I’ve been stressing about going home issues. For the past
week or so, I would stare at my filled to bursting suitcases and all I could
think about is how in hell I’d be able to go home in the smoothest possible
way.
Issue # 1: Money Matters
Not all banks in
Bank of China should be able to change currencies but it seems that policies
differ from place to place. In
for instance, foreigners can’t have their RMB changed to USD. If I were in
convince a Chinese person to go with me to the bank and have him/her change the
money. But then I’m in
friend call up Bank of China here and found out that there are only two
branches in
that can change currencies. I was then given a list of the things I will need
for this transaction, 3 out of 5 of which I don’t have and have no idea what
they are. And then my friend said it’s not going to be changed into cash. What?!
She doesn’t know how to say it but I’m guessing it’ll be changed to traveller’s
checks.
And then there’s this other bank that also changes
currencies. It can change to cash and asks for 4 documents, 3 of which I don’t
have and don’t know what they are. I’m really tempted to just take the RMB home
and find a way to have it changed in
Issue # 2: Luggage Overload
Of course I have too many things. Despite having sent things
home three times via post over the course of my
many things. Packing to make them fit into the suitcases is not a problem. The
problem is exceeding the weight limit, which is only 20 kilos for an Asian
destination.
A friend said the airlines allow an excess of 5 kilos at
most but I’m afraid that that depends largely on their mood. What if they’re
having a bad day on the 21st? I’m thinking if I could just put it
down to 22 kilos, then I’ll be safe.
My last resort is to charm the airport personnel into
letting me in without having to pay for excess baggage (which by the way was
what I did at the
always count on that. Even charms fail at times.
I’ve been having sleepless nights over these things and it
shows in my complexion, which needs ample amount of sleep to, you know, glow
and stuff. And if I intend to charm those airport people, I’ll need to look my
best! And it’s just so not working right now. *bawls not very charmingly
Hehehe...funny...i mean the "to charm the airport personnel" part...Yep, sleep well!
ReplyDeleteAnd...sorry for the money problem...:P
nuni, i'm telling you, just wire the money home! it'll cost you a bit but at least you're sure it's safe and *here*.
ReplyDeleteand yup, charm works. now get some sleep or you won't have a chance.
Just so you know Puyu, I'm working on that qualities-of-a-boyfriend list now.
ReplyDeleteNuna! It's expensive!!! I'd rather bring home the RMB and find people willing to change it in Manila than wire it. And I have to seriously work on that charms. I'm sure you know it only works when I feel charming and right now, I don't! What with all these issues clogging my brain I hardly have time to even think charming.
and when you're not charming, you're very, um, un-charming. *shivers
ReplyDeleteWaaaa! This is not helping, Nuna! Not helping any!
ReplyDeletei'm just being honest!
ReplyDeleteWaaaaa! I'll go find a corner and bawl some more now. This is how you treat me when you know I've just been dumped and all. *finds a corner and turns self into a ball of shattered self-esteem
ReplyDeleteawww. you'll survive nuni. we always do. for some reason, we're made of unbreakable material. i'm still deciding if it's a blessing or a curse.
ReplyDelete*not talking to you
ReplyDeletenuni! nuniiii! *lambinglambing
ReplyDeleteYou could always see about getting the RMB changed on the black market. If you know anyone that knows someone. I did it once and it worked fine. The exchange rate isn't as good, but... at least you get the money. Or you could go to the bank and just have them put the RMB onto one of your credit cards - if you have one with you - as a credit. Was able to do that, too.
ReplyDeleteI somehow was able to get all my excess baggage back to the US without paying extra in China. Talked to the people at the counter, telling them I was moving home after a long time and they didn't give me any problems. Different story completely when I hit the US. Ended up paying an additional $75 for my excess baggage weight. Yikes!
does this mean americans are harder to charm?
ReplyDeletefor some reason this strikes fear in the very pit of my heart.
ReplyDeletehahaha!
ReplyDeleteknow what Joni, I think it is really hard with your problem.. but I agree to what Jona was telling make it as wire transfer to your moms account or to whom you can trust the money and then inform the bank that the receiving bank in Manila would pay all the cost (it would be much cheaper I bet you) or if you wish too you can pay the charges but then in Manila bank they charge also but then much lower rate of course, but the question is do you have a bank account there in Shanghai do the transfer first and then after you leave some pocket money for you for this 'Excess baggage'. And then after somedays before leaving close the account. I think this is the best way. or....
