Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with china

Are computers liable for import duty?

SamSugar — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:59:57 -0800

I'm waiting to receive a used computer I bought from China (where it was made) and it is now "Inbound into Customs." This worries me as I was under the impression laptop fell under code 8471, and were import tax exempt. Is this right? If not what are the customs officials going to ask for? Also if duty is charged, will the value be based on the declared value or...?

Chinese and Western relationship norms?

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:37:50 -0800

What do you wish you knew about Mainland Chinese dating and relationships that would have made your relationship easier? What are some common sources of misunderstanding between Westerners and people from China? I've been seeing a conservative woman from Guangzhou for a couple of months, and we get along great. I'm Asian, too, but I moved here when I was young, my family aren't Chinese, and I could really do with some education regarding Chinese culture.

I've noticed that the unwritten rules of dating are quite different for us both; it's quite possible for both of us to accidentally do things that the other person could potentially misinterpret. Fortunately, there's a lot of goodwill between us.

The drama of the Ask Metafilter guy who was going to move out on his Chinese roommate illustrated how different cultural meanings of various things can be.

http://ask.metafilter.com/138804/Stuck-in-the-dreaded-friend-zone

I've asked a previous question about dating this woman:

http://ask.metafilter.com/134846/Dating-Across-a-Language-Barrier

We're both in our 20s.

Have you been in a relationship with someone from China? What do you wish you had known? What realisations for you or for your partner made things easier for you?

anon.learning.chinese@gmail.com

Help Identifiy this china.

lilkeith07 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:29:27 -0800

I need some help identifying some of my grandmothers china. Its been sitting in a box for probably the past 25-30 years and we took it out to use it this Thanksgiving and we were wondering about their history. My dad thinks that they may be a wedding gift, they were married in the mid 50s. On the back of the china it says "Grown-Imperial-Czecho-Slovakia" and under that "Luxor". On some of the dishes its stamped "Czecho-Slovakia". On the plates there are green "V" stamps some big and some small. On the serving dishes they are indented stamped "1800" and some "1900". Here is a picture of the back of the main serving dish.

The only infromation only that I could find was this. The pattern in the picture is the same pattern as the set we have.

Any help finding out anything about the dishes would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Call it "Tailor Tourism"

rileyray3000 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:52:19 -0800

I'm thinking about taking a suit holiday. As in, going to a country where not only can I have a fun vacation, but I can get a bunch of suits made for a good price. Where should I go? When I was teaching in Korea back in 2001 I got a few suits made for me on a lark. Some were the kitschy kind of fun suits that you get made when they're 70 bucks American and you think "what the hell." In my case that was one red satin number and five iridescent sharkskin suits in colors ranging from blue to yellow to brown - all as shiny as a marine's dress shoes.

Goodfellas was one of the only American movies I saw over there. I think it left a mark.

But in addition to those suits I also got one charcoal gray suit made and one light brown one. Those two have been my standby suits ever since. I get compliments every time I wear them, they fit me perfectly and I worry about the day they finally fall apart.

Thus I've been considering a "Suit Holiday." Something where I go somewhere like South Korea, have an exotic trip, and get a bunch of suits made to take home and last me another decade.

But I'm wondering if South Korea IS the way to go here. Maybe Hong Kong? Or Taiwan? Or the Philippines? Or Indonesia? I'm totally open.

Where is the place I can get the best bang for my buck and get 5 or ten suits made to take home with me? Where would YOU go on a Suit Holiday?

A Chinese Jig about Santa Clause would be just dandy, thanks

Navelgazer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:28:47 -0800

Looking for newer, poppier Christmas/seasonal songs from Ireland and China. So my girlfriend and I are going to be apart for Christmas with our respective families. Whenever we go on a trip together or she has to go on one alone, I make her a mix CD for the journey. Since she's going back to her Chinese family, and I'm going back to my - well, largely mutt by now, but we act out our Irish side more than anything else - family, I wanted to make her a mix of songs from both cultures representative of the season.

I know that I'm going to open it with The Pogues' Fairytale of New York, and end it with Chris Cornell's rendition of Schubert's Ave Maria (which doesn't actually fit the rules, but we both love it). I'm having trouble finding other good, modern Irish Christmas/wintry songs, and I don't even know where to begin looking for Chinese songs which fit the bill (obviously they won't be Christmas songs, but good winter songs will fit just as well - we're both pretty atheist anyway.)

