China Romance
All About China => Your trip to China => Topic started by: JohnB on May 03, 2013, 09:39:44 pm
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Due to unforeseen events very recently, there is a distinct probability I will be moving to China sometime soon; likely, within the next calender year. There are the few members here who reside somewhere within China and it seems to me that most of these guys really enjoy their stay. There also are a few members that have had lengthy stays there for whatever reason that presented..most being their wives had immigration problems.
What I am trying to do is pick your brains for anything of value that presents good living in China.
My wife is from Fushun in Liaoning Province. Fushun is not exactly what I would call Shangri- La. I have been other places much nicer...maybe all other places in China are much nicer. The thing is Jing is from Fushun & our China family lives there.
I like Shenyang, the provincial capital adjacent to Fushun. I understand Dalian to the south is beautiful. Jing mentions that place as very nice. There is always Beijing. I like. The thing is the Winters are not friendly. Cold & dirty air. Summers, hot & humid. Zhuhai looks very nice. Willy is near. Says Zhuhai a bit more expensive. All things concerned, Zhuhai maybe worth it. Jing has inlaws in Kunming. I Understand very nice...eternal Spring & clean air. Shenzhen? Guangzhou... Garry & Brett have been beating that place. Not one place fits all good things.
There is mention of many different cities. The pluses & minuses. I want to pick your brains on what experiences you may have had that determined your decision on where to live in China or what friendly thoughts you have on some city that interests you.
All in all, I look forward to read what the members have to say about the different cities in China.
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My favorite city, the one I would live in if I really could, is Lijiang, Yunnan Province. There is a decent foreign population, lots of tourism, and the air is the cleanest I've experienced. It can get cool in the winter, and hot in the summer, similar to the part of Canada that I live in now. The people there were wonderful, and there is plenty of forests and parks nearby.
Kunming was nice, but was a massive city. It seemed a bit too large for me. We really only passed through Kunming though, so I can't say for sure.
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I am partial to Qingdao for obvious reasons, but the weather is tolerable, the air is clean, and the food is good!
Here is more info. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/shandong/ (http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/shandong/)
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Guangzhou drives me crazy some times. On the other times we have a great airport, great public transport infrastructure and it's easier to buy foreign foods here. There are also plenty of jobs. And it's a tourist's dream as there's so much crazy stuff to see. Mind you, nobody ever seems to come here on holiday. The only tourists I've seen are those looking for the train to HK.
To have a really good standard of living here I guess you need to have an income of around $1200 a month. Once you've been here a while you can find all kinds of ways of living more cheaply.
I've slashed my expenditure by cooking virtually all my meals at home. I hate most Cantonese food - I just wasn't brought up to suck the meat off bones and eat bits of tree. Now I cook a lot of Italian stuff as it's about the easiest to buy ingredients for. Hubei food is good but I can't eat spicy stuff every day.
Housing is the main cost but I'm impressed with the size of the average Chinese apartment here in Gz.
A lot of stuff isn't that cheap here. Food might be cheap but it's often low quality. Most of my vegetables seem to go off in a day, and my Chinese made shoes fell apart after 6 days.
Don't neglect the Chinese weather. I went to Shanghai in January and it was so cold! It wasn't even below freezing but the dry air made it feel much colder than the UK. Even here in Gz right now it's actually not that warm considering it's now May.
Beijing's air and weather are both bad plus you've got to put up with people spitting on buses and elsewhere.
I heard Zhuhai is nice but a little boring. Still, the new high speed train to Guangzhou and beyond is nice.
If you don't need to work downtown there are some nice out of town developments in Guangzhou. I had a look round one - there was a steam garden and a heck of a lot of marble.
Oh well, drop by if you're ever in Guangzhou!
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What we have to realise is that John B is not far off my age and I doubt if he is looking for a lively night life. Working will not be a need for him. I think he is heading into that time where a quiet married life is more important
The north of china is too cold in Winter for people of my age! Westerners are not prone to sit watching the TV at night wearing three sweaters, an outdoor coat and a woolly hat and using the remote with gloves on is a no no! For that reason alone I would recommend coming south. My father in law loves to spend the winter down south and he only lives half way up the country.
I can only talk about Guangdong Province. Guangzhou and Shenzhen has too much traffic.
Zhuhai has banned motor cycles and that is a plus but prices for home both buying and renting are more expensive in Zhuhai than Zhongshan but both of these places are cheaper than Guangzhou or Shenzhen.
However there is no heavy industry in these two place and both have clearer air. Zhuhai has a sea front and both have ferries that go direct to Hong Kong Airport where you get a greater choice of flights to anywhere in the world. Macuau is a bus ride away so you have a mini vegas on the doorstep almost.
I would recommend if you come here then you try to make it down south.
