Sunday 11th December

I realised this morning that I must have left my purse in the taxi last night as I couldn’t find it anywhere and that was the last place that I had it. This is even worse because I had my English bank card and Chinese bank card in there and about 500 RMB (£50).

The first thing that I did was to call Ashley, one of the teachers that speaks a bit of Chinese and has been here a while so sort of knows how the banks work. We got a taxi to Euro plaza and to the bank with my bank details from when I opened my account and my passport. It took us 3 attempts with different people to explain that I had lost my bank card and that I wanted a replacement card and to withdraw my money that was in there. After the bank manager and two cashiers had had a lengthy discussion they turned to me and said “no”. That was it, just no. When I asked “no what?” I was told that I couldn’t withdraw my money, but could order a new card. Ok, let’s start there then, I thought and we were taken to yet another cashier (who could speak quite good English, I don’t understand why we weren’t taken to him first). I started my story again for the fourth time, that I had lost my bank card and that I wanted a new bank card and to withdraw my money. I was told that yes they could give me a new bank card but it would take 7 days for my new card to arrive, but I wouldn’t be able to withdraw any money until then (7 days would be Sunday and I leave for England at 3am Monday so it was cutting it fine). I explained again that I had absolutely no money and needed the 75 RMB (£7.50) that was in my account, which the cashier openly laughed at me saying that it was only 75 RMB. Yes I know this, but I have NO MONEY and need anything I can get! Even the bank manager was looking at me in amazement and they kept saying that there was only 75 RMB in my account. We were then told that the new bank card would be available to be picked up on Monday 19^th December (which is no good as I would have left China by then) and when I explained this I was told that I could return to China to pick up my new bank card and withdraw my 75 RMB then. There is no way that I am coming back to China to claim my £7.50! I was getting really frustrated by this point so I said what if I just close my account, can I have my 75 RMB? Again I was told no, I needed my bank card to be able to withdraw my money or I could close my account and come back a week on Monday when the account will be closed to claim my money. I got really angry at this point and said “so you are holding my money hostage?” I decided to go ahead and close the account, which I had to tell the cashier numerous times “yes I want to close the account” and the cashier would say OK and sit there looking at me “so you need to close my account now” and then the cashier said “but why?” it was so frustrating! I told the cashier I was never banking with their bank again because they wouldn’t give me my money and to close the account. I then sat there for a while waiting for the cashier to fill in a load of forms when the cashier then told me that it would cost 20 RMB to close my account!! I said to take the 20 RMB out of the 75 RMB in my account and was told that he couldn’t because that wasn’t the procedure and at that point it really was either laugh or cry. Where do you expect me to get the 20RMB from when I don’t have any money or cards and the only money I do have, you won’t give me?! I demanded. The whole situation really was unbelievable and we had been at the bank arguing my case for an hour by now and still hadn’t come to a solution. In the end the cashier must have felt sorry for me because he paid the 20 RMB out of his own pocket, as long as I paid him back when I came for my 75 RMB a week on Monday. Which I won’t be doing as I will be on a flight back to the UK by then. The final outcome was that I closed my account so that my wages won’t go in there on Thursday (because if they do there would be no way to get it out before I flew home) and I need to return to the bank a week on Monday to claim my 75 RMB (55 RMB now that I owe the cashier 20 RMB!) which I can’t do as I will have already left the country and no one else can do it as it has to be me and my passport ID. This whole thing took 90 minutes and I am never using that bank ever again!

We then went to the supermarket for Ashley to do her grocery shopping and met Doreenda there as they were treating me to lunch afterwards as I had no money. I borrowed a bit from Doreenda to buy my present for my secret santa for tomorrow and then we went to “the Swan with two necks” which was only next door. By this point it was almost 4pm so we got a taxi home and I caught up with a few people on skype. Overall a very frustrating day and I still need to sort out where to send my wages on Thursday. Not how I was expecting to spend my Sunday!