- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Frances
SJPP to SdC, 2023
CF, 2024
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I just bought a small, light usb to wall plug and left my giant converter plug at the albergue.Almost had a fire in the first place we are staying!
Had adaptor set correctly to "converter" and not "adaptor ", and STILL the multi plug thing from Costco was smoking, indicating too much juice was hitting it I think.
Any help, (other than carrying a fire extinguisher) would be lovely Friends!
Hey, our first night in Vigo (we were doing last 100 km on Portuguese Camino) a city bus exploded 100 feet from the restaurant where we were having our first meal . It was right out of a dystopian movie. By the next morning it was all cleaned up like it never happened. Nothing on the news. But we have the pictures. Crazy memory from the Camino. (Night of April 30th).Almost had a fire in the first place we are staying!
Had adaptor set correctly to "converter" and not "adaptor ", and STILL the multi plug thing from Costco was smoking, indicating too much juice was hitting it I think.
Any help, (other than carrying a fire extinguisher) would be lovely Friends!
Folks, be very careful. This could have ended in disaster. Some Albergues lock you in at night. This has always been disconcerting to me.Almost had a fire in the first place we are staying!
Had adaptor set correctly to "converter" and not "adaptor ", and STILL the multi plug thing from Costco was smoking, indicating too much juice was hitting it I think.
Any help, (other than carrying a fire extinguisher) would be lovely Friends!
I would say that applies to virtually all chargers. There is no need to use a voltage converter. A simple plug adapter will suffice.most chargers that ship with mainline vendor products for the last few years are dual voltage
Don't wear any synthetic clothes.Any help, (other than carrying a fire extinguisher) would be lovely Friends!
No comment about the source of your device but this should be a warning about buying similar such stuff at the all present "China Shops" on the Camino.
I cannot possibly know why the "meltdown" happened but I second @estorildon's advice: Don't get a replacement in a so-called "China shop" (cheap imports that may carry a CE certification label but that's a fake).
Edited to add: I am referring exclusively to products sold in certain retail shops in the EU. I have no knowledge about the retail market in the USA or in Canada.
But in Spain they are called "chin", I had no idea what this meant when I went looking for a replacement wall plug for the one I left in Acebo, until a lovely council worker who was collecting the garbage showed me.A plea - Could we please stop using the term ‘China shop’?
To me the term has a racist tone (even in brackets, even if unindented) and a stated in a later post, China produces a wide range of products, not just the cheaper things.
In Australia, we call them $2 Shops, Discount Stores or Reject shops - even though the things in them aren’t rejects.
The first place I heard the term ‘China Shop’ was on this forum - I thought the person was talking about crockery.
I think our anti discrimination laws might be activated if they were referred to as China shops.
Bad stuff often happens in threes… tooth, finger, smoking adaptor. Here’supdate
chipped my tooth on a fork, nearly burned the place down in San Sébastien
Lit a candle at the church in SJPP FOR @Gmangirl AND I AND CAUGHT MY FINGER ON FIRE....
Here at La Coquille de Napolean, waiting for the lightening to strike....buen Camino my ARSE!
Almost had a fire in the first place we are staying!
Had adaptor set correctly to "converter" and not "adaptor ", and STILL the multi plug thing from Costco was smoking, indicating too much juice was hitting it I think.
Any help, (other than carrying a fire extinguisher) would be lovely Friends!
update
chipped my tooth on a fork, nearly burned the place down in San Sébastien
Lit a candle at the church in SJPP FOR @Gmangirl AND I AND CAUGHT MY FINGER ON FIRE....
Here at La Coquille de Napolean, waiting for the lightening to strike....buen Camino my ARSE!
Almost had a fire in the first place we are staying!
Had adaptor set correctly to "converter" and not "adaptor ", and STILL the multi plug thing from Costco was smoking, indicating too much juice was hitting it I think.
Any help, (other than carrying a fire extinguisher) would be lovely Friends!
I beg to differ! It is true that I have never seen the word "shop" in the name, but I have definitely seen the word "China."They are NEVER, in my experience, named "China Shop."
Where did the word "china" as crockery come from? Not every use of the word is derogatory or discriminatory.I thought the person was talking about crockery.
I think our anti discrimination laws might be activated if they were referred to as China shops.
Can you please tell us what you had plugged into this adapter/converter thing? I haven't seen a charger for electronics in decades that needed a converter. They are usually only necessary for appliances like hair dryers, curling irons, and toasters - did you happen to bring one of those?Almost had a fire in the first place we are staying!
