Latest Comments

• • November 2, 2012
  • iWear Shopping Tip: Glasses for the Masses
    

    Does anyone know what the building near Sichuan University's north gate is called, or even better, have the address? I was planning on updating my prescription once I got back home, but after reading this article I might as well do it here.

• • April 22, 2012
  • Chengdu Museum of Contemporary Art MoCA
    

    Does anyone know how much the student ticket prices are for the Picasso event?

Latest Forum Posts

• • October 10, 2012
    
  • Forums > Living in Chengdu > Wisdom Tooth Pain
    

    The most ridiculous stories I've ever heard in my life are about friends and wisdom teeth in Chengdu. Unfortunately I don't know what dentists they went to, so I can't be of much help for what places to stay away from.

    My first recommendation, which seems to be the general consensus of everyone I've spoken to, seems to be to go back home.

    My second recommendation: Unless you have insurance, dental work is ridiculous in America. How about flying over to South Korea? A direct flight from Chengdu to Seoul is about 3 hours and less than 2000rmb round trip. That already beats the cost of the ticket to go back home. Hotels are expensive, but you can find apartments for daily or weekly rentals that are reasonably priced on sites like wimdu.com.

• • September 18, 2012
    
  • Forums > Living in Chengdu > Cosmetic & skincare products - post your reviews here!
    

    Awesome thread idea! Wish it was here two years ago.

    Shampoo and Conditioner:
    When I first came to China, my blonde hair became dry and brittle for the first time in my life. I can't think of what could be the cause except for the hard water in the taps. I've tried many brands, ranging from the Chinese knock-offs of Dove and Pantene to the foreign brands available in Ito Yokado and Metro. The only thing that's proven helpful has been the Shiseido Tsubaki line. I first used the intense damage repair (white bottle), then switched to the yellow version (normal moisturizer) and am now using the red (intense moisturizer). It's important to note that the ones sold at Watsons are made in China, whereas the bottles sold in Metro are imported from Japan. There's a big difference in the quality of the two. I had mistakenly bought the ones at Watsons thinking they were the same, and wound up having to throw it out once a single use dried out my hair.

    Facial Products:
    I haven't sampled many of the Chinese brands, since I brought a lot from back home to last me a while. I have heard that a number of companies used high levels of bleach in their products and are comedogenic. Since I have sensitive skin, I freaked when my supply ran out and after a few months of skin-related hell, I started to use Limi Girl which has been my savior.

    http://www.limigirl.com/
    Minimized skin troubles, no clogged pores, smooth skin, and perfectly moisturizing for my skin type. I personally recommend the Honey Sweet line for winter (some of the products contain Royal Jelly which is a great way to keep your skin from becoming too dry if you have to drive a scooter in winter), and the Peach line for summer (moisturizing without being overkill). They have a great wash-off mask made from rose water which contains actual rose petals. Smells like heaven!

    Body wash:
    Tried a few brands, but overall it seems like the large 20rmb bottle from Ikea is not only the best deal, but good quality.

    Nail Polish remover:
    Every single brand I have tried has been the same. You need to use a lot of elbow grease and rub fiercely to see any results.

    Foreign brands:
    I've always liked the Korean brand Skin Food, but it's so much more expensive here. I recommend their Cucumber face mask and hand lotions.

• • September 7, 2012
    
  • Forums > Living in Chengdu > hustling while studying?
    

    You could get a bartending job but you might not be paid much. At the bar I used to work at, the Thai bartender was paid the same as the Chinese staff whereas the Africans and Caucasians made significantly more. A Chinese bartender makes nowhere near the amount a NYC bartender does. As a DJ, you would definitely make more. Also, students are not allowed to work at entertainment venues so if the school or police ever found out, that would give you a lot of headache. Don't forget you also need to be in class by 9am the next morning.

    As far as teaching English goes, that would have to rely on your luck. If you speak in a standard American accent, you have a better chance but it's still, sadly, limited because of your appearance. At the places I used to work at, American-born Chinese were often turned down for teaching jobs because they "didn't look like they could speak English". I had an African American friend and a Persian friend who grew up in America and both had trouble finding teaching jobs despite English being their first language. After some self-advertising online, they found some private students they could home tutor.

    Have you thought of teaching Thai? The market might not be as big as the one for English, but there must be students interested in studying.

    Also a note that not everyone follows but you should still be aware of - students aren't legally allowed to work over 15 hours at a business and first have to be given permission to work at all by the school. This doesn't include private tutoring, which you don't need permission for.

    Also, look into grants from the Thai government. It seems like a lot of the Thai students I've met have scholarships.

• • September 2, 2012
    
  • Forums > Food & Drink > Runners in Chengdu?
    

    Make sure you check Chengdu's AQI before going out for a run:
    http://www.aqicn.info/?city=chengdu#infoaqi

    Some days are more polluted than others, especially after it rains.

    I used to be a regular outdoor runner in America, but noticed I can't keep up the same pace when running outdoors in China. My chest begins to feel heavy and I just start to feel like crap after two weeks.

    You can enter a university and look at the campus map posted by the entrance. It should tell you where the track field is. I prefer finding a small park and jogging there. The scenery is nice, the trees provide a cool area, the air is fresher, and it's peaceful.

• • August 20, 2012
    
  • Forums > Food & Drink > Rose Restaurant
    

    Thanks for the heads up. I wouldn't have imagined this sort of situation to arise at a restaurant. Did you leave your table at anytime during your meal or do you suspect that a waiter put something in your drink?

    Also, it's not just men you have to be careful of. Once I went to a sit-down bar with my friends. A Chinese girl from a neighboring table offered me a glass of tea that I drank while we were chatting. About 40 minutes after that, I had passed out and had to be taken home by my friends. I only had a beer, which I opened myself, and that tea. I spent the next day trying to get over a heavy groggy and dizzy feeling. Couldn't remember anything from after that cup of tea.

Latest Reviews

• • mizuiro
    June 12, 2012
    
  • Chengdu > Leanna's Bakery
    莲娜西点坊

    Went back recently and discovered the food prices have risen. The set menus are also gone. The Caesar salad is now around 32rmb when it used to be around 24. However the food is still delicious and beats places like Tex-Mex and Lazy Pug in both prices and flavor. I'll just go every other week instead of every few weeks.

• • mizuiro
    December 14, 2011
    
  • Chengdu > The Lazy Pug
    懒巴哥

    Let's be real. We're in China. How much does lettuce cost? 48kuai for a Caesar salad? That's ridiculous. Also, our waitress was rarely around. We had to resort to going to the bar for service. I ordered their chicken sandwich which was just bland. Best American restaurant in Chengdu? Well, we're not in America so I guess that's why the 7/11's even pass for cool here.

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