Personal Banking in China:

OE admin Mandy asked this question the other day:

roots mentioned in another thread that the ATM card issued by his bank in China won’t work overseas. Is this the case with all banks in China? Which of the banks are most expat friendly? What are the requirements for opening an account etc?

Which do you use and why?

My 2 answers, please excuse my language:

Chinese banking is so Fuked up that you notice even Jack is avoiding the issue.

Almost all Chinese banks are still nominally owned by Federal or Provincial governments.

The 4 largest banks in China are the ones you are most likely to see: ICBC, BOC, CCB, and ABC. Bank of China and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China been the most popular.

The most f*cked up part of it all is that money doesn’t travel, which created the current cash culture of Chinese economy. Getting money into and out of the country can be especially tedious, and stupendously time consuming.

Don’t expect ANY ATM cards or Credit Cards from Chinese banks to work outside of the country. HK, maybe, if you go to their branches. Chinese banks are heavily protected and extremely archaic (and nontransparent), despite the fact that they are listed on the NY stock exchange. RMB is a protected/controlled currency, which makes the whole thing even more cluster f*cked.

The reason you can’t use their ATM cards outside the country except maybe in HK is because (I am assuming) it’s a RMB account. Most RMB – foreign currency trades/exchanges are still strictly monitored.

Do what most of us do, get one Chinese bank account, and one foreign bank account from home. I lucked out because HSBC is heavily presented in Canada, HK, and slowly, China. A lot of expats rely on grey market money exchanges and Western Union to send money home.

As for the Chinese banks themselves, ICBC is the most popular, “common folk” bank, and BoC is probably ranked second in terms of presence and accessibility. All you need is RMB cash, a passport, an address, and someone to fill out the form for you to open an account. CCB and ABC are more specialized, and probably wouldn’t be as convenient.

All in all, a pea soup of cluster f*cking skull bashing lunatic doggery that is still pretending it’s the 80s.

I had to correct myself a bit upon farther research (btw, I am in no way endorsing CMB to anybody):

Anyway…, I got bored, so I looked into CMB’s services and offers. It basically boils down to this, certain Chinese banks have signed working agreements with various banks around the world, and some banks’ ATM will take a Chinese ATM card. The problem is still RMB. Since your account is most likely to be still in RMB, and you certainly can’t take out RMB, so you will get the an exchange equivalent. The highest ATM equivalent right now seems to be RMB 2000, which is about 2-300 USD.

What complicates things is that some Chinese banks have signed agreements with Visa or Master card. There seems to be an ATM type of card that is Visa certified or something that will deal in USD. What makes it even more screwed is that you can apply for a Visa itself, which should have been easier thing to begin with. But the f*cked up thing is that you seem to need an USD account to start with before you can even do this, otherwise you seem to need a RMB transfer payment plan in place.

Anyway, look for this symbol going outside the country:

银联

Your limit is RMB 2000/day.

QUOTE :
1、在境外哪些商户和ATM刷卡可以用人民币支付？
境外地区贴有“银联”标识的商户和ATM，均可以使用信用卡内人民币账户支付。
[返回]
2、在境外“银联”标识和VISA、MasterCard标识的商户和ATM交易，有什么不同？
1）支付货币不同。在“银联”标识的商户和ATM用卡，支付货币为人民币；在VISA或MasterCard联网商户和ATM用卡，支付货币为美元。
2）还款货币不同。境外地区的“银联”交易，客户直接用人民币还款；在VISA或MasterCard联网商户和ATM用卡，客户用美元还款，或申请人民币购汇还款。
[返回]
3、银行按什么汇率将交易的外币兑换成人民币？
按照交易当日国家对外公布的外币对人民币的外汇卖出价兑换。
[返回]
4、哪些信用卡可以在境外“银联”商户和ATM交易？
招商银行VISA信用卡、招商银行MasterCard信用卡、国航知音信用卡均可以在境外地区的“银联”商户和ATM交易，用人民币支付。
[返回]
5、境外是不是所有的商户和ATM，都用信用卡内的人民币支付？
在境外地区，只有在贴有“银联”标识的商户和ATM，才用人民币支付；其余商户和ATM刷卡，均从美元账户扣款。

For a list of countries or more info if you can read it:

CMB Link!

