Job Discussion Forums

[Kai6854]

I might be heading to Beijing next week and wanted to know about what to bring. There are 4 seasons there, no? I'm coming from New York City and really do not want to bring items I will never use. How is the shopping for American brands (drug store items) and clothing sizes for a full figured woman; easy to find? And what about the pricing for said clothing and shoes? Will I be able to locate everyday items in Beijing at a reasonable price or should I stock up before leaving? I also would like to know about securing a laptop while there rather than attempting to ship my desktop. Can I find it at a good price in Beijing? My other job offer is in Xian and ditto the questions for that locale. Any pros out there to lend me advise?

[Roger]

I suggest you bring along your prescription stuff and oversize clothes. You can certainly buy clothes in Peking, but big sizes are more difficult to locate although northern Chinese tend to be taller than southerners. Medicaments in China are inexpensive except imported ones, but you must beware of fakes.
I think you can buy a second-hand laptop here although you might be better off with your own one with its English-language programmes. Voltage in the PRC is 220!

The four seasons correspond to the ones we all know from the northern hemisphere; I might be little wrong by saying the temperature extremes in Peking vary as much as those in New York.

[Kai6854]

Thanks Roger...So would you think it a good idea for me to lug my desktop PC with me packed securely in my checked luggage? I have a 15" flat screen so the monitor weighs next to nothing and the CPU is a little smaller than average. Does customs allow this? Also, I can get a 220 volt adapter, correct?

[kimo]

Bring socks. Good quality ones are hard to find here. Pants could be a problem because Chinese styles seem to have a different cut. Maybe you like to wear them higher up your waist though. Finally, I suggest you try and find an adapter there of good quality. But they are here if you can't.

[Seth]

don't bring a PC, your school should provide you with a reasonable one, unless there's some reason you can't be without your own PC. You'll need the extra space for things you can't get readily in China.

I think Beijing is colder than New York in winter, but Chinese buildings tend to be a lot colder from poor insulation. Winters are long, cold, and windy. Don't underestimate the brutality of northern winters, bring very good quality gloves and socks and long underwear. Even then, soak your hands and feet in hot water every few nights in the winter or you will regret it, trust me.

[Egas]

Hi Kai,

Bring your own clothes, as bigger sizes will be hard to find - esp. underwear!

Bring your lap-top by all means, depending on your arrangement with the school. I brought mine in - no problems.

It isn't that cold here in the winter, but it is pretty cold. We don't get blizzards like you do in NY, but it snows a bit and the rivers freeze over. Some apartments are well heated, but others aren't - so it's a bit of pot luck!

If you like reading, bring a good supply of books. the English book stores here are miserable, unless you fancy reading condensed versions of Charles Dickens!

[gmat]

Not sure why this hasn't been mentioned but it is MUCH colder in Beijing in winter than NYC.

Average Temperatures (F) in winter months from Worldclimate.com:

Nov: NYC 47.5, BJ 39
Dec: NYC 36.5, BJ 27.3
Jan: NYC 31.6, BJ 23.7
Feb: NYC 33.4, BJ 28.8

Average Minimum Temperatures:

Nov: NYC 41.0, BJ 30.7
Dec: NYC 30.7, BJ 19.0
Jan: NYC 25.3, BJ 14.7
Feb: NYC 27.0, BJ 19.4

[scot47]

Have you guys not started using Celsius yet ?

Nobody outside the USA uses Fahrenheit now. Get in tune with the rest of Planet Earth !

[gmat]

Hmmm...

Kai, the original poster says she is from NY City. NYC is in the State of New York. New York is one of 50 states in the United States. The United States uses Fahrenheit. Why the f*^k would I give her information in Celsius?

From experience I know that Americans have little knowledge of Celsius temperatures.

Have you heard of targeting the message for your audience?

Scot47, do yourself a favor, and give your head a shake!

[scot47]

It is not me that needs to give my head a shake . It is that minority of earthlings who live in the USA. They really should do things the way the rest of us do them !

[JDYoung]

I'm in Shenyang, about 800 km (500 miles) to the NE of Beijing and have been in China 2 months. I am also a larger type female. Bring underclothing - panties, bras, socks, panty hose. Bring enough slacks, skirts and tops to last until you can have some made. You probably won't be able to buy much off the rack but custom made is cheap. Bring good winter boots with good tread if you are close to or bigger than size 8 in shoes. The larger sizes are difficult to find. Ditto with gloves, hats, etc. It is cold. It is windy. The floors are not carpetted. The insulation is poor. The heaters are weak. The locals will tell you you're not wearing enough clothes.

I bought a laptop, transferred all my files to it from my desktop and then sold the desktop before I came. I'm glad I did. Computers here cost about the same as in the west but are more difficult to find if you want an English operating system - and you will. I had no difficulties with security or customs and I have had no difficulties using the power supply as my transformer brick can handle either voltage. Others have mentioned using the computer provided by the school. This is iffy as sometimes the computers in the schools are not all they should be. You could run into any of the following problems: sharing the computer with colleagues who hog it, the computer is old, the computer is crawling with viruses, the computer is in the teacher's office and you would like to work in your living quarters, etc. Also, you may want to bring some of your own electronic files with you. You would need to be sure that the software on the school computer is compatible - i.e. word vs wordperfect. It was too many if's for me and I'm glad I brought my laptop.

Good luck.