Living in China

[Eaglestar]

just be careful out there my friends.

updated 11/30/2011 6:51:49 pm et

beijing — the number of new hiv / aids cases in china is soaring, state media said on wednesday, citing health officials, with rates of infections among college students and older men rising.

the chinese center for disease control and prevention issued figures showing 48, 000 new cases in china in 2011, the official xinhua news agency said.

nearly 82 percent of those new cases were transmitted through sexual intercourse, xinhua said, up from 11. 6 percent between 1985 and 2005.

"the distribution of hiv / aids cases in our country is now wider and more rep001tered than ever, posing great difficulties for prevention and control efforts," wu zunyou, the director of the center, said according to xinhua.

the center said the number of hiv positive men 60 and above soared from 483 in 2005 to 3, 031 in 2010, or 8. 9 percent of the total hiv cases in the country.

that same age group accounted for 2, 546 of all aids cases, or 11 percent. infections among male college students between the ages of 20 and 24 has also risen, it said.

the number of officially registered hiv carriers and aids patients in china is expected to jump from 346, 000 to 780, 000 by the end of 2011 after the data is updated, xinhua said.

china's government was initially slow to acknowledge the problem of hiv / aids in the 1990s and had sought to cover it up when hundreds of thousands of impoverished farmers in rural henan province became infected through botched blood-selling schemes.

beijing has since stepped up the fight, spending more on prevention programs, launching schemes to give universal access to anti-retroviral drugs to contain the disease, and introducing policies to curb discrimination.

but in a country where taboos surrounding sex remain strong and discussion of the topic is largely limited, people with hiv / aids say they are often stigmatized.

[ShangHangin]

Thanks for your reply Fritobugger. Do tell me if I'm wrong, if I interpret your reply correctly, you also would recommend me to relocate to Hong Kong?

After rereading the my original post myself, I'd should narrow down my choices between HK and SH. Since Shenzhen is only a stone throw away from Hong Kong. Having a lot of relatives from my mothers side of family living in Shenzhen I'd thought it might be nice to settle there, but I also have heard Shenzhen is not as safe as other cities.

Pokerstar,

I have lived in both. I like SH better because it is a bit edgier than HK. Other consideration it somewhat depends on age of your kids. As Fritobugger mentioned top international schools in SH are expensive. $20-25k / kid. You housing $ goes farther in SH for more space. HK apartments are very small. All depends on your package, where you will be traveling. Crossing the HK / SZ border daily sucks, etc.

I think you mentioned your kids were young, so in HK, you should consider living in Discovery Bay. Nice environment, easy access to central, good preschool named DMK. Social life in the DB plaza is good fun.

Good luck.

SH

[Fritobugger]

Thanks for your reply Fritobugger. Do tell me if I'm wrong, if I interpret your reply correctly, you also would recommend me to relocate to Hong Kong?

After rereading the my original post myself, I'd should narrow down my choices between HK and SH. Since Shenzhen is only a stone throw away from Hong Kong. Having a lot of relatives from my mothers side of family living in Shenzhen I'd thought it might be nice to settle there, but I also have heard Shenzhen is not as safe as other cities.

Either is fine really. Which is better for your work? Does your work pay for everything (driver, apartment, utilities, insurance, school, etc) , if yes then HK because it is more expensive.

[Pokerstar77]

Hong Kong has best of medical and schools but is very expensive in all aspects of living.

Shanghai has schools of comparable quality and cost if you select from the top tier (SAS, Concordia, Dulwich). Medical is good but somewhat limited in scope at the expat clinics / hospitals and is expensive like HK but not so good at the local Chinese hospital level.

Shenzhen would not be desirable for me with a family. More dangerous, more crime, more polution, mediocre schools, etc.

Thanks for your reply Fritobugger. Do tell me if I'm wrong, if I interpret your reply correctly, you also would recommend me to relocate to Hong Kong?

After rereading the my original post myself, I'd should narrow down my choices between HK and SH. Since Shenzhen is only a stone throw away from Hong Kong. Having a lot of relatives from my mothers side of family living in Shenzhen I'd thought it might be nice to settle there, but I also have heard Shenzhen is not as safe as other cities.

