User Comments - bodawei

Posted on: Renting an Apartment through an Agent 4

The answer is complex, and I don't want to throw around broad generalisations, mostly because I don't know much. :)

One anecdote: I know a guy born in Australia who now lives here with his family because of a compensation deal relating to eviction. I think that someone had to come here to accept the compensation (a new apartment in the city.) Most evictions are in the name of development.

Posted on: Exchange Rates

People often use the word 'favourable' or 'improving' when a currency rises against that of its trading partners. It is neither all good nor all bad - it assists some parts of the economy and hurts others. A rising currency hurts exports.

Posted on: Exchange Rates

Thanks for the wake-up call, I shouldn't go round stinging people, even unintentionally.

The US still has the world's biggest economy, but manufacturing is maybe 11% of its economy (like most Western countries.) It still has a comparative advantage in manufacturing compared to many countries. More than 3/4 of its economy is services - my comment points to this. Tourism will get a boost with the US$ falling against its trading partners. More Aussies will go have a look too.

The US has a problem with parts of agriculture - 1% of its economy but powerful lobby groups capturing huge subsidies from the American people. But Australians can't talk.

Posted on: Renting an Apartment through an Agent 4

I have a nice employer who pays my rent allowance in advance, in six monthly increments. Right when I need it. Fortunately these allowances are tax free (there was another lesson recently on this point.)

Posted on: Renting an Apartment through an Agent 4

RJ

Thanks for putting me straight there. Although 'town gas' sounds a logical enough name for what is piped around cities I see now that it has a specific historical meaning. Back to Bill's point, it seems that 'coal' gas and natural gas can be the same thing technically, but 煤气 méiqì is the popular term for this fuel piped around the city.

Posted on: Renting an Apartment through an Agent 4

I am agreeing now that the dialogue does not say explicitly that the rent is paid monthly after the initial payment of four months rent. Nor does the commentary by John and Jenny enlighten us on this. But most of your learners are Westerners - I would guess that most have assumed that rent would be paid monthly because that is standard practice in the West. It would be helpful to point out this significant difference between China and the West.

So we are now agreed that the Chinese renter in the dialogue will be paying in three monthly increments? (When I have rented in China this is made perfectly clear by the landlord - he or she wants rent paid in six monthly increments.) But your ChinesePod response could be (I am now hearing John's voice) 'well, everyone knows that rent is paid in 3 or 6 month increments so it would be unnatural in this dialogue for it to be pointed out.' Good point John. :)

But for poddies interested in how it works: this is the deal - increments of 3 months rent.

RJ - rent is always quoted as monthly even though it is paid in three or six monthly increments. (toianw - thanks also for your comment.)

A final 'culture' point - I have never been asked for a deposit but I know this happens. Even if you pay six months in advance, when you move out the landlord may want to keep your deposit if there has been some breakages or damage.

Posted on: Renting an Apartment through an Agent 4

Beyond me mate, but I just saw a technical paper on line talking about 'coalbed methane' supplying Kunming - I assume this is our town gas? So is this 'coal gas' or 'natural gas'? It is piped around the city, although it seems a lot of places still get their gas in bottles - I am not sure of the economics. The town gas is extremely cheap to the consumer - I think I pay about 25 RMB a month, and US$3.50 a month and we cook at home a lot.

Posted on: Renting an Apartment through an Agent 4

Hi Jason

You working on a Saturday?? Such a nice day here very hard to do any work.

Re the podcast, I thought I heard John and Jenny say that it is a Chinese renter?

One other thing - the landlord says that he pays the property management fee, but it is not made clear that this would be passed on to the tenant. Certainly in my city that is the case. Actually I pay the property management fee direct. I pay a whole list of separate fees - when I get time I will dig them out and post them for information. From memory I pay separate fees for property management, the 保安, gardeners, rubbish collection, solar hot water (two charges, one for the water and one for the electricity to pump the water around). All this in addition to electricity, town water, gas, Internet, TV and phone. However it is common here to have water and electricity paid by direct debit from a bank account - you just 冲至 your account from time to time.

Posted on: Renting an Apartment through an Agent 4

Okay, but that is one of the points I am making here. The dialogue says that you pay three months in advance plus one month deposit, and then a month at a time. I have never come across this 'month at a time' idea. From what you say your Chinese friends pay 3 months at a time. Generally out here we pay six months at a time (but rents are much lower.) It is this '3 month' or '6 month' incremental payment that is in sharp contrast to practice in the West. I guess if you get down to two months at a time the contrast is less 'sharp'.

I am trying to gauge how common it is to pay a month at a time in China. Any ideas?

I guess I should also say why I am interested. The '3 or 6 month' incremental payment is I think consistent with the lack of trust that prevails when dealing with people who are 'outside your circle'. Where China has introduced the 'month at a time' practice I would not be surprised if it is more common to resort to formal legal means to enforce a contract.

Posted on: Keeping and Leaving

Another great QingWen guys, thanks very much.  

This talk of safety measures in the metro reminds me of a thread elsewhere - I would love to get some discussion about the various public announcements and safety notices you see around China.  I invited some discussion but we didn't get far, perhaps because it is a bit difficult.  Sometimes the expressions are a little formal and unfamiliar sounding.  On the buses the recording is sometimes indistinct.  I have trouble hearing the English translation here.  Furthermore the English translation on the buses is not quite the same as the Chinese. Same on the planes I have noticed.

You get a long detailed talk in Chinese and then a couple of sentences in English.  In the interests of equality maybe ChinesePod could help with deciphering real life announcements. Any chance of a lesson on this?  

For example, the bus announcement here (between any two stops) asks you to be safe, don't put your head out of the window (but it doesn't say that in English.)  It announces the next stop.  It says get ready for leaving the bus when approaching your stop.  It says hold on to the rails as you move about the bus.  But I cannot tell you exactly what is said in Chinese.  

I remember the one in Hangzhou buses used to say 'after you leave the bus please use the pedestrian crossing'.