Ask Imitation about 2years in China

[rsliu]

Does the government firewall restrict you from playing online poker in china? If so, how do you get around it?

[imitation]

[ QUOTE ]
can you send me some E from china?

[/ QUOTE ]

Haha, E here was awesome around the time you were here and for the year before, in the last 4 months it has been terrible. I've heard that they actually made there first bust of nigerians smuggling heroin and coke into the country as this was the major supply chain.

[imitation]

[ QUOTE ]
Does the government firewall restrict you from playing online poker in china? If so, how do you get around it?

[/ QUOTE ]

Party poker has stopped allowing Chinese players.

Most crypto websites are blocked.

These things can be cirvumvented (I just watched Arrested Development) with some proxy servers but I find that unbearably slow.

The internet is actually [censored] terrible here, it seems when I first got here it was ok but just sometimes lossy but I've had such bad packet loss for months now I hate playing. Fwiw I never played much above 10/20 and I didn't play enough to make much serious money because I would get very frustrated with lag and timeouts and I think that really strained my play. I would end up taking weeks or months off and just come back with enough the grind out and do it again.

[Iron Lung]

Hi guys,

I am a student in my young 20's and I am going to be working this summer in Shanghai. I don't speak any Chinese.

Do you recommend I try to cram some of the basics in or just memorize the most important phrases?

What would you say is the best area to live in the city? I don't want to be in tourist central but I also don't want to be too far from "downtown".

I read that one of the largest universities is in Shanghai (Fudan). Is that a good place to find girls, people my age and parties?

Although I will be based in Shanghai, I plan to take trips out of the city on weekends. What would you say are must do's (Great Wall, Beijing... etc)?

Any other tips would be great!
-IL

[Peter Harris]

Hi Imitation, thanks for your responses thus far.

I have been to Qingdao, had a relaxing time there. It's not too bustly. It would also be a good place for me to get out to next autumn because it's the base for the 2008 Olympic water events, if i recall correctly.

Next questions were going to include "setting up with an agent beforehand", but you've squared that one up. So...

- I am a UK Citizen (if you haven't guessed already). If I'm heading out there with the intention of working, but not yet found a job, isn't it illegal for me to get a tourist visa? Will i have to apply for a work visa with the intention of finding a job out there? Wouldn't i need sponsoring for a work visa? Or do you suggest going out there on a tourist visa and winging it.

- I will not be travelling alone, I have a girl who wants to teach English in China to and will most likely come along. Do you think it's possible, likely etc. that we will get landed jobs in the same city, or even the same school/class/department/whatever? I imagine we will get some control over the age range we want to teach (neither of us want to teach under 18s really).

- what do you think the authorities would have to say about an unmarried couple of westerners in China teaching English to their citizens? would "seditious" be a word the authorities know?!

There'll be more, no doubt. Hope you aren't annoyed I'm not asking questions about partying and chicks [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Pete

[maxtower]

Wait a second. Explain the economics of this teaching thing for a bit.
You make US$3000/mon to teach english in Guangzhou? And a rockstar party lifestyle costs US$2000?
Do I have to have any qualifications other than "native english speaker"?
Do I have to know any Chinese?

WTF am I still doing in America?

[southerndog]

[ QUOTE ]

Also regarding white dudes having 'bad' taste, would you rather be banging a chic who you think is hot and other people think is ugly or a chic who you think is ugly but other people think is hot?

[/ QUOTE ]

I want one that my friends think is hot and will high five me for.

[adsman]

hey Imi,

Weren't you going to go and study in a Shaolin temple? Did you do it or did the pajamas turn you off?

ads.

[Catyoul]

Am I the only one who first read the thread title as "Ask .... about imitation in China" ? Found it pretty hilarious imitation would be his name after realizing my mistake.