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zglobal
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Those Crazy Chinese

Man, you gotta love those crazy Chinese.

My air conditioner broke the other day.

The guy turns up to fix it.
We're on the 19th floor so he looks out the window at the unit perched outside on 2 foot wide concrete shelf that sits in mid air.

Big smile, reaches into his bag and pulls out a piece of rope and ties it around his waste.
Hmm, what to do with the other end?

Ohhh, he hooks it over the top of the flimsy bathroom window which could carry the body weight of a large rat at best.

That's it, in a second he's out their, through the small bathroom window, slings himself up 4 feet to the 2 foot wide concrete block, and he's out there working.

He is perched 19 floors up on a 2 foot wide slab and it's been raining. There is no safety at all.

How does he handle such hardship every day?

He starts singing his favourite Chinese song. He's still humming to himself now and I still feel dizzy watching him from the safety of my own window. Later I quiz him about the safety. He says he's been doing this job for 7 years and no problem with a big grin.

So, when I hear those dribbling foreigners that are spoiled and fat and condescending as they prattle about their democracy and other general bullsh&t……..
…….I often think to myself.... You %$#@# idiot, you really have no conception of what it is like to be a Chinese person living in China today

You are so spoiled and babied by your family and society that you have no idea how most of the world lives as you sprout you condescending cr@p about freedom of speech and your second rate democracy.

I say to you, get a life and leave the Chinese people to live theirs. Right now they are interested in improving there everyday life and maybe sending money back to their family in the village. Your probably trying to charge your parents to mow their lawn.

2007-6-9 10:36 AM

beachcabin
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coolie job, peanut pay for some Chinese

Zglobal, although I haven't witnessed such stunt myself so far, I did see how a team of half a dozen or so labors carried trucks of sand and cement up six floors to my house. They hurled bags of sand upon their backs and clambered all the way to the sixth floor. And they were paid only 2 kuai for each bag they hauled upstairs. On another occasion, a delivery service person carried a bulky and heavy refrigerator on his back and walked up six floors.

2007-6-9 11:02 AM

zglobal
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That's great beachcabin. Because, while you may feel sorry for them they are getting on with it and usually with a smile on their face. The fact is many work bloody hard for their money and should be admired.

There is no way to enforce standards in the work force other than economic success. One day that guy carrying the bag for 2 rmb will move to a job down the road that pays 3. Some years away no-one will want to work that hard and he'll get 7 because most would rather be working in a nice clean factory. That's economic development and its the only way it works. The governments job is to stop those cases of slavery and I commend them for their efforts and hope they are greatly increased. I also hope that compensation as well as back wages is part of the deal. Give those that force slavery the death penalty and let the economy handle the plight of those hard workers

We can look at the negative side but I prefer to admire a population that is not spoiled like our western countries.
That's why China is going to whip the @rse of the global economy. 1.3 billion mostly unspoiled people and one cohersive and progressive government has to succeed.

2007-6-9 11:13 AM

beachcabin
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Well said, zglobal. But I'm not so optimistic as you. There's signs indicating an average pay increase for local work force in my town, yet the increase is not fast enough. On avergae a labor worker at construction site is paid 42 yuan per day. However, since cheap work force is China's cutting edge on the global market, I genuinely doubt how much Chinese government would be willing to let the market economy gradually takes its edge away.

2007-6-9 11:42 AM

fatdragon
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They don't bounce.

QUOTE:

Originally posted by zglobal at 2007-6-9 10:36
Big smile, reaches into his bag and pulls out a piece of rope and ties it around his waste.
Hmm, what to do with the other end?
...

We had a similar experience when they fitted the storm windows on our balconies. The workman hands the end of the rope to his workmate who holds it with one hand. We are on the 11th floor - I could not watch.

Sadly, a couple of weeks earlier, a workman decided to climb down the outside of the building from the 10th floor when his colleague forgot to leave the keys. He did not survive the fall.

2007-6-9 11:51 AM

zglobal
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Your right fatdragon. I just watched him again. Climbs out a small bathroom window. Squats on the ledge then somehow straddles and sits on the window and finally hoists himself up. Amazing stuff and yes, hard to watch. He saw me watching and gave me a big smile. I have nothing but admiration for him. I don’t share that admiration for the Company he works for. It’s going to take time to continue to change that situation.

