The bill for the meal is less than $10 a head, a reasonable amount that includes a delivery charge of just $4. Add another $10, and you get your own personal waiter.

While I knew I shouldn't let it, the mailman's morning delivery of another rejection letter for an article I'd submitted to a magazine made me feel like a black cloud of failure hung over my head.

As more Chinese head abroad, Chinese delivery companies have sprung up that offer international delivery at a fraction of the price of companies like UPS and DHL.