Blogging from the Shenzhen airport
One thing I am really going to miss about China when we go back to the States, even for the month or so at Christmas, is the free internet access EVERYWHERE.
Oh, that and free delivery of ANYTHING to ANYWHERE. When I was in my 20s I was incredibly jealous of my NYC friends who were able to have their dinners, midnight snacks, groceries, etc, delivered to their door anytime of day. I mean, I grew up in Western Pennsylvania, where the only business that delivered was the beer distributor. Here in Shenzhen, we are lucky to be in such a competitve consumer market that everyone delivers. Yup, gorcery stores, electronics stores--you name it. One day recently a Canadian friend of ours was asked in Shui Wan Tou by some other foreigners where the nearest money exchange office was. They were low on yuan and needed to change their currency. I happened to be walking by at this moment, and he asked. I mentioned that one liquor store that did some unofficial exchange was closer to where we were than any of the banks or regular echange offices, but it was about 10 blocks away. My friend then called his wife, a local Chinese woman, and had her call the liquor store to deliver the amount of cash this family would need to that location. YES! You can even have MONEY delivered.
What a country!
Oh, that and free delivery of ANYTHING to ANYWHERE. When I was in my 20s I was incredibly jealous of my NYC friends who were able to have their dinners, midnight snacks, groceries, etc, delivered to their door anytime of day. I mean, I grew up in Western Pennsylvania, where the only business that delivered was the beer distributor. Here in Shenzhen, we are lucky to be in such a competitve consumer market that everyone delivers. Yup, gorcery stores, electronics stores--you name it. One day recently a Canadian friend of ours was asked in Shui Wan Tou by some other foreigners where the nearest money exchange office was. They were low on yuan and needed to change their currency. I happened to be walking by at this moment, and he asked. I mentioned that one liquor store that did some unofficial exchange was closer to where we were than any of the banks or regular echange offices, but it was about 10 blocks away. My friend then called his wife, a local Chinese woman, and had her call the liquor store to deliver the amount of cash this family would need to that location. YES! You can even have MONEY delivered.
What a country!
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