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Posts: 263

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Q: Have you ever been accused by Chinese of using too much water & el. power?

There're 3 people in my family whom I trained to take shower every day.  I do the laundry every day, I wash my bedding every week, we use at least two computers & my husband watches those stupid talent shows on TV. I also use 2 A C s in summer. My husband stopped nagging about "wasting water" a long time ago, but Chinese folks who visit me always ask 'why do you do laundry again?' I try to switch appliances off when we don't use them & I pay my bills myself (around 400 every month).  Is it just me or Chinese are too obsessed with saving power & water?

10 years 49 weeks ago in  General  - China

 
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haha.  After 10 years, my wife still complains about the amount of water and power I use.  Of course, if I went an entire month without electricity and water, with only a candle to provide light, my wife would complain about my wasting wax and matches. Smile

 

I think it is just in their nature to want to always save more money.  Not always a bad thing, but sometimes it can get annoying.  

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10 years 49 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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Being wasteful is not a virtue.I'm not saying you or anyone being wasteful. Situations vary a lot. I approve people do self-judging and self reflection.

 

China is 1 of the 12 worst countries that have the most critical water resource shortage. On average a Chinese person only possess 1/4 of the world average level, 1/5 of the American average level, 1/7 of the Soviet Russian level, and 1/48 of Canadian level.

 

Being able to pay your water and electricity bill doesn't make it a good thing to use water and electricity as much as you want. When human beings run out of potable water resource,  nobody can get any water no matter how much money you have.

 

Chinese sense of saving isn't only about money, in my opinion. It's a sense of life crisis. Every drop of water is important and necessary to make our life as a nation, as a species sustainable.

 

勤俭节约是中华民族的传统美德。

Dignity and frugality are traditional virtues of Chinese people.

 

Well yes there are lots of people who are very wasteful and don't care about it at all. But why you have to be like them? I think if someone wants to be the salt on the earth, he/ she should live by practicing his/her faith.

 

Honestly I can't observe all I said above all the time. It would go to  the other extreme situation if you're too obsessed with saving, like having Obsessive compulsory disorder. It's not worth it. We are living right now and worrying too much about tomorrow affects badly on today's life quality. 

 

 

http://news.qq.com/a/20130315/000138.htm#p=3

 

水是生命的源泉。珍惜每一滴水。

Water is the source spring of life. Please treasure every drop of it.

GuilinRaf:

You convinced me!!!!!indecision

I will brush my teeth every other day.

I will only shower once a week.

Change my bedclothes in the summer and in the winter.

When my clothes are dirty, just lie them out in the sun.

I wont flush the toilet because I wont USE the toilet! I will go outside in the bushes and in the subway cars, just like little kids (and many adults) do!!!

 

10 years 49 weeks ago
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ohChina:

haha oh no I didn't mean that lol. Look I said we live in today and situations vary a lot :)

10 years 49 weeks ago
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Scandinavian:

@oh: Good post. I sadly think that a large part of the Chinese people have sold their old virtues ofr modern garbage like iPhones. The modern Chinese people don't care about anything than to acquire stuff. 

10 years 49 weeks ago
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mike168229:

Dignity is a Chinese virtue? Not so sure about that.

10 years 49 weeks ago
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ohChina:

oops sorry it should be diligence . i typed it wrong by mistake .  dignity in Chinese is 尊严 ,气节.  you're right . I see too many Chinese people being shameless too 

10 years 49 weeks ago
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GuilinRaf:

 I was teasing (note the smily faces, that means not to be taken seriously) If I had been angry or if I had been disagreeing with you, I would not use the smily' faces.

10 years 49 weeks ago
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:

"We are living right now and worrying too much about tomorrow affects badly on today's life quality."

 

Well, there you are, you've got already the  answer . 

10 years 49 weeks ago
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10 years 49 weeks ago
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10 years 49 weeks ago
 
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Everyday. It gets annoying.

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10 years 49 weeks ago
 
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Yup, both water and electricity. Not sure why though. Ie. I don't have a water heater running 24/7 to be able to mix in a little boiled water with some cold water. If you look at ressource waste, China will soon get ahead of the US. 

