Pudding and Chopsticks

Well for those that do not know. I have a new employer which most of the time also means, that I also have a new job.

So yeah, I have moved to Shanghai to strike it rich by designing awesome cool things, taking photographs, and generally showing my handsome face to anyone and everyone.

Stay tuned for more city photos and whatever else I feel I need to capture.

I’m in Shanghai and the hotel that I am staying at was having some electrical problems.

This dude was fixing them. Live, never turned off the power. I bet he’s done it many times.

Why am I in Shanghai, well, I’ll announce that in a few short days.. With photos. So stay tuned.

At least the rain stopped in time for a sunset. Best in months.

Rain rain everyday..

I think that I have found the underlying reason why everyone wants to buy a house here.

Chinese in my experience are very private. No one trusts anyone. You get your money up front. Bargain with everything. Protect yourself.

Lot’s of times the contract is just the starting point. Its often a point of tension with Westerners doing business here. In the Western world, or America specifically, the contract is the end all over everything. We sign and that is what we are held to. However in China most of the time that is just the start of everything. It’s not concrete and can change anytime.

Well, renting a house, or apartment is a business deal. You sign a contract and that’s it. But in China it’s different. Most of the time everything goes fine. In fact it’s mostly like the States. Landlords leave you alone. Sometimes you get a bad one that bugs the hell out of you for whatever reason. But that can happen everywhere.

So my landlord has a contract with my company til October. But now she is trying to sell the apartment. This is what is happening.

A few months ago she planted the idea. She talked to me about wanting to sell the apartment. This basically was a big hint to get the F out. But I didn’t. She has the money for the 6 month, or year. We have a contract. But god help anyone who wants to stop someone from doing what they want. Contract or not.

So a few weeks ago she called. I didn’t answer because, I really don’t like answering numbers I don’t know. She texted me and wanted to have someone see the apartment. This was out of the blue. And she wanted to do it that instant. I wasn’t home and really didn’t want to go back. Plus it wasn’t clean. I told her it wasn’t ok and that I need a heads up when she wants to do this. She never responded. Later that day I arrived back at the apartment and 5 minutes later two women were banging on my door. Some realtor and a women. Wanting to see the apt. I said I told the landlord that I needed a heads up and that I hadn’t cleaned. She said it didn’t matter and insisted that they look. This is pretty normal. It doesn’t matter what you say in China people will push. It’s a game. You tell me a price and no matter what I have to say it’s too expensive. You say no and no matter what I have to insist that it’s ok.

So I put the foot down and she said that they just needed to look through the door. They did and left.

Last week Saturday I get a call from some random person. The landlord is giving my number out to realtors that want to sell the house and come look at it. So I get calls saying that they want to come over. Now here is how I think it works. The realtors are all near the apt. It’s like private realtors for one housing development. Someone would come into the office and they would roll around the complex looking at apts. But if there is someone living in one then they have to call them to go look. Problem is that I work and am rarely home on my day off. Apparently Chinese people always stay at home because this shocked the realtor. She asked to see the apt. I said I was at work. It was a Saturday. She then went off on how weird it was to work on Saturday. I then said Sunday I had plans. She then said oh, and hung up.

Last night at 10pm the landlord texts me saying that people want to see the apt and that I had to show them. More or less the meaning of it. I asked when and she never responded. I am guessing that she is a little pissed.

While she texted me I was talking with a girl that I met a while back. I told her and she immediately said not to let anyone in. If she wanted to sell the apt she could wait till I  moved and that I should move asap. The landlord will probably start hassling me so that I decide to move on my own. Instead of asking to move out, it’s the Chinese way. Also since she already has my money she is making money on me and selling the apt. If I move, or the apt is empty she won’t make as much. So best case for her is to have someone rent it out and also sell it at the same time. So she will never ask me to leave. It will cost her money.

So why do Chinese want to buy a house. Power. that’s it. Investment, yes, shelter, yes. But power. If you rent from someone they have the power over you. They can hassle you, control you, etc. But if you own your own house, the gov is the only one that can. I think this is a important point. From what I have seen Chinese people, or really anyone, doesn’t want someone controlling them. Family is important here. You don’t mess with Chinese family. So the best way to protect that is to not let anyone in. Renting seems to disrupt that.

Also there have been reports that people act like they are buying a house and case the joint out. They come back later and rob you. So they would see all the valuables and what not that you have. Again, Chinese are private people wary of strangers. So I would assume that they never let strangers into their homes. Letting a stranger in because your landlord wants to sell. A big no no.

Anyway, even though the contract is good through Oct. We paid, etc. It doesn’t matter. Because everyday things here change. You have to look out for yourself. Because no one else will. This is China.

Not much going on today. I’m just at my usual day off place. Starbucks. I don’t need to explain why if you have been reading my posts up until this point.

Anyway I would go out and take some photographs but I am feverishly working on some personal projects and what not that don’t necessarily involve the taking of photos. As much as I would love to get the camera out and go wonder around I can’t.

However, I will try to take some snapshots of random things. With the point and shoot. Easy enough right. So I might have something to post in the next few days. I’ll try not to take too boring of photographs.

Today is well, tomorrow is a holiday. I got a few days off which normally I would plan to go somewhere. But again, working on the personal things. I would love to go to Shanghai and check out the photography market and art galleries. Maybe someday soon. We’ll see.

But for now I’m going to try to bust out these things so that I have more time to post about random nonsensical items that I’m sure you all want to read about.

This is a photo I took the other morning behind a market. It looks like a house. Pretty sure it is. There is even a chicken in front picking through the muddy trash for food.

Anyway, it’s no wonder that most people here don’t have the same expectations to what a proper house should be, or rather be built like. Outside my apartment the paint is falling off the concrete walls, cracking, etc, but it’s a million times better than living in this place. Which, I would imagine was the place to be 10-20yrs ago.

Give it another 10-20yrs and demands about construction, materials, and quality with increase. Just not right now.

I wasn’t there, nor do I know the context. And I realize that I may be taking this a different way then the way it was intended. Also the women that said it, well, I don’t know her. All I know is that she is in China’s middle class, has a expensive house, married with a child.

She was talking to my friends wife. They were talking about salary and the women stated to my friends wife, and I am paraphrasing here,  “So your husband must be making over 500K RMB a year right?”

To put that in context you can understand, that’s 79,248USD a year.

So, this may not be what all Chinese think but she can’t be the only one that thinks we make 80K USD a year.

And it’s quite funny that, to be honest, now days it’s pretty hard to make 80K in the States.. So..

Anyway, that made me feel good inside. To think that I make way less then that but I am expected to make somewhere near that figure. This sucks.

Well like every Saturday or there abouts we go eat spicy food at the local Sichuan place.

Today there were remodeling. The boss lady was out mixing the cement. How’s that for awesome. I want to see any lady boss in the States get out in her nice clothes and do work..

I guess it’s ok to mix cement on a sidewalk. No harm no foul right.

Get in there girl..

The goods.

And of course, it’s sunny today. So hang your fish. This one was on the corner hanging on a power pole.

There was a guy just sitting on this stool directly on the edge of the road. He was rubbing his feet and totally looked like he was enjoying it.