under construction...

As a fellow female, and lover of all things girly and fabulous, I feel it is my duty to advise you on all the tricks of the trade, and needed purchases to survive your time in BJ. As a perminant fixture of Wudaokou for the past three years, I’ve got all the little secret spots to buy the best goodies, and a consistant list of products and nessecetites that must be shipped from home. So before you pack your bags here are some helpful hints and what to buy, bring and be prepared for.

First I want to set one huge misconception about china straight. Many girls, including myself, think "Hmmm, Chinese girls are all so tiny, so for sure I’ll go there, eat veggie’s and rice and be a hot little skinny number!" Um, not even close. I’d to say 85% of my foreign female friends here pack on more than a few pounds over the months. Chinese food is cooked in tons of oil, and as you share dishes at the table, your perception of portion control is totally out of whack. Plus you eat out, both Chinese and western, far more than at home, as it’s cheap, easy, and cooking at home is a lot more challenging.

And then there’s the alcohol consumption (see fake alcohol write up), trust me, it’ll go up! So basically I’m writing this just so you can take the right steps from day one. Watch what you eat, and get in your exercise. I love Beijing, but if you’re feeling crummy about your body, sluggish from no exercise and constantly hung over then the couch, DVD”s and junk food will slowly take over your normally active and healthy life style.

Stay tuned for an update on staying healthy; including local gyms, where to buy vitamins, meal replacements, Herbal Life products, and how to get personalized nutritional advice and meal plans formatted for life in Beijing.

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Ok, so, you’re all thinking...

No worries here my friends, the shopping is pretty fabulous. Although it’s not presented beautifully, with a rack of all your sizes, and a friendly shop assistant to escort you to the fitting room, the cloths are great. (never mind cheap!!!!) China rips of lots of brands, including BEBE, Gap, Max Mara, Abercrombie & Fitch, Armani, Sevens, Diesel, the list goes on. Who’s knows if their fake or real, but if you can’t tell the dif, who cares. Bags and purses are to die for, and enough cheap accessories to go crazy over. Only advice is if you are a size 9 shoe (40) then bring some good winter boots. Summer shoes are no problem, but finding your size in the boots you want can be a bit difficult. If you're coming in winter, buy all your scarves, gloves, hats here, and you’ll have no problem getting a cheap winter coat.

However, you should throw in your basic black or white tees, and your favorite hoodies as it's often just the basics that are tricky to find. The Wudaokou Clothing Market is great (no more than 15mins drive from Peking & Qinghua University, and only 10mins from BLCU), as is Nali in Sanlitun

But unless you love the 80's Madonna look, bring new bras; Chinese bras tend to be small and do the pointy cone shape thing.

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THE STYLE

Shampoo and conditioner are definitely no problem, as are all the basics, ie: generic hairspray, gel, mouse etc., but if you're very attached to your fancy salon product, then definitely bring a few jars. Bed Head, and other professional hair products can be found downtown but they’re pricey and not available in the WU.

Also bring a good selection of quality (I suggest GOODY) hair bands, the ones here break far too easy.

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Here’s a brief list of other products that you might want to stock up on:

• Chapstick (quality here poor, and dry and windy winters)
  
• Self Tanner (You’ll be Casper the Ghost in the winter and if you’re used to going to tanning beds, a little rub on glow will perk you right up!)
  
• Bronzing powder (basically Chinese woman want to be white so any make-up product you use to looked bronzed bring with.)
  
• They have Cover girl, Maybeline, all the basics, so not prob with eyeliner, mascara, shadows and all the basics.
  
• Deodorant (mostly they just have roll on that is not that effective)
  
• Tampons (OB no problem, but if you’re an applicator girl, they’re a little pricey and hard to find)
  
• Condoms and the birth control pill is freely available but if you have a favorite brand of rubbers (Durex in every shape/color/flavor but no Trojans) or a specific hormone level for the pill then stock up to keep the fun in the sack worry free.
  
• Tylenol or aspirin to handle all the hangovers you’re gonna get!)

