Planetarion Forums

Dace · 30 Nov 2004, 02:05

anything about China (main city ... Bejing/Shanghi etc)?

Cost of living etc.

It's just incase i plan on living there for a bit i wanna know how much it would cost.

Personally i reckon it would be cheap but i'm looking to see if anyone has any personal knowledge of the situ.

Inform away ...

Marilyn Manson · 30 Nov 2004, 02:11

There are over a billion people living in China.

I don't know whether they have a single person who is a grinning, rather manic looking Scotsman, though, as of yet.

I'm sure they'll welcome you as a fabulous new addition to their society.

Marilyn Manson · 30 Nov 2004, 02:14

btw, I would have thought that our first port of call here would be regarding the attitude to paedophilia in China.

mist · 30 Nov 2004, 02:15

i'm told life is cheap in china. not sure if that means living is cheap, or expensive

*shrugs*

-mist

Dace · 30 Nov 2004, 02:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marilyn Manson

I don't know whether they have a single person who is a grinning, rather manic looking Scotsman, though, as of yet.

i dont look manic do i?

Kurashima · 30 Nov 2004, 02:16

I have this feeling Dace is looking for countries to hide out in as the Authorities have located him again.

Marilyn Manson · 30 Nov 2004, 02:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dace

i dont look manic do i?

My impression was that you were in a state of almost constant preperation to do something immoral.

Dace · 30 Nov 2004, 02:20

nah kura.

I am currently trying to write my UCAS personal statement.

I want to give myself an "edge" and so have said that im learning chinese (which i am) which i think will be an important language to know what with the future financial expansion and banking reforms the country has to undergo in the near future (which would be good as im intending on going into finance etc).

I was thinking of staying with the passport office part time once i start uni and seeing if i could get a transfer to a Chinese embassy for a summer (2006) the idea being that it would improve my Chinese (which i plan on studying further in study group type format ... nothing formal ... when i go to uni).

Anyways just trying to get some background info etc.

Mock away if you feel you must *shrug*

Marilyn Manson · 30 Nov 2004, 02:23

You've never struck me as a man with a particular love of the orient before now.

I'm quite surprised.

Dace · 30 Nov 2004, 02:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marilyn Manson

You've never struck me as a man with a particular love of the orient before now.

I'm quite surprised.

but i'm "SO F*CKING ZEN" etc etc etc

Marilyn Manson · 30 Nov 2004, 02:31

Who's Zen?

Dace · 30 Nov 2004, 02:38

one of stimpy's friends

Marilyn Manson · 30 Nov 2004, 02:41

Wasn't Zen a character on Streets of Rage 3?

Sunday8pm · 30 Nov 2004, 02:44

Let me get this, you believe learning chinese will give you an edge?

You do know right there are as many people in this world that are fluent in both chinese languages AND english just as there are people fluent in French and English.

If you want an edge I highly reccomend Korean/Arabic/Portuguese(brazillian), the only thing you'll be able to do with chinese that you weren't taught from a fluent speaker from birth with, is go over there and teach english for 2-3 years.

China is cheap but the living standards are abysmally poor, I hear refuse and garbage are big problems, if you are insistent on moving there, Beijing and Hong Kong are my advice, both are most likely to be the most civilized.

Dace · 30 Nov 2004, 02:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunday8pm

You do know right there are as many people in this world that are fluent in both chinese languages AND english just as there are people fluent in French and English.

That is a wank statistic.

Sunday8pm · 30 Nov 2004, 02:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dace

That is a wank statistic.

Seriously, given how long hong kong has been set up and the long standing relations of the UK in China, there is no competitive edge to learning the chinese languages, yes it will look nice, yes you'll avoid insulting anyone and yes in extreme circumstances in very specific area's of employment it might be useful.

But not as much as the other languages I've mentioned, about half the population of non french Canada is fluent in another language on top of English, it's quite scary, Apparrently the west coast of America has that whole thing going for it too... there are two different chinese languages, cantonese and mandarin, which one are you learning? regardless you won't have a competitive edge unless you are fluent in both.

I really wouldn't bother with 'popular' foreign languages like French/Italian/Japanese/Chinese unless your competitive aspirations are no greater than 'english teacher in a foreign country'.

Dutch/Portuguese(brazillian)/Arabic/Korean is where it is at if you want a language that stands out on any CV for a competitive edge.