""""" I genuinely doubt how much Chinese government would be willing to let the market economy gradually takes its edge away. """""

beachcabin, that implies that the government wants to workers to be badly paid. The tactic seems to be, and clever it is, to make their cost of living cheaper. The recent scrapping of school fees is one example that has had a huge impact on their life.

The big problem is that not many on this forum have much idea of Chinese history prior to 1976 and so cannot see the HUGE, and I mean HUGE improvements across the board. The government seems now to be targeting exactly the people we are talking about. They are not stupid and recognize that looking after the poor is essential to maintaining a vibrant economy.

China is not only reliant on exports as the domestic market continues to grow rapidly. Yes there is competition from the likes of Vietnam and Cambodia but it is minor. I don’t think the government has any interest or agenda to keep wages low at all, quite the opposite. Social stability is the number one goal. Yes, economic development is important for that but raising the standard of living of the poor is, I believe, their number one goal now.

2007-6-9 12:03 PM

tradervic (Uncle Laowai)
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Your think that is crazy...

... remember that the factories in China operate pretty much like the factories in America used to operate... in the late 1800's! I know watching some of antics in my wife's home province - it reminded me of some of the old jokes my grandfather use to have about factories:

"Why does a factory have curtains on the windows?"

"To cover the sight of someone's guts being hosed out of the press!"

No O.S.H.A., no real unions (i.e. I.B.E.W., U.A.W., etc.), no widows and orphans funds, seeing plant floors with bamboo jigs and dirt floors

TraderVic

2007-6-10 05:07 AM

pjtran (陳青龍 aka 真多花色)
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nothing but amateur...

QUOTE:

Originally posted by zglobal at 2007-6-8 09:36 PM
Man, you gotta love those crazy Chinese.

My air conditioner broke the other day.

The guy turns up to fix it.
We're on the 19th floor so he looks out the window at the unit perched outside o ...

zglobal--did you say he's man that fixing your AC unit outside of your window without any safety guidline? my story has a little flare than yours & the story goes...i was at my in-law brand new complex apartment (very fancy you have to check in at the front gate in order to go inside) in nanchang city...all the certain i looked up to her new building & i saw a middle age lady was outside of her window on an eight floor standing on a window edge one hand holding the window frame the other hand cleaning her window glass...if & only if i was doing somethin' like that in NYC then you all would hear/see me in the 5 o'clock early evening news (i was thinkin' to myself is china THAT...i mean this lady without any bungee cord on her body & would that cleaning job be a man thing?). finally she saw me coming & she rushed inside of her apartment because i guess she knew that i'm not from there & she didn't want me to get a heart attack from hollywood stunt (my in-law said, "oh we know her"). the moral of the story is...don't mess with the chinese...hehe!

2007-6-10 05:45 AM

zglobal
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Yeah it is amazing. This guy has a think piece of rope which is more dangerous than having none. Of course I couldn't discuss safety with him much because he would have been upset with me. They get very superstitious and he would have worried about it bringing bad luck.

Like fatdragons comment """""""" Sadly, a couple of weeks earlier, a workman decided to climb down the outside of the building from the 10th floor when his colleague forgot to leave the keys. He did not survive the fall. """""""""""""""

Man, if I was locked in I'd wait. I wouldn't be climbing down the pipes outside..

One things for sure, regardless of the safety issues you really have to admire their guts

2007-6-10 07:06 AM

joey141
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QUOTE:

Those Crazy Chinese

Yeah, I know. China is governed by them.

CCP = Crazy Chinese People

2007-6-10 07:46 AM

#10

zglobal
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Great. I like people with a bit of life.

If you go out today joey.....

Don't forget to hold the hand rail ............... or mama will spank you

2007-6-10 08:12 AM

#11

thetruthbut
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QUOTE:

Originally posted by zglobal at 2007-6-9 10:36
Man, you gotta love those crazy Chinese.

My air conditioner broke the other day.

The guy turns up to fix it.
We're on the 19th floor so he looks out the window at the unit perched outside o ...