Don’t worry about:

• Contacts and cleaning solution are both a fraction of the price than they are at home and the same brand and quality. You can get them over the counter with nothing more than your old prescription (even the box cover of your old disposables will do)
  
  Rich says: "I once just told them my prescription and walked out with a six pack of Acuvues in under 10 minutes. And if you wear glasses and, I don't know, get drunk and fall over like I... I mean a friend of mine did, you can get decent frames super cheap (2-3 bucks US), and the Optical Store can pull your old prescription off your old glasses and do you new lenses for around $40 bucks.

Other stuff:

• Bring photos of friends and family to put up in the flat (I always like the little reminders of home)
  
• Reading material. English Magazines are close to non-existent, and novels usually require a trip across town and a chunk of change you’ll probably want to spend elsewhere. And bring books that give you escape.

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Okay, for a gadget freak like me one of the best things about living in China is that you've come from the place where things are bought, to the place where things are made. And in Beijing, by going to the right place you can easily cut out 4 or 5 of the middle men between the 14 year old on the factory floor to the 17 year old at Circuit City.

MOBILE (OR CELL) PHONES

Nokia, Sony Eriksson, LG, you name it, you are now in the land of the Mobile Phone. Your cab driver's got one, the waitress's got one, hell, her daughter's probably got one, the girl you're checking out at the bar's probably got two.

Depending on your program, you might even receive one on arrival from your course liaison.  But if you get sick of a phone that looks like you can keep bubble gum inside it, then you can upgrade almost anywhere.

Cheap Nokias go for 400rmb+, and the sky's the limit for the top-line models. And you may find Asian regions get a lot more models than back home.

You can pick up a SIM card for 60rmb, recharge cards come in 50/100/500rmb denominations, but the cool colored case and those little dangly things that hang off the end come separately.

Call rates are: 0.6 rmb per minute (both calling and receiving, which sucks) but text messages (SMS) are 0.15 rmb. If you don't text much back home, then prepare to give your thumbs a workout. Congratulations! It's a cheap Blackberry! And as ubiquitous in China as rice.

China's on the dual-band system so if you have a mobile from home, (and home is home is Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand or some parts of South America) then bring it on down, pick up a SIM card, charge it up and you're good to go. If you're American (or Canadian) though, you only have one option: write your Congressman and lobby to change your country's cell phone network to the one that most of the rest of the world uses.

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INTERNET

The common or garden Internet cafe proliferates predominately in place frequented by students, with which they hold a symbiotic relationship. One has computers with a broadband internet connection and MSN/Yahoo Messenger and the other is a parasite that uses it to play Counterstrike until 5 in the morning.

But if you don't mind that you can use them to email or voice chat. Pay by the hour, very cheap rates (5-10rmb/hour).

The wireless revolution is slowly but surely taking place in Beijing. Places like Starbucks, SPR Coffee, as well as some cafes (including LUSH) offer the service for free at various rates of effectiveness.

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HARDWARE

The best PC gear place in town is just south of Peking University. You can get absolutely anything that has lights or plug super cheap. For example:

CD/DVD drives go from 160rmb for a straight CD Burner, to around 300rmb for a CD/DVD Combo drive, to 600rmb+ for DVD burners. Lots of different brands, but Sony and LG predominate.

USB Flash drives - so handy! Come in 256MB/512MB/1GB flavors, and go for around 150rmb.

SOFTWARE

I shouldn't really tell you this, but software is unbelievably cheap here. Get this: you pay per disc, they burn it before your eyes, while you wait. Anything from Windows Apps, Adobe Design software, Flash, CAD, Maya, Lightwave, and games games games! Sure, sometimes they're in Chinese, sometimes they're missing fonts, templates etc. but if you want to try before you buy, then there you go.

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MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

If you're a musician, serious or not, and you're wondering whether or not to bring your axe, then go ahead and bring it. Even if you don't end up having time to rock out, I guarantee someone else on your course will. And if your experience is anything like mine, be way, way better than you on it.

Just playing on a campus park bench will net you a crowd almost instantaneously, and if you're after a more lively crowd, then Lush's OPEN MIC NIGHT may become your new home.

If you're wary of sticking your beloved Taylor in a soft case and sending 1000 miles over the ocean, then don't worry! Beijing is the home of China's live music scene, and the main music instrument district is handily located in the north-west part of the city, about half an hour from the WU.