Modern renditions of classic standards are fine, as long as, again, they are good. Please help me, I want this to be awesome.

Early Chinese History

shothotbot — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:19:07 -0800

What are some good books about the history of China, up to say the Qing dynasty? I am particularly interested in the Warring States period up to the first empire. Extra credit for discussions of the spread of Buddhism.

How useful is a Chinese studies M.A.?

Mummy of a Lady Named Jemutesonekh — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:40:57 -0800

I'm thinking about getting an M.A. in Chinese studies. How useful a job qualification would it be if I didn't go on to get a Ph.D.? I majored in a subject unrelated to Chinese studies in undergrad, but have subsequently become very interested in China, particularly Chinese cultural history. I want to further my interest in an academic program, but don't want to do so if it won't lead to interesting China-related career opportunities. At this point, I'm not sure whether I'd want to get a Ph.D., so I want to confine this question to opportunities an M.A. can help provide. Here are some of the possibilities I can think of. How much would an M.A. help to get these sorts of jobs? What others are there?

- Government (e.g., State Department)
- Nonprofit with a focus on or including China
- Entry-level researcher at a think tank or some other sort of research institution
- Teaching at a high school
- Teaching at a community college
- Teaching at an English-speaking university in a developing country
- Journalism (would a Chinese studies M.A. matter at all as a qualification in this field relative to previous experience or publication record?)
- Business (increased opportunities in the business world are frequently cited on Chinese studies M.A. program websites, but it's difficult for me to imagine how the degree would lead to a job at, e.g., a company with operations in China; if it could, how?)

Thanks in advance for your help!

Work during two months

Busoni — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:14:46 -0800

I have a friend attending school in China (studying traditional Tibetan medicine) who needs something to do in mid-December to mid-February when the campus shuts down. He can't work in China, but he would like to earn money somewhere, somehow. But how? and where? To give an idea of his background, he has a Bachelor's from an Ivy League school, and besides English, he speaks French and Chinese. Generally hard-working, certainly friendly.

He tells me he's open to just about anything, as long as he nets some income at the end of the interim.

The first thing that comes to mind is teaching English in Japan or Korea, since he's already in the area, although I'm not sure what positions would be open, given he'd be available for only two months.

Are there different flu vaccines for Chinese people and roundeyes?

Wet Spot — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:17:48 -0800

Asking for my sister-in-law: is the swine flu vaccine formulation given to people in China (Shanghai) the same as the US version? My sister-in-law's daughter, three years old, is returning to the US (from China) next month. She recently went through a bout of pneumonia and spent a few days in a hospital, although she did not test positive for the flu. Should she get a flu shot in Shanghai, the US (Minneapolis), or perhaps both? If she gets the vaccine in Shanghai, will it protect her against whatever roundeye version of the virus is prevalent in the US?

Changing the world, one kiss at a time...

Muirwylde — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:35:10 -0800

Cosmetic manufacturing in China. I've noted that certain regions of China specialize in different types of consumer goods manufacturing. Which city or region is ground zero for cosmetics manufacturing in China? I'm interested in having a cosmetic product line (lipcare, lip gloss, lip balm, etc.) manufactured in China. Product line will use stock componentry custom overprinted with trademarked logo. I have had products produced in Taiwan of my own design. I don't need concept, design, or formulation input. My Tawainese suppliers are not suitable for this project and I want to take a trip to Mainland China to find a supplier who is capable of providing scalable production capacity for a national, and eventually, international roll out. I don't expect a recommendation to a specific cosmetic manufacturer unless you have specific experience with this type of product. The product (lip gloss) will be hot-filled in glass. I realize the manufacturers have close relationships with componentry suppliers and I also have my own sources for the componentry. Manufacturer must be capable of supplying a 1200 door international chain from 2-3 store test phase through full roll-out. Manufacturer must be willing to work with a small but rapidly expanding niche brand.There are hundreds of Chinese cosmetic manufacturers (or agents masquarading as cosmetic manufacturers) online. Please, no links to Alibaba or other China 'business lead'-generating sites. Rather, I am more interested in what city or region I should be looking at that is the absolute center for cosmetic manufacture in Mainland China so I can travel there and make some decisions after eyeballing the terrain. Any links to the pre-eminent cosmetic trade shows (in China) or China cosmetic trade organizations that you feel might be useful or helpful would also be greatly appreciated. I also would be interested in knowing what unforeseen problems you may have experienced while rolling out similar product lines. Thank you!

