General Thread For This and That!!....

[Paul Todd]

To coincide with the Spring Festival a new shopping mall has opened here in Baoding and as a part of this complex is Boadings first multistory car park.
As you enter it you have to stop at the ticket machine press the button take your ticket and then the barrier opens,not so tricky you may think.......Think again, there are cars trying to get in from every direction and then there are those who are just looking trying to figure out how it all works. Once you get past this it become absolute madness no one knows what to to. When you get to the first floor what then? do you turn left or right or maybe straight on? Decisions decisions decisions. Anyone who has seen the number of attempts some drivers here take to park their cars can well imagine what takes place. Despite the small army of "helpers" that have been employed to direct the traffic on every one of the six floors it all sort of falls apart and degenerates into complete Chinese chaos.

[maxx]

The Chinese are models of efficiency.Me and my wife were trying to exit the train station in Gz.They had four or five trains arrive at the same time.They had one little gate open.And a couple of thousand people trying to get threw the same gate at the same time.They had people pushing shoving.Kids screaming and crying.You would of thought the train station was on fire.They finally opened a couple of more gates.After a couple of people got trampled.It was total madness.I grabbed my wifes hand.And pulled her out of the main push.Or she would of got trampled to.

Me and Martin have talked about this.On the phone a couple of times.The Chinese people's mad rush for the train.The announcement can come over the P.A system.It will be the first call for the train.2,000 people will jump up.And make a mad dash for a set of double doors that lead to the loading platform.They push and shove.Step on each other.Push the elderly and the smaller ones into the walls.It is totally out of control. I put one guy into the wall one time.After he slapped me in the back of the head.With his luggage on a pole across his shoulders.He bounced off the wall smiles at me and keeps going.I elbowed another guy in the ribs.Hard enough to make him loose his breath.When he started pushing me.My wife and my one year old son were in front of me.Trying to get on the train.I seen this tiny Chinese woman struggling with this huge suitcase.Everytime she tried to pick it up.somebody would run into her.And knock it out of her hand.So when I walked by the girl I switched my bag to my right hand and grabbed her bag with my left.I carried it up the stairs for her.Then set the bag down.The girl mumbles thank you.Grabs the bag with both hands and scurries off into the crowed.

What makes this such a odd tale is that.This happens every time.I have took a train in China.When you buy a train ticket in China.It tells you what train your on.What your car number is.What your seat number is.Or what bunk number your in.Thiere is no need for the pushing and the shoving.But it happens every time.I asked my wife why they were always in a hurry to catch the train.She said she didn't know it was just the Chinese way.

Now since we have the boys we get to go to this special room.And they let us board the train.About five minutes before everybody else.So we will go to the train.I will get the bags  stowed and get.My wife and are son in thiere bunk.Then i will jump off the train.And lean against a pillar.Just to watch the other people scurry around.Always pushing and shoving.With no rhyme or reason.Then when the train is getting ready to leave then I will climb back on board.And go to my bunk.

This is one of Martins favorite stories.We were in Zhuhai.It was my first trip to China.And we are at the replica of the forbidden city.I'm setting on the railing of a ticket booth.waiting for my soon to be wife to buy a ticket.My wife is the only person in line.And she is talking to the booth attendant.All of the sudden this guy runs up.And pushes my wife.Out of his way.And starts talking to the ticket agent.While he is trying to shove money into the ticket agents hand.

I jump off the rail I'm sitting on grab the guy by the back of his shirt.Throw him half way across the ticket booth.After the guy stops sliding he gets up.Looks at me and smiles.And just stands thiere looking at me.My wife gets the tickets and we leave.As soon as we leave the guy runs back up to the ticket booth.We walk maybe a dozen steps from the ticket booth.My wife asked me why I did that.I told her the man was being rude.She looks up the word rude in her electronic dictionary.And tells me that it is not rude in China.She says the man no wude.She was a little upset for about ten minutes.But she got over it.And I got a good laugh out of it.I think next time the guy sees a white guy setting on a railing.He will have better manners.

