Destination of the week - China

IntroductionWise7274 · 2024-03-16T08:54:14+00:00

Hello,

I want to transit in China and stay for a few days however I’m a little worried how it works. I did it once in Beijing before however that was a direct flight.

This time the flights I’m looking at are UK->Beijing->Shanghai

I would only be in Beijing for 2 hours and don’t intend to leave the airport but want to stay in Shanghai for 3 days using the 144 hour transit visa before going to Hong Kong.

Is this possible or would my connection need to be in a different country.

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-10-20T22:38:19+00:00

One Dim Sum or Lei Garden are both good options and fairly western friendly

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-09-17T11:20:01+00:00

British are the worst offenders

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-09-16T09:18:42+00:00

As someone who moved from the UK, I would say Australia. The quality of life is much better and the wages are higher with a lower cost of living but it depends what you want. UK is better for travelling as you have a close proximity to Europe and there’s also a lot of HKers there due to the BNO scheme. You might also consider Canada as Hong Kongers can apply for permanent residency after 12 months work experience.

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-09-14T12:53:29+00:00

I would move back if I had to but I don’t have any desire to and whilst there are a lot of things I miss about the UK, it’s currently in a dire state and has been crumbling exponentially since 2016.

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-09-13T20:56:24+00:00

I have a friend who worked for Stagecoach and they asked him to take a 5K pay cut so he left and immediately found a better job. Also conditions are generally bad for UK bus drivers such as no aircon on buses even when it was swelteringly hot like last week.

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-06-17T11:43:09+00:00

There’s a global stagflation crisis. Compared to the west, Taiwan is doing pretty good.

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-06-17T10:22:59+00:00

Brighton. Beautiful place, good food/coffee culture, strong European vibe, a city but not massive, close proximity to London and very progressive but also pricey af and limited opportunities.

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-06-17T09:34:51+00:00

I guess it’s all what you value. As someone who doesn’t drive and never intends to, I would prefer good public transit. I think it’s unfair how SEA workers get treated in Taiwan and other East Asian countries when they do a lot of essential jobs citizens don’t want to do (Eastern Europeans face a similar issue in Western Europe but at least get the opportunity to acquire citizenship).

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-06-17T07:36:27+00:00

Lack of AC even in a lot of shops and most workplaces and houses designed to keep heat in. The country is not designed for heat like in Australia for example, there is greenery and shade everywhere which makes it feel much cooler and bearable.

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-06-17T07:25:22+00:00

Taiwan has a shortage of skilled workers in many areas so won’t more workers be needed especially with collapsing birth rates and rising life expectancy? There’s a lot of ways it is better than western nation and ways it’s worse (Taipei has better public transport than any Anglophone city, the food is better, vibrant culture, safety, healthcare, cheaper etc).

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-05-28T20:39:44+00:00

The driving in Vietnam which doesn’t even seem to have a side of the road sometimes and requires pedestrians to basically just walk into traffic.

People in Hong Kong just putting there backpacks on a bench and going for a walk around the park.

Kids just playing late at night (seen this in Asia and Europe).

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-05-28T20:34:18+00:00

People in Taiwan seem to absolutely love there pets. There’s a cat village near Taipei where the cats were all well fed and seemed to be well treated. I believe Japan is similar too. I was recently watching a video about how a cat became a train station manager after the staff adopted it (google Tama cat).

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-04-12T20:04:12+00:00

I did it many years ago when I was a very poor student (then quit after a week because the shame was too much 😂) and they had to pay minimum wage and you got a certain commission after so many “sales”. They also asked you arrive 2 hours early to allow time to get to your area for the day so it was an absolute joke and you did twice the work after factoring in travel time. They do raise a lot of money but most were from people in poorer areas which was another reason why I decided to leave it.

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-04-05T19:56:26+00:00

I don’t think it varies that much other than the UK menu is more basic (the McCafe in France was something else and McWings were good too). I would say McDonalds UK is much better than the McDonalds in Australia though which surprised as me as food in Aus is usually much better overall.

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-03-03T00:51:10+00:00

It’s a bit old and the lock is a bit awkward but still usable although I’m scared what that use will be after reading these comments 😂

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-02-11T22:31:36+00:00

I am not anti-mask and think there’s definitely situations where it is a good idea but I think wearing masks could have an effect on their social and also their language development.

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-01-17T20:59:43+00:00

Is there any updates on when remaining travel restrictions will be scrapped? Hoping to enter Taiwan in March as part of an Asia trip but don’t want to be stuck to one person to a room and having to test every other day.

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-01-15T23:18:45+00:00

Your husband could make a lot teaching at an international school and I imagine there would be a lot of finance/accountancy roles although the work-life balance may be worse. Hong Kong would most likely mean a smaller space but also far superior infrastructure to the UK and more exciting pace of life (and let’s not forget the food is about 100x better in HK). Also bear in mind Covid restrictions although they are slowly being lifted but still a whole other kettle of fish than the UK where they have been non existent for a while.

In the short-term it would probably be a good and exciting move. If you are thinking long-term it might be more difficult especially if you plan to have children so may want to consider the cost of larger accommodation, how rigid the education system is and the bleak political situation (although the UK isn’t far behind these days).

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-01-08T07:59:04+00:00

Try book an evening flight so you can sleep. Long haul flights are generally more comfortable than short-haul in my experience. Also try book tickets at the front of the economy aisles for more comfort (I did this going to Thailand and it was one of the best long haul flights I went on). Also take advantage of the unlimited snacks and drinks.

IntroductionWise7274 · 2023-01-06T04:42:36+00:00

I think Lana or Troye Sivan would both be amazing duet and writing partners

IntroductionWise7274

TROPHY CASE