ReplyDeletei hope Joni I have shared and given you some ideas, and the rest excess baggage leave those not so important to a friend there, and he/she would then appreciate it :)what do you think... May God Bless and guide you always.. take care,,
ReplyDeletehow to do this? how come this doesn't work on my end?!!!! can you take home some of that charm and give me some? :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions, Wena. Just this morning though, my friend sent me this news: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=business1_nov10_2006 which means I don't have a problem about having RMB in Manila anymore.
ReplyDeleteOliver, I would buy some for you here but you know how worried I already am about the weight of my luggage. Tell you what, I can give you some when I go home but I hope you don't mind that it's already been used. Plus I can only spare about a drop as you've probably read my loving sister's observation of how uncharming I am.
And I choose to ignore both Papi and Mami...
?? Bakit pati ako? Ano ginawa ko??
ReplyDeleteBecause you're siding with her! I know you are!
ReplyDeletei'm gonna get what i can, how thoughtful of you :)
ReplyDeletewala akong sinasabi! pramis!
ReplyDeletewala akong sinasabi! pramis!
ReplyDeleteAbout changing money, Travellers cheques is good option seems.. if u can pull it out as u can retain them lifelong and use later stages....
ReplyDeleteAbout excess weight...
Here is option....
Honest way to do it: Have 6-9 Kgs in Cabin Baggage, rest 20-25 kgs in Main Baggage ... Then rest... out it in one or two bags, then go to airport and tell them you want to put it in Air Freight which cost u quiet less than the fine and it travells with you.. Although they do charge processing fee for the same upto few RMBs... Check with airline how much do they charge... this option works well ONLY IF U HAVE say 30+ Kgs more than allowed Main Baggage.. I mean in terms of Processing fees.... The For example ... if for per Kg they charge you 5 USD, then processing fees will be 10 USD and it does not make sense to have a Freight of 4 Kgs as Processing fee will be 10 and cost will be20 ..... Hope I tried to impart some wisdom....
In case if u wanna try charm... again
If its Air China... try to speak in Broken Chinese (dnt speak too fluent) and pretend to be student or chinese and english teacher... hehee!!!! they will be impressed
if its philipines airlines of course, check in As early as possible and be sweet like chocolate...
In any case HOW EARLY you check in and HOW MUCH flight is booked on that day decides your chances...
Not so honest way is:
Check in Main Baggae first and have couple of friends outside airport to hold ur rest of baggage which u can pack in small manageble bags which u can carry onboard as cabin baggage no one checks in cabin baggae not atleast in Europe..In case if they do in that part of world, for their satisfaction have a small cabin bag which is 6 kg max... Bingo... so once u check in main baggae, come back and takeall ur rest of bags and walk in cool way without looking stressed due to weight thro passport control and u r done... Hope you understood ...... In case of clarification catch me on yahoo after 16 Nov as I am away in Stockholm now.
then again, you can always explore the option of sending your excess baggage home first via courier. that is, if you can't find any other way of making tugging along extra weight more cost-effective.
ReplyDeleteSige na nga, Papi. Dalawang beses mo pa sinabi so siguro talagang gusto mo kong kumbinsihin.
ReplyDeleteKristine, I already sent things home via courier and I thought I'd be fine but when I weighed them again, waaaa! di pa riiin! But then I might have to if I get too scared that my charms won't work.
Sachin, I don't want to do it by honest means simply because I'm cheap!!! Which is why I will have to be charming. I'm cheap and charming! That's my combination! So far, my to be checked in baggage weighs around 24kg. My handcarried items are: a cabin baggage that weighs (I'm guessing) more than 10kg (well definitely more than 6kg!), laptop (on which bag I'm also going to stuff as many books as I possibly could), and a knapsack (where I would also cram a sizable number of my belongings). Do you people think this can work?
I have a "qualities of a boyfriend" list! It's simple really, but I can't meet any of these people...ok, there are obvious things like generally being a "good person," but no so obvious things like 1. having an education beyond high school. 2. Not divorced (there are a lot of young divorced guys out there and they have a lot o problems!) 3. Not a current or former substance abuser. And if I could add one more thing to that list I'd add 4. Under 30, but I'm flexible on that if all the other things added up.
ReplyDeleteI only ever meet divorced drug addicts!
