Now old Tawnyowl has moved into the import market,sometimes a little exporting after buying a few goods from China. I did not think I ever would but I cannot resist their prices. Watches and other articles on a small scale,just in case the Taxman is watching i did say small scale.You never know where they are these Tax Men from what i have read. Then i sell to my friends,online or on the car boot. Now of course i want sales and even compete the Chinese if possible out of business to win sales from wherever. But no matter how i try am convinced that i am on an unfair playing field.In one way. How can the Chinese businessman or lady ship goods half way across the world so cheaply when i try to sell items but sometimes the postage makes me frown when only going to the next town.Postage costs are holding me back. Now a year ago i did say to my postmaster who had done the job for decades.Hey Mr Postmaster how come your parcel delivery service over 1 or two kilo say is so damn expensive.Do you not want to compete,do you want to let competitors take your business away. He said it is the cost of Pensions,that is why they are so high.But surely you have to compete not let that part of the market be ripped away. I thought when people pay pension contributions the money goes into a pot and the wise ones invest so plenty is available when employees retire. Now of course he may just have been trying to calm me down,there was a big queue by then behind me. May have just been saying anything to get rid of me,but always found him truthful and a pleasant chap. Another thought out of my head.Think what you like about my one thought for today.And say what you think. I am sure there are many wise ones out there want to put me right. Carry on, i do not mind.My skin lately has got a little thicker,i can take it. Tawnyowl.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-39311336 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-corruption-food-idUSKBN16R1MH Brazil meat-packing giants 'exported rotten beef' "They accuse more than 30 companies of a number of unhygienic practices. Among them are JBS, the world's largest beef exporter, and BRF, the world's top poultry producer." "They used acid and other chemicals to mask the aspect of the product. In some cases, the products used were carcinogenic," the police said. In other cases, potato, water and even cardboard paper was mixed with chicken meat to increase profits." after 2 year investigation ..

Is China now a capitalist country ?

hi all I was international student and left australia with 14000AUD credit card debt, its my fault and i am not able to pay if off at the moment. I am in China now and scared that the credit provider will get a court order in Australia and make enforcement in china or they will sell my debt to a chinese or international debt collection agency. I am wondering if they can find out that I am in china now and that they will do to me. I think only immigration knows my china address My life in Australia was scawed by gambling and it's all my fault. any advice will be appreciated.

As usual the worlds two most selfish countries have refused to help in this time of crisis. I'm sorry to say this, but I will feel no sorrow should it break out in either of both of those countries. Mind you, as per norm, it's only UK and USA throwing in assistance, there's not a lot from anywhere else. Islamist problems are only miniscule compared with the problems Russia and China bring on the world. Isil will be gone one day, but Russia and China will still be here bleeding the rest of the world and taking what 'they' want and not giving a damn for anyone else.

Hi there, I'm hoping someone might be able to help me out here. Many years ago I got into some debt with a number of credit cards (the bulk of the debt was accrued around 2001 - 2003 when my then husband was out of work). Until around 2008 I was continuing to make minimum payments on the accounts and crippling myself financially into the bargain. Around 2007 / 2008 I discovered this site and sent off to these cards asking for all the information they had on me. I recall clearly that the information received from HSBC did not include the CCA and I recall writing to them at this time challenging the debt. I ceased making payments on the account at this time. The debt was subsequently passed to MKDP LLP for recovery. Upon checking my credit file last summer I notice that a default was recorded on my account, but not until 27 August 2011 - some 3 years after I ceased making payments. In the intervening period my marriage broke down and for the past year I have been travelling and have settled since August of last year in China where I now have a job teaching kindergarten where I now plan to stay for some while (although no fixed date in mind as yet). I have only recently got what I hope is now a reasonably permanent address here in China so my address has remained as my parent's address in the UK where they can receive post for me. I had an alarmed phone call last night from my mother as MKDP have now started legal proceedings to recover the debt originally accrued with HSBC. I would, of course, be extremely grateful of some advice on what I should do next. However I am also intrigued as the particulars of claim (unfortunately I cannot post a picture of this to show you as I do not yet have 10 posts) state that the account number to which they refer to was assigned to me in December 2011 - close to 4 years after I ceased making payments on this debt and some 4 months after a default was recorded. Does this seem normal? I would be extremely grateful of any advice you can offer. One of my biggest concerns is that trying to meet any deadlines set by the courts could be difficult as on past experience post from here can take anything up to 2 - 3 weeks to reach the UK. Thank you so much in advance for any help at all that anyone can offer. Regards, Sue

Okay, firstly thanks in advance for any help with this, I'm in a pickle and it's much appreciated. So, basically I have UK graduate account overdrafts with HSBC and Natwest, I left the UK a year ago and have no plans to return for the foreseeable future, I am currently living in China. Natwest is £900 overdrawn HSBC is £1500 overdrawn HSBC is fine, its reduced by £500 a year, I can manage that (just about) However, Natwest are now saying that they have changed policies and will now be charging me £90 in INTEREST alone until its the overdraft is repaid. Firstly, £90 a month is sheer madness. I only earn around £3-400 a month out here, so the interest alone is impossible as its almost a third of my entire monthly income, let alone repaying the actual amount owed from the overdraft. The Natwest account is registered at my elderly parents house from 5 years ago before I went to University, I haven't lived there for 5 years now. I'm worried they are going to start having bailiffs turning up and debt collectors calling them day and night. So, what do I do? I am willing to try and pay this amount back but cannot do so if I am being charged ludicrous interest rates like this. I need maybe another 12 months to pay it all back. So far Natwest are refusing to budge and saying it is what it is. Do I run from the debt and just try and forget about it as they cant do anything to me whilst in Asia, or do I try and kill myself by paying these insane interest rates. If I do I literally cannot afford to live anymore as I am only just scraping by each month at the moment. Having a third less money each month is pretty much the decision between eating or paying rent. So stressed about all this at the moment, its mainly my parents I am worried about as I dont want them to have to pay for my mistakes. Thanks

I am now living in China and due to unforeseen situations I cannot pay back a debt of £9000 I accrued with a bank in England. Can they send their collectors to China or transfer the debt to there? I am in a bit of a flux. I do not see myself returning to the UK to live or work in the foreseeable future. Thanks in advance, Nathan P.S. I did not pass on my China address or details. However I do have a bank account in ireland and will probably use this if I get a job here. Will they take the money out of my Irish account or us it to find out about my location? The Irish and UK banks are unrelated.