Job Discussion Forums

[texastmblwd69]

Hi,

I have a job offer in Tieling (northeast - near Shenyang). Being from Texas, I have lived only through two "real" winters ("real" being a very relative term of course): the winter of 95-96 in Washington, DC (huge blizzard) and the winter of 92-93 in Northern Honshu, Japan (very snowy but not bitterly cold). So, I have little experience with super-frigid temperatures. Can you give me any advice on how to cope? Should I purchase cold weather gear here in Texas before I go or would it be smarter to wait until I'm in Tieling?



-Jerry

[Guest]

I arrived here 14 months ago after living most of my life in a tropical part of Australia, where it only gets down to 7 degrees celcius in the winter mornings and the winter days are around 23 degrees - so the winter here was a bit of a shock to me.

Firstly let me say that all clothing is cheaper in China, so that applies to long underwear also. I would buy it here - besides then you do not have to pack it and it is very bulky.

It only gets down to Zero here where I live in China, rarely below, but I will be better prepared for it this winter.

[brsmith15]

I come from New Hampshire and therefore am used to VERY cold and snowy winters. You'll be in a similar clime, but the major problem is that the Chinese have yet to discover central heating. As a matter of fact many places -- school classrooms, stores, factories -- have no heat at all save a few small space heaters.

BE SURE to ask the school about heat in the classroom and your apt. Otherwise, as Dante said, "Abandon all hope................"

Yes, buy your stuff here: down jacket and pants, several sets of long johns.

[latefordinner]

Clothing is cheaper in China, but it can be difficult to find large sizes; even in the DongBei, where people are taller. (I don't know where Yao Ming shops) If you're tall, you're better off bringing stuff from home. If you wear mdeium sizes in the states, you'll find what you want here ... in an extra-large.

[Kurochan]

If you have big feet, you'd better bring a pair of really good, lined boots with you. You won't be able to get along without them, and you might not be able to find your size here.

[millie]

my advice:
don't go!
sounds like hell but frozen for 5 months of the year.
m

[Ludwig]

I would tend to agree with 'Millie'. Why bother ever being cold when you simply never need to be? I always advise those people who seem intent on working in China to seek posts in the SE where there is little if any real winter (10 or 12 degrees for no more than 2 weeks). The main problem is not so much the cold as more their way of combating it. The coal they burn up there in that neck of the woods causes horrific pollution. I recall seeing black snow in Shenyang once!

[Captain Yossarian]

Hullo,

Tieling seems to keep coming up in coversations recently, though I have always known it as a stop on the mainline that runs from Haerbin to Dalian. It is famous in China as the home of Zhao Benshan.

Major cities in Dongbei (Qiqihar, Haerbin, Changchun, Shenyang, Dalian) have had massive programs to reduce coal burning. Pollution in far less of a concern than in mid-China (there are some earlier threads about this). Jinan and Wuhan suffer far more than Dongbei - I am not an expert but somehow the smog gets trapped at low levels in those cities.

Changchun especially is a remarkably clean city.

Having said this....Tieling is a smaller city so coal dust could be a problem.

Winters are notorious up here but they are never as bad some people make out. The Lonely Planet will state temperature as low as -50C but it never gets that cold (well it hasn't in recent years). Haerbin is a delight in winter - if fact it is really only worth visiting in winter. It can get to -20C in the daytime sometimes but because 95% of days in Dongbei are clear and sunny it never feels that bad. I experienced winters in Weihai and Yantai that felt SO MUCH colder. As long as you have good gloves and a proper hat you'll be fine. It is interesting to note that there hasn't been a major snowfall anywhere south of Haerbin for several years.

The best thing about Dongbei winters is that (most) buildings here are built to higher standards than elsewhere. Buildings are uniformly warm. Many people are then surprised by how chilly they can feel as far south as Shenzhen and Guangzhou because the buildings aren't designed to keep out the cold (and there's often no public heating there).

You can get all the clothes you need here - from large puffa jackets from the market for 50kuai (that will last a winter) to top-quality items from department stores like Parksons, Zhuo Zhan, Yatai etc. The Bird chain of camping and hiking stores (several branches in the northeast) have really good stuff too.

Dongbei has certain charms too!
Food - excellent selection of hotpots, ma la tangs etc.
Chinese - the best place to learn (easily the clearest accent in China).

Um....there must be more....