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10 years 49 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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You are more than likely an American? I water my lawn every other day. Have two computers, an automatic washer, two large screen TVs, We heat and cook with gas. I was born in the UK and lived there during WW11. We live in California. My electric bill is 1/3 of the average American user. Our water bill is half and gas about half. What does this tell you. Your washing machine? Only do the largest wash that the machine will handle. no half loads. Use warm or cold water, not hot. Shut down your TVs and computers completely after use. If you are not an American you should be.Franck3

GuilinRaf:

We would be happy to have her!!!!!

Not sure if she would want to be American  however.....

10 years 49 weeks ago
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crimochina:

ww2 ended 1945 (abouts earlier in europe) lets say you were born in 1935. you are 77 -78 and living in china posting on the internet???? 

i thought chinese were good in "maths" or maybe with all the hatred they are taught about japan they don't realize the war has ended .

10 years 49 weeks ago
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ElenaDob:

Hi, Frank. Actually, I'm Russian.  We take our natural resources for granted, but I don't think showering every day is a waste of water. People here (in China) like talking a lot about not wasting resources, but it's all mouth & no trousers (is it the way the saying goes?) A lot of water & power is being wasted every day.

Every time after class, I remind students that the last to leave should turn the lights off, but they always "forget".

 As for accusation of being wumao (have no clue what that means), join the club.

I believe you're from the UK, I heard from British teachers that people back in the day used to keep coal in the bathtubs which you mentioned.

10 years 48 weeks ago
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mike168229:

You embarrass me by claiming to be from the same country as me.

You reactionary fool.

10 years 28 weeks ago
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10 years 49 weeks ago
 
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Governor

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Frank too obviously Wumao.

 

Born and lived in the UK during WW2?

 

So you're at least 80 years old and comment randomly on an online Chinese site?

 

Oh and you said WW2, every English person says world war 2 or world war two, not WW11, moron. Why make it OBVIOUS you're a wumao?

GuilinRaf:

I was trying to think where the other 9 World Wars went.....

10 years 49 weeks ago
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Hulk:

I use WW1, and WW2. So do countless others in America. I'm not saying he isn't a wumao... I'm just saying. EDIT: lmao, I just realize he wrote WW11. I'm literally laughing my ass off in bed right now.

10 years 49 weeks ago
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ambivalentmace:

sorry young guys but the old fart is right , from another old fart , we do use roman numerals wwii for referring to world war 2. comes from the the black and white tv series world at war from the seventies that came on every sunday night at seven thirty to compete with the weekly disney movie, damn i m getting old. this sucks,

10 years 49 weeks ago
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boqievents:

Ok, roman numerals I could accept.

 

Is 'WW11' Roman numerals?

 

And no one I've met in the last 50 years calls it 'World war 11' [what's that? world war one one?]

10 years 49 weeks ago
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GuilinRaf:

Middle aged fart here:

WW II, not WW 11....

BIG difference....

-Guilinraf

10 years 49 weeks ago
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crimochina:

further proof he is chinese. many of my students make that very same mistake

10 years 49 weeks ago
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Franck3:

Try putting WW11 in your computer and see who is the moron.

10 years 49 weeks ago
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Franck3:

First, what has WW11 got to do with my comment? I have no idea what a wumao is and you are making an issue out of WW11? Yes I am retired (80) with an IQ of 185 and thought that I might be able to help answer some of the questions on this site. Not get abuse from you, WW11 WII W2 who cares as long as you know what we are talking about, which obviously you don't. Franck3

10 years 49 weeks ago
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Franck3:

You also may be interested to know that when the American army moves over the countryside the local population can live off what they leave behind. Americans are the most wasteful people I have ever met. They have never learned to conserve. I look at my water, electric and gas bills which show the average usage and am appalled at what is being used. roughly three times what we use. We have two computers going most of the time Two large screen TVs We water the lawn every other day .have a 40 gallon hot water heater, het and cook with  gas. So what are my neighbors doing using three times as much as we do? Franck3

10 years 49 weeks ago
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Franck3:

this is why you only have 36 posts. You don;t know much. I have never seen world war two WW2. Always WW11  Roman numerals. But I imagine you don't know what 2 is in Latin, MORON. Franck3

10 years 47 weeks ago
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GuilinRaf:

Um, if you want Roman numerals, you use two capitalized "i"'s.  You dont use the  number "1" twice. 

