Culture Shock! China - A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette, 2nd Edition

102 CultureShock! China

use. The biggest issue always

arises with the clothes washing

machine. It is very important

to create a clear system for the

ayi to identify which clothes

can be washed in the machine

and which cannot. You also

need to teach her to separate

the loads so that she gains a

clear understanding of what can be combined in the wash.

Educating on use of vacuum cleaner, iron, dryer, dishwasher

and most small kitchen appliances will ensure proper use and

maintenance. Taking these steps early will alleviate heartache

on both sides later on.

Give the ayi clear guidelines translated into Chinese on

what children may and may not do, what they may and may

not eat, and where they may and may not go. Chinese views

toward discipline are much different to Western views and

an ayi may focus more on the happiness of her charges than

the rules that they are meant to follow.

Wages for ayis vary between cities and are influenced by

the level of responsibility that the ayi takes in the household.

Typical monthly salaries range from 500 to 2,000 Rmb. Ayis

should also be given a 13-month salary and compensated

for working holidays.

SHOPPING STRATEGIES

If they made shopping into an Olympic sport, the Chinese

would take the gold every time. If there is one thing most

Chinese have a passion for, it is getting a good deal. If shopping

was the sport, negotiation would be the finesse that would

win the gold. Chinese negotiate for the pure joy of it.

Foreigners often mistake negotiation as conflict or a

struggle, rather than as a passionate pursuit. In many

instances, if you forgo the negotiation and cave into an initial

ask price, you would have taken the fun out of the job for the

seller. If a seller is able to charge you an exorbitant amount

without a quibble from your side, he would assume that you

are far more stupid than you look, rather than a person of

Because Chinese who lived
through the Cultural Revolution
were reprimanded for thinking
on their own, it is very important
to set clear guidelines on duties
and expectations. Older ayis will
rarely take action without being
asked; they prefer to have a set
routine that they repeat on a
weekly basis.