Day 2

Today was all about getting mobile phones and a bank account set up. We met Pricoa agent Lisa at the apartment. She took us to Gome applicance store to get the phones. It is a little different in China, buy the phone without any discounts for plans. We picked 3 cheap Nokia phones ($100 per). Then unbelievably we had to walk outside to a magazine stand to buy SIM card/mobile numbers and then buy prepaid minutes. We took those back to the store where the clerk set up our phones and loaded the minutes. This probably took over an hour to do.

We then went to the Bank of China to set up a bank account. We are so used to joint accounts in the US. I had to set up an account in my name since B is not here. So we now have one debit card between the 2 of us. We will have to figure that one out. The exchange rate for the USD that I deposited was not so good, but what are you going to do. The bank account process was also lenghthy and cumbersome.

I could never have done any of this without someone with Mandarin speaking skills.