I couldn't make a list that would actually be realistic, now. Or that would give any opportunity of going on any dates, much less having a boyfriend. Education, integrity, honesty, stability (mental & emotional) are required.... it's the little things that would scratch every possiblity off. Thinking about just swearing off until I find a way of making a new list that will work. This one is just too restrictive/faulty. It didn't work the last time, anyway! :)
ReplyDeletewag ka na. tinakot ka lang ni nuni iniwan mo nako. pambihira naman. *iling iling
ReplyDeleteIt IS hard to make that list. I'm giving up. It's too hard! I basically only had basic qualities like smart, witty, sweet, funny, sensitive, responsible, etc but after reading some of the things in your lists, I begin thinking maybe I'm doing it the wrong way.
ReplyDeleteRachel, we don't have divorce in the Philippines so the odds of meeting divorced men is very, very small for me so at least I won't have that problem.
Carolyn, you're right. If I make that list (and make it very detailed) it's like striking off 98% of the male population. It's just sooo hard!
You girls are silly... you want a sane man when I have yet to meet a single woman who is sane. Men are all nutso because women make them that way. It sounds crass and sexist but women are basically unstable most of the time and drag the guy into that. Women can function with the wackiness they have lived their whole lives but when they introduce it into the man's sphere he usually can't adapt.
ReplyDeleteHahahaha! Jason, you make me laugh! Hahahahaha!
ReplyDeletesee, so it's the man who's problematic.
ReplyDeleteNo, the man is normal until the whacko woman messes him all up. Girls find the "ideal" guy who fits their "list," then realize that their list was stupid and try to "change" him and then all hell breaks loose.
ReplyDeleteOh no. I don't think girls ever find the man in the list. That man doesn't exist which is why she has to change him to fit her list. That doesn't mean he's not also crazy though. :p
ReplyDeletemen are confusing. they are. sigh.
ReplyDeleteYou ladies are confirming the madness of your gender. Look, I've had two ex's who showed me their list because I was the match they had been looking for.
ReplyDeleteClassic quotes:
"Well, I liked the idea of a guy doing charity work, but I didn't think that he would expect me to do it to!"
"I like having a smart boyfriend but I don't want to talk about mind-bending issues so much. Can't we just watch 'American Idol?'"
"Your goals are so admirable, I just didn't think that you were really going to follow through with them. It was always something I just bragged to my friends and family about."
What the hell? Woman get what they "want" only to figure out later that wasn't what they wanted.
hahaha! okay, you win this round.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a be-careful-what-you-wish-for case. Who would've thought they'd actually meet a Jason? :D
ReplyDeleteThose last two comments made me smile big. The sisters came through again!
ReplyDeleteThis is why I don't have a list as no girl is willing/able to date a writer. Who wants a guy who sits in the dark in his underwear swilling coffee, smoking cigarettes and eating nothing for four days straight while on a writing binge at his computer???
Seriously though, a lot of girls have told me at the end of relationships that the idea of Jason was awesome... keeping up with me - not so awesome.
But they keep trying ;-)
Nuna and I are a tag-team. :p
ReplyDeleteAnd the reason why I no longer like the idea of dating writers (or artists in general but writers, specifically) is because I already have enough issues for both of us. I don't think we'll be able to handle both my and his issues, and then our couple-issues, all at the same time.
I agree. Sticking two artists together is not good.
ReplyDeleteYes 24 Kg is allright for main luggage and for cabin one 10 kg sounds not too much and laptop are usually neglected as cabin baggage weight but be sure dont make it look like another HUGE cabin baggage. Hope you need not have to work hard on charm... You can pull this out.... Still taking couple of friends with you to airport on assumption that after check in main baggage you can roam around and come out of airport and go to security check anytime you want is allowed in China... In India atleast its kind of tricky issue as they wont allow see-off rs to get into terminal at all :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck and have a nice flight back home and dont get drunk hehee!!!!
Yes 24 Kg is allright for main luggage and for cabin one 10 kg sounds not too much and laptop are usually neglected as cabin baggage weight but be sure dont make it look like another HUGE cabin baggage. Hope you need not have to work hard on charm... You can pull this out.... Still taking couple of friends with you to airport on assumption that after check in main baggage you can roam around and come out of airport and go to security check anytime you want is allowed in China... In India atleast its kind of tricky issue as they wont allow see-off rs to get into terminal at all :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck and have a nice flight back home and dont get drunk hehee!!!!
I agree with whatever Jason had said........ how true it is.