Dace · 30 Nov 2004, 02:58

Paul i think you're wrong.

Dace · 30 Nov 2004, 02:59

Google was my friend

It appears that it's rather expensive to live there.

Ho hum i'd prolly get subsistence bonus or something anyways *shrug*

Sunday8pm · 30 Nov 2004, 03:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dace

Paul i think you're wrong.

You think that, but also bare in mind I have a girlfriend who has been looking for a long time and contacting programs based around teaching english in other countries, most notably in asia.

Dace · 30 Nov 2004, 03:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunday8pm

You think that, but also bare in mind I have a girlfriend who has been looking for a long time and contacting programs based around teaching english in other countries, most notably in asia.

Was asia the furtherst place away from you she could think of?

Dace · 30 Nov 2004, 03:06

Anyways the statistic that i'm interested in is:

"How many British/American financial advisors can speak fluent mandarin?"

I'm guessing "not many" and as such i think learning the language would give me a big edge *shrug*

pablissimo · 30 Nov 2004, 03:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunday8pm

You think that, but also bare in mind I have a girlfriend who has been looking for a long time and contacting programs based around teaching english in other countries, most notably in asia.

Have you ever spoken to your average foreign student? It's like Allo Allo in Korean every time I try.

Weeks · 30 Nov 2004, 03:10

Does your new found love for China have paedophilic origins? Or are we just going for the fact China may well be a superpower soon? Or something else?

Dace · 30 Nov 2004, 03:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weeks

we just going for the fact China may* well be a superpower soon

*will be

mist · 30 Nov 2004, 03:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunday8pm

Dutch/Portuguese(brazillian)/Arabic/Korean is where it is at if you want a language that stands out on any CV for a competitive edge.

i'm not quite sure how dutch will be that useful, when even the dutch have been making moves to give it up...

i can see arabic/korean as being useful tho. the latter at least allows you to swear back at them when they invade your mmpog server

-mist

Marilyn Manson · 30 Nov 2004, 03:17

If Dace was a proper paedo, he'd be heading for Thailand rather than China.

It's a disgrace.

Weeks · 30 Nov 2004, 03:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dace

*will be

Not if the environment ****s them first.

Marilyn Manson · 30 Nov 2004, 03:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weeks

Not if the environment ****s them first.

When Jesus attacks.

Weeks · 30 Nov 2004, 03:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marilyn Manson

When Jesus attacks.

Too much coffee honey?

pig · 30 Nov 2004, 03:48

my father worked in china for about 6 months, he said it was dirt cheap apart from western stuff eg cars, clothers etc (talking about american and european goods etc) however other stuff like electronics was dirt cheap. However one weird thing was him going to China made him go from a 2 cigarette a day man to a 20 day man, you read into that how you like it. He enjoyed his time there, but got a bit lonely and the language barrier was difficult, this is a guy who can speak english, german, french, spanish, dutch, greek and russian fluently, however he had lessons and slowly but surely was working his way into the language

Sunday8pm · 30 Nov 2004, 04:35

Do you know how many nth generation chinese/japanese/french/italian live in dominant english speaking countries?

Compare that to the population base of nth generation brazillian/dutch/korean/arabic speaking live in dominant english countries countries and you'll see that there is a massive difference.

Sunday8pm · 30 Nov 2004, 04:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by mist

i'm not quite sure how dutch will be that useful, when even the dutch have been making moves to give it up...

i can see arabic/korean as being useful tho. the latter at least allows you to swear back at them when they invade your mmpog server

-mist

Brazil is a forthcoming superpower, in fact them and china are supporting the US massive budget deficit.

The difference between the two countries though is that Brazillians aren't everywhere across dominant english speaking countries.

mist · 30 Nov 2004, 04:41

my geographie's a little crap, but i didn't think brazil was *that* big. a significant power, fair enough, but i'd have thought a superpower was overstating things a little.

that said, just because there are a lot of people who can speak english/chinese doesn't mean that it's not a useful thing to know. there are a hell of a lot more people who don't speak both

-mist

Veil05 · 30 Nov 2004, 04:48

dont brazil speak portuguese anyway?

mist · 30 Nov 2004, 05:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Veil05

dont brazil speak portuguese anyway?

ish, i believe

-mist

Boogster · 30 Nov 2004, 06:17

Is the South American economy anywhere near stable enough for Brazil to be called a superpower?
Argentina thinks not.

