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Q: Why I no get an answer or cooperation?- in China
Whenever I ask someone to do something like offer them less money or what ever, mostly I get a blank stare. I thought they haggled over price. But sometimes it is important to me and its like they don't listen. I have sleep apnea and lost a part for my CPAP. No problem I had one sent from home and I said ship as fast possible..It was sent regular mail. been 2 months and no show. I tried finding a supplier in town, went to some medical suppliers and no luck, I want to see what I buy. I finally found someone in North America that would ship to China, seems vendors of all sorts of things won't mail to here. We agreed to ship Fedex and he didn't, so it hasn't arrived in one month. I tried going to Post Office myself, no results. I have asked and asked GF to call Post Office. she says they will call.
Yesterday I get a parcel, correctly addressed (she thinks, someone else translated it) which I bought before i came so it would be here, thats 3 months, with 3 delivery attempts.It was shipped from Hong Kong. I tried and tried to get GF to ask about the CPAP parcels,, I begged her. All I got is they will call. I'm waving this 3 month parcel and saying when. I need this. Please call. Why can Chinese people not understand when you want something done. I get called impulsive because I want things done now. Yet they never seem to get anything done. Did Visa app-no, buy ESL book-no.
12 years 1 week ago in Relationships - China
It is very frustrating. I usually have better luck if at the second "stare" or "they will call/write/come/etc." I ask the person directly knowing he or she wont undertand. After the second or third time I ask, THEY ask my friend and my friend then translates what I said.
If it is a phone call, I mark the number and give it to my friend. Now, with the person online, they have to ask.
The first and only time i had tickets sent to me by mail, I had exactly the same situation. I would ask that my friend call the post office for me and she kept on saying the same thing, "they will call". Well, when I marked the phone number and gave it to her, and she had to ask, she was shocked when the post office said that yes, they did indeed have my tickets and if I would like to come by to pick them up....
Now that my Chinese has improved a bit, i am not quite so dependent on others, but at the begining it was very frustrating.
Take a deep breath and drink one bottle of beer befroe bed tonight. just DONT call me in the morning!!!!
OH MY GODS do I know this problem!!!!!!
Consider...
I did some internet banking. I asked (on here as well as elsewhere), and I was told it can take up to 3 weeks... so - I waited...
and waited....
and waited......
Eventually, I got sick and tired of waiting, and went into the bank to find out what happened (with translator).
Oh the BS I got!!!
Firstly, in the bank I got told - we don't have a record of that transaction (even though I GAVE them the transaction number, and all the details - date, time. account numbers, reference numbers, etc).
They said they'd ring me the next day.
Needless to say, not a lot happened... so I went back to the bank.
Firstly, I got told they still couldn't find it!
THEN I got told I'd have to go back to the bank branch (and province/city) that I got my card through.
THEN I got told I made a mistake - but they couldn't tell me what!
THEN (within about half an hour), I got told it'd been fixed LAST WEEK!
Now, I know, if I'd left it to the "they'll call you" - then NOTHING would happen! How do I know? Because... I had to go in to find out myself!
my sympathy to Ted
Ive been asking my wife to get some info on a business idea not for 3 months but
for 3 bloody years.
I told her I was taking the job in Mongolia as she didn't want to do that business in China
and I want out of Australia .
funny how the info started to flow within a day or two.
But I'm not telling her I haven't signed the Mongolia contract just yet 
GuilinRaf:
The old "ignore it until it goes away solution to problems unless a bigger problem shows up" ploy!
I too have had to learn how to be sneaky and devious in getting my info. Like Ted and Shining said above, if we wait NOTHING happens.
philbravery:
the first line of your comment sounded like Max Smart
And
Loving it
(God I watch to much TV)
if it takes you three months to get help just cut the middle man and use these in three months youl be good anough to get a package
Busuu and LiveMocha.
Pimsleur Approach
Rosetta Stone
GuilinRaf:
Exactly.
My Chinese is okay that I can do some of these things without the middleman, and it truly DOES make life much easier.
I do need to add that being in Beining, there are more people who speak English and even Spanish so I do not have quite the same problem as in Guilin. Anyway, Jiliu has a great idea to study as much as you can now as it will save you tears in the future.
Jíliú.hé:
thanks the top ones are free the rest you can get cheep anywhere in china.
Had the same conversation today. I need to use CPAP every night and been without for 2 months. She went shopping but tomorrow maybe we go, if she no work. She can not grasp that i need this more than she needs shopping, but I never spoke those words.- ' the needs of the one,,, ' :Spock.
So how do I plead with a Chinese woman,, please help me i need this does not work.?