[maxx]

Probably Martin's favorite story.We are in Zhuhai.It is me my wife.And we have Tristan.Tristan had just turned 1 at the time.And is still breast feeding.We are walking around this island.That is connected to the mainland.By a two lane rd.Around this island they have a paved bike path.Well me and my wife and Tristan.Are walking around this island.Tristan is chilling out in his stroller.About half way around.The island we run into 3 teenage girls.That are hanging out with one of the girls boyfriends.They see Tristan and start going nuts over him.

They want to hold him play with him.And watch Tristan walk.So the girls start walking with us.And they are taking turns carrying Tristan.So we start walking.And the girls are laughing and giggling passing Tristan back and forth.Me and my wife.And the girls boyfriend.Are walking ahead of The girls.We walk for probably twenty minutes.All of the sudden I hear one of the girls screaming.I turn around.Tristan has grabbed the girls shirt.Pushed it out of the way.And has got ahold of the girls bra.And is trying to pull it up.The girl is hollering and trying to get away from Tristan without dropping him.The more squirming she does the worse it gets.Tristan gets the girls breast out of he bra.And is going in for some lunch.Finally my wife stops laughing and grabs Tristan before he can latch on.The girl fixes her clothes.And for the rest of the walk.Her face is brite red.And for some reason.The other girls didn't want to hold Tristan anymore.Or play with him.I told my wife.That Tristan was just hungry.And didn't know any better.A week after that Tristan is broke from the breast for good.Tristan had tried the same thing with one of my wife's friends.A couple of days before this.My wife's friend was allot quicker and smarter.Tristan only got her shirt pulled up a little before she caught him.

[Willy The Londoner]

The story about the pseudo old palace bought back some recent memories. I had an apartment within 800 yards of the place.  I would walk round the square in front of it when I was not otherwise engaged.  Many groups would be dancing there and it was a great place to start up conversations with women.

Just one other thing about trains. The modern high speed trains have a better class of clientele, maybe.  You are allowed onto the station platform five minutes before the train is due.  There are set places marked on the platform for the carriage number and people actually line up one behind the other waiting for the train. The trains always stop in the exact same place.   I have never seen a rush to get onto the fast trains.

The soft seat trains are worse where no wants the third and highest bunk and there is a rush for the bottom ones.

The real winners are the standing seats.  No where to sit for may 5 or six hour train journey.  Give me the high speed trains everytime especially as one calls at Zhongshan now.

Willy

[David E]

I like that story Maxx...I tried it one time...and got my face slapped  ...obviously does not work as a pick -up line unless you are under 2 years old !!!!!!

[shaun]

My first trip to China I took Peggy to the hospital to see a doctor for her sister here in the U.S.  Peggy was at the pharmacy window and people were coming around her and pushing her around so I went up behind her and put an arm on the counter on either side of her blocking people from getting to the window.  A couple of people tried but got a stern look and a grunt from me.   I caught a look of Peggy's face from the side.  She was quite happy.

Another time we were at the train station in GZ.  A friend was waiting outside for us.   I started pushing through the line.  Peggy grabbed the back of my pants and away we went.  She loves it.

I do get a few mad looks but I can give them right back or even smile.  When I smile they smile back.

[maxx]

Adding pages to my passport. I need to add visa pages to my passport.Me and the family are going to China in April.So I went to the visa service I have used before.They want 149.00 they say that is the government fee.They want 49.00 for thiere efforts.And another 23.00 dollars for shipping threw FedEx.So this is going to cost me 221.00 dollars.Just to add official paper to my passport.

Lucky for me thiere website is experiencing some problems. So I go to the official government web site.Fill out the paperwork online.print it out.The government fees are 82.00 dollars.And it will probably cost me 15.00 dollars to mail it to them.

