I think I’ve done quite enough moping and moaning and groaning, so today, for a change, I will write about something I haven’t written about in a while. The weather! Zzzz. I know. Just to say, I’m not much bugged by it anymore. So, today is 9 degrees. Who cares. I went winter clothes shopping, armed myself with some woolies, a scarf, warm pants. And what is nicer than warm pants in winter? Hmmm, maybe a pair of nice warm gloves. Yeah, I need a pair of nice warm gloves.
So with the weather off my list of boggles, I turned my attention to my colder-than-fridge apartment. My clothing are literally icy to the touch in the mornings. And after only 2 weeks of moaning and begging my superiors, and acquiring a cold to authenticate my need, I am now the proud owner of a heater.. . one of those you have to run for 2 days to get a result in your apartment, but I’m not complaining.
Another triumph was being able to transfer money back home. Not much, but it’s a start. After applying for my residency permit several moons ago, I had to leave my passport at the Police Station for a while (which is where they issue the permit) and I then struggled with my lethargic and procrastinating-prone superiors to get it back.
Eventually, which is a realistic expectation with most things, they delivered it back and I could start the hunt for transfer. I tried the bank I have an account with, which according to all my logical frames of reference, would be the first place to look. They sent me to their main branch who sent me to a sub branch for ‘foreigners’, only to discover it’s a Western Union outlet and, believe it or not, South Africa doesn’t have Western Union.
I turned to the good old Internet and surfed the Bank of China (the biggest in China and also internationally represented) to see what they could do for me. And true as Bob, there, as plain as Chinese Characters, on their English translated site, it said they could do Demand Drafts and Telegraphic Transfers. Just what I like.
After some effort in translating the words to English and writing down the Chinese characters (at which I am getting increasingly proficient) I headed to the bank of China. After only 6 days, 5 visits and filling out the same form 4 times, I eventually managed to open an account and arrange the money to be transferred to South Africa.
The key is alternatives.
My first statement to the person responsible for arranging the Telegraphic Transfers was that I wanted to send Yuan to South Africa. “No”, he said, “cannot”. They have no means (and very little desire) to change Yuan to South African Rand, and as far as my query was concerned, that was the end of the conversation. So after a brief sigh, I tried again by asking what he could do. So, he said, he could change the Yuan to US Dollars and THAT could be sent to South Africa. Another sigh.
At least that got me started and now, the money is merrily winging its way through the Shiyan branch of the Bank of China and will hopefully soon wing its way to the head office and then from there across the distance to South Africa.
They kindly indicated 5 days, but keeping in mind my standard expectation of “eventually”, I won’t be maxing out my credit card just yet.