If you want to use numbers, then you would write it as WW 2.

So, If you want to abbreviate the Second World War, the acceptable ways would be 

WW II

WW 2.

If you write it as WW 11, you are saying "World War Eleven".

 

10 years 47 weeks ago
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10 years 49 weeks ago
 
Posts: 263

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Hey, guys, using water & power & wasting it is not the same. I don't have water running if no one is using it & I switch off my shower heater during the day time. 

But what I see around me is very controversial:

Greasy spoons across from our campus wash their dishes with dirty water, they just dump all the bowl in a big tub & wash them  by the road side;  a couple of toilets in the public bathroom are leaking, so they're flushing & flushing & flushing....; some water taps are dripping water;

 I agree that China faces water shortage, but instead of   encouraging   people to turn into pigs, fix the leaking taps, don't use clean water to flush toilets & mop the floor (used laundry water will do), collect rain water, treat dirty waters & use it again, develop high techs that will enable us to use ocean water.

 How much bottled water is wasted?! They drink a half of it & leave the other half behind.

 

Scandinavian:

There is a lot of waste going on. A lot of buildings have a silly amount of lights, our bedroom has eternal daylight (only blogged by the "fog" at times) the taking care of the park in our community water the plants both in the morning on days where there is burning hot sun so it evaporates before it hits the ground, or they water plants during rain) 

10 years 49 weeks ago
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GuilinRaf:

Many of the "water conservationists" I know use that as an excuse to not shower on a regular basis.

Very true especially about the purchase of a bottle of water and then throw away half of it or more.

Even when friends visit at home and ask for a glass of hot water, they take one sip and leave the rest.

Food is another big waste. They order far more than they can eat and many will not "da bao" (doggy bag") it.

In the petrol stations (gas stations in  "US speak") the bathrooms are a trough with a bucket that is filled with slowly dripping water and then it tips into the trough. Every two or three minutes or so, 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Hoses that are rarely turned off.

And then, they accuse you of wasting water because you shower every day.

10 years 49 weeks ago
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10 years 49 weeks ago
 
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I've been accused of using too much water and power by everyone from my former landlord, to the power company. Apparently it's enough to warrant bills of 800+ RMB per month. I barely used any power.

 

Confident that either the power company or landlord was screwing me, before I left my previous apartment, I left everything running 24/7, and used up 4 times the amount of electricity that I used in the previous month.

 

So what happened? The bill came in: 98 RMB. After using 4 times the amount. The water has never been a problem, 'cause it's absurdly cheap. However, the electricity scams really boil my bacon.

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10 years 49 weeks ago
 
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my power bill was 98 rmb for the last 2 months , march april, that being said , my power bill in jinan when its 40 c outside was 780 rmb for july august, never had a water bill over 40 rmb and shower every day.  tv cable 600 a year, internet 750 a year, winter heat 1750 for 4 months , small apartment , 58 sq mtrs.

shortage of water is an illogical misconception, the water is a finite amount on earth in liquid , gas or solid, water is in the wrong places and in the wrong forms but shortage is only if your not willing to pay to get it where you need it.

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10 years 49 weeks ago
 
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Dont bathe!

Dont flush!

Be natural! Save water! Prevent global warming! Save the planet!!!!!!!!!

GuilinRaf:

No , the Universe!!!!!!!!!

10 years 49 weeks ago
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crimochina:

yes only corps and govts should be allowed to destroy the planet.

10 years 49 weeks ago
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10 years 49 weeks ago
 
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Peasant

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Not yet, but I was asked: "do you really take a shower every day?????". Later on people accepted it and everything it's just fine. 

Edit: As a wise man said: "Be water my friend, be water!" ...and so, you wouldn't need to waste it anymore.

GuilinRaf:

I shower every day . My girlfriend likes it, and that is all the encouragement I need.

