China - never a dull moment!

[hummel]

Sorry if this has already been covered but is AFF blocked in China?

Nope.. it keeps me sane when I'm there.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Sorry if this has already been covered but is AFF blocked in China?

Nope open access - just connect via a link / url - don't Google it!

I always us iPhone - I always change search engine in Safari when I arrive - Google just will not work for me on phone - connect in hotels via favourites - also use Bing in hotels to search and it works fine - others report differing circumstances:

 

[Steady]

Excellent - thanks

 

[clazman]

I know of tech company's that have tried China and Philippines and are having great success in South Africa, and they speak English. Iinet is a good example

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yes it can appear frustrating, but how much you actually understand China can go a long way to resolving difficulties.

 

[Bolthead]

Don't worry they'll still go past! I haven't been to China since March.. sort of missing it actually. We got rid of apartment in Foshan and now concentrating on Philippines/Vietnam as we just got tired of China and the 'it's not my fault' attitude.

My son lives in Shanghai and he works for a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in emerging Asia, focusing predominately in China. He tells us on our last visit in September that their focus in the last couple of years is broadening to Veitnam, Cambodia and India. They have recognised the issues that China has and the new opportunities that businesses have establishing an entity outside of China.

 

[legroom]

it drives me mad - nobody - and I mean NOBODY will accept responsibility for the never ceasing stuff ups - the standard answer is 'Next time we pay more attention'!

FYI

1) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4UQGOle_ap0

2) http://chinahopelive.net/2013/02/27/a-pile-of-loose-sand-and-civic-consciousness-in-china

As for a travel forum, all comments are withheld.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Quiz Time: What is going on here?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Who was asking recently about price of Champagne in China? Some prices in NKG last week - just a random liquor store I happened to walk past:



And:



One bottle in second pic look familiar?

 

[penegal]

10 RMB more expensive than the regular label!!!

 

[TonyHancock]

Quiz Time: What is going on here?

The Morning Lift queue?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

The Morning Lift queue?

YES - I thought that might take a little longer to get - always amuses me this one.

 

[TonyHancock]

YES - I thought that might take a little longer to get - always amuses me this one.

Even floors one side and odd the other?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Even floors one side and odd the other?

Some are some aren't - I took lifts on other side of building with no queue.

 

[seanpodge]

Looking to book 3 nights in Beijing 25-27 dec inc.

Wonder if Xmas time it will be busy in city centre areas.

There'll be some shoddy Xmas decorations around, but in China the 25th is really just another day.

 

[Cynicor]

There'll be some shoddy Xmas decorations around, but in China the 25th is really just another day.

I've never been, but I was under the impression they they go all out for Christmas decorations in some areas? Maybe I'm thinking of somewhere else...

 

[pagingjoan]

There'll be some shoddy Xmas decorations around, but in China the 25th is really just another day.

I've been in Shanghai, Beijing and other rural parts in December, when there were heaps of Christmas decorations, carols blasting through amplifiers, Santas wandering about and so on.

Then again, I've been there in the middle of the year, when Christmas carols were blaring through department store speakers.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Yes I have seen Chrissy decs still up right throughout year in Tianjin - Soho Wanfujiang and places like that in BJ will be absolutely ablaze with Chrissy decs - but jeez it'll be cold.

 

[pagingjoan]

Yes I have seen Chrissy decs still up right throughout year in Tianjin - Soho Wanfujiang and places like that in BJ will be absolutely ablaze with Chrissy decs - but jeez it'll be cold.

Yes, that manger would have been a challenge for the newborn babe!

 

[seanpodge]

I've never been, but I was under the impression they they go all out for Christmas decorations in some areas? Maybe I'm thinking of somewhere else...

Well, most of the shopping centers will have Christmas decorations and displays (some things don't change!), but there's no holiday and everything (shops, banks, schools, et al) will be open as normal, so in that sense it isn't a big deal here. Quite like it actually since I was pretty over Christmas before I'd left Australia.

I'd say that for most Chinese people, Christmas is just a strange and interesting foreign festival that they don't actually know much about beyond a superficial level (similar to most Australians and Chinese New Year). I'm still regularly asked by co workers and my better half's relatives when Christmas is and shock is expressed when they learn that (a) some Jesus fellow is involved and (b) that this Jesus isn't an old man with a beard and red clothes.

If you want a true Chinese winter holiday experience, come back in February and try getting on a long distance train to some rural village two days before Chinese New Year. :shock: