Open your mouth please…

Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 14 c

This morning, I had to wake up extraordinarily early despite having only less than 6 hours of sleep. Last night, Bom, Ryan, me and the rest of the Malaysian gang had a wild night at a pub in Xintiandi, and we exchanged quality entertainment time with quality sleeping time. It’s been a while since I visited a pub. I felt disoriented when we left at 12 something midnight.

Back to the topic, I had to wake up at 7 am and get myself ready to leave the apartment at around 7.30 am because I had a mission: I needed to bring Engtee to see a dentist for some fillings.

Engtee, being a professionally trained senior accountant and my personal financial controller, had done some good researches on the cost of dental care in China and the results of her research got her worried. It was simply too expensive (based on Engtee’s standards). It may cost up to RMB 200 to fill 1 tooth. Unless her tooth problem prevents her from eating her favorite junk foods, Engtee will never spend that kind of money on her tooth.

But, Engtee is a resourceful financial controller. Her research did not stop at just finding out the cost; it extended to how to get cheaper but reasonable quality dental care. This is where Engtee used the knowledge she acquired in China to the fullest extent. She deeply understood the 2 Chinese characters that were most useful and crucial in getting things done in China: 关系 (guan xi, or relationship). This is how the Chinese society works – through Guanxi. In China, by using Guanxi, you can always get things done faster, cheaper and easier.

Her colleague knows someone who works in a hospital. Through her colleague, Engtee managed to “say hello” (as the Chinese would love to put it) to the dentist who works in that hospital. The colleague told Engtee that by “saying hello” to the dentist, she can expect cheaper and faster treatment. So, an appointment was fixed.

The hospital is quite far from our area. Since our appointment was at 8 am and we have to take 2 buses to get there, I proposed that we take the taxi instead. I was actually trying my luck. In Engtee’s eyes, taking taxi is deemed cheating and equivalent to committing an unforgivable sin. I tried my best to convince her that situations like this justify the taxi fare. Though I am legally trained to persuade the courts to give judgments in my clients’ favor, I rarely won an argument before Engtee. My oral application to take the taxi was summarily dismissed by Engtee even before I could start my oral submission to support my application. In the course of my numerous arguments with my wife, I learned one valuable lesson: if Engtee does not win, I lose.

It was not difficult to locate the hospital after we alighted from the bus. The hospital is a community hospital which provides medical care to the people within that community. It was smaller and very much cleaner than I had imagined.

We went to see the dentist (to be 100% sure that we were in the right hospital and seeing the right dentist) before Engtee registered. They did not ask Engtee to show any ID. She just needed to fill up a simple form (and they did not ask her what her race is!) and pay registration fee of RMB 8.50. Engtee used her Chinese name to register herself. I think the officer in charge had no idea at all that we were not Chinese citizens but nevertheless were using citizens’ facilities. I guess it is alright because in Malaysia, our general hospitals are used by (both legal and illegal) foreigners too.

Engtee was the dentist’s first patient of the day, so we did not need to wait. 25 minutes later, Engtee’s tooth was already filled, and the dentist gave her a small piece of paper for her to pay at the counter. To illustrate the power of Guanxi, the dentist told Engtee that since she has earlier “said hello” to the dentist, the dentist will give her some discount. I had in my wallet RMB 400, so in case anything goes wrong, we still have our backsides covered.

Happy that her tooth was finally filled, Engtee walked to the counter to make payment. She gave the officer the small piece of paper, and the officer typed something into the computer and asked for payment. Engtee had to pay RMB 19.70. Let me repeat, RMB 19.70 for filling 1 tooth (less than RM 10).

We looked at each other in disbelief. We expected something between RMB 50 to 60, but definitely not lower than RMB 20.

We, of course, happily made the payment and left the hospital.

It was our first time using the medical facilities of China. Not a bad experience.

The corridor of the hospital

Learned a new word - but I still think they should use simple word like "dentistry"

The English still needs some work, obviously

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