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I'm going to China!!
- Thread starter puckhead193
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what is the purpose of that? it doesn't give "reviews/feedback" just the website...devilot said:
puckhead193 said:
I'm an expatriate living in Shanghai, so I'll try to answer most of your questions.
During May Beijing is relatively warm, though not sweltering. The air there is rather dry, but expect something like an Atlanta summer. Right now this week Beijing is sunny and warmer than Shanghai, with temperatures ranging around 30ºC. Shanghai is rainy this week, with low temperatures around 23ºC. On average I believe Shanghai will feel warmer, because the air here is much more humid because we're by the ocean. But this week that's not the case.
When it comes to money and banks, be careful when using ATMs. Counterfeit 100 RMB bills are abundant in China, especially in financial centers like Beijing and Shanghai. Have a look at the watermark and the feel of the paper. Counterfeits will feel thin and cheap and the watermark of Mao will appear printed ON the paper rather than watermarked INSIDE the paper as it should be. Also, when you do get your money, and you're sure it's authentic, fold it into thirds, because often shopkeepers will take a 100 RMB bill, and in a split second switch it for a counterfeit one and hand it back to you, telling you that the bill is fake. Some more honest shopkeepers will only accept 100 RMB bills that appear old and worn, because they're almost guaranteed to be real. Also, fold it into thirds not only because of the shopkeepers, but because 100 RMB bills are large in height and might not fit normally into your wallet.
Gifts and souvenirs will be abundant in Xian, because it's a tourist area. But really they're all cheap trinkets. You can buy a few if you like, but don't expect them to impress or last.
Shopping in Beijing and Shanghai is fantastic, but it doesn't appear as though you'll be doing much of that. I'm surprised your group isn't visiting Silk Street in Beijing or Xiangyang Market in Shanghai, where counterfeit clothing and goods are abundant, cheap (after you aggressively bargain with the shopkeepers) and often even of higher quality than their valid, authentic counterparts. Silk Street is much nicer than Xiangyang—it is indoor, while XY is outdoor, and it's not as busy. XY can be jampacked with people (mostly foreigners like me) all the time, especially in the evening and on weekends.
When it comes to food/drink, Shanghai's food is often spicy and sweet, a particular style I don't like. They put sugar in everything. Beijing is more of a mealy, salty taste. On the streetsides you'll find vendors offering barbecued lamb kebobs, roasted yams, dumplings, and various fried pastries for quick, fast street food that tastes great. And if your stomach feels weak, you can always run to the nearest McDonald's or Starbucks.
As for your laptop issues, I wouldn't advise bringing one at all. Maybe a few extra cards for your camera. If you insist on bringing your laptop, your American power plug will work in most WALL-MOUNTED power outlets. And only some. Others have the simple two-prong outlet, but only some have the grounding pin that your power adapter requires (the Powerbook's power adpater has a grounding pin, right??) Otherwise the power pricks for your Powerbook, iPod and camera should all work on ~220V power. Check the fine print on the bottom of them to be sure.
As for internet access, Beijing and Shanghai will have Wi-Fi spots in most busy areas, and perhaps in hotels, but in my experience most hotels do not offer ethernet access unless it is a higher-class hotel like the Portman Ritz Carlton or The Hilton Shanghai, or a business hotel of some sort. Smaller, cheaper hotels will not have: comfortable, squishy beds, minibars, ethernet access, newly renovated bathrooms or English television.
CDMA phones work in China. In fact, they sell CDMA phones with the first three numbers 133~ that have free text messaging and free incoming calls from anywhere in the world. I'm not sure about your Verizon phone, though.
Hope you have a great trip.
I was in Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai last November. It was a really great trip. A few comments:
1) I bought a used iBook G3 for the purpose of downloading my pics at the end of the day. We stayed in Temple of Heaven Holiday Inn - Beijing where the internet worked perfect. I had troubles in other hotels connecting to the internet or they charged a fee.
2) My digital camera. I probably took about 100 pics per day. My wife took video which worked out fine and we switched periodically.
3) The tour took us to decent chinese restaurants for lunch and dinner and we had really good American breakfast each morning at the hotel. One thing about eating at restaurants in China. You get ONE glass of soda or beer with your meal and only ONE glass. If you want more you have to pay for it as there are NO REFILLS. It pissed me off that the people on my tour could not get used to that fact and adapt. And the waiters and waitresses will speak very little English.
4) Only drink bottled water on your trip -- even in the hotel room. I did wet my toothbrush and rinse out my mouth with the water in the room, but do not drink the water! You will be able to buy water at the hotel in the morning before you leave on your bus. Your bus driver might also sell water at 2 bottles for $1.
5) DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM THE STREET VENDORS!!!!!!! They will be everywhere and WILL swarm your bus. If you buy from them the vendors will go into feeding frenzy mode and be very persistant. It can be very difficult to get rid of them so it is best to just walk away and do not buy from them. They are everywhere, even on the Great Wall!!!
6) I was able to plug my iBook into each hotel we stayed. Your power brick will work with 220 V.
7) When you shop, do not pay sticker price. If something costs 500 RMB, offer 25 RMB. They like to haggle. If you pay 20-25% sticker you did OK. It takes practice and I have to admit that I was not very good.
That is all for now. PM me if you have specific questions. Have a great trip!!!!
