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Q: Did you ever get help from a Chinese friend/colleague to move apartments?
So I am year old in China now and moved apartment thrice... yesterday was the latest, I am working in a same company for a year. The town is a quite developing area... so I didn't see another foreigner in this part of town in last one year, well apart from few Malaysians work in the same company... so I don't really have many guy friends except the company colleagues... yesterday while moving the apartment i thought back for the last three times...
1st instance... I moved my bags all alone (just 2 bags and couple of boxes) on the electric bike. though I remember a colleagues offered me to help but on the moving day he had to go meet a friend.
2nd instance... a colleague did actually came to help me but all he did was drive the car, and while I was carrying the bags and boxes up and down he sat playing with the phone.
yesterday: a colleague offered to help (I didn't ask)... and guess what, he got a call from a friend to meet and he left at the last moment, another friend came with a car (now I got 3 huge bags and 5 boxes, dumbbells and some other stuff to move), all she did was sat and playing with the phone while I did all the lifting... and thanked me for not asking her to help to lift anything.
I was wondering nobody ever actually helped to physically lift anything... I workout regularly so I can manage alone easily but the point was if they didn't really wanna help, why offer to help first?
It is not Indian/sub continent culture where if a family member dies, the whole neighborhood flock to mourn with the affected family for days. This is China where people don't give a heck about others dying on the road side in front of their eyes.
I have moved once during the last two years and kept my luggage with the previous neighbor who by the time were good friends of mine. So I would say it depends on the people you befriend with. There is a whole different theory of friendship in China if you are haunted by the friendship theory back at home.
You are on your own here so be ready to deal with anything that comes in the way. You can always pay 20/50 to the sweeper to help you carry the luggage.
MOST IMPORTANT
NEVER FORGET TO REGISTER YOUR NEW ADDRESS WITH THE POLICE STATION WITHIN 24 HOURS OTHERWISE YOU CAN GET FINED..
Well, my wife usually asks our friends and family and they almost always help. If they can, they will give us a ride and help us bring the boxes up to the new residence.
She helps them out a lot too though. Chinese are more willing to help each other than foreigners because many foreigners have little to offer to benefit Chinese other than helping them to gain face. Depends on the person you run into... but yeah Chinese will help you out... especially if you are related somewhere... if they don't, they lose face.
At least they gave you I lift I suppose. And volunteered to come. Could be worse I guess. I was supposed to help a Chinese friend move apartment but I got steaming drunk the night before. I'm embarrassed to say but I feel like I should be honest.
Possibly they didn't ACTUALLY want to help you. Remember, in China "yes" foes not always mean yes.
I have moved three times in China. Each time, received physical help from locals that I knew.
