Morning developments

PCBs

Seems like the PCB house can get the job done professionally and do the necessary import/export procedures. Spoke to two people in the company and they are both professional. We have their import/export registration documents and they're checking with the boss about how to import the components (either we order, or they order directly). We will visit their factory soon and bring PCB samples for them to copy exactly.

PAYMENT PROCESSING



Seems the proposed company structure may be more problematic than anticipated, the two parties (company lady and processing guy) refuse to talk directly so we're running back and forth trying to make sense of things. Hopefully by tonight when the west wakes up we will have something concrete.

BROKEN STUFF IN CHINA

- After the 4th company swore that smuggling is legal we decided to call customs just to make sure we're not driving ourselves crazy with VAT refunds for nothing. Their phone lines are broken and we got disconnected *5 times* - each time called back telling the lady in a slightly less polite tone to try some other way - before giving up. Don't believe it? Call them and ask to be transferred anywhere. Line will drop as soon as the music starts.

- Trying to get some no clean flux to create a new prototype of the boards to give the assembly houses so they know exactly what they should be creating. Taobao (the huge Chinese EBay) is the only place to buy online. Many companies offer this product there. You can pay by visa (but it doesn't work), by mastercard (but it doesn't work) or directly through Bank of China (but their website is broken). This happens both locally and through a proxy. Imagine that, even bank websites are broken. Oh, before the site broke down and gave a 404 error we were able to ascertain they have no love for cross-browser coding; the submit button can be pushed in IE but not at all in Firefox. All the while taobao pages are shooting up popups, prompts to install activex components, there are colored flying chinese ad windows some from taobao some injected at the ISP level (!) - total chaos.

- After the repair guy fixed the lights, the microwave and the hot water the toilet broke, now it's fixed too but the faucet and sink broke and water seems to osmotically climb up against gravity to flood the edges of the sink. Weird physical phenomenon, needs further investigation. Looks like the repair guy will be here twice a week for the rest of our stay.

This is one reason why people are so friendly here. You've got to have friends to get anything done. No friends and you will perish very quickly, unable to get anything done. Fortunately, the PCB house guys are sending some flux so we can put together a board to leave with them.

The question remains. Is smuggling legal? We most definitely think not! Imagine if everyone could avoid China import duties by simply shipping to Hong Kong first. The border with Hong Kong would be impenetrably jammed by containers and trucks by now, carrying millions of tons of goods and materials. (That said, if customs enforcement is as bad as their phone lines the risk involved is very minute!)

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