Willy
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Hey Willy--
This moment, I have Zhuhai in mind. Jing says Zhuhai is beautiful, so it must be acceptable to her.
She likes humidity...I have visions of monsoon. I guess wet is wet.
I think it was on TripAdvisor, I understand some places in Zhuhai are difficult getting to or leaving,
especially late at night. You have time in Zhuhai. Just for the eh of it, are there the more desirable
places within Zhuhai than others? Curious. I suppose we will just stay at a hotel, stick our toes in the water,
look & feel. Squat toilets are a no- go.
Is your Zhongshan much different than Zhuhai?
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Zhongshan and Zhuhai enjoy the same temps as each other. The monsoons are few and far between but you always know when one is approaching as you get Hong Kong TV in both places and they issue weather warnings as Hong Hong has a lot of islands. HK TV is in English on two channels.
In the winter months the temp is never very cold and there is never even the threat of the very hint of a snow fleck here. Last year was so nice we never put our small electric heater on once, nor sat indoors with our outdoor coats on!
The only different is that Zhuhai has a sea front and a stroll down Lovers Road is a must. But the sea front is away from the main city. Zhongshan is a bit more inland, about 15 minutes by car and is on the Pearl River Delta and it has other rivers walks in the main part of the city which are easy to get to.
Zhuhai does not allow motorcyles in the city but the electronic bikes on the footpaths are a menace.
The biggest plus is that in Zhongshan the prices of home either buying or renting are about half the price of those in Zhuhai.
From Zhuhai you can walk into Macau, the new gambling centre of the world, . But there again it is only 28 rmb by bus from Zhongshan.
Having lived in Zhuhai (which they describe as the most beautiful city in China) for a while then having visited Zhongshan a few times I settled on Zhongshan. Even the fast train service is easier to get to from where I am rather than the one in Zhuhai. Even a short walk are long walks in Zhhai as it spreads about so much. Zhongshan is a city still being built.
As in all cities the older parts are a bit less desirable but in both I never felt in anyway apprehensive or that I could run into trouble at night walking alone.
Many places no longer have the squat toilets and I am sure if you rented a place the owner would not be concerned if you changed the squat to a sit on version. That is job that costs so little and gives us foreigners much comfort.
It depends where you stay. Some hotels in Zhuihai are far away from city centres and you cannot get the feel of places. In Zhongshan they are closer to the city centres and shops etc.
If you are under 68 you could always get a drivers licence by passing the theory test as in Zhuhai you need a car as everything seems to be far apart. Cars are cheap to run and buyhere and our new one cost 93800 rmb. In Zhongshan taxis are cheaper and places are closer together and the private hire drivers are plentyful here and a car is not a necessity. if it is for occasional trips.
The other beauty of these places is that they are close to Hong Kong and that means those in later years of life can access quality medical care very easily and also can get back to their home countries with ease.
And of course there is one other plus to Zhongshan!
I live here.
Willy
If you get over here and I still have my drivers licence then, we can go drive around both places.
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Gee Willy. Maybe you should sell homes there or become the spokesman for convincing middle aged men to come there. It makes me think I would like to retire there.
But then it may not be a good thing for us to live in the same Willage with my love for your least favorite country even if we celebrate your birthday in 4 days. ;D
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Gee Willy. Maybe you should sell homes there or become the spokesman for convincing middle aged men to come there. It makes me think I would like to retire there.
But then it may not be a good thing for us to live in the same Willage with my love for your least favorite country even if we celebrate your birthday in 4 days. ;D
I could not sell a bottle of water to a man in the desert so selling homes will be a no no. The truth is that I just love the part of China I am in and the people who live here. This is the smallest of the new cities having been a fishing village not so long ago so the whole city is built on immigration from more Northern Provinces.
When I arrive here those years ago I found it was so peaceful and relaxing to the way of life I had grown up with.
Probably no other on here was born during the WW2, I was born right in the middle of it. I knew little about the war but following it I certainly can recall the years of osterity that followed it together with seeing the results of the regular bombing that London took. When you never knew where the next meal was coming from. Then we were into the Korean war and as the time for my possible conscription into the army approached, that war was over and conscription ended. In the ensuing years many other things came along that jolted the life of many. Many other minor wars and conflicts followed. Then we went through the regular bombings in UK but women and children were being killed alongside men going about their day to day business. That ended after many many years then cam the new islamic causes that brought the USA 11th Sept. and the London bombings returned. Targeting everyday people.
Living in London the country changed to one where many people would not venture out of there home in the late afternoon let alone at night time where crime on the streets flourished and people stayed at home to protect what they had there.
Before coming here I weighed up the pro's and con's before making the move. It is now one that I wished I had taken many years before.
I have a relaxing life, I have no fear that whatever time I go out that I will return home safely to a home that has not been broken into or vandalised in any way.