Had adaptor set correctly to "converter" and not "adaptor ", and STILL the multi plug thing from Costco was smoking, indicating too much juice was hitting it I think
So what do you propose as a replacement term on this international English-speaking forum for shops of a kind as they do exist in Spain? In one of the European languages that I frequently use a “discounter” is a supermarket chain like Lidl (but are Lidl as ubiquitous in Australia and the USA as they are here?). A “Reject Store”? Never heard this before so how many readers on the forum know the term? And €2 shops - not sure about that. Pound shop - yes, but that’s another country and currency than the one used in Spain.Please see my comment on using the term ‘China Shop’ following another post.
In Australia, we call them $2 shops, Discount Stores or Reject Stores. Can we make an effort to use these or other alternative names.
Yes, that is unlikely because it is English. For what it is worth, entry number 8 in the RAE, THE authority on Spanish language use in Spain, for the adjective “chino, china“:They are NEVER, in my experience, named "China Shop."
Did you really never notice what these Spanish shops have chosen to call themselves when you walked through small towns in northern Spain??? Here is one of many, this one is in Galicia in the Lugo province:The first place I heard the term ‘China Shop’ was on this forum - I thought the person was talking about crockery.
I think our anti discrimination laws might be activated if they were referred to as China shops.
Just thinking about the "China Shop" thing, I suppose it is possible that the description could be derogatory. Just because it's a common term doesn't necessarily mean that it is either appropriate or good. English is full of descriptive terms that have fallen out of use that once were deemed appropriate and now are not.
As for the names themselves, chosen by and paid for by the operators, I suppose it is possible that a certain amount of "playing a role" is accepted as the price of doing business? Certainly, when common parlance is "Tienda China" or the like, it's a courageous business person who deliberately moves away from that terminology.
I've seen many "Irish Pubs" outside of Ireland, can count on one hand how many name themselves that but I'd wager that every operator is happy to have the label applied. (It's particularly amusing to see the term used in Ireland)
Of course, context is of massive importance in most things, and especially here.
Perhaps it's also relevant that Spain is currently in the midst of a sporting-inspired racism storm.
Sometimes challenging the status quo, or at least asking questions is no bad thing.
In the meantime, if I'm abroad and I want to know where to go to find certain things I find it better to use the terminology the locals use.
To inject a bit of humour, I was once picked up on by an acquaintance for using the term "Paddy" in relation to an (Irish) friend of mine. I (also Irish) was told in no uncertain terms that "Paddy" was a derogatory term and shouldn't be used. My (non-Irish) acquaintance couldn't provide an answer for what I should call my friend whose name is .......... "Paddy".
Not that long ago in England we had what were known as “P… shops”. That was horribly racist and there is similar scope for that here. If they sold only Chinese products or food then calling it a Chinese shop/restaurant might be acceptable but naming a general store according to the nationality of the owners seems dubious to me. I sure nobody meant it that way but it’s always best to be cautious/polite in considering such matters.I agree but but disagree. After living in Portugal for 8 years, many China shops are called just that! “Chinese Shop, Loja China, China Supermercado. These stores are all owned and proudly run and maintained by hard working Chinese families. They name their own stores, why would we deny them that right? We also had numerous “American” stores, is that any more or less derogatory! Mexican tiendas, Indian shops etc., etc.
@Tony Lenton, not exactly the same because the word you refer to is commonly regarded as a racist slur in English and in England. All we can say about "China shop" is that the term is not meant to denote a shop that sells items made of porcelain, that it denotes a shop in Spain*) that sells cheap items such as phone cables, chargers, connectors, umbrellas and headgear, and that, anyway, I would recommend buying electrical gear and electronic items in El Corte Inglés or MediaMarkt but that would also not necessarily be understood by forum members from far away who are not familiar with Spain ...Not that long ago in England we had what were known as “P… shops”. That was horribly racist and there is similar scope for that here.
Lit a candle at the church in SJPP FOR @Gmangirl AND I AND CAUGHT MY FINGER ON FIRE....
Still want to know how the OP lit his / her finger on fire, and whether it's healing well...
I always thought a China Shop is where you buy porcelain tableware and figurines (like Royal Doulton).Across Spain, in my decade of experience, these shops are called Oriental Bazar, Asian Bazar or some variant of that phrasing. They are NEVER, in my experience, named "China Shop."
I'm not sure I would use "shop" as a translation for the Spanish you quote, as it loses the productos muy variados element. In my dialect of English general store better captures that, albeit it isn't in frequent use nowadays. So "Chinese general store"?it usually means una tienda en que se venden productos muy variados in Spanish, i.e. it's a shop. Context, context, context.
