate where our seats were and what it meant. This is better than “Some” airlines, they had assign seating in the theatre, although you have no choice on which seat you can pick, but you are assigned anyway. As luck had it. We end up on the wrong side of the theatre in the dark. When we finally got to our seat two girls was in it. Don’t assume that we were the foreign devil that was wrong, because we were the dummy, we came to found out they were on our seats. Since we did not get any dates out of the two young ladies that took our seat. We made them moved.
What is the lesson learn here for me?
Encounter happens every day, even as mundane as going to a movie in a foreign land. You could consider it as a hassle or you could look at it as a wonderful experience.
I hope you share my sense of adventure, the love of foreign culture and travel. My encounter will go on.
Chance Encounter Shanghai
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