[Pokerstar77]

Medical: Hong kong by far, insurance will let you go to private hospitals, where you will receive world class service. For out of this world prices. But with the right insurance, not an issue.

There is a reason there is an expensive ambulance in shenzhen that takes you across the border to a HK hospital.

Schooling: Hong Kong, hands down without a doubt or even more than a second to think about it. Shenzhen has some decent Montessori and International Kindergartens, but they are second rate or even third rate compared to any decent european school. I have met some expats who send their kids to school here in Shenzhen, their mandarin is great, but their english is atrocious, so much so that I FEAR what would happen if they went back to the states. Shanghai, I am not sure about. Hong Kong has enough locals that speak "accent free" english (depending on the school you may have a british accent, however it sounds very intelligent compared to the american accent *this coming from an american*

Thanks for your advice Just Seven, you helped me a lot in making my decision.

Hahaha. Dunno bro, being born in The Netherlands where they air a lot of US tv series (Knight rider, baywatch, twin peaks, etc) I personally prefer the american accent.

[Fritobugger]

Medical: Hong kong by far, insurance will let you go to private hospitals, where you will receive world class service. For out of this world prices. But with the right insurance, not an issue.

There is a reason there is an expensive ambulance in shenzhen that takes you across the border to a HK hospital.

Schooling: Hong Kong, hands down without a doubt or even more than a second to think about it. Shenzhen has some decent Montessori and International Kindergartens, but they are second rate or even third rate compared to any decent european school. I have met some expats who send their kids to school here in Shenzhen, their mandarin is great, but their english is atrocious, so much so that I FEAR what would happen if they went back to the states. Shanghai, I am not sure about. Hong Kong has enough locals that speak "accent free" english (depending on the school you may have a british accent, however it sounds very intelligent compared to the american accent *this coming from an american*

Hong Kong has best of medical and schools but is very expensive in all aspects of living.

Shanghai has schools of comparable quality and cost if you select from the top tier (SAS, Concordia, Dulwich). Medical is good but somewhat limited in scope at the expat clinics / hospitals and is expensive like HK but not so good at the local Chinese hospital level.

Shenzhen would not be desirable for me with a family. More dangerous, more crime, more polution, mediocre schools, etc.

[Just Seven]

A'ight guys, need some advice. My company wants me relocate to China for at least 2 years.

So I narrowed down 3 cities to relocate to; Hong Kong, Shenzhen or Shanghai.

Is there actually any difference in the medical services provided between the 3 cities?

Where would you put your kids in kindergarten between the above mentioned cities?

How are the English speaking kindergartens in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Shanghai compared to the one's in Europe?

Medical: Hong kong by far, insurance will let you go to private hospitals, where you will receive world class service. For out of this world prices. But with the right insurance, not an issue.

There is a reason there is an expensive ambulance in shenzhen that takes you across the border to a HK hospital.

Schooling: Hong Kong, hands down without a doubt or even more than a second to think about it. Shenzhen has some decent Montessori and International Kindergartens, but they are second rate or even third rate compared to any decent european school. I have met some expats who send their kids to school here in Shenzhen, their mandarin is great, but their english is atrocious, so much so that I FEAR what would happen if they went back to the states. Shanghai, I am not sure about. Hong Kong has enough locals that speak "accent free" english (depending on the school you may have a british accent, however it sounds very intelligent compared to the american accent *this coming from an american*

[harrywho]

A'ight guys, need some advice. My company wants me relocate to China for at least 2 years.

I have a wife, kid (3 years old) and one kid expecting to see the daylight in the next upcoming months. Learning Mandarin is not the problem since my wife is from SH and I am an ABC. I just want my kids to learn to speak accent free English as it is still the most important business language in the world.

So I narrowed down 3 cities to relocate to; Hong Kong, Shenzhen or Shanghai.

As much I like to monger around, I want the best for my family.

So.

Is there actually any difference in the medical services provided between the 3 cities?

Where would you put your kids in kindergarten between the above mentioned cities?