Important:
If you happen to be in a situation where police or soldiers arrest people -- maybe in Tiennamen Square -- absolutely DO NOT take pictures!!!! I cannot stress that enough. No pictures of police activity. Only take pictures of happy and goodness while there
Someone on my tour made that mistake and it almost got ugly. He was lucky to only have the film removed from his camera. Please use common sense. You will be in a Communist country, not the U.S.
1) I bought a used iBook G3 for the purpose of downloading my pics at the end of the day. We stayed in Temple of Heaven Holiday Inn - Beijing where the internet worked perfect. I had troubles in other hotels connecting to the internet or they charged a fee.
2) My digital camera. I probably took about 100 pics per day. My wife took video which worked out fine and we switched periodically.
3) The tour took us to decent chinese restaurants for lunch and dinner and we had really good American breakfast each morning at the hotel. One thing about eating at restaurants in China. You get ONE glass of soda or beer with your meal and only ONE glass. If you want more you have to pay for it as there are NO REFILLS. It pissed me off that the people on my tour could not get used to that fact and adapt. And the waiters and waitresses will speak very little English.
4) Only drink bottled water on your trip -- even in the hotel room. I did wet my toothbrush and rinse out my mouth with the water in the room, but do not drink the water! You will be able to buy water at the hotel in the morning before you leave on your bus. Your bus driver might also sell water at 2 bottles for $1.
5) DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM THE STREET VENDORS!!!!!!! They will be everywhere and WILL swarm your bus. If you buy from them the vendors will go into feeding frenzy mode and be very persistant. It can be very difficult to get rid of them so it is best to just walk away and do not buy from them. They are everywhere, even on the Great Wall!!!
6) I was able to plug my iBook into each hotel we stayed. Your power brick will work with 220 V.
7) When you shop, do not pay sticker price. If something costs 500 RMB, offer 25 RMB. They like to haggle. If you pay 20-25% sticker you did OK. It takes practice and I have to admit that I was not very good.
That is all for now. PM me if you have specific questions. Have a great trip!!!!
Important:
If you happen to be in a situation where police or soldiers arrest people -- maybe in Tiennamen Square -- absolutely DO NOT take pictures!!!! I cannot stress that enough. No pictures of police activity. Only take pictures of happy and goodness while there
Someone on my tour made that mistake and it almost got ugly. He was lucky to only have the film removed from his camera. Please use common sense. You will be in a Communist country, not the U.S.
tweakers_suck said:
You weren't very good because offering 25 RMB for a 500 RMB item is not proper bargaining in China. Of course it depends on the item that you're purchasing, but aim for 40-60% of the asking price. The shops do not overcharge by 2000%... This is a very popular misconception among foreigners in China. When I go to Xiangyang Market I find the foreigners much more aggressive in bargaining than locals or other Asian people. One German woman spent five minutes bargaining 2 RMB off the price of some fabric at the fabric market. 2 RMB is about 25 cents.
Just keep in mind that 8 RMB roughly equals one U.S. dollar, and depending on what you're purchasing, the price should usually be lower than what you would expect to pay in the U.S., unless it's an imported retail good of some sort... for example, Macs and iPods.
cleanup said:
Uh, yes they do. I was looking at a pair of knock-off Nike tennis shoes that they wanted to sell to me for roughly $200 US. Remember, these were fake Nike!
The people on my trip who did the best started super low and walked away from a bad deal. If they want a sale, they will chase after you.
tweakers_suck said:
Well I've lived in Shanghai for nearly a year and none of the shopkeepers at Xiangyang have ever asked for over 400 RMB on a pair of shoes. $200 US is 1600 RMB. You can buy an iPod nano for that much at Carrefour in Lianyang. Even at the retail Nike 360º stores in Times Square and NextAge the most expensive pair of shoes I've seen on sale were about 1200 RMB.
Where were you shopping?
cleanup said:
Knock-off market in Beijing. Seriously, they were asking unreal prices. I ended up paying about $25 US for a pair of fake Nike -- I am a terrible haggler and an easy mark I guess.
puckhead193 said:
Buy whatever suits your taste. However, I recommend shopping around and trying out the bargaining technique a few times before you actually purchase. Maybe start with an inexpensive item. For example, you will be able to buy the same item in multiple stores. Try and haggle for best price at store number one, then go to store number two with an idea of price and try to get it for less. Also, keep in mind how much you would spend in the US for the same item. You should not be spending the same price in China that you would pay in the US. And don't forget that you can walk away if you don't like the price. If they really want to sell, they will come after you. They may even grab your arm and pull you back to their store.
If you see something you really like and are going to buy gifts for friends and family back home, you can get a discount if you buy in bulk. Try for a volume discount when you haggle. I bought 5 LED flashlights for a decent price mainly because I bought 5 instead of 1.
the best way to get them to drop price is when you think its too high, drop the item, and walk away.
iv lived in hong kong, indonesia, and the philippines, and have traveled to many countries with markets which dont have set prices. when the seller knows you can walk away, they are much more flexible with the price. these guys are sharp, they wnt sell unless they are making a profit, so dont feel bad if you drive a low price. if they eventually say yes, they are still coming out ahead.
iv lived in hong kong, indonesia, and the philippines, and have traveled to many countries with markets which dont have set prices. when the seller knows you can walk away, they are much more flexible with the price. these guys are sharp, they wnt sell unless they are making a profit, so dont feel bad if you drive a low price. if they eventually say yes, they are still coming out ahead.