A Fine Start

After a rocky couple of days around Christmas, New Year’s has gotten off to a good start so far. 

I moved into our new rented home on Christmas day. Not much to it, I packed up my two suitcases (which had been left open on the floor of my Chinese-sized hotel room for the past month) trotted down to the front desk of the hotel and checked out…

(As an aside, it’s so funny how polite people are here. The hotel where I’ve been staying is somewhat remote and relatively small. I suspect I may be one of the only Caucasians that has ever stayed there. Regardless, EVERY time I came to the front desk and tried – in broken Chinese – to communicate something, they ALWAYS ask me what room number I’m in, then the entire staff would gather round to try to decipher what my issue/question was.  I’m pretty sure they all knew exactly what room I was in. And so it was when I checked out: “room number please”)

… Anyway, loaded my stuff into the Chinese-sized taxi and away I went to my new digs. I know most of you have been hit with horrible weather and I must admit it has not been that bad here, but it has been VERY cold – the kind that cuts through every layer of clothing you have. Well, I get to the new place only to find the in-floor heating system was never turned on.  Since the homes are made entirely of concrete and brick, once the liquid heating system is pumping, it still takes about 48 hours for the home to warm up.  I figured I was in for 2 days of discomfort. So I arranged to have a guy come over to turn it on right away – on Christmas day (just another day here). 

Meanwhile I truck off to get the basics – some bedding and food for Sunday.  The total came to almost $400 USD!!! – for one flat sheet, a comforter and cover, 2 pillows and 2 pillow cases.  Oddly enough, everything we have made in China and get for reasonable prices in the US, is WAY overpriced here.  Go figure. After dropping my goodies off at the house, my recently befriended Korean friend and I head off to have Christmas dinner together. We ate at a North Korean restaurant. All the workers are from North Korea and are their best students rewarded with the opportunity to serve internships in China as waitresses and cooks. Odd.  Had some interesting foods – including Kimchee (sp?).  Had never had it. Doesn’t taste as bad as it smells – pretty good actually.

I get home late in the evening to a FREEZING house, and with the howling north wind, it’s getting colder by the hour.  I put on every layer of clothing I can, heat up a little something in my Chinese-sized oven and hover over it after I’ve turned if off for a welcomed few minutes of warmth. After trying for several hours to connect to the internet to make calls on my IP phone, or to send texts via email, or to just send an email, I trace all the lines and discover that the phones and internet were also never turned on.  Freezing and unable to communicate with the outside world, I eventually jump under my expensive new comforter and try to get some sleep. BURR.

Sunday morning comes – guess what, they hadn’t turned on the water heater either and I was stupid enough not to have checked. No warm shower. Frown. Doesn’t matter, didn’t have enough cash to buy towels. Apparently I’m not very detailed – I was told everything would be on, and that it WAS on – so why should I run around and check every little thing? Wait till next time – I’m a quick study.

I head to the management office requesting that the someone come over and turn on the hot water and phone, head back to dress for church and then off to the prospect of a warm Sacrament meeting in our rented hall. Well, I learned that they seldom heat large public spaces here.  It’s easier and less expensive for each person to wear warm cloths than it is to heat an entire big space. (Next time you see any pics of Chinese students in class in the winter, notice they are all bundled up). So much for hoping to get warm.

Upon returning home I am informed that the heating unit is actually broken and the repair part has to come from the factory – won’t be in for 2 days. Ugh. As for the internet, a guy won’t be out until sometime on Monday. Another cold and quiet night.  Well, the story continues on in much the same fashion for a couple of days, but eventually all is resolved.  I must say, despite an inauspicious start, everyone involved was falling all over themselves trying to rectify the situation.  It was hard to be mad when everyone was trying hard to fix the situation. Besides, it’s Christmas – I purport to be a Christian – I’m in a non-Christian country … so I figure I better just roll with the punches.

Fast forward to today, January 2. My house is warm, my hot water works, I have towels, my internet and phone are turned on, my cell phone works again (I didn’t even include THAT little escapade!) and I have some food in the fridge. What more can you ask for?  (Ok, maybe at least ONE English TV channel – I’ll work on that this week).

So this may come across as an “ugly American” sort of story. Not so. Despite some of my tongue-in-cheek remarks, I’m truly not bashing the folks here. Just musing over some challenges and miscommunications. I’m learning (once again) that different cultures do things differently – I’m here and I need to figure out how to get things done within the norms of THIS community. Although discomforted and a little frustrated, all in all its one of those “look back and laugh” scenarios. If those are the worst of my challenges over the next couple of years, things will be very good.

Yay for 2011!!!! Yay for a warm house!!!!

Cheers to all.  Happy New Year.

Jay