A Relocation to *** (FAQs)
Dear Customer,
Welcome to ***!!!
We hope that you will enjoy your stay and know that you may have some questions about life in ***. Below are some of the questions which we have been asked most frequently and their answers:
How can I start navigating around ***?
Moving to a new city is always challenging and it takes time to find your marks. We provide you with a city orientation guide as well as a taxi book and an English labeled map. Please also talk to your colleagues for advice on where to go.
Where can I find Western food or English labeled foods?
There are several supermarkets in *** which sell imported Western foods. These include Metro, Mykal (their downtown outlet is recommended for its meat and sushi selection), Carrefour and Wal-mart. Please note that at present most of these supermarkets are located downtown.
Is it safe to buy food in wet market?
It depends on which market and what kind of food and also at what time of the year you are buying. Try to avoid buying meats or sea food that has been lying there for a long time (especially if not on ice). For any further question about this and health risk involved, we advise you to contact your company appointed clinic
Why is it that when I want to buy certain foods in Chinese supermarkets, they are all past their sell-by date?
Of course there is always the risk that some shops do leave items past their sell by date on shelves but this is more and more uncommon especially in most large supermarkets. Carrefour for example guarantees that all items have at least 10 days shelf life left. The main issue to note here is that the date printed on most foods in China is not the expiry date but the manufacturing date and there is usually elsewhere on the packaging an indication (marked in Chinese) as to what the shelf life is starting from that manufacturing date.
How to discounts work in China during the sales seasons?
In the US and Europe, we are used to seeing signs such as 20% off but in China you will see signs such as 8 or 5. An 8 implies you will pay 80% of the original price (basically you will get a 20% discount). A 5 will mean you will pay 50% of the original price (you get a 50% discount). So if you are a real bargain hunter, look out for these 1 and 2 signs which signal huge discounts. Many shops also rather than give actual cash discounts prefer discount coupons. For example, for every RMB100 you spend, you will have the right for another coupon for RMB XXX which you can spend in that shop on some but not all items.
What is a “jin”?
One jin is equivalent to 500 grams (or roughly a US pound) and is the basic unit of weight measure when buying food in China. When you ask for vegetable or fruit prices, you will be quoted per “jin”. Most restaurants will also sell seafood per “jin”.
