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”.
What are the local market bargaining practices?
In local markets, you may bargain prices and in some markets you can expect discounts of
30% approximately. Please note that in general, the shop keepers at Victory Plaza will be
less likely to be amenable to a discount since it is the most busy market and that in other
markets you may get better deals. Also, the closer to closing time you shop, the higher can
be the discounts. You can get also very good discount in the early morning, because the
shopkeepers will be keen to close their first few deals of the day to bring them luck.
Is tipping not polite in China?
This is more myth than reality these days. Whilst no waiter in *** will really sulk at you if you
do not tip, in general, they also will not refuse. Tips do not however have to be very big: just
a few RMB in a taxi and RMb10-50 in a restaurant.
Why are there so few foreign television channels?
Foreign media are still controlled via the ministry of culture and this only those channels that
have successfully negotiated an agreement with China are allowed to be broadcast.
Why is the internet so slow and why can’t I access some websites?
The Chinese government regulates the internet and restricts access to some websites
through what is called the “Great Firewall of China”. There are times of the year when you
can’t access Google or Wikipedia for example. This depends on current events and relations
between these websites and the censorship authorities. That firewall also somewhat affects
the speed of access to certain foreign websites at times. The slowest connections and
heaviest restrictions normally happen when there are large political conferences such as the
national assembly meetings or the party summits.
What is the level of pollution in ***?
Relative to other cities in China, the level of pollution in *** is quite low. This is mostly due to
a lack of heavy industries and also proximity to the ocean and its breeze. However, be
careful to still not drink tap water and so on.
When and where is traffic the heaviest in ***?
Rush hours are in the morning between 7:30 and 9:00 and in the afternoon between 5:00 and
7:00. Mostly the road which has the heaviest traffic jams will be the highway between the city
and the development area. Please note a tunnel under the bay is planned but should only be
ready in 3 or 4 years.
Can I find English books and English language movies?
There is a small selection of books at the foreign language bookstore in *** city center and the
cinemas as Wanda Plaza in Olympic Square and Peace Plaza sometimes show English
movies. There are also plenty of DVDs available for sale but please note these are
counterfeit. We do advise that you take some books with you if you are a keen reader and
every time you travel back and forth. But stay away from politically sensitive materials.