Help me trick a chinese website into thinking I live there instead Missouri

carefulmonkey — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:01:23 -0800

How can I get this website to think that I'm living in China ? I was poking around on http://www.youku.com/ this morning after I saw a link on the blue and I noticed that they had Seinfeld and Big Bang Theory among other shows I enjoy and they were ready to watch in a youtube style. I attempted to watch them and I couldn't because of a dastardly 'this clip is blocked in your region' placard, is there anyway to get past and let me watch my stories ?

Specifics: I'm using Firefox 3.5.3

How to fix my crushing jet lag?

alight — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:31:41 -0800

JetLagFilter: Traveled from Beijing to New York 3 days ago, and I'm pretty sure my jet lag symptoms are getting worse, not better. How do I stop messing myself up and start improving things? I've seen a lot of posts on dealing with jet lag when flying to Europe or other destinations about 6 hours away from local time. I'm operating on a full 12 hour difference right now and I need some help fixing the damage I've done to my circadian clock. I spent 6 weeks in Beijing on a sleep schedule where I woke up around 9 am, and then worked from 10 am till midnight or so. Now my schedule needs to be about the same, but 12 times zones different.

The damage: Departed Beijing around 11 am on the 15th, laid over in Shanghai, then arrived at LAX around 11 am on the 15th (again) Made it to NYC around 11 pm.
First night: Went to sleep around 3 am, woke up at 3 pm. Spent most of the day indoors, recovering.
Second night: Bed at midnight (as soon as I was tired enough) and wide awake at 4 am. Felt really disoriented and confused, but tried to spend as much time in daylight as possible.
Third night: Bed at 8 pm (exhausted!) and awake at 1:30 am, feeling sure it was actually 1:30 pm.

It's now after 3 am here, and I doesn't seem like I'll sleep again tonight. I'm expecting to get tired again by 5 pm, which will make things worse, not better, right?

I've never taken a sleep aid in my life, and I'm not sure that this is the time to start. (Maybe it is? YANMD, but maybe you have a really convincing argument?) Things like Benadryl knock me out in a way I find really unpleasant. Also not one for supplements in general and have never tried melatonin. I'm much more interested in zero-cost solutions like suggestions on what kinds of schedules to gradually force myself onto, whether or not short naps are beneficial, and ways to make me sleepy when I should be and alert when I should be without drugging me or tweaking me out.

What should my next few days look like?

What am I eating?

Jaie — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:20:02 -0800

A coworker brought us two boxes of sweet-ish treats from China. She doesn't know what they are either. We're not overly worried about the ingredients, we just want to know a little bit about what we're putting in our mouths. Traditional Chinese foods? New-fangled stuff they only sell to tourists? How are they made? What are they called, are they meant to be part of any special meal/holiday/celebration, etc.

The first box (although I may have inadvertently switched the boxes and their original contents) are little (maybe 1" square?) white things that look like unbaked biscuits, although they are hard and have a texture like shredded wheat. Or maybe it's something spun? Very little flavor, very slightly sweet. Front of box here. Back of box here.

The second box held numerous rolled treats, some coated in sesame seeds. No filling. Hard, but not really crunchy. Too sticky to be crunchy. More flavorful than the others. Most of them have been eaten, but you can see one still in there. Front of box here. Back of box here.

Why don't my proxies work anymore?

msbrauer — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:08:00 -0800

Why have my proxies (Privoxy and GAppProxy) suddenly quit working? I'm using an up-to-date Vista installation. I use proxies periodically to get past China's Great Firewall. In the past, a strategy of Tor (by means of Vidalia/Privoxy/Torbutton) and GAppProxy (through FoxyProxy, set up using these instructions). I never use the two at the same time, i.e. if I'm using Tor, I'm not using GAppProxy, and vice versa. When I was last in China, in July, I had been using this setup for a few months with no problems.