FWIW, this word association works only in English. French, German, Spanish does not use "china" in this sense. They use porcelaine, Porzellan, porcelana. And in German it's an elephant in the porcelain shop and not a bull. I think also in Spanish where it's un elefante en una cristalería but I am not 100% certain.I always thought a China Shop is where you buy porcelain tableware and figurines (like Royal Doulton). cf. "bull in a china shop"
This makes me think of "Chinese laundry" in North America. The term is a product of a whole bunch of elements (many non-linguistic) of structural racism here earlier which resulted for a strong presence of Asians in that field of endeavour.Just thinking about the "China Shop" thing, I suppose it is possible that the description could be derogatory. Just because it's a common term doesn't necessarily mean that it is either appropriate or good. English is full of descriptive terms that have fallen out of use that once were deemed appropriate and now are not.
As for the names themselves, chosen by and paid for by the operators, I suppose it is possible that a certain amount of "playing a role" is accepted as the price of doing business? Certainly, when common parlance is "Tienda China" or the like, it's a courageous business person who deliberately moves away from that terminology.
True, but this is an English language forum and the language we are generally writing in is English. So when I read things, my mind leaps to the general English meaning.FWIW, this word association works only in English. French, German, Spanish does not use "china" in this sense. They use porcelaine, Porzellan, porcelana. And in German it's an elephant in the porcelain shop and not a bull. I think also in Spanish where it's un elefante en una cristalería but I am not 100% certain.
Dorothy, we are somewhere else now ...
Just trying to broaden linguistic and cultural horizons ...True, but this is an English language forum and the language we are generally writing in is English. So when I read things, my mind leaps to the general English meaning.
I am used to hearing and speaking BE. They definitely pop down to the shops and not to the stores.I'm not sure I would use "shop" as a translation for the Spanish you quote, as it loses the productos muy variados element. In my dialect of English general store better captures that, albeit it isn't in frequent use nowadays. So "Chinese general store"?
True, but many of those shops sell only one kind of product, which is (a) why I didn't think it captured the quality of variety that the Spanish word does and I was looking for a term that did; perhaps the British have an alternative and (b) why they pop down to the shops (plural) since they need to go to different shops for different things.I am used to hearing and speaking BE. They definitely pop down to the shops and not to the stores.
I agree. However, in Spain or Perú, you will hear such a shop called "el chino," and though I speak Spanish, I am not sure the translation of "$2 shops, Discount Stores or Reject Stores" would be understood And every such shop I've encountered in Spain and Perú had oriental staff. Many with Chinese on the signage. I never saw one in my dozens of days in Mexico.Please see my comment on using the term ‘China Shop’ following another post.
In Australia, we call them $2 shops, Discount Stores or Reject Stores. Can we make an effort to use these or other alternative names.
I always assumed that it was the other way 'round—that long ago, laundry shops were usually operated by Chinese. Whichever, it's probably a good thing that the term has pretty much faded away.This makes me think of "Chinese laundry" in North America. The term is a product of a whole bunch of elements (many non-linguistic) of structural racism here earlier which resulted for a strong presence of Asians in that field of endeavour.
They were. But there was a reason for that and it isn't that Chinese people were naturally better at laundry or they considered it an attractive career choice in Chinese culture. There was structural racism that limited their opportunities. It is a good thing that things have changed for the better.I always assumed that it was the other way 'round—that long ago, laundry shops were usually operated by Chinese. Whichever, it's probably a good thing that the term has pretty much faded away.
I will admit that "variety store" and "dollar store" work much better than "general store" that sounds like it belongs in an old Western movie.Returning to Spain and to the question of how to call these Spanish shops in the language of the forum which is English, I can shed some more light on it: According to this Spanish Wikipedia article, they were widely known, especially in the 1990s, as Tienda de todo a 100 which translates as Everything for 100 and where 100 stood for 100 pesetas. In the United States, says this same Spanish Wikipedia article, they are called Tienda de dólar» (dollar store). And then it adds: En España son conocidas coloquialmente como "el chino".
When you click on the other language versions of this article (which are not necessarily a translated version of each other), you find the following suggestions in the English Wikipedia article for this type of shop: a variety store (also five and dime (historic), pound shop, or dollar store).
Scrolling down, I see that other parts of the world are included: for Australia, they list The Reject Shop and Daiso, for New Zealand it is The $2 Shop, 1 2 3 Dollar Shop and Coin Save, Japan has 100-yen shops (百円ショップ or 百均 hyakkin) that have proliferated since around 2001, and in China, ¥2 (or ¥3, depending on the area's economic prosperity) shops have become a common sight in most cities.
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