80: THE ABSOLUTE WORST thing about living in China; Qingdao, China.

We have loved living in China for the past 4 years! China has so much to offer and especially our amazing city of Qingdao. Who doesn't love living in a beautiful, safe place at the foot of the stunning mountains and on the sea? Surrounded by all this beauty, we have quietly endured one utterly frustrating aspect of living as an ex-pat in a Communist country: BANKING! The government has put so many regulations and restrictions on sending money out of the country (to avoid money laundering) that they make it nearly impossible to get your money out. You can only send out what you have earned and not a dime more. And, you have to prove you have paid the tax on it prior to sending. Our school only paid us 45 days after we worked AND to send money to our home, we are required to show that we have paid our tax and that document is not available until a month after we have been paid (so that's 2.5 months later). Then, you go to the bank with your stack of documents, IDs, and a backpack full of survival equipment (snacks, phone charger, kindle, etc) because you will sit at the teller window for at least 2 hours and for me up to 7 hours; sadly, I hold the record. The bank manager does everything in her power not to allow the money out of the country. You have to literally remain in your seat at the window, hold your ground, and your bladder, to get the wire confirmation receipt. And, that does not guarantee they have released the wire...sometimes it takes up to 24 hours for them to send it. Banking in China will not be missed! Enjoy the video - this is the 7-hour marathon that I endured in my final visit to the bank to send money home! Disclaimer: We do realize that this is our limited perspective (and the perspective of 30 other expats that work with us) on the banking experience and that in other parts of China and in other banks, the experience might be more efficient and more pleasant. We certainly hope that's the case! #sailing #sailboat #sailingprojects NEW TO OUR CHANNEL? We are Eileen and Brown Councill. Welcome to our channel and a glimpse into our life adventure! 2020 was a year of uncertainty and change (for all of us, right?), but we overcame the challenges and decided it was time to chase our dream, to sail around the world! Did I mention that we had very NO sailing experience? Before leaving Qingdao, China, our home of 4 years, we sold almost all of our earthly possessions and started our international search to find the right sailboat that we would call "home." After 5 months of unanticipated twists and turns, we found what we were looking for, a used Leopard 44' Catamaran located in St. Lucia. So, here begins our journey, filled with unmatched excitement and honestly, a bit of trepidation as well. We have much to learn as we travel the world on our floating home and we intend to document that journey and share it with you. We are so glad you have decided to join us, and we hope that you will find our story so compelling that it will inspire you to chase your dreams too! As a viewer, we consider you to be part of our family and look forward to getting to know you. Don't hesitate to comment on our videos and ask questions. We will do our best to answer every correspondence! All we ask is that you have patience with us as we work really hard to improve our camera/video techniques and ability to tell a story. Hopefully, you will be as BLOWN AWAY from watching, as we are in experiencing and producing our adventures! HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT US? If you wish to support our video efforts, all we ask is that you SUBSCRIBE, give a THUMBS UP, SHARE our videos with your friends, AND COMMENT! WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET TO KNOW US MORE DEEPLY? It would be an honor and pleasure to deepen our relationship with you as a Patron. Please click on the following link to see how: https://www.patreon.com/sailingblownaway WOULD YOU LIKE TO FOLLOW OUR JOURNEY? https://www.noforeignland.com/boat/6040796987916288 WHERE CAN YOU FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA? Instagram - @sailingblownaway Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SailingBlownAway Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/eileen.dietrich/ YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/sailingblownaway