In short I have two loves here, the love of China and the love of my wife. I hope that whatever time I have left on this earth that I can have both for the rest of my life.
This life will certainly not suit everyone but where I am located i have everything I need and now and everything I may need in the future is just a short trip away in Hong Kong.
Willy
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On women's profiles...the gals always speak of a simple harmonious life of which they seek. That is becoming harder and harder in the U.S.
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On women's profiles...the gals always speak of a simple harmonious life of which they seek. That is becoming harder and harder in the U.S.
Why is that?
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Socials issues, economy, politics, regulations, deceit, etc. I think maybe Willy has some valid points and perspectives.
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Outside influences don't create or deny a harmonious existence. They can affect your life, but in the home, away from all those influences, only those within that home can affect whether life is harmonious or not. The home is the sanctuary from all those things you speak of, and should be harmonious.
Think about it ;)
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What should be and what is are two different things. One must strive to find a mate that will help to bring a harmonious home. That is why most of us are looking in China. That and the women are beautiful. ;D
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On women's profiles...the gals always speak of a simple harmonious life of which they seek. That is becoming harder and harder in the U.S.
Why is that?
Do not forget that words do not translate exactly. When they speak of a simple harmonious life. That just refers to a Happy life together. No if's, no but's, no westernised baloney. Just a Happy life together.
Westerners tried to read into things in a Western way, digesting every word every full stop and then analysing them. Remember any English they have learned could be from various sources and each could give them different definations of what they want to say.
Even those who speak perfect English, as does my Chinese Teacher, sometimes have as much difficulty in understanding some English words or phrase. as someone who were born with English as their first language.
Willy
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Of leaving America, relocating to China. I am looking forward to this new adventure. A little background information that lead to this thread.
Jing tried life in America and sadly to say, it was not her cup of tea. On Jing's arrival here, I made introductory arrangements with the Chinese community in Spokane. Just an 'okay' experience with her country people. The thing is, a few militant Christians made her American entry a bit difficult. On the 'get- go'! Not good.
I am away at work for almost 11 1/2 a day. She alone. Jing's loneliness of being was like a kiss of death to her China soul. Time just took it's toll on her, and lastly, her father self- immolated this Spring, smoking, fell asleep, died a week later. At least she had the opportunity to be with him his last week on earth. Her two children, of which one is her son, 13 years old. Problems with the son's absent father and his uncaring family.
Anyway, Jing made it through a whole year+ but with difficulty. After father was gone, she did not return to the States.
A lot of the members here are American. Proudly so. I'm older than most here and rightfully speaking (by default), I have probably done more things than most others. I have the problem of not aging gracefully, unlike most of my family & friends are comfortably doing or have done. I just do not get that warm fuzzy American feeling any more. I will not go into detail about this as I probably would piss a lot of the patriots off.
Looking back on all this, I think it is sad but it is a fortuitous moment for me. I feel perfectly in tune for another adventure. So, that is why I started this thread. I want to be with Jing. We tried life together here in America, and now we will try life together in China.
I thank all the members for their honest suggestions. At this moment, subject to whims, the wind, whatever...I think Zhuhai appeals most to me (Jing likes), and distantly Qingdao...Robert S's pick for cultural reasons. Robert, I like that Munich culture myself. Civilization!
The thing is, I cannot figure why Willy would leave Zhuhai and move away to the suburbs, Zhongshan. That is so American!
I guess that is something I will have to figure out myself when I get there.
Question. No mention, but is Macao steeped in it's Portuguese legacy? Thinking food.
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I thank all the members for their honest suggestions. At this moment, subject to whims, the wind, whatever...I think Zhuhai appeals most to me (Jing likes), and distantly Qingdao...Robert S's pick for cultural reasons. Robert, I like that Munich culture myself. Civilization!
The thing is, I cannot figure why Willy would leave Zhuhai and move away to the suburbs, Zhongshan.
The reason I left Zhuhai was that I found my love in Zhongshan. She would have moved to Zhuhai IF I had asked her but I knew that she would be better off closer to her relatives so it was an easy decision.
Your life here may be easier here if you had someone you could chat with as and when.
Willy
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hey CB,
try this for your friend> http://www.spokanechinese.org/index.html (http://www.spokanechinese.org/index.html)
I think adventure is good. concrete shoes not so.
Willy, I understand family China style very well. Now. I am heartened by it. Much better life to enjoy for everyone concerned.
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John I like zhuhai.If I had a choice that is where I would live.There is a nice restaurant just off lovers rd called the Blue Angel cafe.Best steak and coldest beer in China.There is a big expat community there.So if you hook up with a couple of them.All should be good.If you want to work with some Americans.Sea horse marine is in Zhuhai.They build some real nice boats.The primary owners are Americans.I have wondered threw the supermarkets in Zhuhai.They have plenty of American type food.So food won't be a problem.