As for me? I’ll stick to my original advice. Keep your China/foreign accounts separate. It’s much more convenient and hassle free.

Check OE for original discussion.

Link!

What about HK? Teaching and living in HK?

A new expat to be joined us in OE board the other day, and even though this is a China blog, I’ve decided to put my replies here. I usually don’t consider HK to be part of China, since 100 years of British rule has change the port city into a Singapore like city state. But make no mistake about it, HK is politically controlled by CCP. Anyway, that’s not important, let’s get on to the discussion:

Her question:

Hello,

I am a 26 year old American and I just took a job as a kindergarten teacher in Whampoa Garden, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The pay is $17,000HK a month but my housing is provided and utilities are split with a roommate. Is this reasonable to live in that area? (I will be walking to work.)

Also what is the cost of living like? I don’t drink and don’t really party so I won’t have to worry about those expenses.
I am also open to any advice that any of you have. This is a new experience for me and I could use all the help I can get.

My first reply:

I would hate to tote my own horn here, but if you have never worked in an Asian/Chinese environment before, I recommend these 2 threads from my blog:

http://chinasurvivalguide.wordpress.com/20…ina-in-general/

http://chinasurvivalguide.wordpress.com/20…english-part-1/

HK is quite a bit more westernized than the Mainland, but there are still quite a few thing apply here. HK is a shopping haven though, so it’s easy to over spend when going out. It’s also similar to Vancouver that it’s a touristy town, so you might have to dig a little deeper for local stuff at local prices.

And my second reply:

I didn’t catch 2 things earlier, 1. you are female, 2. you are new at this,

http://chinasurvivalguide.wordpress.com/20…ngers-of-china/

HK is relatively safe compare to other places. I never actually lived/worked there long term, so Mandy is probably the one to ask for that. You can never be too careful sometimes. If you aren’t from a big city(are you?), HK can still be a daunting experience.

In terms of cost, HK is one of those places like Taipei where everything is so convenient that I usually don’t know where my money goes until the end of the month. A few coffees here, a few 7-11 trips there, and it all adds up. There is a huge temptation to eat out all the time, which can cost a fortune unless you find out about decent spots with local prices.

In terms of packing, don’t bring your whole wardrobe + closet. It’s a tempting option for new expats sometimes. HK is fairly humid, while a lot of regions in US are fairly dry, so you might want to find out if your favourite skirt/jacket will survive the trip. Sweating can be problematic for some people. You might want to pack things that will wick away moisture. Layering is probably key. Anyway, just bring essentials, and you can probably buy (the rest) some very nice clothes in HK on sale for very good prices compared to home.

Things are more crowded in a lot of Asian Cities, especially places like HK. I don’t know how big your room is, but some of my friends had trouble adjusting to their much smaller lodging. And make sure whoever roommate they set you up with is tolerable. Looking for a place on your own in a foreign land is not a fun experience.

If you have never taught Chinese students, it can be a bit of a daunting experience. Kindergarten teachers usually face a lot of pressure from Chinese parents. That is one of the reason I stopped teaching young children.

Anyway, good luck and have fun. Keep us in touch.

These are just some basic advice based on my own personal experiences. I am sure they can help you as well if you ever decide to drop it all and go work in Hong Kong.

This is the original thread from OE: Linky!

What to see in Beijing? Beijing Part 2:

If you are a first time visitor to China, you are most likely to land in Beijing first. Beijing has been a capitol to China for roughly 700 years since Kublai Khan’s time, so as you can imagine, there are a lot of things to see here.

The question is, given the limited time that a visitor has, what exactly should he/she see in Beijing? For a quick geographical and historical reference, check my old thread Beijing, Part 1!

A few things before we get started :

1. I am going to assume that you are carrying a guide book of some kind when you get here. While I personally believe guide books can give people a false sense of security when travelling, they are still indispensable when it comes to listings, maps, transportation options, and simple phrases in the local language. Therefore, I won’t list the transportation details when I list the places worth your time.
2. I’ll repeat my mantra about this ancient and Byzantine city, stay by the subway. It’s VERY EASY to get LOST in Beijing. I can’t count the number of times that I have lost people whenever they think they know where they are going. Some old timers/taxi drivers will also uses archaic names/landmarks that no longer in use/exist to describe certain places, all the while completely ignoring/can not understand the modern address that you have in your guide book.
3. Most of the decent attractions can be reached by subways or are probably within the Second Ring Road.
   