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FAST FOOD

So you don't like Chinese food? Well obviously the first thing to do is to take your ticket back to the agent and, I don't know, go get another two stamps on your Wendy's Burger card.

But, if you feel yourself getting sick of rice and rice with a serving of mifan (rice), then Team America is here to save the day, yeah.

McDonalds, one and a quarter billion served, baby, is the biggest franchise in China. Throw a rock in any direction and you stand a very good chance of braining ol' Ronnie but good. Interesting note: Ronald McDonald is known as maidanglao shushu in Chinese, which basically translates as Uncle McDonald. Which, even if you've never had a weird uncle is still pretty creepy.

Perpetually number 2, world-wide, is KFC, serving generous helpings of fried chicken conveniently housed in buckets. I have no idea what Colonel Sanders is called in Chinese but look out for Chinese breakfast food chain the face of which bears an uncanny resemblance to the Colonel.

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GENERAL HOSPITAL

Paging Dr House...

If you have been watching too much Fox News lately, you may need to unpack your face mask. While it's true that Beijing may not be the cleanest city in the world (barring a couple of inevitable days praying to the porcelain gods), generally you are going to be alright. In the rare case that something serious does happen however, there are plenty of places to get a little TLC.

Unless you feel like practicing your Chinese in a hospital room, a Western, English speaking hospital will probably be your best bet. Even if you think you are invincible, my advice would be to take recommendations from friends soon after arrival about which hospitals are best. When you find one that suits your needs and budget, write it down and try to remember where it is. This will save you from trying to remember the Chinese word for ‘sterile’ when they bring out the big guns. Be prepared though. If you don’t have health insurance, you have to pay out of pocket. So, save a little dough for a rainy day.

Going to a Chinese pharmacy can be a guessing game you might not feel like playing when you feel like death. So, bring the meds you are used to from home. For me, some pink stomach stuff, some anti-‘sit on the pot all day’ meds, some hangover cures and some cold and flu meds have gotten me out of bed on more than one occasion. Getting a couple of shots before you go can’t hurt either.

If the problem is not so much physical but more like you have seen one to many people spit on the street and you just can’t take it anymore; there is no better city for cheap R&R. The 35RMB, 80 minute foot massage usually does the trick for me. You could also try a spa for a full out treat (if I can afford it, you can too. Trust me) or just get out of Dodge for a quick weekend trip. Whatever method you choose, keeping yourself sane might actually help you stay away from the hospital you wrote down earlier. You did write one down didn’t you? Good.

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GETTING AROUND

You want taxi pretty lady?

I have to admit that I shed a little tear when I parked my car in my Moms’ driveway for an unforeseen amount of time. My Honda, however, has since found a new home and I am loving the public transport. If you make it out of the airport without getting ripped off, you have passed your first Beijing Transportation Test. Here’s your cheat sheet:

• Avoid the line of hecklers that greet you at the gate with ‘Taxi pretty lady?’ Obvious right?
  
• Look for the line of yellow cabs (optional: pick the driver with the most teeth)
  
• Show him the address you printed out, in Chinese characters, before you left. Extra points for actually knowing how to pronounce it.
  
• If you are coming to the Wu it shouldn’t cost you more than 100RMB.

After being here for a little while, you get the hang of the different areas and it becomes fairly easy to get around. Taxis are WAY cheaper than back home but the traffic can really put your patience to the test. The subway is a good bet to get you across town. It is cheap, relatively easy and will at least put you in the right neighborhood. The bus is a challenge if you can’t read the destinations but it is certainly the cheapest option if you feel like being brave.

For the true Beijing experience buy a bike and pump your ass to class on time. Invest in a good lock though or you might find yourself the victim of the infamous ‘Beijing Bike Bandits’.

If you are venturing outside the Fifth ring road, trains can be easily and cheaply booked. They go to most of the major destination cities (including Tibet now for those willing to be on a train for 48 hours) and you can choose from different classes and prices. Now if only they could master the telelporter so I could get my hands on some Taco Bell. Mmmmm... yo quiero mucho...

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