As Willy has posted before.Zhuhai is more expensive to live in.Then Jongshan.But I think the trade off is worth it.I like the people and the view allot better.Then I did in Jongshan.The Gombei mall,lovers rd,Walking island,How close it is to Hong Kong and Macau.Make it worth it for me.
As far as Macau goes.Yes the Portuguese built allot of buildings with western style architecture.There is allot of expats that live there.And there are lots of casinos.That have everything that goes along with gambling.
If you are series about moving to China.Let me know.I have a friend that lives in Zhuhai.That has a couple of houses for sale or rent.I could probably hook you up.And get you a good deal.
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Just remember every time you go to Macao or Hong Kong then on your return you will use up one of your entry visas. Better to have a multi entry visa. There could also be restrictions on your wife traveling to either place but some restrictions may not apply if if she does have a Guangdong House book.
But then tell me just how often you will really want to visit Gombei Mall or Walk Lovers Road and once you walked out to few yards to the maidens island will you want to do it again?
When I lived in Zhuhai I did all those, once only, and although the higher rates for renting did not concern me it did my wife and she thought them much too high.
The thing is I and others can tell you everything we like about places but it is you and your wife decide in the end as to which location suits you and which place you feel comfortable in.
I think your come and try thoughts are probably best.
Willy
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I too have the urge to move to China and be an English teacher, I have been to China about 8 times in all and spent around 1 month on each trip, Not sure which city yet but We will decide this when time grows closer, Only 2 things holding me back at this moment, my 2 teenage children.
I have had enough of Australia, been here for around 38 years, emigrated when I was a child of 11, All my family are here but I have had this dream in the back of my mind for around 3 years, I have told my wife of this dream but I dont think she likes the idea of returning home permanently.
A teaching diploma is not difficult to obtain here in Australia, There is a big demand for teachers in China and in the bigger cities they offer western style accommodation with a monthly salary of 8500 rmb, working 20 hours per week.
I find the children in China are so much more respectful in China and are willing to learn, this is my dream, maybe it will not work out for me but I have to give this a go. John.
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China, How it is - Renting an Apartment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBtTMHO2X7A
some interesting information about living in China...finding an apartment.
maybe not 100% correct for the China curious, but it does forewarn the
unwary about a few pitfalls that will be encountered if one does not follow
the prescribed path in renting an apartment.
I think Willy may want to add his experiences since he has his China pedigree...
what, 5 years?
Oh, & I must not forget Gerry & ChinaBound. Or anyone else that has had
the occasion to live in China for a lengthy stay.
rooted around a few of Serpentza's YouTube videos and he comes across as
very acknowledgable, very sober.
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China, How it is - Renting an Apartment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBtTMHO2X7A
some interesting information about living in China...finding an apartment.
maybe not 100% correct for the China curious, but it does forewarn the
unwary about a few pitfalls that will be encountered if one does not follow
the prescribed path in renting an apartment.
I think Willy may want to add his experiences since he has his China pedigree...
what, 5 years?
Oh, & I must not forget Gerry & ChinaBound. Or anyone else that has had
the occasion to live in China for a lengthy stay.
rooted around a few of Serpentza's YouTube videos and he comes across as
very acknowledgable, very sober.
I have subscribed to his channel on YouTube. Some interesting information, although some of it is really geared specifically towards Shenzhen, and some of the things he talks about will be much different in other parts of China.
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I've only just found this thread. Willy is not the only one living in China. My wife and I have been living in Chongqing since August 2012, I teach at an international school here. Our 16-month old son was born here. Life is great, and we can save much more living here than we could living in the UK. Any questions about living and working here, I would be happy to answer them.
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I've only just found this thread. Willy is not the only one living in China. My wife and I have been living in Chongqing since August 2012, I teach at an international school here. Our 16-month old son was born here. Life is great, and we can save much more living here than we could living in the UK. Any questions about living and working here, I would be happy to answer them.
Yes there is a lot of on the spot info from the likes of Philip', especially when it comes to working as he has officially worked here and in Hong Kong.
Working? Well I only work for myself online to supplement my more than adequate UK pensions.
As for saving money it certainly goes a lot farther here even with the increase in the Chinese cost of living.
Questions about living here, well I am in a world of my own on that score.
Willy
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And there are others living here also.
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"And there are others living here also...."
Thanks much!
much appreciated Philip. Ted. Willy. and etcetera. Gerry, of course.
who is Boston? I think he is in the mix of China things.
a few more words of experience if you can. what is it you can add?
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I am not going to say in the open forum in case I am wrong. It was just an observation and a comment I made.
But I guess it doesn't matter as it looks like he or she has went away and is not going to post anymore???