Just taking it easy today with a “computer” day to catch up on blogging and upload more pics 
This will be the first posting for a few weeks due to some internet problems with the BLOG site. For some reason I havent been able to access WORDPRESS and it seems to be down most of the time, so have decided to look at alternatives in case it happens again. At least I have been able to copy all the old postings as it would really piss me off if all the other postings have been lost as I had no copies arrrrghhhhh …. but that’s the Internet for you, here to day gone tomorrow.
Getting Internet access at the hostel is a bit of a pain too, so Ive decided to spend the day at an American icon … Starbucks (at least its not the big M!!!) as the wifi is free, the real blueberry muffins and coffee are a treat and its bright and breezey, unlike a lot of Beijing. The price of coffee and treats is basically the same as in CHCH so its not an overly expensive day but do I seem to be surrounded by nerds!!! Of the 20 odd people here, there are 15 student type westerners, 18 people wearing glasses and 6 working with laptops doing the same as me lol. At the hostel its either sit in the Internet room and sweat for $1 an hour or, if I want wifi (and the use of my own computer) I have to go to the far corner of the 4th floor and sit on the floor to access a connection!! Here I can sit as happy as a sandboy all day for free. AND in the last two hours there have been two FREE tastings of goodies and coffee offered around .
UPDATE: I finally got tired of squinting thru the old pair of glasses that I had to glue the lens back into about a dozen times and bought a new pair on the weekend. They had become totally bent out of shape and the lens were a fog of glue and scratches. The brand new pair cost $NZ145 and were ready to pickup after only 12 hours (on a Sunday too). Pretty good service.
So whats new??? Beijing is once again a mix of contrary experiences, as all of China seems to be now. You really have to admire the massive changes that is making this place into an Asian version of the West but still there are some of the old ways that are still apparent. For instance the service industry ranges from exceptionally focused and obliging to “bugger off I dont care” attitude.
An example of this was this morning when I went to change $US100 to yuan (Chinese $$). At the first bank (and there are many banks, one on just about every corner!!) I took my “number” and wait in a seated row till itwas my turn. After 30 mins of waiting I was told that this bank does not change money!! OK I had a good sleep last nite, so no tantrums and just issued an “uhuh, so where do I go”.
Three stores down was the bank I was directed to, and after the mandatory 20 min wait I was told by the teller that they could NOT change the money as I only had a photocopy of my passport and not the original (this is still at the Mongolian Embassy). O-O-O-K, and how do we get around this as Im hungry, have no more yuan, and would like to get lunch.
”Sorry cant help you!!”
Now it wasn’t as though I was trying to get money out of a bank account or to free up an overdraft, I simply wanted the $100 note changed into something more usable. So, even with a good nites sleep, I was not going to be buggered around any more and politely but firmly said (in my best teachers voice!) I wanted the money changed!!
The teller then had a long discussion with someone on the phone and I was then shown a copy of a letter (in chinese) that apparently said I needed a letter from the Police to say that my passport was at the Embassy… or I could try another bank (in other words remove the problem from her window!). I dug out my receipt from the Embassy to verify that, yes, they did have my passport, but still this was not good enough for the teller as it did not have a Chinese stamp. ARRRGH.
A littleless politely I said “I dont care, and can someone else look at this”. Next a supervisor appeared and asked me 4 times if this was really a receipt(!!). Another intense discussion followed with the supervisor, the teller and some other bloke with lots of pointing at the passport copy, the receipt and the notice about the police letter. Finally the problem was apparently solved, and she said “no problem” with the money being swapped with lots of smiles. Thats China lol.
