Skakagrall
Scottish expat in China
Forum posts
38
About me
Scottish
Lives in Beijing
Registration: 20 March 2014
Learning Chinese, suggestions please by AnewWorld-DDS
Hi There, I have been in Beijing for 4 days now. First thing I have noticed is that I really, really have to learn Chinese! I was wondering where did you learn Chinese? What did you think of the place and its teachers? Would you recommend it for ...
Right. If you are coming to Beijing as the ambassador for your country, or the boss of a multinational company then you will not need Chinese. You will have interpreters, translators, English-speaking drivers etc. I recently had dinner with a ... Read More
Learning Chinese, suggestions please by AnewWorld-DDS
Hi There, I have been in Beijing for 4 days now. First thing I have noticed is that I really, really have to learn Chinese! I was wondering where did you learn Chinese? What did you think of the place and its teachers? Would you recommend it for ...
In answer to the original question at the beginning of this thread: It may be difficult to find a school with well-trained language teachers. Most teaching here is text oriented, even for students who are primarily interested in verbal ... Read More
How is Beijing's air really like? by matchatea
Hi everyone :) This is my first posting. Hoping to get some feedback on the day to day air quality in Beijing. I am considering moving to Beijing in November but I am really worried about the air quality. If I browse on China Air Daily, it seems a ...
Natooke, the cycle shop in Wudaoying Hutong (in Yonghegong) were selling the (British) Respro Techno masks. These are of good quality, but a bit on the heavy side. Read More
Beijing property agents: which ones are reliable? by Skakagrall
The biggest challenge for any foreigner in Beijing is finding an apartment or a house. Usually it's difficult to contact landlords directly. For various reasons, they prefer to use agents. So where do you find reliable agents? Any ideas? Any ...
Yes, it's fine where it is now. Thanks. But, at the end of all this, we still have no names - no names of reliable property agents! Would be Beijing expats please note! Read More
Beijing property agents: which ones are reliable? by Skakagrall
The biggest challenge for any foreigner in Beijing is finding an apartment or a house. Usually it's difficult to contact landlords directly. For various reasons, they prefer to use agents. So where do you find reliable agents? Any ideas? Any ...
Agents can make themselves a (third) party to agreements. I know of one prominent advertiser on the Beijinger that does this. (I've seen one of their agreements.) But let's get this back on topic: "Beijing property agents: which ones ... Read More
Beijing property agents: which ones are reliable? by Skakagrall
The biggest challenge for any foreigner in Beijing is finding an apartment or a house. Usually it's difficult to contact landlords directly. For various reasons, they prefer to use agents. So where do you find reliable agents? Any ideas? Any ...
The problem is that I don't know any agents that have proved to be reliable. (I'm in contact with a few at the moment but I can't say if they are OK.) I've had bad experiences with both places that I've rented. I've also ... Read More
Beijing property agents: which ones are reliable? by Skakagrall
The biggest challenge for any foreigner in Beijing is finding an apartment or a house. Usually it's difficult to contact landlords directly. For various reasons, they prefer to use agents. So where do you find reliable agents? Any ideas? Any ...
Perhaps I should also say that top down listing starting with the elite companies (that you are obviously familiar with) and then gradually working your way down through the market (with the help of other people) might well be the most practical way ... Read More
Beijing property agents: which ones are reliable? by Skakagrall
The biggest challenge for any foreigner in Beijing is finding an apartment or a house. Usually it's difficult to contact landlords directly. For various reasons, they prefer to use agents. So where do you find reliable agents? Any ideas? Any ...
Short answer: yes. I dont know what percentage of foreigners use the kind of all-in services destination services you describe, but I think it must be small (and limited to a small area northeast of the city). So enlarging the scope of what you are ... Read More
Beijing property agents: which ones are reliable? by Skakagrall
The biggest challenge for any foreigner in Beijing is finding an apartment or a house. Usually it's difficult to contact landlords directly. For various reasons, they prefer to use agents. So where do you find reliable agents? Any ideas? Any ...
Thank you. Is it possible to give more details? Or maybe you want to keep the information to yourself for competition reasons? I guess "destination services" = "international relocation" = setting up house and home in a new ... Read More
looking for Indian grocery shop
Punjabi in Liangmaqiao (010 5867 0221, www.punjabichina.com) sell some Indian food - we bought some ghee there - and they can also probably tell you about other shops. Read More
Beijing property agents: which ones are reliable?