Thank you for the story and your encouraging comment. Yes, life is hard in China, and the problems are many. Unfortunately, there is plenty of whining crowd, not only on this forum, but full in the media, on BBC and on CNN. The world could be a better place if we could all think in the others' shoes.

It's not going to be an easy task to raise the income of 1.3 billions from the east coast to the west, from the north to the south. But it has to be done, and meanwhile, implement stricter safety standards are essential. The wages are low, but it does not mean, their life should worth less.

2007-6-10 01:02 PM

#12

zglobal
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The point really is that yes life is so hard for many but they still can have a smile on their face,

I remember once in the backstreets of Kathmandu in Nepal watching a couple of 4 year old kids chasing one another with a piece of cow poo on a stick. I never heard kids laugh so loudly.

Contrast that to many spoiled foreign kids, mine included. One week they have to have a new toy and the next week they discard it. They never seem as happy as those two kids I saw.

Money and success does not automatically equate to happiness. Some can have nothing and be happy and some can everything and be miserable. Like our friend joey, others can have nothing and be resentful of others.

2007-6-10 01:09 PM

#13

pandamonium
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Zglobal

I don't know about China but in Thailand the reason why that guy is so happy and careless would be because

he knows that if he fell out of the window and died

you will be responsible, as he was working to your orders when he fell

so his whole family have a case against you

and will be able to live happily for ever more on the money you pay to them each month.

So when they work like that for me in Thailand I watch in terror

I think if he falls I will jump after him - it's cheaper

Number one rule in Thailand is - always blame the nearest foreigner!

2007-6-11 12:42 PM

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pandamonium
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Storm windows?

QUOTE:

Originally posted by fatdragon at 2007-6-9 11:51

We had a similar experience when they fitted the storm windows on our balconies. The workman hands the end of the rope to his workmate who holds it with one hand. We are on the 11th floor - I c ...

What are storm windows?

Are there storms in Chengdu?

Do I need these?

How much do they cost?

2007-6-11 12:44 PM

#15

1st_resp
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Storm windows ... at least in the US ... are windows strong enough and tight enough for a storm. Either double glass, or tempered glass.

2007-6-11 12:49 PM

#16

zglobal
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sorry panda but you got it wrong.

My landlord employed him.
There's not a snow flakes chance in hell I will ever buy an apartment in China.

He's also an orphan with no brothers and sisters.

Man how wrong can you be

2007-6-11 01:03 PM

#17

archie_78
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I can relate to that story zglobal. I recently visited China, and during my visit there I was amazed at the lengths people would go to get work done. Welding on the top of a ladder with no safety mask, no protective clothing, wearning nothing more than singlet, shorts and sandles. Hanging off bamboo scaffolding without any safety equipment. Waling through construction sites with little protective equipment, not even helmets. There were many occassions like this, and I though to myself, "If an Australian government were running Shanghai, the city would come to a grinding halt because of all the laws we have regarding workplaces."

Obviously there are standards that the Chinese should strive to improve in the day-to-day safety of employees, but to do this too quickly would stifle economic growth and consequently diminish the opportunity for the lives of many to be improved. It's a catch22, but looking at the history of Western nations, we can assume standards will improve as economic growth continues. It's a tough road to modernity, but as long as people are given the opportunity to improve their lives, I am sure they are happy to take some risks.

2007-6-11 01:04 PM

#18

pandamonium
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but

QUOTE:

Originally posted by zglobal at 2007-6-11 13:03
sorry panda but you got it wrong.

My landlord employed him.
There's not a snow flakes chance in hell I will ever buy an apartment in China.

He's also an orphan with no brothers and sisters.
...

His family were in the same business and all died tragically after falling out of windows right??

Zglobal why do you know so much about your handymen?

I don't even know that much about myself!

2007-6-11 01:08 PM

#19

pandamonium
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Still

it is clever to check

next time I need anything fixed I will also ask for an orphan with no bothers or sisters

just in case!

Zglobal - do you know any girls who are also orphan with no bothers or sisters?

imagine such a peaceful married life!

2007-6-11 01:11 PM

#20

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