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I’m missing something. What’s the big deal about walking there?

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So, is China Telecom yet another provider? I’ve seen lots of blog posts in the last day or so that they are doing a big launch for the iPhone 5 and will begin taking pre-orders at the end of the month.

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I thought it was funny when I was sightseeing in The Philippines with my wife. We took a boat ride up a river to a waterfall and a Chinese guy in another boat was videotaping me instead of the (admittedly pretty unimpressive) falls.

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It’s on my US iPhone 4 under Settings -> General -> Network. Of course Verizon & AT&T charge you extra for it. :-/

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That’s cool. I’ve got a D7000. Maybe when I get there we can arrange some photography trips.

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I don’t know anything about it, but let me know how it goes as I will probably try & get 3G service for my iPad once I get there.

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I read that I am required to have a Chinese name and basically I had the opportunity to state what I wanted it to be. But, if I don’t then one will be assigned to me and it will be very difficult to change later. I’m fairly certain that there are Chinese versions of both my first and last name, but since I don’t know any Chinese I figure I’ll just take my chances and roll with what they assign me.

I wonder how they do that. Do they try to match up the meaning or the sound or just pick something at random?

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Before I think about rafting or camping I have to ask… is there a Chinese version of Deliverance?

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hqqcress what does “Laowai” mean? I laughed when I read that because I think it sounds like the Filipino word “laway” which means “saliva”. LOL

Also, my wife loves Dim Sum, so I might have to get more detailed directions to that place once we arrive in Chengdu.

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I’ll be arriving in time to work like 2 or 3 days and then get the holiday off. 😀

I’d love to get in on something like this. But, since we will have just arrived we probably won’t be settled in yet & my wife probably wouldn’t appreciate me taking off & leaving her alone in still unfamiliar territory.

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So, to sum up, it sounds as if you shouldn’t bring in any more money than you plan to spend because it’s a pain getting it back out. Is that about right?

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If a group were to get together & go I would be interested in joining.

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I saw that place on Bizarre Foods. I would love to try it, but I’m always intimidated by fancy restaurants. I wonder how much it costs (I found an article online from 2009 that says “Price depends on number of people: Between 200 yuan to 600 yuan per head” so I’m sure it’s gone up by now.)

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Since the show told the guy’s full name I decided to Google him & found his LinkedIn account. I was surprised to see that we were 3rd degree connections & considered sending him a message, but decide that would be a little weird.

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It’s also quite interesting how you posted almost the exact same message on several different forum on the same day.

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I figure overseas & online I’ll use my existing US credit cards. I just wondered if I should try to get a Chinese based one for local use. Is a credit card necessary/widely used there or do most people just pay cash?

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I already have US credit cards, but of course if I use them there I will have to deal with foreign transaction fees and stuff. Someone suggested that I might go to a Chinese bank & open an RMB account with a Visa debit card & thereby avoid the fees. Does that seem like a good idea?

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LOL I knew the “limited to JUST a $300k budget” would get some attention. 😛

I didn’t catch the name of the 1st place, but I recognized the names of the 2nd & 3rd from when I was looking at my housing options. I’m just glad I don’t have to buy anything as I’m happy to rent & apparently don’t have nearly enough money to buy anyway.

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Home & Garden Television. It’s a cable network here in the US. Actually, just searching their website for info on the show it looks like you can watch it online.

http://www.hgtv.com/video/taking-a-chance-in-chengdu-video/index.html

Description from the site:

When Richard Tsao’s boss offered him a new job in Chengdu, China, he knew moving there meant taking a big chance. But since he and his wife I-Leen are both first-generation Chinese-Americans, the move is also a way to help their daughter Elise get acquainted with her heritage. But the Tsao’s aren’t able to sell their house before heading off on the 6,300 mile journey from Seattle, Washington, to Chengdu, China. Limited to a budget of just $300,000, the Tsao’s are lucky to have real estate agent Dustin Mills helping them on the hunt. The Tsao’s want a home that’s conveniently located and that offers a Chinese atmosphere, but doesn’t make them feel like outsiders. Dustin pulls out all the stops to show them some good options, but as their old house lingers on the market, coming up with enough cash for China’s customary 40% down payment becomes a big issue as House Hunters International goes to Chengdu, China

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I’m not there yet, but I was told that I should buy clothes here because I’ll have a hard time finding them big enough for me there.

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