I've just returned to China, and after a day or two of flawless operation, both proxies have quit working. To clarify, both proxy setups manage to get past the Great Firewall and transfer data. However, within a few seconds of data transfer through the proxy, I get a message from windows stating, "Privoxy has stopped working" or "HTTP Proxy. 127.0.0.1:8000 has stopped working" in the case of GAppProxy. Privoxy is running on port 8118.

Restarting the computer or the proxies doesn't solve the problem. Running one without the other doesn't solve the problem. Is there a possibility that something other than my computer is causing the problem, perhaps new strategies used by the Great Firewall spike the proxy somehow? The proxies remain operational if they are not in use, which is to say, if I start Privoxy or GAppProxy and don't transfer data through them, the services run with no problem.

While I haven't installed any internet-using programs in the week I've been back in China, since I didn't use the proxies for two months while outside of China, I can't be sure that the problem is a result of new conditions.

How can I troubleshoot this problem?

Looking to order not more than $100 worth of semi-tat from overseas

kmennie — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:39:50 -0800

Can you suggest more sites like lovelyshoes.net? Rainbow totes, $7! I want to receive parcels of entertaining, extremely cheap goods. I don't mind reasonable minimums but I'm not a reseller. Googling around for wholesale whatever is getting me nowhere. Where do hip boutiques get their goods?

Requirements:

Amazingly cheap

Reasonable minimum orders (lovelyshoes.net's is US$100) -- I am looking to do some Xmas shopping so might conceivably want five of something, but

Goods more interesting/nicer than what I can find in dollar stores -- I suppose I am looking for a good-sized city's Chinatown shops' level of "Ooh, how cute" and "I didn't know they made these"

I have only been able to find Chinese sites selling designer knock-offs, which is not what I'm looking for (though I do like $11 Marc Jacobs knockoffs) -- I don't want fake Louboutins -- or "wholesale" sites whose discounts are crap or whose merchandise is mostly nose hair trimmers. I suppose the perfect place would be like lovelyshoes.net but with Hello Kitty and toy robots and cashmere scarves thrown in the mix.

Did Deng Xiaoping say “There is oil in the Middle East there is rare earth in China”?

priorpark17 — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 01:03:53 -0800

Deng Xiaoping 1992: “There is oil in the Middle East there is rare earth in China.” Where? Why? When? Anybody have a good reference? I often see it stated that Deng Xiaoping in 1992 (or 1997) said “There is oil in the Middle East there is rare earth in China.”

Sometimes the quote is "The Middle East has the oil we have the rare metals".

Just occasionally the quote is attributed to Mao.

Where does this quote come from? Does anybody have an official looking reference.

In the nicest possible way...let us not get into a discussion about whether or not it is accurate and use a lot of words ending in "ium" and discuss the various battery technologies.

How to get cheap flights within Asia, specifically between China and Vietnam?

AmbroseChapel — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:05:48 -0800

How to get cheap flights within Asia, specifically between China and Vietnam? On behalf of a friend: if you were in Beijing, where would you go to get cheap flights to Vietnam? My friend is under 26 and a student, if that helps, and needs a return flight Beijing-Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in October.

Information on the Chinese nuclear power industry

tawny — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 06:44:36 -0800

I have to produce a report on the Chinese nuclear power industry. Are there any good resources online to get me started? The focus is mainly on links between the state and business, and risk assessment for interested parties. I can read Mandarin.

Chongqing - How is the expansion of the metro going?

priorpark17 — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:21:09 -0800

Anybody in Chongqing? How is the expansion of the metro going? Especially to the Tiandi development? I am meant to be moving to Chonggqing. I don't like cars. I am looking at the Chongqing Tiandi in the Yuzhong District. Any locals know if it has public transport. I think a new line on the metro/light rail is planned/under construction. Anybody know anything?

Help my find punk rock in Beijing

kinakomochi — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:20:43 -0800

Help me find punk rock in Beijing. Going to Beijing in a few hours for a month. I want to try and find some good punk rock/hardcore/thrash shows to take in when I get there but I have no idea where to go.

Anyone able to point me towards any venues or bands that would be good?

I also speak no Chinese.

Thanks!