4. I’ll only focus on the attraction in this post, so you will have to wait for the shopping or other guides later.

So what should you go see in a city that is a capital of an ancient country for 700 years? Everything else but the shining buildings. I am sure you have seen enough skyscrapers at home, and you aren’t interested in seeing more unless they are just too weird (there are plenty) and you must take a picture.

Here we go:

1. Jingshan Park (景山公园). Here is a little tip. Before you zipped off to the Great Wall or the Forbidden Palace, come here first to this little park. Why? Because this is the ONLY PLACE in Beijing to get a shot for the ENTIRE FORBIDDEN PALACE. Since you can’t build tall buildings inside the Second Ring Road, this is the tallest structure/man made Hill inside the moat. It’s a lesser known secret that a lot of people miss when they come here. You will probably never get more beautiful shots of Beijing than here. From this place, you can clearly see how well planned Beijing was and how structured it was. You can clearly see the Central Way that runs straight North to South splitting the city in half. On a sunny day, it’s a sight to behold. It’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in Beijing. And while you are on top of the hill, pray at the temple for your temporary intrusion, he is been there for a while to look after the place so you can have this view.
2. Beihai Park 北海公园 low through. TheAnother awesome place. There are a lot of places of interest in here, and to really see it all, it’s probably best to give it 4-5 hours. Most places of interest are already well described by various guide books. The Circular Wall (Tuancheng) is a actual left over structure from the Kublai Khan’s times. The entirely Jade statue of Budda is a sight to behold. You might be interested to know that this place showcases ancient Chinese drainage technology with the bricks forming an intricate layer of gaps to let water flow down. The Long Corridor is one of the longest running Chinese style corridors in the world. It’s quite a sight to behold on the opposite of the lake. You might also be interested to know that the “scene” you see across the lake or on the lake from this structure is landscaped/built with the idea of a Chinese calligraphy painting in mind, with the little pagodas and small building roofs peeking through the trees. You will probably find a lot of locals here, especially in Summer time. It’s a great place to take a date in Beijing. You might also find impromptu Chinese opera singing, or dancers around the 5 Dragon Pavilion.
   
