Google Chrome is a wonderful browser to use in China when it works. And, actually, I should restate that: "Chrome is a wonderful browser at Sias when it works." Though in all fairness, Chinese websites load at almost lightning speed. Google, because of its very free ideas, is not on China's good list, and so it often gets delayed trying to jump over the "great wall." And, thus, the translate feature does not work.
And that is all important because of another issue. For some reason I thought I was already running Windows 8.1. I felt certain that I would have updated to that when I was in America this past winter. But I kept seeing opportunities to upgrade for free, and I finally investigated. I should have responded as I would have to almost every other abnormally large update (this one is over 3.5gb) and delayed the inevitable until it was inevitable. I did not. I was trusting, and now I am back in the learning curve of Windows 8 newbies and am also having to reload drivers.
The main driver that I am missing at this moment is for my inkjet printer. I started my search for it using baidu (China's version of Google) and had little success until I remembered that I had used the Chinese Canon website just two months ago (having not found the driver on the U.S. website), and Chrome was able to navigate me successfully through all the language. And what a perfect solution to a problem such as this when Chrome, being Chrome in China (or in Sias), could not translate. Knowing the driver was buried somewhere in the website, I copied and pasted text into Google Translate on a separate web page. It was laborious, but I finally got to the last page, the one where you have several drop down menus and have to choose the type of product, model name and number, and file. And then, just as I was picking and choosing and trying different options (since you can't select text on the drop down menus - or, at least, I don't know how), wouldn't you know it? Chrome translator started to work. I give thanks to Dad for that one. Strange that I never thought to ask Him to help out, but He provided just the same.
30 minutes later: driver installed; items printed; happy me.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Spring Cleaning
This is the first year that I've lived here at Peter Hall that anyone has organized a community rummage sale. We have had thrift store type rummage sales - people have donated stuff they couldn't sell and then we have used the profits to support needy students. But why no one thought up this brilliant plan before, I don't know. It is a great way to clean house! And it is also a great way to earn some money. In my case, it is a great way to prepare to move. And while selling things wasn't really emotional, as it was just three years ago when I was preparing to come to China, I know that leaving people at the end of June will more than make up for any lack of feeling today.
I have to say, though, that I have had feelings about these sales. And they have mainly come in the form of selling things as a fundraiser for the needy students. Granted, not all the stuff we have had to sell has been of the highest quality, but we have had many nice things. And while the teachers living in Peter Hall and even students have had no trouble paying our very low prices, some of the workers here and many parent aged types have gone into the cultural mode of haggling to embarrassingly low prices. And it has upset me. A lot. I know they see it completely differently than I do. (They haggle as shoppers, and used items have less value than new stuff regardless of how good of condition it is in. Plus they want to joy of making a very good purchase.) So I have tried to educate them a little. I have had people explain in Chinese what the purpose of the sale is, but they have still haggled to the point of my own despair. During the last sale I actually refused to sell things to a couple people and, in the most forced calm manner I could produce, I asked them to leave. Not good. So this time, when I was asked about selling goods again for the needy students, I very firmly declined. I have found my limit.
It is probably a good illustration of generational culture. And every people group has it. I can't wait for a time when there will be only one culture, and there will be one center of attention. There is a lot of clean up to do before then. Even so, come...come.
I have to say, though, that I have had feelings about these sales. And they have mainly come in the form of selling things as a fundraiser for the needy students. Granted, not all the stuff we have had to sell has been of the highest quality, but we have had many nice things. And while the teachers living in Peter Hall and even students have had no trouble paying our very low prices, some of the workers here and many parent aged types have gone into the cultural mode of haggling to embarrassingly low prices. And it has upset me. A lot. I know they see it completely differently than I do. (They haggle as shoppers, and used items have less value than new stuff regardless of how good of condition it is in. Plus they want to joy of making a very good purchase.) So I have tried to educate them a little. I have had people explain in Chinese what the purpose of the sale is, but they have still haggled to the point of my own despair. During the last sale I actually refused to sell things to a couple people and, in the most forced calm manner I could produce, I asked them to leave. Not good. So this time, when I was asked about selling goods again for the needy students, I very firmly declined. I have found my limit.
It is probably a good illustration of generational culture. And every people group has it. I can't wait for a time when there will be only one culture, and there will be one center of attention. There is a lot of clean up to do before then. Even so, come...come.
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