When Garrett and I moved to China we got Chinese cell phones. Garrett got the cheapest one he could find (typical) and I got a pink one (also typical)! We knew our phones would be different than the ones at home but we had no idea how different!

First, all the talking time is pre purchased. Garrett and I buy 100rmb (about 15 dollars) at a time and that buys us about 2 months of use. Which is a huge break from our normal 200-dollar phone bills back in the states. When we first purchased our phones we also bought our first cell phone minutes and our phone numbers. (That’s right; cell phone numbers come at a cost here!)

It’s important to remember this… especially if you lose your phone, as Garrett has recently learned. In our adventures through Beijing Garrett misplaced (lost) his phone and our quest to reclaim his unused minutes and phone number is just beginning. At home you have the security of at least retaining your phone number and minutes if you ever lose your phone, here you’re not so lucky. You have to buy a new phone, new minutes and a new phone number. Everyone who you’ve given your cell phone number out too is going to have to get a new number! Awesome.

It’s already such a pain to lose your phone but to have to get a whole new phone number too! And although we only pay about 15 dollars every couple months to talk on our Chinese mobile devices, now that we’ve lost one we are going to have to pay for it; minutes, phone number, cell phone. Not to mention the inconvenience of giving everyone the new number. Garrett uses his phone at work, to call from office to office… which means now he is going to have to give everyone a new number. And it’s not like he can use his voicemail greeting to relay the message, like many people do.

Why? Because there is no voicemail. That’s right NO voicemail. Screening calls are a thing of the past; if you don’t answer you don’t get the call. Well unless of course the person calls 3 or 4 times, in a row, back to back, until you answer! That is also typical phone etiquette here. You know those annoying people who call you a bunch until you finally stop screening their call and pick up (my mother)… that is what everyone in China is like!! Awesome.

Because of the lack of voicemail, Chinese people have taken very kindly to multiple calling and the text message. Just because they can’t speak to you doesn’t mean they wont write! Text messages or SMS are huge here. Maybe its huge everywhere but it seems even bigger here. People set up meetings, negotiate contracts and text message their bosses in order to communicate effectively. I would never text message anyone, anything business related at home… it would be considered unprofessional. But alas, the Chinese people are much more practical or they just don’t care enough.

China has recently introduced the 3G networks here that bring the Internet to your phone, much like I use with my IPhone at home. But in order to get it you have to buy a contract, which as I recently learned can also include a voicemail system. How you set up that contract is beyond me. Every mobile device store we encountered sold you the minutes; there was never a mention of any kind of contract… it’s another one of those things that if you don’t speak Chinese, there is no way of helping you.

Voicemail and 3G are a luxury we non-Chinese speaking Expats will live without. In the meantime I’ll have to go arm wrestle the Chinese guy in the 2by2 cell phone refilling booth to try to claim Garrett’s phone number back.

It was brought up during lunch that for many English speakers coming to China, Chinese speakers seem to be yelling. Because of the inflections, tones and what not of the Chinese language, it often seems to us foreigners as if people are screaming at one another, fighting even. For some the tones (and often volume) of speech stay consistent whether they are arguing or if they are telling a joke.

This often leads to some major confusion on my end. I sit on the subway minding my own business when BAM like a New Yorker and a bus, I’m hit with what I think is a hostile situation spoken at a max volume. My ears ring with the sounds of panic and curiosity. What are they arguing about? Should I get help? Should I stare (what they all stare at me!)?Thinking someone is going to get smacked I turn to look (of course I want to see what is going on) and I see nothing more than two ladies having a conversation. I don’t know what about but I am sure it’s not going to lead to any violence.

I can not speak to the specifics of the Chinese language since I know none of it. But I would think that just because the tones change doesn’t mean the volume has to. I mean don’t people whisper here?

It’s like people want everyone knowing there business. They want everyone knowing that they had cereal for breakfast, are having meatloaf for dinner and are sleeping with there milk man. Plus there is no personal space; you’ve read the stories about my metro rides. Boundaries China! BOUNDARIES!!!

Some people (especially on the metro, as if being underground calls for yelling) just can not control there volume. I have grown quite found of my headphones during my morning commute.

I know that at home, every so often you encounter one of those people who are loud… too loud. But here its one in every 5 (at least). And GOD do not put them on a cell phone. PLEASE! You know loud cell phone talker guy? Well times him by 50, higher the volume just a bit and void your self of any personal space and that my friends is my commute home. Best part of the day… sarcasm.

Did I mention my headphones, cause if I didn’t… I think they need recognition!