3. Houhai/ QianHaii 后海, also 什刹海, also Lotus Market It’s right by the BeiHa park, so I might as well mention it. But it’s almost pointless for me to mention this place, because it’s the hippest part of town since Sanlitun got partially torn down. It’s still worth a walk through, just because of how unique it is. The Hutongs are here, if you walk out of the Lotus Lane’s gates and start to walk around in the neighbourhood, but it’s fairly gentrified and a bit touristy now. It’s up to you to decide on the tricycle or not. The naming of the place is a bit complicated. Qianhai is the connected to the lotus lane, which is what you will see if you enter through the lotus gate in the front by the Beihai park. Qianhai is connected to the more popular bar/pup/club hop joints in the back sea or Houhai through JinDing Qiao which is one of the oldest and shortest bridge in Beijing. Never, I repeat, never take a taxi THROUGH here. And if your host asks, NEVER drive the car through here or try to park here. This place is getting extremely commercialized, with the Starbucks at its head doing very brisk business. I don’t exactly recommend eating here or buying anything here if you are budget conscious. The food go from Not Bad, to Ok, to tourist crap. All the beer/drinks are ridiculously, extravagantly out priced. 40-50 RMB for a 3-5 RMB beer is not unheard of. However, if you have the time(it’s just a 5 minute walk), you should take a peek at Prince Gong’s Mansion/Gong WonFu. That’s just a nicer name for it. This place is better known as HeShen’s Mansion by the Chinese people. Who is HeShen? He is the most corrupt official in Chinese’s 5000 years of history. When he was executed much later by the son of the Emperor that brought him to power, and his estate confiscated, his total net worth was calculated to be worth 10 years of China’s GDP at the time! So it’s quite a sight. And now you know where that skimming culture comes from.
4. Drum & Bell Towers aka GuLou & ZhongLou It’s not a very popular place. But this is where old Beijing is at. When they talk about Hutongs with small alleyways and closed in family/communal court yards this is a good example. Walk around and check out old Beijing for a bit.
5. Tian Tan aka Temple of Heaven aka 天坛 I wanted to briefly mention this place. This is Beijing’s symbol, so it’s unlikely you will miss it. However, a lot of people miss the very interesting Imperial Kitchens exhibit and the Chinese musical instrument museum. Go take a gander.
6. The Imperial College This place was quite interesting for me, because it was hidden and out of the way, so it felt kinda like a secret discovery. This was where the best and brightest of Chinese student came to learn and the only “official” University in the entire country. The Emperor will come here and do a lecture when he feels like it. If you really want to get to know about Chinese culture and see how the Chinese was able to educate its people and build such wonderful things, it’s a interesting little place. It’s not very big or exciting though. My years of teaching probably resulted in my fonder image of this place.
7. Jie Tai Temple, or Jie Tan Temple (the temple of the altar) This is NOT a very well known place, and this place is still a real temple with real monks training and living here. It’s too bad that they are trying to ruin such a spiritual place with more tourism/tourist stuff and the intention to build condos on the huge but used to be tranquil grounds. I still recommend you to go see it. It is situated on Ma’an hillside of the Western Hills in Beijing 25 kilometers from Beijing. First built in the reign of the first emperor of the Sui Dynasty (581- 600) and named as Hui Ju Temple, it has a history of over 1,400 years. I recommend you take the whole day for this place. Try not to buy any incense or Buddhism stuff until you are inside the temple. You can get drinks anywhere though. There are a lot of things to see here. If you are the hiking type, take the road to the back mountains to the dragon pond where one of the area’s river originated. The Tower Forest (my translation) or the place where they place the tomb stones of the famous monks through out Northern Chinese history is quite a sight to behold. It’s a somber but beautiful place. The dignity and tranquillity is quite tingling to the bones for the spiritually inclined. If you are a Buddhist, you MUST Visit this place.

Whew, this post became longer as I go along. This is just scratching the surface though. You can spend a life time in Beijing and still find something new and interesting as long as it hasn’t been torn down and poured over with concrete. There are still a lot of places I haven’t been to but meaning to hit. I’ll update as I get more time to reminisce.

Good luck in your travels.

Taxis in China

Have you ever taken a taxi in North America? (Sorry, I don’t have taxi experience in Europe)

Ok, throw that out of the window now. It’s not that Chinese taxi drivers aren’t as good as their North American counter parts (which are quickly being replaced by Indians in Vancouver), it’s just that the system and the training is quite different.

Most of the taxi companies in China are run like a cartel or a mob organization. Somebody with Really good connections to the local transportation ministry get a extremely lucrative, monopolistic license, and a heavy financing with the (still partially government owned/controlled) Chinese banks to buy the cars. Pick up some decent drivers, a training center, a maintenance crew and etc, viola, you got a license to print cash.

Therefore, it’s suffice to say that “flavours” and the “quality” of the drivers you get are extremely varied. A lot of them also skim on the side, which is a time honoured Chinese traditions whenever the top management demands too much tribute.

Take Beijing for example, (last I checked) it is now illegal for a taxi driver to privately run a vehicle due to “quality” and “safety” concerns. So most taxi drivers time share their vehicle with another driver with the both of them chipping in the “rent” each month to the Taxi company for “maintenance” and “management” fees. They are also personally responsible for the gas. This will amount to 2-3000 RMB a month for him to run that vehicle nonstop. If he is good, know his routes, know where to hit for his customers, learned to escape the traffic, and then maybe he pulls in 5-7000 RMB a month. His take home after all the hub-bob will be from 2000 – 5000 RMB a month working 12 hours shifts 7 days a week.

Why do I bother with that little anecdote of background story on the life of a typical Beijing taxi driver? Because, if you are living/working here, meeting a good driver is a god send. That’s why I want you to be nice to him(very rarely her) if you find the elusive old school professionals. I have probably ridden enough taxis in China to ride from New York to Vancouver, so I have seen it all.

