I bought a web cam for about AU$8 at a giant computer emporium - six floors of every conceivable piece of technology. It didn't work, when I got back home. :-(I decided to valiantly pursue my consumer rights and so returned early the next day with my computer. I had to wait a while until the shop opened, so I took a few photos. I then finally found the shop, and showed to the manager my problem. She ummmed and aahed, and enlisted the help of several other stall-holders. Another more expensive brand worked, but I refused to pay extra. Eventually it worked!
I left in high spirits, and hailed a taxi that was perhaps the oldest and dirtiest (inside and out) in Jinan. The driver was also old and dirty - but the meter worked - and I showed a Chinese instruction to take me to the Sofitel Hotel. Two minutes after being dropped (on an expressway), I realised that I had bequeathed this piece of high technology to the old taxi driver.
Undaunted, I found my way to the Business Centre of the swank Hotel Sofitel, and tried to get some information about taking a holiday somewhere in China (I may have four days off 1-4 May). The girls who spoke excellent English were apologetic in that they only knew the local tours, and that their attempts at getting other travel agents to help me resulted in "booking are not yet open for that date".So I had achieved nothing, but had enjoyed the process.
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