The biggest challenge for any foreigner in Beijing is finding an apartment or a house. Usually it's difficult to contact landlords directly. For various reasons, they prefer to use agents. So where do you find reliable agents? Any ideas? Any ... Read More
How is Beijing's air really like? by matchatea
Hi everyone :) This is my first posting. Hoping to get some feedback on the day to day air quality in Beijing. I am considering moving to Beijing in November but I am really worried about the air quality. If I browse on China Air Daily, it seems a ...
There is abundant evidence available now that living in a city with high incidence of pollution will shorten your life span. I've seen a figure of five years as the difference between north China (more polluted) and south China (relatively ... Read More
Any expat interested in being a city counselor in Beijing?
Hi PurpleDaphne, is this a commercial ad? Maybe connected with real estate? Read More
How is Beijing's air really like? by matchatea
Hi everyone :) This is my first posting. Hoping to get some feedback on the day to day air quality in Beijing. I am considering moving to Beijing in November but I am really worried about the air quality. If I browse on China Air Daily, it seems a ...
Hmm. I am married to a doctor and I certainly don't know any doctors who say the "pollution is no worse than having one cigarette per day"! I'm also not sure I know any one-cigarette-a-day smokers either! It's probably not a ... Read More
How is Beijing's air really like? by matchatea
Hi everyone :) This is my first posting. Hoping to get some feedback on the day to day air quality in Beijing. I am considering moving to Beijing in November but I am really worried about the air quality. If I browse on China Air Daily, it seems a ...
Haidian and Chaoyang are inner city districts. Pollution levels are typical for Beijing. The US Embassy which produces reliable PM2.5 data is in the middle of Chaoyang. Incidentally, in my experience many, many people in Chaoyang wear masks. Read More
UCAS, Beijing and Urumqi by Orogenyrocks
Hello all, I am an American student who may soon be coming to China (Beijing for 1yr, and 2 yrs in Urumqi) in January of 2015. I was offered a supported master's degree from the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. I am very excited ...
It sounds as if you know exactly what you are doing, and I'm sure you'll have a fascinating time. At one time I wanted to do research in Xinjiang, though unfortunately I wasn't able to realise my plans. I can't help with UCAS I ... Read More
UCAS, Beijing and Urumqi by Orogenyrocks
Hello all, I am an American student who may soon be coming to China (Beijing for 1yr, and 2 yrs in Urumqi) in January of 2015. I was offered a supported master's degree from the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. I am very excited ...
Re Urumqi, this may not be the best place for a political briefing! But most of the information is readily available if you Google for it. I visited the city a few times a long time ago and basically liked it, though some of the other cities/towns ... Read More
How is Beijing's air really like? by matchatea
Hi everyone :) This is my first posting. Hoping to get some feedback on the day to day air quality in Beijing. I am considering moving to Beijing in November but I am really worried about the air quality. If I browse on China Air Daily, it seems a ...
Objective data is available, and not just from the US Embassy, Chinese government sources are also useful. Depending on data, Beijing is either the second or third worst capital city in the world after New Delhi and Ulaanbaatar. Unfortunately ... Read More
Internship in Shunyi, 4500 RMB after accomodation/lunches... feasible? by victor6rene
Hey fellas, I've been offered an internship in Shunyi, Beijing. I have a few concerns but by far the most pressing is the living costs. Shunyi seems like an expensive district. I will be provided lunch everyday at work, plus a shared ...
If "limited conversational fluency" means being able to greet people, buy things in shops, use appropriate phrases in conversation with English-speaking Chinese, then I'm sure you could attain that kind of fluency in a few months, ... Read More
Internship in Shunyi, 4500 RMB after accomodation/lunches... feasible? by victor6rene
Hey fellas, I've been offered an internship in Shunyi, Beijing. I have a few concerns but by far the most pressing is the living costs. Shunyi seems like an expensive district. I will be provided lunch everyday at work, plus a shared ...
OK. The problem is that if you are working 40 hours a week, on a limited income, and living in Shunyi, I don't think it will be possible to get "a modest grasp of the Chinese language". That kind of level is usually the objective of a ... Read More
Internship in Shunyi, 4500 RMB after accomodation/lunches... feasible? by victor6rene
Hey fellas, I've been offered an internship in Shunyi, Beijing. I have a few concerns but by far the most pressing is the living costs. Shunyi seems like an expensive district. I will be provided lunch everyday at work, plus a shared ...
Actually I am wondering whether it wouldn't be better for you to get a qualification as a Spanish teacher in Mexico (or Spain?) and then come to Beijing later as a properly paid teacher. After all, you're 22, so there's no great hurry. Read More
Internship in Shunyi, 4500 RMB after accomodation/lunches... feasible? by victor6rene
Hey fellas, I've been offered an internship in Shunyi, Beijing. I have a few concerns but by far the most pressing is the living costs. Shunyi seems like an expensive district. I will be provided lunch everyday at work, plus a shared ...