So what should you do if you are hailing a taxi in China? These are some basic rules:

1. If you don’t speak Chinese, it’s preferable to have someone else tell the driver where to go or have the address in Chinese on a piece of paper. When push comes to shove, get your cellphone ready to call a friend who knows the streets.
2. Even if you speak Chinese ( a bit or a lot), it’s still probably better for you to ask if the driver is willing to go where you want to go at that particular time. Another reason to ask is because of the fact that there are a lot of new drivers these days. (I.E.: I am finding an increasing number of down sized bus drivers. ) Most of them (new ones) don’t know where the F**k they are going. It’s very annoying to get in, clicked the meter, tell him where to go, watch him go for 1 – 2 blocks and THEN tell me he has no idea where the stinking place is. Make sure you check first.
3. A way (in Beijing, not 100% sure about other places, since I have always been too busy in other places to chat with the driver) to check if he is a veteran or not is to check his taxi driver license, which should be promptly displayed in a plastic casing in the front passenger seat. The lower the number he has, the more experience he has. Check to see if it is current and if the picture matched the guy driving. Some veterans rent out their cars (not entirely legal, but if he wants to be home to eat dinner with the wife and kids, I can’t blame him) to younger drivers for a more reliable income.
4. If you can read it/see it, there should be a car inspection seal glued to the windshield on the driver/sometimes passenger side for this year.
5. You should always ask him to use to meter. No matter how much he insists, don’t deter from your mission, and you can always threaten to leave the car or call the complaint hot line. Most of the time when I tell people this, they are thinking this is to prevent him cheating. Yes and no. These days, you can make an OK living at this (especially if you were a farmer or construction worker), so there is less incentive to cheat you. And the policing of such matter is getting much better, trust me when I say that Chinese riders don’t like to be cheated any more than you (the foreigner) do. Another reason is below:
6. Always ask for receipts. All Chinese taxi meters should print out a receipt when he flips the meter back up. Most of them will have a Chinese girl’s voice saying in Chinese or English something like “Thank you for your patronage, feel free to comment, blah, come again”. The receipt is very important when you file a complaint or when you “gasp” lose Sh*t on the taxi (EXTREMELY common). This will tell you the license plate, the company name, what time you got on and off, and the fare.
7. Never get on the fake taxis. It’s never worth the hassle. Trust me. All those guys at the airport trying sucker you in, “Taxi, car, sir?” Ignore them, and pretend you have a ride already.
8. Off the top of my head, a taxi ride from the Beijing Airport to any hotel in town(unless it’s in the extreme south) shouldn’t be any more than 60 – 120 RMB a ride. You also have to pay the required 10 RMB toll both. Any more than that, and it’s suspicious.
9. This is just a personal pet peeve. If you are here on business, and your contact didn’t pick you up at the airport, expecting you (especially if you don’t speak Chinese) to find your way to the whatever bizarre hotel the secretary has kick back with in god knows where? F**K them. This is a basic Chinese courtesy. If he/she can’t even be bothered to send a person to the airport to pick you up, it’s just not worth it to continue your relationship with them.

I wish you luck in your travels.

Warning: The dangers of China (Crime)

What can happen to you:

A Canadian Model was murdered in China not so long ago.

Please read that first, if the link is dead, read the following quote:

A trial began Monday in China for the 18-year-old Chinese man accused of murdering B.C. model Diana O’Brien in Shanghai in July.

China’s official Xinhua news agency reported that the hearing for the accused, Chen Jun, lasted about two hours.

“So far, no sentence has been issued,” the agency said.

The No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court of Shanghai described Chen as a native of nearby Anhui province, who earned a monthly wage of about 1,000 yuan — equivalent to about $180 Cdn — at a restaurant in Shanghai.

Prosecutors said he ran out of money after quitting his job.

Chen has confessed that he followed Obrien to her apartment in Shanghai on the night of July 6. O’Brien was said to have resisted when Chen asked for money, and the accused allegedly stabbed her to death, according to Xinhua.

Her body was found the next day in the building where she lived. O’Brien, 22, was from Saltspring Island, B.C. She entered China on June 24 and worked for Shanghai-based JH Model Agency, Xinhua said.