Single female traveling alone and staying in a youth hostel in Shanghai: fun adventure or catastrophically bad idea?

aquafortis — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:52:12 -0800

Single female traveling alone and staying in a youth hostel in Shanghai: fun adventure or catastrophically bad idea? Do any women out there have any experience traveling alone to Shanghai and staying in a youth hostel? I've been thinking this would be fun, but don't know if I'd be better off waiting until my friends can join me some other time. Would Bejing be a safer choice?

All thoughts, ideas, and suggestions welcome-- thanks!

Passport troubles

Tiresias — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:03:51 -0800

Possible passport problem while catching a connecting flight in Shanghai I am a Canadian citizen currently residing in Japan. Time to go home! My passport is set to expire August 6th, so I booked a flight back to Canada on August 4th. Unfortunately, that flight connects through Shanghai --- and I just realized last night that it may be a problem to connect through China using a passport set to expire in two days.

The Canadian embassy has not been helpful, except to tell me that there is no way they can issue a temporary extension.

So, I have two questions:

1) Can I connect through Shanghai on a passport set to expire in two days? I will be in the airport for less than 24 hours.

2) I am a dual citizen and currently hold an Italian passport. Could I possibly leave Japan on my Canadian passport (I need to, for visa reasons) and then enter China on my Italian passport, which is valid for another few years?

Any information you have will be helpful, because I am utterly, utterly freaking out right now.

Help me negotiate a simple salary

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:06:09 -0800

We are talking small beans here, but it's my beans, so please hear me out... I'm an ESL teacher/tutor with 3 undergrad degrees, certification through Oxford and 5 years experience. I have been offered a job in Shanghai. Included is a small apartment (in Puxi), free meals whenever I want them, transportation unless visiting outside the city, round trip airfare to the US every 10 months, high-speed internet, and a number of other similar perks.
I have been asked to 'name' a desired salary.
Going in I'm pretty sure what ever I ask for will be bartered down, only because that's the way the game is played in China.
I don't much care about the 'going rate' as I teach not only English, but history and science as well, and am in my 40's, well-travelled, and bring a lot more to the table than a teaching cert from Oxford.
However, I don't want to be so outlandish as to ask for an impossible amount.
I am thinking $1000 USD a month as a minimum.
When I last taught in China, I made about 400. That was in a village, and in pretty much third-word circumstances.
Any suggestions? Again, this amount, while very low, is a heck of a lot in China. And my only expenses out-of-pocket will be entertainment, necessities such as occasional clothing, toiletries, travel, and other incidentals.
Essentially, 75% of what I make will be more than I need to live an OK lifestyle.
But again...I'm tired of being the guy who always settles for less. Getting older. No savings to speak of. Own nothing much. And I'm OK with all that...
Sorry to ramble and make, I'm sure, numerous mistakes here, but the deadline is looming and I'm way over thinking this deal.
Honest advice from a stranger or two is what I need.
email fatbackncollards at gmail...
or, preferably, try to give yr two cents here :)

How to best deal with multiple Chinese suppliers?

mhjb — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:36:29 -0800

Looking for advice regarding Chinese imports. Importing products into New Zealand from a number of suppliers - is there a service that would act as an intermediary for me? I have recently been approved for a capital grant in order to start a business designing and building audio gear. I want to ensure I'm purchasing the maximum amount of stock for the money I have. Most of the components I require are available in China for a fraction of the price I can get them here.* The problem is that I have to deal with numerous wholesalers, leading to inefficiencies in terms of freight cost, not to mention the language issues that come up with each new supplier.

The service I'm looking for would be an intermediary based in China that would act as a kind of a depot for me. This would be someone with good English that could take delivery of my orders from 10 different suppliers and send them over to me in one unit, meaning I'd pay the cheapest possible freight and import duties.

I'm generally a noob with all of this and terrified of blowing this opportunity by mis-spending my start-up capital, so any and all advice relating to dealing with suppliers and import issues would be appreciated.

*E.g. 3PDT footswitch: 100 units delivered for 170USD compared to 750USD locally

Instruments in Beijing

god particle — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 13:49:27 -0800

Where in Beijing can I buy music instruments? I'm going to Beijing next week for a couple weeks and want to see what interesting instruments I can find there. What are some of the better/more interesting instrument stores around there? I'd also like to see if I can buy some more "normal" instruments such as drum machines or synthesizers. Is it a good idea to buy those there? Where can I find them there?