Veil05 · 30 Nov 2004, 06:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunday8pm

Brazil is a forthcoming superpower, in fact them and china are supporting the US massive budget deficit.

Brazil are actually one of the first countries to invest alot into nuclear power. so much so the US are wanting to search there plants incase they are making nuclear weapons. (by this they mean there going to take all there research and steal it). so brazil lookin hot atm

Radical Edward · 30 Nov 2004, 08:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dace

Google was my friend

It appears that it's rather expensive to live there.

Ho hum i'd prolly get subsistence bonus or something anyways *shrug*

I would be a bit careful as to how they calculate that value. It is probably calculated against the national or local average wage, which is very low indeed in China. If however you go there and are working for the British Embassy or somesuch, then odds are you will be earning a standard British wage, which is very high in China.

When I was in beijing last year visiting my parents in law, food and drink was very cheap. you'd have a big chinese meal for four or five people (the style of eatingg is different so it is not easily comparable) , several dishes - peking duck, meats, vegtables, spicy chicken feet, a huge fresh fish from the tank, killed and cooked to order, drinks for everyone, for about ten quid. oh, and then there would be leftovers to take home and eat later. Touristy stuff I guess is a bit above average prices, but still cheap. You won't d as well as the locals in terms of deals. Haggling is big in china, and if you are Chinese you can probably haggle them down to 25% of the original price, but foreigners can probably only haggle down to about 80%. I think a day in the forbidden palace was about 3 quid or something, though admittedly you have to pay extra to get into some of the exhibits, and one of my wife's old teachers gave us a free tour so that saved us a bit too. As mentioned before, Imports will be expensive (I saw some disgusting german biscuits in a shop for about three times the price you can buy them in Germany) but if you want clothes, DVDs or whatever, you can just get fakes anyway. heh.
This is all rough though, I can get more accurate figures if you like. not too sure about accomodation I'm afraid, but you can probably get a better idea if you make preliminary enquiries through the embassy.

JonnyBGood · 30 Nov 2004, 08:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunday8pm

Brazil is a forthcoming superpower, in fact them and china are supporting the US massive budget deficit.

Please stop talking through your arse sunday.

Radical Edward · 30 Nov 2004, 08:15

heh, Japan owns America.

Radical Edward · 30 Nov 2004, 08:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonnyBGood

Please stop talking through your arse sunday.

but then he'd have nothing to talk through!!

roadrunner_0 · 30 Nov 2004, 10:56

my mate spent 2 months there last year and all told he spent something silly like £200 pounds, he is planning on going back next year as he loved it. (that was bejing)
he also visited singapore and hong kong, both of which were a lot more expensive but a lot cleaner etc

EDIT: ps dace if you want i can ask him if i can give you his e mail if you want some first hand accounts)

Demon Dave · 30 Nov 2004, 11:00

woah Dace, that's crazy :eek: i'm doing the exact same thing but with Japanese instead of chinese

KoeN · 30 Nov 2004, 11:26

emigrating to china is my plan B.
or C.

Ste · 30 Nov 2004, 11:33

I have a friend who's teaching English over there at the moment. I think she's about half way through a years placement.
It's a TEFL thing by the way.

She's in the west I think which is quite poor. The pics I've seen so far are amazing though!

wu_trax · 30 Nov 2004, 12:41

i also heared things are still very cheap over there. id try to go to shanghai, its supposed to be the most wealthy, developed, western city they have.
dont let sunday talk you out of this. china will become the most important country in the world in the next 10-20 years so it can only be usefull if you learn the language.
Brazil is the most important economy in south america, but thats about it. but i think its more a source of raw materials that a real economical / political superpower (but chinese could be usefull there aswell, the chinese invest LOTS of money there.)

Radical Edward · 30 Nov 2004, 12:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demon Dave

woah Dace, that's crazy :eek: i'm doing the exact same thing but with Japanese instead of chinese

Japan is crazy expensive though. a pint of beer, most of which is head, is baout 5 quid. If you go to Japan, drink spirits, because they tax alcoholic drinks by volume, meaning the alcohol you get in a shot is proportionally far cheaper than from beer.