Job Discussion Forums

[jeffdog]

i was wondering what my options are--actually my mother is freaking and i need to get her off my back!!!...what advice do you have to keep things cheap?...i figure first option is good ole fashioned emails, but i need to call home every couple weeks or so and i guess i need to make calls in country...just not sure if i need a cell phone or not...thanks as always for the help!

[The Ever-changing Cleric]

tell your mom not to worry. once you get a mobile in china you can call internationally at low cost. I call home by dialling a five digit prefix (12593) followed by the phone number and it costs me RMB0.39 per minute. So for about $1 I can talk for 15 minutes.

[happigur1]

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?p=782406&highlight=#782406

Follow the link; it talks about how you can obtain a cell phone in China.

I used Skype. It was free to call form computer to computer. Unfortunately, my parents don't use the computer so I called computer to phone. From China to US it cost 2 cents a minute and I paid with my credit card via online. It was crystal clear!

[roadwalker]

I used to use a phone card for calls from the US to China. It ended up being about 1 USD per hour. Your mother could call you instead. Look for the cards in small convenience stores with "call Mexico! Philippines! " or other countries or continents adverts on the door. If she lives in an area with few foreign students, migrants or transplants, it may be harder to find these cards. The name brand cards available in supermarkets or 7-11s are much more expensive.

If your connection in China is halfway decent, skype is a good option.

[TexasHighway]

Your mother can also buy and refill phone cards online. One I have used before is www.pincity.com. If she lives in an area with a local access code, it should cost less than 3 cents a minute.

[happigur1]

also, if your mother uses skype, you can set up skype forwarding to your China cell phone. That way, your mother can reach you via skype whenever/where ever.

[jeffdog]

thanks so much....so i guess i should bring my phone and buy a sems card over there.....sounds right from all i have read

[happigur1]

Make sure your phone is a "world phone". In other words, make sure it will work in different parts of the world. And make sure it is "unlock" so that you can use different sim cards.