So my question is why.Is this visa company lying to it's customers.why would you try to work your customers over on the price.I can understand that they are a company and they need to make money.But they don't need to make all thiere money off of one customer.I will never use this company again. VISAEXPRESS.NET.I have downloaded all the visa applications.I down loaded  thiere price sheets.I'm going to throw it all in the trash.I will find another visa company.

Visa express just lost over 500 dollars.Of my business.No wonder American companies are going belly up.They are overcharging their customers.And the customer is buying what they want off shore.

[zook144]

Quick question about QQ.  Does anyone know a better way than copy and paste to print past conversations from QQ history.
I do not see anything on the screen indicating print from the original text.  The only way I have come up with is to copy and then
paste to note pad or Word pad.   I have over 120 pages, so this seems like a lot of work.  ha  Maybe I am just lazy.    Thanks

Don

[David E]

Don

You will find the complete archive in the "message history" icon on the panel for your Lady. Mine has 1492 pages and you can browse and select which pages you want to sent to external storage, or save them all, if you need to. But they are there all the time on QQ so you only need save them when you need them for evidence for your visa....or want to keep them permanently on your own computer for nostalgia !!!

To put them onto your computer, use the "export" files function in "message history" function and select ".txt "as the file format...all archive material will be transferred.

[zook144]

Thanks David.  I did export it once and it ended up all jibberish when i opened the file.  But I think it exported as something different than a txt file.  I will try again.  You have 1492 pages???  Wow!  And I was scratching my head over the 120+ pages I have.  I am a little concerned about the content in our conversations.  As far as using them for visa purposes. Lili speaks enough english that the text in our conversations is kind of a hit and miss deal. So anyone reading our conversation might think it a bit imcomplete.  And we seldom send emails, because we talk every day.  I guess I will find out soon enough.
Thanks again.
Don

[Arnold]

Don , don't sweat the Text . I took hundred's of Pages myself for the interview and they don't really have time to read it . I think , they just want to see .. that you do have something to show .

Unless , your Text is VERY interesting stuff . hahaha

[Neil]

Did you censor your "interesting stuff" Arnold?  I was shocked when I mentioned to my wife that our chat logs are good evidence of our relationship, yet contains some "interesting stuff" too, that she didn't seem overly concerned or embarrassed.  She'll lock the door, close the blinds, turn off the light and hide under the blanket, yet that other stuff doesn't seem to phase her. 

[David E]

Hahaha

Yes , we all seem to have the same problem...some stuff inside our QQ conversations that maybe is not for strangers to read !!! (I know that surely applies to some of mine and Mings conversations)

What I did before I sent of a sample (80 pages) to Aus Immigration was to go through my archive and pick a few pages from each month that were reaonably innocent 

Yes, if you save the files in the QQ ".bak" format it is gibberish...".txt" works OK

QQ conversations always seem to be a bit disconnected when you read them after the event, becaus emost of the conversations are a mixture of typing, spoken words, hand gestures....ie the complete package. But what gets saved on the QQ archive is only the typing !!

Arnold is right, I am sure they dont read it...it would not make a lot of sense anyway, but they do like to see some proof that you have some records of your joint interaction.

What also helped me, was that every conversation we had, I made a screen shot of Ming (can be done from the console) and they are a dated record of the visual QQ interaction.

Then I printed out one screen shot from each week of our relationship and sent them too !!

As my Lawyer said.."better have too much information than too little"

[halfpint]

I've been wondering how to get info out of QQ.  Thanks guys, this helps.  Glad to see I'm normal re the content of the files.

[shaun]

I made the print of Peggys and my conversation so small that the interviewer will have no interest in reading.  Good thing because sometime our conversation can get a bit steamy.    Peggy tells me that the girls used to pray for husbands in school.  One day a popular girl pray that she wanted a husband with a dragon on his chest.  Another prayed that her husband had 2 dragons on his chest.  Peggy prayed the she had a a husband with one dragging on the ground.  He wish was fulfilled with me.  I mean I really hate to brag but it is true.