How are the English speaking kindergartens in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Shanghai compared to the one's in Europe?

Thanks in advance.

I know I should be probably asking this Q on other sites as geoexpat, etc, which I did. However I think any advice is and will be helpful no matter what source.

The child education system on the Chinese mainland is nothing short of appalling. Medical care and facilities also leave much to be desired. At the end of the day, you and your family will be thankful that you have chosen HK.

[Mmlouie]

I just want my kids to learn to speak accent free English as it is still the most important business language in the world.

HK, without a doubt!

Mmlouie

[Pokerstar77]

A'ight guys, need some advice. My company wants me relocate to China for at least 2 years.

I have a wife, kid (3 years old) and one kid expecting to see the daylight in the next upcoming months. Learning Mandarin is not the problem since my wife is from SH and I am an ABC. I just want my kids to learn to speak accent free English as it is still the most important business language in the world.

So I narrowed down 3 cities to relocate to; Hong Kong, Shenzhen or Shanghai.

As much I like to monger around, I want the best for my family.

So.

Is there actually any difference in the medical services provided between the 3 cities?

Where would you put your kids in kindergarten between the above mentioned cities?

How are the English speaking kindergartens in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Shanghai compared to the one's in Europe?

Thanks in advance.

I know I should be probably asking this Q on other sites as geoexpat, etc, which I did. However I think any advice is and will be helpful no matter what source.

[Just Seven]

Ha, ha.

How about a Dildo, would you have to use that as well?

But seriously: is it allowed in cabin luggage? Any of the guys got experiences since I have been asked to bring one, no joke.

I frequently travel with a plastic zip lock bag full of goodies. Restraints, vibrators, dildos, condoms, latex toys etc. All the lubricants and massage oils have to be in a 100ml container. Apart from some funny looks where I give them a dirty smirk in response I have not had issue since switching to the 100ml bottle

[Fast Eddie 48]

I have had to produce my passport (although they did accept a copy while my visa was being processed) for the trains to CP from Shenzhen.

I am not sure the reason, I thought maybe the University Games in SZX. I guess it is a nationwide thing though. Is the train from Beijing to Lasha still not available to lowai?

To Sky.

This is a new government rule you no longer can buy ticket from a ticket machine unless you have a China passport or resident I'd, if you have a HKID or US passport you need to go to the ticket counter this is all over China not just Shenzhen, they also check your I'd before you enter the CRH station boarding gate at the guangzhou south station.

Fast Eddie 48

[GregoryB]

I was going through airport security (in Shanghai, Hongqiao Airport) , on the return leg of a business trip.

I had removed keys, phone, wallet from pocket, and was surprised when I "beeped" going through the metal detector.

The female (young, cute) security officer wanded me, and something in my pocket set off the wand. I reached in my pocket to pull out the offending item, which turned out to be a forgotten foil wrapped condom! It got about halfway out of my pocket before the officer quickly waved me to put it back, and let me pass.

I think she was more embarrassed than me!

GM.

Ps: Of course, if it had been the USA, they would have made me open the package and put the condom on to prove that it was really "just a condom".

Ha, ha.

How about a Dildo, would you have to use that as well?

But seriously: is it allowed in cabin luggage? Any of the guys got experiences since I have been asked to bring one, no joke.

[Gualtier Malde]

I was going through airport security (in Shanghai, Hongqiao Airport) , on the return leg of a business trip.

I had removed keys, phone, wallet from pocket, and was surprised when I "beeped" going through the metal detector.

The female (young, cute) security officer wanded me, and something in my pocket set off the wand. I reached in my pocket to pull out the offending item, which turned out to be a forgotten foil wrapped condom! It got about halfway out of my pocket before the officer quickly waved me to put it back, and let me pass.

I think she was more embarrassed than me!

GM

ps: Of course, if it had been the USA, they would have made me open the package and put the condom on to prove that it was really "just a condom".

[WhatHeSaid]

Witopia has a US proxy. MLB has a streaming service for US IP addresses.

But if you want to watch NFL football, go to nflchina. Com and sign up for their NFL Game Pass Ithat may not require a proxy).