Hmm. That's an extra 80 US dollars, not exactly a huge pay rise. I wonder if you have thought of getting some advice from your embassy in Beijing? Do they have anyone in charge of educational exchanges? Read More
Internship in Shunyi, 4500 RMB after accomodation/lunches... feasible? by victor6rene
Hey fellas, I've been offered an internship in Shunyi, Beijing. I have a few concerns but by far the most pressing is the living costs. Shunyi seems like an expensive district. I will be provided lunch everyday at work, plus a shared ...
Are AIESEC/the Institute offering to pay the airfare (from Mexico?)? Considering what you have told us, I think you at least need a contingency plan in the event that you are not paid, or not given Chinese lessons, or have bad accommodation etc. ... Read More
Internship in Shunyi, 4500 RMB after accomodation/lunches... feasible? by victor6rene
Hey fellas, I've been offered an internship in Shunyi, Beijing. I have a few concerns but by far the most pressing is the living costs. Shunyi seems like an expensive district. I will be provided lunch everyday at work, plus a shared ...
40 hours a week + learning Chinese would be tough. Do you know if the Chinese Language Institute is reputable? The best/better schools have government registration, but most of them are just commercial companies. Read More
Internship in Shunyi, 4500 RMB after accomodation/lunches... feasible? by victor6rene
Hey fellas, I've been offered an internship in Shunyi, Beijing. I have a few concerns but by far the most pressing is the living costs. Shunyi seems like an expensive district. I will be provided lunch everyday at work, plus a shared ...
Missed the information that your internship is in a Chinese Language Institute. Actually that puzzles me. (Presumably you don't want to learn how to be a Chinese language teacher!) I hope they don't intend to use you as an unpaid ... Read More
Internship in Shunyi, 4500 RMB after accomodation/lunches... feasible? by victor6rene
Hey fellas, I've been offered an internship in Shunyi, Beijing. I have a few concerns but by far the most pressing is the living costs. Shunyi seems like an expensive district. I will be provided lunch everyday at work, plus a shared ...
A year of learning Chinese would be worthwhile if you have good teachers and the time to concentrate on it, however Chinese is a difficult language, and Shunyi is obviously not an ideal place to be achieving any kind of fluency. I live in Xicheng ... Read More
Internship in Shunyi, 4500 RMB after accomodation/lunches... feasible? by victor6rene
Hey fellas, I've been offered an internship in Shunyi, Beijing. I have a few concerns but by far the most pressing is the living costs. Shunyi seems like an expensive district. I will be provided lunch everyday at work, plus a shared ...
Hi. First of all I am living in central Beijing not Shunyi, so I may be biased against the idea of living there. Beijing is a fascinating city, but the further you are from the centre, the less contact you have with traditional life. Arguably the ... Read More
TV report Expats leave Beijing by Baptiste ActuAsia
Dear expats Beijingers, I am Baptiste Fallevoz, journalist and Beijing correspondent of the international News TV station France 24. We broadcast in 150 countries in English, French and Arabic. For our very serious show called "Focus", I'm ...
Hi Baptiste, I understand there was a story going around (true or not) that a young German came to Beijing, jogged every day for a year and got lung cancer. This scared some people. I know of a French couple who have relocated to HK because of the ... Read More
New girl in Beijing! by Nessimon
Hello everyone, I'm a German girl living in Beijing till the end of May. I've been here for 2 weeks now and am slowly getting used to living in the big city :) Now I'd love to make some new friends! Possibly some Germans, but I'm actually fine with ...
Manlin Hi and thanks, I take your point about a new thread, however there are so few people here, and the problem with moderation had already been raised, so I thought I would step in. Re: "are you commenting on the fact that they used the word ... Read More
New girl in Beijing! by Nessimon
Hello everyone, I'm a German girl living in Beijing till the end of May. I've been here for 2 weeks now and am slowly getting used to living in the big city :) Now I'd love to make some new friends! Possibly some Germans, but I'm actually fine with ...
I am a new member here and I am surprised by the moderating going on here. Is there a rule prescribing total blandness? Moderation is sometimes necessary to prevent trolling, but bona fide messages should be allowed. On 26 March, I contributed some ... Read More
Apartment in Beijing CBD
CBD is a vague concept. Living in the centre needn't be so expensive. If you are going to use the subway as your main means of transport, you can work out which lines or line will suit you and then work out which areas would suit you. There are some ... Read More