10 years 49 weeks ago
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:

That's the beauty of being cleaned. You're becoming more appealable, right?

10 years 49 weeks ago
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10 years 49 weeks ago
 
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Yes I've been accused of wasting water pretty often. This is far more common to see if the Chinese person grew up in a rural part of China usually (aka poor). 

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10 years 49 weeks ago
 
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I try to be frugal with electricity but there's a problem. Though I try to store a few buckets of electricity for when it's needed, it just evaporates away very quickly.crying

GuilinRaf:

I had the same problem. Eventually, I learned that if you use a rubber top the electricity is sealed in.

10 years 49 weeks ago
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Shifu

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none of my biz what other people do

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10 years 47 weeks ago
 
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With a population of what it is now and with the amount of clean water vs. Unsanitary dirty water I would say it should be common for someone to tell you about saving water not to mention the electricity!! That was a given I got taught how to save electricity in schooL! Elementary school in fact! 

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10 years 47 weeks ago

There are cookies, bookies and too many rookies for me to sit here trying to be a hooky! Looky Looky don't call me a wooky. Touchy Touchy Feely Feely Spicy Spicy Nicey Nicey & that's what the doctor Ordered!!

 
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Why does everyone get a bag for their goddam soda. 

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10 years 47 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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Little girl was a bit late to get water, desperately trying to stop the truck.

Save water,Save lives!

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10 years 28 weeks ago
 
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I have become more frugal in my use of water. but in summer in the south of the country, i could not do without the shower........

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10 years 28 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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Here in Kunming it's easy to save electricity as there is no need for AC in the summer and USUALLY no need for heat in the winter. Also the hot water is solar powered. Total bills are around 90 all in.

In Hebei I was easily using 400 plus a month during the summer. angry

mike168229:

I'm in Hebei and I use about the same as you do in Kunming!

Yes, I shower every day, use the electricals and have A/C.

I feel you were being ripped off somewhat!

10 years 28 weeks ago
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Rin:

My AC was on 24/7 practically... three showers a day and laundry every day. Handan was so dusty and humid during the summer.

10 years 28 weeks ago
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10 years 28 weeks ago
 
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Yep, a “family friend" in Beijing once told me that I was wasting gas and electricity. I was taking the time to clean snow off my boots and he layed into me arguing that people are dying and money is wasted because of people like me.. Precious

Scandinavian:

why do you need to clean snow of your boots ? how did that waste gas/electricity ? 

10 years 28 weeks ago
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masonk:

Because he waited for me to enter the apartment, holding the door open as I was scraping off snow outside the corridor.

10 years 28 weeks ago
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10 years 28 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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my gf always turns off the ac in the middle of the night and i wake up wet in the morning ~.+

yes she tries to save alot of electricity yet we dont even have to pay it by ourselves.

 

when i was in guangzhou i paid like 100 per month in shanghai with the incredible summer i bet it was over 500

Nessquick:

this august, I have open AC 24/7, really, 2 showers for me daily, one for wife, one for son, computers, tv ... all together have been around 300rmb. That's fine score i guess

10 years 28 weeks ago
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dom87:

i guess so...

always depending if you apartment is isolated at least the slightest. If i turn of my ac its immediatly hot again...

and to cool down like 140m2 is just too expensive...

did i got downvoted because i dont by my bills myself? :D

10 years 28 weeks ago
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10 years 28 weeks ago
 
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In Fukang, Xinjiang, truck with water container is driving around, and splashing water on the road. I had to run for the cover this afternoon.

 

It's very dusty around here. We shower often.

Scandinavian:

it's likely river water they splash on the streets, at least that is what it smells like here. 

10 years 28 weeks ago
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icnif77:

Nobody saves water here!

10 years 28 weeks ago
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10 years 28 weeks ago
 
Posts: 243

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No, never. Actually I feel stranged when you asked and some answers I read here.

In my opinion chinese are one the most wasting resources (specially water & electricity) culture I've met.

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10 years 28 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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My wife doesn't complain...she actually uses them more than me

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10 years 28 weeks ago
 
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