User Comments - mafanni

Posted on: The Tea Scam

Practice English/Tea Ceremony Scam:

WHERE: A (mostly) legal and very popular and long-running scam. Especially popular in the tourist-friendly parts of Beijing (like Wangfujing shopping district and Houhai Lake nightlife district) and Shanghai (Nanjing Road shopping district and adjacent Peoples’ Park). Solo male travelers are the suckers of choice.

THE SCAM: While there are variations on this theme, the basic scam goes like this:

• A Chinese person — often a seemingly innocent-looking girl — approaches you. After gaining your trust with some innocent chitchat, she suggests going somewhere to practice English (or karaoke, etc). They also like the Buddy System: it might be a harmless-looking young couple or two young ladies who ask you to take their photo in the park and “happen” to be on their way to a tea ceremony. Would you like to join?

• Overjoyed by the chance to have a genuine Chinese encounter with a local (yes, they know the laowai too well), you enthusiastically accept. You follow them somewhere to sample some tea or whatever. Later, you’re presented with an eye-popping bill (often hundreds of US dollars). By now, your new friend may have already disappeared after using the restroom (collecting their hefty commission on their way out to troll for a new sucker). You start to storm out….only to find a couple of goons blocking the door! You’ve just been Punk’ed fool!

RULES OF THUMB to prevent being scammed:

3 Shanghai "college students" (actual scammers from a posting I found)

• Always be wary of anyone who initiates contact with you, no matter how innocent they look or act (be especially wary in touristy areas). Use common sense and trust your intuition. For example, how common is it for a Chinese girl to boldly approach a random foreign man on the street? In general, Chinese people are reluctant to approach strangers, particularly foreigners. If they seem too comfortable, it could be because they’re practiced at it. And don’t underestimate their acting skills since they’ve been practicing every day for years. The savvier scammers are patient with the long con, slowly building your trust. Caveat: I give this warning with caution because I don’t want you to be paranoid since most people you’ll meet will just be curious to talk to a laowai (or actually interested in practicing their English).

• NEVER let them take you so some place of their choosing. In many cases, once you’re in the door, you’re cooked. Your Spidey Sense should be tingling at full alarm the second that they suggest going somewhere. To test their intentions, suggest an alternate place. If they’re insistent on taking you to a specific place, they’re almost certainly in on some scam. Don’t worry about being rude — just smile, say good-bye, and keep walking!

• In general, while in China (or elsewhere),never agree to any service unless you know the exact price. By the way, serving tea is smart for con artists because they can claim that you drank some super-super-expensive tea. Always ask for a menu with prices. In this scenario (where you were lured into a shady business), even if you were smart enough to see prices, they could simply claim that you ordered some expensive dishes or drinks. Again, your word against theirs. Another trick: your new friend tries to gain your trust by offering to split the (ridiculously expensive) restaurant bill…however, they’re in cahoots with the owner and so are just pretending to pay half in order to get you to fork over your half. Sneaky.

http://www.china-mike.com/china-travel-tips/avoiding-scams/

Posted on: A Private Money Changer

Counterfeit Money Scam:

WHERE: Could be anywhere in China.

THE SCAM: There are a lot of counterfeit bills in circulation…and who better to fool than clueless laowai tourist?

RULES OF THUMB:

• Carefully inspect any change, especially Y50 and Y100 bills. Does the note feel thin or slippery? Does the watermark look kosher? If it feels or looks wrong, don’t be shy about rejecting it (a common practice in China). If necessary, cancel the transaction and demand your money back.

• If you’re getting cash from an ATM or changing money at a bank (i.e. not a money-changer), you won’t have to worry about getting counterfeit bills (usually Y100 notes). But instead, you should watch out for the old Bait-and-Switch. For example, you pay with your (real) Y100 and they secretly replace it with a fake note, claiming that you gave them the bogus note. Then, they’ll give you the fake one and ask for another one. They just made a tidy Y200 profit! Always keep an eye on your bill when paying and watch for the swap. A popular scam with taxis and when getting back a deposit (such as renting bike). If someone tries to pull this on you, make a big, loud scene (to attract a curious crowd, and hopefully police).

• Also alarms should be going off if someone claims they don’t have correct change and is “willing” to round up your change by giving you a larger bill. Or they might be trying to squeeze some extra money from you by asking you to give them an extra Y50 note so they can round off your change to an even (fake) Y100.

http://www.china-mike.com/china-travel-tips/avoiding-scams/

Posted on: The Tea Scam

吧托女

Posted on: Fake Beggars?

maybe the we is the typo, should be 'you'(my guess)

Posted on: Your Mandarin Is Really Good!

I was told this joke.  I don't get the meaning.  can someone translate? 

of course I had to laugh....... xiexie

让我想起一个笑话，一个英国人夸中国人英语讲得好，中国人回复说where，where，搞得你们洋鬼子不晓得怎么去接话

Posted on: The Price of Marriage

I would guess the birth rate will be taking a HUGE plunge.... so the one child policy will have a multiple effect.

Posted on: What Do You Want To Eat?

北京烤鸭很好吃！

Posted on: Time for a Holiday

this is like tongue twisting exercises.  now my mouth hurts! :-p

say it 10 times quickly

十二月二十五日

情人节是二月十四日，也是星期六

Posted on: Washing Clothes on the Road

xiexie. and what is the grammar rule? and the way I presented, how do you interpret it or is nonsense?

Posted on: Washing Clothes on the Road

that's why I believe translators, especially for top government officials(translating on the the fly) have the diciest job in the world. a 'mix-up' (misinterpretation) could start WW III!