This is a warning to all those who want/are coming to this country to work/live. Be careful.

It’s impossible to just brush off the entire country or entire sections of this country as safe or unsafe. That’s a pointless and fruitless task. I used to think at least Major cities like Beijing and Shanghai would be relatively safe too. Don’t let your guard down. You are staying at a foreign country, where you may or may not know people or speak any of the local languages to be an effective communicator, so it “pays” to pay attention to what you are doing and your surroundings.

And don’t let down your guard just because you started to get used to the neighbourhood, speak a few words and know a few people. It’s easy to develop a false sense of security, so never treat it as if it’s like home unless you are from a rough neighbourhood or a big metropolitan cities with large gangs.

Same precaution should always apply:

1. Lock your doors and windows. If you need ventilation, go find a higher floor or find a place with AC.
2. Keep back up copies of all your important documents, passports, licenses, etc.
3. Pay attention to your wallet or purse.
4. Money belt is one solution, but if you are staying long term, it could get very uncomfortable.
5. If you must wear pants with those sliding/side opened pockets, don’t put anything important in them.
6. If you have a cellphone, PAY ATTENTION TO IT!!!
7. Always, Always make sure you got EVERYTHING before you leave an area or vehicle.
8. Cameras and necklaces’ straps/chains should be reinforced, if it can be cut, it’s gone.
9. This is for the ladies, if you really want to go out late at night, bring a male or 2 female friends. Bus/Subway is probably better than taxi, but taxi is better than walking home or getting into a stranger’s car.
10. If possible, get a roommate from your home country or someone who understands English well and can be count on to bail you out.

These are just some of the simple everyday motherings (like it’s getting cold, wear a jacket thing) that you should keep in mind.

Have fun, but keep safe, please. One tragedy is quite enough.

More books for you to learn more about China:

The Last Days of Old Beijing

Good book, and I haven’t finished all of it yet. I’ll write a review and post it on LibraryThing later.

A bit of description from Amazon:

A fascinating, intimate portrait of Beijing through the lens of its oldest neighborhood, facing destruction as the city, and China, relentlessly modernizes.

Soon we will be able to say about old Beijing that what emperors, warlords, Japanese invaders, and Communist planners couldn’t eradicate, the market economy has. Nobody has been more aware of this than Michael Meyer. A long-time resident, Meyer has, for the past two years, lived as no other Westerner—in a shared courtyard home in Beijing’s oldest neighborhood, Dazhalan, on one of its famed hutong (lanes). There he volunteers to teach English at the local grade school and immerses himself in the community, recording with affection the life stories of the Widow, who shares his courtyard; coteacher Miss Zhu and student Little Liu; and the migrants Recycler Wang and Soldier Liu; among the many others who, despite great differences in age and profession, make up the fabric of this unique neighborhood.

All the Tea in China

A decent business book, similar to one of my all time favourite Chinese memoirs Mr. China. It’s not a memorable as Mr. China, and the writings are much drier and less consistent. It’s a specific focus on the manufacturing industry and a story on the great US outsourcing machine. He does give excellent advice on when NOT to outsource to China, which should be heeded by all.

And before I forget, I’ll post my review for

Mr. China:

Now, this is how a memoir should be written, especially on a subject like China. He was charmed by the mystery of China, and moved there on a whim and a prayer. (Actually I felt that his Madam Butterfly reference is fairly correct, because that’s almost how China is. )

He moved to Beijing around 1988/89, and tried to learn Mandarin in a Chinese University. He ate cabbage Beijing style, and watched the slow transition of a country’s rise from communist country to that of a quasi captialist one. As Clissold has said in the book, the Chinese are captialists in heart.

In less than 20 years, China has risen from a super poor country to a quasi economical super power. The burning passion from every Chinese to escape poverty, crime, governmental control, and their attempts at building a brighter future for themselves are all presentd here in this book.

This isn’t a sucess story. In fact, this is a story about failures, but the more he “failed”, the more he learned about China in a more fundamental way. The last chapter is especially touching. He decided to travel 1000 kms on his bike through some of the poorest regions of Northern China. And how he felt when he went to Pudon in Shanghai. In his own words, “I felt like I’ve been inside for too long, and when I came out, the sunlight was blinding me.”

