Dian Fei (Electric Bill)

We got our electric bill paid right before the deadline. You know how each month you get a paper in the mail that tells you how much you owe? Not so in China! Here your bill is posted inside the elevator on a huge spreadsheet along with everyone else's in the building. Privacy? What's that!? It was interesting to see the contrast between us and them. They pretty much don't use electricity and we do. Our bill was 7 times what they owed!!! Most chinese don't have a fridge, toaster oven, heater, washing machine, computer or any of the "necessities" of westerners. We don't even use them that often! Except for the computers of course. I guess they don't use hot water for showers either. Anyway, I had no idea how to pay it. Others pay theirs at local banks but you have to have an account and a card and the machine that accepts your payment doesn't always work etc. Needless to say, I was not looking forward to this. Then, a few days before the due date, I saw our real estate agent at the bus stop and she agreed to help me on Monday. Monday morning, I came down the stairs to find our landlord waiting for me. She wanted to help me. She took me to get the account number and we set out. After walking about a mile, with her talking about how much our bill is, she stopped at a little post office booth on the back side of the local wal-mart. This is where you pay, she told me. I gave the woman my money, she gave me a reciept and as easy as that, we were done! Who knew you could post letters and pay bills all at the same place? Wonder what else you can do there.? It was so sweet of her to help us. She even took me to her apartment on our way back to get a phone number for me. I couldn't understand a lot of what she said, but I think the number was to a company that sells regulators for electricity so maybe we won't use so much next month. She's so thoughtful. She also lives up seven flights with no elevator and that day our elevator was out and we live on the tenth floor. But my hyperventilating is beside the point.

"It's energy. It's not just gasoline. People are looking at their gas and electric bills. Talk about stunned silence.”
Jim Sanfilippo

“Electricity can be dangerous. My nephew tried to stick a penny into a plug. Whoever said a penny doesn't go far didn't see him shoot across that floor. I told him he was grounded.”
Tim Allen

Mandy