Ok folks... we've been trying to keep this professional and about the product but some of you insist on hearing more about the China life and what we're going through so... if you're only interested in DL2000 product news, skip this post! But if you're up for some miscellaneous, yucky and somewhat incoherent episodes, read on...
Ok here we go. Moved out of the prior apartment 2 weeks ago because the guy who sublet it to us found out the contract expired earlier than he had thought. We had no choice but to leave within 24 hours (as the original owner, not so happy about the subletting, showed up with all his stuff).
The original tenant told us we could move into his brand new apartment and that he'd go somewhere else to live temporarily. The new apartment is really nice inside, brand new with marble floors and water filters... but the first floor and entrance to the building are still heavily under construction, scratch that, this is a genuine construction site. Uninterrupted machinery noise from 7:30am to midnight including weekends (illegal even by China standards). To get out of the building we have to go through high voltage cabling hanging dangerously from the ceiling, pieces of wood with rusty nails, broken glass, broken pieces of concrete, misc metallic parts, dunes of sand and concrete, broken bricks, welding torches, and sometimes pass through workers using jackhammers (usually one on one side on on the other).
It's been impossible to get any sleep and it's a dangerous environment (there are no safety standards for construction sites hence the nails). A couple of months ago we saw a woman getting injured on the street right by a construction site, she stepped on a metal shard and started bleeding profusely. People just stared at the woman bent down in pain holding her foot together - we had to help her call an ambulance because nobody would, in the end the ambulance didn't come and they took her away in a small 3 wheel bicycle-cart thing. We don't want to end up like that...
Plus the rent really expired this time so we're moving again (just in time, because the washing machine started leaking water and detergent everywhere). On to the 5th China home in 8 months!
Just now the foam girl tried to again raise the already quoted price with some incoherent story. The reason why the price must increase keeps changing every time we detect and point out an inconsistency in their story.
Then when we complained she wrote from her private address saying "hey my boss is giving you a quote but it's a bit too high maybe I can get you quotes from other companies". Ten minutes later she wrote again "the other companies are more expensive". Did she really have time to get quotes from other companies or is this a standard method they use to make their own price look cheaper?
UPDATE:
Found a van to help us move for 6 US dollars. Shot some footage of this memorable site.
Here's the "home sweet home" footage.
Notice how the stairs are nearly destroyed on the way back, we're out of here in half an hour and hope there will be some means of getting out...
Bonus track - on the way back (not shown in the video unfortunately) some real life China moments. A skinny but well dressed restaurant PR guy in a tuxedo holding a huge rat (as big as his forearm) wrapped in a newspaper page with his furry tale sticking out, walking towards the closest trashcan on the street and disposing of the unfortunate mammal with a straight face and very professionally. Still want that soup, anyone?
And again, a few blocks past that, a middle aged guy making an extra "DIY exit" in his house by bringing the wall down from the street side with a huge hammer. The door looks more like the entrance to a cave, but now he can open his shop! Unusual sighting, but cool? He's got the freedom to do this without any permits... it's his wall!
Yikes! Geez! What city are you guys in again?! I have a lot of family doing buisness in China from Hong kong, I can ask them to reccomend a descent area if they know any, within your budgets! Sheesh!
By sbalani at 2010-10-26 01:37:16 Reply 