Stone

When I was in China, I saw some nice-looking cell phone (such as Lenovo) selling for 1000 RMB with built-in Wifi. I am wondering if bring the Chinese cell phone back to the States and put in a T-mobile or Verizon SIM card, can I use it here in the States? I can also do the opposite: buy a cell phone in the United States, and put in a Chinese SIM card when I arrive at China. But many cell phones sold in the States (under $150) do not have Chinese language display, unless I buy an expensive cell phone here such as iphone 5s. I am back and forth between US and China, would like to stay with one cell phone if possible. Anyone with experience or knowledge? Thanks

I remember 10 years ago when I was in China on a work visa (I think it was an Z visa), every time when I changed my employer, I had to find a new Company in China to sponsor me for a new work visa. It was a headache because I had to went through so many loops. Now I think the new Q1 and Q2 visas would make living in China easier. Randy: I am glad to hear that no job is required. But you said it would be 5th time. Do you mean they would only extend your visa for only 6 months at a time? When I had my work visa (Z), they allowed 1 year extension at a time.

Hi, There are new recently implemented Q1 and Q2 visa categories which would make visiting and even living in China easier, right? For those American citizens with Chinese spouses, they can now apply for Q1 or Q2 visa. I mean they do not need formal employment in China, so long as their spouses are Chinese citizens, they can apply for Q1 or Q2 visa. I think it makes things a lot easier.

Nowadays it is common for passengers to fight for a taxi cab. If it rains, just forget it! Many people in China have their own cars. So there is not a lot of push to develop the taxi cab industry. Taxi ride in Beijing starts at 10 yuans, the same price more than 10 years ago. I feel sympathetic toward cab drivers. I mean they need to survive and need to do their job. That is why they would rather wait in front of hotels or where there is usually large crowd, than driving a cab around to search for passengers. The fuel cost has gone up a lot. Cab drivers cannot afford to drive a cab without a passenger in it.

I visited Chongqing and Beijing last month. It was so difficult to get a taxi there because there were very few taxi available. Taxi fares have barely increased during the past 10 years, and many cab drivers are reluctant to get on the road because the taxi fares are too low. When I was in China I found it difficult to get around without taxi, and I could not afford to rent and drive a car in China. I heard taxi fare is due to increase in Beijing in the near future. I hope that they increase the fare high enough so that there are more motivated taxi drivers on the road.

This is what happens when the industry consolidates through mergers and acquisitions. Lack of competition for airlines and lack of choices for consumers. I paid $70 for a 2nd checked bag for flights between US and China.

Dennis, thank you for sharing your experience. My wife needs about $6K to make up for the last 6-7 years as a lump sum, and needs about $100/month to put into the Chinese SS account for the next 8 years until she reaches 50. Our major concern is if US dollar continues to depreciate again RMB, the Chinese income may help pay for our trip to and living expenses in China in the future.

My wife has been here in the States for quite a few years. Before she came here, she had contributed to the Chinese security system for a few of years. She has a green card now, but she hasn't contributed anything to her Chinese social security account since she arrived here 6 years ago. Now she wants to make up and makes a lump sum contribution, because she would be eligible to receive Chinese social security payments at the age of 50. The current monthly contribution is 400 RMB, but the benefit is about 1,000 RMB a month when she starts receiving benefits. Is this worth it? Does your wife (spouse) continue to contribute to her SS account in China? I think this may make sense if you or your wife plan to spend some retirement time in China. Any thoughts or experience would be appreciated.

I found the air fares to and from China have risen 10-20% as compared with last year. This could be caused by several factors including fuel costs, industry consolidation, general inflations, etc. There are a few ways to reduce the air fare, such as departing China very early in the morning 6AM, arriving in China at midnight, huge lay over time of more than 10 hours, etc.

Is it 1 month, 2 month, 3 months before scheduled departure date? What is your experience? Thanks Paul

I agree. If my wife drives on a very familiar road, she is most likely OK, unless she becomes distracted by a conversation or something in her mind. She is going to start a new job next week, which requires her to travel to 3 different locations (all within 5 miles). I plan to sit beside her when she drives during the first week. Thanks everyone.

Dennis: my wife's biggest and most frequent mistake is failing to stop at a STOP sign or a red traffic light, though I have repeatedly emphasized its importance. She asked me not to worry, then she made the same mistake again.

Dan, that is a good point: my wife got her driver's license too easily. She got her license after her first road test. But I do not believe she is ready to drive on her own, because I was frightened too often when I was in the car and she was driving. Your wife learned a good lesson after trying for 5 times of road tests. I learned a good lesson many years ago, when I started to learn how to drive and I got into an accident and flipped into a ditch. I really do not want my wife to get into an accident and repeat my mistake.

Because my wife took public transportation to work, she did not need to drive during the weekdays. During the weekend, I tried to let her drive as much as possible. Although she has had a driver's license for well over 2 years, she still makes mistakes often, including just a few hours ago when we left a restaurant and I asked her to drive home. I find it interesting that when she drives on a familiar road, she usually does not make a mistake, as she knows where to stop and where she should yield, etc. But whenever she drives on an unfamiliar road, the old mistakes reappear again like going through a STOP sign without stopping. That got me concerned as she is starting a new job soon.