His parting wisdom is important to all that players effecting China – China will be China, and it will do things on its own pace, in its own way. You can’t hope that China will change on your behalf, because it won’t. All those people that said that China will eventually see light of reason and play the way everyone plays, well.., read this book.

HIGHLY recommend it!

Smoking in China

Smokers, rejoice, you can smoke just about “everywhere” in China, with the exception of a few public spaces, malls, museums, parks, foreign owned stores/chains, historically sensitive areas, etc.

For those that smoke:

Don’t be an Arse. There are millions of places you can smoke, so don’t pretend you can’t read/understand Chinese ( I think the anti-smoking logo is quite easy to recognize ) and just lights it up anywhere you please. If you are one of those guys that I saw lighting up in the middle of the Starbucks in the Oriental Plaza, I’ll do just what I did, embarrass the heck out of you by asking the waitress to bring a cup of water and dunk your cigs into it. If you are that guy? Be glad that I only yelled at the top of my lungs that you can’t smoke in here. And I didn’t ask her to splash the water on you. Foreigners like you make us expats look bad.

For those that don’t smoke:

I am afraid that you are a bit out of luck. You probably have to stick to the foreign owned places or places catering to foreigners to escape from the smog. Starbucks, Macdonalds, and KFC are probably the only easy to find sanctuaries in China at the moment. You can always duck into a mall if it gets really bad. Clubbers be ware – most clubs/bars/pubs in China allow smoking. Most 4 stars + Chinese owned hotels have nonsmoking floors. As for the budget conscious motels and hostels, you throw the dice and pray that one of the staff speaks English.

Be Warned: Complaining loudly (about smoking) in English in Chinese restaurants (most common) or any other Chinese owned places that don’t cater to the foreigners/tourists is pointless if not foolhardy. You have to understand, their mainstream clientèle is the Chinese public, and since a lot of Chinese people smoke, that’s not going to change any time soon. Whining about it won’t do you any good, just leave and find another place to eat.

Earth Quake Warning from China:

As some of you might have heard, there was a huge earth quake in China just a few days ago. This was posted by the Canadian in China website:

To the Canadian Global Community,

We urge all Canadians to keep out of the Sichuan area if you are planning to travel to the region (Canadian Consular information below). Keep your prayers and thoughts for the thousands still trapped or missing, while the death toll is up to 12000 and rising, only 58 people have been rescued, hampered by bad weather and challenges in getting equipment to the epicentre. The article below by CTV will give you a closer description of the disaster relief efforts for the quake stricken area. Check out the link for the comments made online, some will warm your heart while some will leave you cold. And those with good broadband in your region, check the latest video coverage here:
http://watch.ctv.ca/news/latest/earthquake-in-china/#clip52679

Some Canadian students from BC were caught in the quake but are well. For Canadians in Beijing & Sichuan, please note to register with Voyage Canada. If you are in a region affected by the earthquake, please send the Beijing Consular an email(beijing.consular@international.gc.ca) indicating your registration number and current status. The Travel Report for China is periodically updated to include Travel Advisories for the regions in China. An “avoid non-essential travel” warning for Sichuan Province is currently in place. (For those that are unable to send emails due to downed communication lines but have a mobile phone, the Canadian Consulate in Chongqing phone number is 23-6373-8007.)

Two organizations are coordinating donations. Individuals wishing to contribute may contact:

China Charity Federation (an official donation-receiving organization under the MCA)
Bank: Operation Dept. of the Bank of China Headquarters
Bank address: No.1 Fuxingmennei Dajie, Beijing
Account No: 00100914908091014
Account Name: China Charity Federation
Contact number: +011 (8610) 6608-3191, 6608-3260, 6605-5848; Fax +011 (8610) 6608-3264

China Red Cross (under the supervision of the MCA)
Bank: Jiuxianqiao branch, CITIC Bank
Foreign Account No: 7112111482600000209
Account Name: China Red Cross
Contact number: +011 (8610) 6513-9999, 6402-7620

If you are interested in coming into China, you might want to wait a few days to a few weeks depending on your urgency. Please don’t go to the Sichuan area at all.