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MeriorParticipant
@ Sharleen – if you plan to compete with the internet then stocking products which were not past their expiry date would be a good start or at least acknowledging if the expiry date was fast approaching and advertise a discount. Also discounts for significant orders could generate some interest.
MeriorParticipantI would start at Computer City on Renmin Nan Lu as they do sell 2nd hand cameras there on the upper floors.
MeriorParticipantI dumped the premier account as there are other banks in China who pay higher rates of interest that also have full banking services such as credit cards that my wife can take advantage of. Any money transferred from the UK remains in my wife’s HSBC Chengdu sterling account for as long as it takes her to transfer it to a US $ account or a RMB account. If it gets transferred to an HSBC RMB account then it will be transferred out to another bank in a matter of days for higher interest rates.
MeriorParticipant@ Rick – as I understand it there is a $US 50,000 annual limit on how much you can transfer into or out of China in any one year. However, you can transfer sums in excess of that if the HSBC are satisfied that you have a good reason to such as buying an apartment or setting up a business etc as opposed to money laundering. I have exceeded the 50,000 limit with the approval of the bank but you can also transfer money to/from relatives accounts at the rate of $50,000 each as an alternative and I have done this as well.
MeriorParticipantI use the HSBC (they don’t charge if it is a transfer within the HSBC group) and you can make a money transfer online with internet banking. You will need the EXACT FULL name of the account holder as written on the account, the account number and the SWIFT address (eg HSBCCNSHCGU) of the recipient’s bank. The money will be transferred in Sterling so the recipient’s account needs to be a sterling account. When it arrives the recipient will need to pay a fee to transfer it into RMB and move it to a RMB account.
MeriorParticipantI haven’t come across that before but the recipe looks doable from what I have in stock. 🙂 But having just eaten the last of my curries, I guess a new batch of gravy comes first on the list.
MeriorParticipantAs far as I can tell there are no dedicated Indian groceries but there are a few outlets that should satisfy your requirements.
Metro on the no 2 ring road (west) sells a reasonable range but they tend to be in catering packs. Sabrinas in Tonzalin appears to be selling somewhat more convenient sizes that have been decanted from catering packs. Then there is Taobao where there is more potential and the opportunity to buy convenient masalas and even ghee. In all instances there is every likelihood that the spices are not as fresh as they could be so you might need to add more spices to your cooking to compensate. Fresh root ginger, coriander, chillies and 5 star anise are commonly available in vegetable markets. If you get desperate then arguably the best (not owned or run by Chinese) Indian restaurant is the Tandoor.
MeriorParticipantStreaming within China from Chinese sites and even streamed film channels on the TV can have issues. It might be worth linking via cable and bypassing the wifi since your wifi is predictably going to throttle back your transmission speeds. You also need to be aware of the effect of evenings, weekends and holidays when you have to compete with a few hundred million extra computers on line. Some vpn connections might make a small difference but the more popular ones will predictably have issues next month during conference season.
MeriorParticipantCheers Charlie. I stand corrected. After the level of harassment last year using a vpn I dropped my subscription and am managing without it but I do find I get consistent issues with unexpected sites for unpredictable reasons as they were never an issue using a vpn. Very irritating!
MeriorParticipantThe government have just started a major purge against vpns so it is probable that anything that has been working here won’t be for much longer particularly if people publicise any that they are happy with. The use of any vpn service that is not authorised by the Chinese government has just been made illegal. Which ones are legally registered is anybody’s guess but it’s safe to assume that they would be aimed at commercial users such as banks etc. rather than available to the general public. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/china-just-declared-unauthorised-vpn-160150309.html Penalties for use have apparently not been spelt out.
MeriorParticipantI think that you will find that there is a limit of 90 days before you have to reapply outside the country in somewhere like Hong Kong.
MeriorParticipantI have no experience with this but the logical course of action would be to pay a visit to the Public Security Bureau in Tianfu Square – the building to the left of the Chairman Mao Statue – walk to the left of the statue, turn left alongside the building and you will see the entrance. Take the lift directly in front of you to the PSB. The officers on reception speak English. https://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/extension.htm
MeriorParticipantThere are no shortages of beans, fresh fruit, vegetables along with grains albeit that you probably wont recognise a lot of them. The vegetable markets tend to be fresher than the supermarkets. You can even buy protein powder here but if you buy dried beans, seeds, grains or pulses in a supermarket such as Auchan they can grind it into powder for you while you wait. Check before you buy. Whole grains such as wheat, rye, barley and oats are not readily available in supermarkets but you might find them on Taobao. Bleached and wholemeal flour is available in some supermarkets that have foreign food sections.
Voltage here is 220 volts.
http://gochina.about.com/od/tripplanning/qt/Current_WallPlug.htm
More money is always advisable in a foreign country.
https://www.chengduliving.com/forums/topic/cost-of-living-in-chengdu-2/
MeriorParticipantEven if you open an account with a Chinese bank then you still need to install their online banking on your computer. A friendly employee at your local bank will probably do this for you but you will have to operate it in Chinese. I gave up at this stage since translation programs can’t handle translation even if a translation actually made sense. You will find that PayPal will also cut you off in due course if you try and use your overseas PayPal account with a Chinese ISP.
MeriorParticipant@ Tracey
We resolved the issue with guanxi which made the value of the witness kinda questionable but who was I to argue if HM Gov. would accept it.
I have established that are allegedly half a dozen or so offices for ‘commissioner of oaths’ in Chengdu albeit that nobody could tell me where they were located. I did, however, establish that you would need to make an appointment and that there is no guarantee that they will speak English. However, whoever prepared your affidavit should be able to direct you to their offices. I do understand that there is one in the grounds of the No 3 hospital that is clearly marked in English from the outside – be prepared to get lost in the grounds and do a lot of walking because it’s a big site.
MeriorParticipantJust get yourself a map and point to where you want to go. It helps if you know the route so that you can always direct them to avoid known traffic jams.
MeriorParticipant@ drjtrekker – the family visa, otherwise known as the residence permit, is designed to enable foreigners to visit China to be with their immediate (Chinese resident) family member(s) e.g. a spouse and/or children. It doesn’t cover fiancés and the tourist visa should be adequate for getting married. The family visa/residence permit is typically granted for a period of 3 years and is renewable providing that the holder hasn’t broken Chinese laws.
The person in question was English.
MeriorParticipant@ Ben. Yes it is possible to find work here with just a student visa but it is not legal. The last time I looked fines could be as much as 100,000 RMB plus a sum equal to illegal earnings. I know someone who as here on a family visa who got caught and fined. On his second offence he was imprisoned and subsequently repatriated.
As an illegal worker your employer may have guanxi but you don’t and an unscrupulous employer may even take advantage of your vulnerability knowing that you have no legal remedy to sue for breach of contract, failure to pay etc.
MeriorParticipantAs a generalisation, not Chinese (mainland). I much prefer the Chinese and other Asian recipes by the Ken Hom, a Chinese American chef.
MeriorParticipantB&Q do stock glue guns for regular DIY:
No 10 Hang Kong Road
No 8 Qing Jiang Xi Lu
I haven’t encountered anything close to a hobby shop that sells smaller versions of tools. Try Taobao.
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