Best trip to the bank ever
Ever since we moved to Beijing five years ago, banking has been a major hassle. It wasn't fun in the early days anyway, and it grew worse in more recent years as China has tightened some financial rules in the name of anti-corruption. I haven't blogged much about it, but I have taken my pithy annoyances to twitter often, partly because I know some of my in-China tweeps will commiserate with me.
As we have grown frustrated with our Beijing bank, one we chose at the encouragement of Randy's employer back in 2008, we have been wanting to switch. Randy's company, too, has already changed some of their accounts, so the reasons for using the old bank were gone. With their assurance that they could make deposits into the Chinese branches of a Hong Kong bank that we already use, we were ready. Of course, they cannot pay Randy into his Hong Kong account directly. We hoped, though, that at the very least the China-based accounts and the Hong Kong-based accounts of the same bank might be able to talk to one another.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how one looked at it), there were no branches of this particular bank in Changping. There were several in Beijing, so Randy chose one based on its proximity to other places we like to go to. He invited the whole family to go, partly so I could help with Chinese translations if needed, and partly to give us a break from Changping.
More after the jump
We arrived at the bank office near the Kempinski, the German hotel where enjoy Easter brunch and Oktoberfest. I had been boning up on some forgotten bank vocabulary (开户 Kāihù open an account), but it appeared I would not be needed. The associate at the bank that was going to guide Randy through the process willingly spoke excellent English. Also, we were not able to open a joint account today, though we can at a later time. Since I was not needed, Randy dismissed me and the kids to go find lunch.
And so we did.
Among the Kempinski's restaurants is The Paulaner Bräuhaus. What a treat it was for us to have Brot, Schnitzel, and Knödel, washed down with Apfelschorle for Myles and Brigid and some seasonal Maibock for me. We were a little sorry at the absence of our favorite taste of May in Germany, Spargel, but we got over it in a hurry. Es gab Brezeln!
By the time we finished lunch, Randy was also done. It appeared that all of our banking was about to get so much easier, with the simpler online access and ability to connect with our Hong Kong bank. It was simply too good to be true. Going to the bank the last few years has been frustrating and even humiliating at times. This called for a celebration.
Since it was after 4 pm, it was time for Kaffee und Kuchen.
I think I might get to liking this new way of banking for us.
As we have grown frustrated with our Beijing bank, one we chose at the encouragement of Randy's employer back in 2008, we have been wanting to switch. Randy's company, too, has already changed some of their accounts, so the reasons for using the old bank were gone. With their assurance that they could make deposits into the Chinese branches of a Hong Kong bank that we already use, we were ready. Of course, they cannot pay Randy into his Hong Kong account directly. We hoped, though, that at the very least the China-based accounts and the Hong Kong-based accounts of the same bank might be able to talk to one another.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how one looked at it), there were no branches of this particular bank in Changping. There were several in Beijing, so Randy chose one based on its proximity to other places we like to go to. He invited the whole family to go, partly so I could help with Chinese translations if needed, and partly to give us a break from Changping.
More after the jump
We arrived at the bank office near the Kempinski, the German hotel where enjoy Easter brunch and Oktoberfest. I had been boning up on some forgotten bank vocabulary (开户 Kāihù open an account), but it appeared I would not be needed. The associate at the bank that was going to guide Randy through the process willingly spoke excellent English. Also, we were not able to open a joint account today, though we can at a later time. Since I was not needed, Randy dismissed me and the kids to go find lunch.
And so we did.
Among the Kempinski's restaurants is The Paulaner Bräuhaus. What a treat it was for us to have Brot, Schnitzel, and Knödel, washed down with Apfelschorle for Myles and Brigid and some seasonal Maibock for me. We were a little sorry at the absence of our favorite taste of May in Germany, Spargel, but we got over it in a hurry. Es gab Brezeln!
By the time we finished lunch, Randy was also done. It appeared that all of our banking was about to get so much easier, with the simpler online access and ability to connect with our Hong Kong bank. It was simply too good to be true. Going to the bank the last few years has been frustrating and even humiliating at times. This called for a celebration.
Since it was after 4 pm, it was time for Kaffee und Kuchen.
I think I might get to liking this new way of banking for us.
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