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Posts: 7204

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Q: DIY in China

Does your partner let you do DIY at home?

Let me re phrase that

Are you allowed to do little jobs around the house?

No that doesn't sound right either.

Are you allowed to paint a room or fix a tap or a broken appliance?

I get told not to do anything as it's cheap to get somebody in to do it.

But sometimes I get so board and want to just do though's little jobs that annoy the hell out of me.

Just putting up a shelf or a bit of tileing to feel like I've done something

I grew up on a farm and have always been self sufficient  so this can get unbearable after a while 

are you in the same boat?

11 years 51 weeks ago in  Housing - China

 
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Posts: 1718

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Exactly the same!!!  I thought it was just my gf, but now I'm thinking its just the Chinese thing to do.  Even the smallest jobs!!!!   I wanted to change the lock and handle on out bedroom door and she wanted to call someone in!  She was amazed I could do it myself.  When we got a wireless router for the internet she wanted to call someone in to set it up!  It was the same with the fuse box!!!  In China they seem to have no idea what the hell they're doing with the fuse box.  I replaced the wire braker in the big fusebox in our building, again she wanted to call somone in 

 

Whats up with that?

philbravery:

And when they do something its always half done

Last year I went to a company that builds machinery in Shandong and had to explain why we use undercoat before painting

or that some of the work looked like a after thought

they just look at you as if to say what would the white monkey know

Well un till you put the cheque book away 

11 years 51 weeks ago
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11 years 51 weeks ago
 
Posts: 960

Shifu

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I tried to do a few things initially but was always told to relax and her brother was brought in to handle things. I am not the worlds greatest handyman but I am also not completely useless. After helping solve a few simple problems such as hanging a few curtain rods I am now at least asked to assist. Being a little lazy I have no problem if someone else does things but I can't help butting in when I witness some of the dodgy work or dumb things that are attempted when doing simple tasks.   

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11 years 51 weeks ago
 
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I am basically on the same boat.  I am quite handy with my hands, and except for plaster, I can do just about anything.  But maybe it is for the reason stated, it is so cheap to find someone else to do it.  Yet, I do believe my GF feels I can not do any repairs besides the money part.

We had a problem with the telephone wire inside the walls in my building, and of course in my apartment.  The phone company was called, and they claim it was too difficult to replace wire in conduits inside the wall, so they hung a wire from ground level to 5th floor on outside wall, and reactivated one of the two house phones.  We have a two story apartment.  When I asked if another wire will be strung to the downstraisrs phone, I was told it was too difficult, to keep my mouth shut.  So, after getting piss and cooled down, went over hardware store, bought some telephone wire  (2 pairs, 4 conductors), and went to panel on ground floor and disconnected wire installed by phone company, and connected the one I bought.  Ran it to my apartment, and there on first floor used 2 conductors to connect the phone there, and continued wire to second flooor and connected second phone.  All the time I was told I was messing things up, so when I finish (took me less than 30 minutes) I asked her to try both phones, and when they worked she could not believe it.  Her words were :you are so smart".  And like that, it is the same with everything else.  She will call outside help for anything, if I am aware of it I will fix it inmediately.  Maybe with patience she will one day realize I am not so dumb.

Jnusb416:

I have a feeling that, in general, Chinese men think women are not capable of much. In turn, the women think the men are incapable as well. Yet the people who come to fix things didn't really have training...? I'd love to marry a guy who can fix up the house. My dad can, and I'm sure it saves a lot of money. I am so confused right now.

11 years 51 weeks ago
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11 years 51 weeks ago
 
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The wife was astonished when I told her we didn't need an Ayi. I told her I could do a half-assed job cleaning the apartment for free. 

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11 years 51 weeks ago
 
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We've got people in renovating our whole complex at the moment and its just a joke.  Everything is done half arsed.  They paint without undercoats so it looks crap and even watered down in some places.   Not just here but every time I see brickwork its terrible!!  I'm not a builder but my god.  The bricks are crap and the brickwork is even worse!!!! It looks terrible.  The only thing thats been done well were the new concrete steps.  Everything else looks like its been done by trainees.

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11 years 51 weeks ago
 
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Governor

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when i was at my daughter-in-law,she asked me to put another bulb in her light,no problem,but she bought the wrong type,was amazed that it didn't fit.

 

got another one for you to laugh at,they had a flat screen television fixed in the bedroom,i was asked why it don't work,had a quick glance then asked where the Aerial  lead was.

 

they want me to move in with them and fix all the faults

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11 years 43 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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one of my teachers grew up in Columbia she had a maid they did not need one but they could afford one and because of the economy it was expected that they have a maid or they where not doing there part maybe it is the same there.

philbravery:

No  Jiliu        it is more that our partners and family think we are to dumb to do things for ourselves

If you get here  all the things that we talk about on here will be much clearer.

you will realize that this is another planet 

and make sure that you have some help when you get here

the locals will eat you alive if you don't (not Bullshiting you)

11 years 43 weeks ago
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Jíliú.hé:

thank i know i plan to hook up with people i know there when i go but they tend to fle every 6 months or so so i am trying to time it. 

 

11 years 43 weeks ago
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11 years 43 weeks ago
 
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