Job Discussion Forums

koalabear · Joined: 26 Apr 2003 Posts: 9 Location: Bialystok, Poland

I lived in HangZhou for 8 months and can say it can be boring, especially during cold winter days. But as everyone here says it is quite better than other Chinses cities, besides Suzhou. As for the West Lake, well do you know it's about 1.5m deep and under the water there is about 1.5 m of mud?? So much for a national treasure. What always suprised me when I went to the West Lake is why can't I see the other shore clearly? there was always fog (smog??) over the lake. As for the city itself, well, there are many good department stores where you can buy everything, plenty of supermarkets (who hasn't been to Jayou) and many places to visit including a really nice Lingyin temple. Oh in Hangzhou you can buy plenty of cheap, good quality silk Laughing

, but be careful, not everything that looks like silk is silk. And it's very easy to find an extra job so good luck and say hi to HZ from me

P.S. Anyone here teaching at the tourism school?

MartinK · Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 344

koalabear · Joined: 26 Apr 2003 Posts: 9 Location: Bialystok, Poland

Took me some time to find a decent store where you can buy deo, whipped cream, and cheese but I managed. Laughing

It's Metro (meidelong in Chinese pronounciation or something like that). It is a german (so I've heard) owned branch of wholesale stores placed throughout the world. I am almost sure you can get there tuna, and maybe trainers but wouldn't be sure if there is the dental floss, but who knows?? - they have deodorants and other difficult to get items! You might be surprised. But you have to know that to buy there anything you need a special card issued by the store (store regulations same in other parts of the world) As for Chinese citizens only the bussiness owners can get it but foreginers only need to ask. Should take not more than 15 mins.
And the prices there are lower than in other supermarkets.
As for the store, it is located on the outskirts, you can see it when you enter the city from Shanghai -Hangzhou highway.

senor boogie woogie · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2003 2:49 pm Post subject:

The west Lake is a fairly big place. It is NOT A SWAMP! But it is really not so impressive either. It is a small urban lake, surrounded by city and scenic area, what you might see in Central Park in NYC. There are many boat touts that are more than happy to give you a tour of the pond.

Supposedly Marco Polo has been here. It was also a place for vacationing Chinese emporers in the distant past. They saw something here, that we westerners miss.

I would swim in it. I have had my wife and I sit by it during the evening, drinking tea and jo and having a lovely mellow time. West lake is not a world attraction, but merely a small diversion to Chinese escaping the ugliness that the real China has to offer.

SENOR

dan · Joined: 20 Mar 2003 Posts: 247 Location: shanghai

thanks for all the great tips. it sounds somewhat like a mixed bag, but in the end, a fairly decent place. it also seems like those of you who have spent more time there enjoy it more which, of course, makes perfect sense. i wasnt too keen on CHengdu my first 3 or 4 months, but by the end of the year, it suited me just fine.