My wife has got her driving license for almost 3 years. She does not drive much, mostly taking public transportation of bus or train to work. She mostly drives during the weekend (local driving, to stores for shopping, etc) with me besides her. She is starting a new job next week, which would require her to drive every day (about 5 miles one way). I am worried about her driving skills and I hate to see her get into an accident on her way to and from work. Her mistakes may include failing to stop at a STOP sign, failing to yield, inattention to traffic light while driving. How did your wife from China learn to drive well? What are your story and strategy to improve her driving skills? Thanks Paul

Carl. sorry to hear that you were diagnosed of Diabetes. My wife had Gestational Diabetes during pregnancy years ago, though she is fine now. I told my wife many time not to eat snacks after dinner. But she would not listen. I hope you can control it through diet and exercise.

From our experience, the Chinese consulate in NYC would not mail back the new passport to your home in Ohio. So either you or someone you trust must pick up the new passport in person within a specific time period as stated on the slip/ticket that they give you.

My wife took her Chinese passport to the local Entry-Exit Administration of PSB in China. They refused to renew her passport, because it had not expired yet or not within certain time period of expiration (I cann't remember the exact months). So my wife came back to the U.S. Last year we took a small vacation to NYC and had her Chinese passport renewed at Chinese Consulate in NYC. We brought her Chinese passport, photos, green card, application form, etc. They gave us a ticket to retrieve the passport a couple of weeks later. We gave the ticket to a Chinese travel agent in Boston Chinatown and paid a fee of either $10-$15 and got back my wife's new 10 year Chinese passport. How is the snow in your area? It is like a mountain here. Can't get out easily.

In 2004, the exchange rate was $1 = 8.28RMB. Now $1 = 6.65RMB. With rising inflation in China, I am wondering why American manufacturers are still insisting that Chinese yuan is under-valued by 40%. I am thinking the opposite. I am interested in finding out why there is still such a trade gap with the U.S., when you know things are getting so expensive in China nowadays.

I just watched the video. It is interesting. Looking at the girl flipping through a menu of a restaurant in Beijing, you can how expensive restaurant foods can be. They are almost the same price as those in the States, after converted to US dollars. Taxi transportation and rents are not cheap either. For the average starting salaries of 3,500 Yuans for college graduates, monthly budget can get very tight. There seems to be more job opportunities outside the capital city, but a lot of young people still like to stay in the city after they graduate.

My wife saw a pulmonary specialist in a hospital in May and June. The submitted charges for "consultation fee" for the 1st and 2nd visits(about half an hour each) was $689 and $214 respectively. The insurer negotiated about 50% discount and we ended up paying $30 co-pay for each visit. Not too bad. My child saw a pediatric pulmonary specialist in a hospital in July. The submitted charges for "consultation fee" for the single visit (half an hour) was $945. The insurer negotiated about 10% discount and we ended up paying $310 deductible and co-insurance. I called the Insurer and inquired about the huge disparity in submitted charges, negotiated discounts and deductible applicability. The insurer told me each doctor has different "contract rates" and negotiated different "discount rates". My child's visit was more costly because the pediatrician billed under "hospital charge" instead of an "personal consultation charge". Even worse, the pediatrician did not provide any valuable info about my child's condition. In order to avoid the costly charges and be prepared ahead of the time, we should call the doctor's office and ask for their "tax ID" and "billing procedure code" for the upcoming visit. Then we would let the insurer know, which would tell us ahead of time the estimated co-pay or deductible that we have to pay for the visit.

Thank you for all your advices. The gas station is actually located in a nice and safe neighborhood. I am more concerned about the environmental impact than safety or noise. My wife and I have agreed that we will not consider that house because it is only like 400 feet away from the gas station. As to wet basement, my real estate agent told me it is common to have some kind of water in basement during heavy rain storm. I am not fully convinced.

My wife and I am considering buying our first home in the States. We have encountered the following 2 questions/issues: (1)Buying a home near a gas station: we are looking at a home which is about 400 feet away from a gas station. Is it too close to the gas station? Also, which is worse: a home near a gas station versus a home near an interstate highway? (2)Wet basement: We looked at a home one day after a regular rain day. We touched the carpet on the basement ground and could feel the moisture on the carpet. We have strong opinion against a leaky basement, but we couldn't see the basement wall as the basement is finished. We aren't sure if the moisture came from a leaky basement or just from the air condensation. If we hire a basement technology firm to inspect the basement for any leakage before we even make an offer, will the cost be worthwhile? Thank you for your input.

Yes, I will be flying from SFO to BOS (Boston) on my return flight. I found a cheaper ticket on United.com if I fly SFO. From my past experiences, IAD is better than EWR, which is better than ORD. I am curious about SFO.

Hi, there I travel to China sometimes. I mostly fly United or Continental via either Newark (EWR), Chicago (ORD) or Washington DC (IAD). These airports are OK in terms of services. But IAD is probably less crowded and most friendly. Now, I am thinking of flying to China via San Francisco Airport (SFO). Have you ever fly in and out of SFO? What is your experience with San Francisco Airport in terms of immigration officials, customs officials and airport luggage handling? I will be flying from Boston. Thanks.