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Q: How do you keep yourself entertained/sane in a boring 4th tier city?
There is nothing to do except go to KTV or a seedy club (if your city even has one), eat out in restaurants and check out the local mall. How do you prevent yourself from sliding into utter depression and going insane of boredom in such Chinese cities?
10 years 42 weeks ago in Arts & Entertainment - China
Make some friends. They come in handy every now and again...
andy74rc:
And in between, they come boring all the time asking to get together for dinner, drinks, KTV, hanging out for walks and so on. Disrespectful of the time and day of the week.
Use the free time to educate yourself. Get a kindle and start reading! Or start your own blog and write about your boredom. You'l probably laugh about your experiences in a few years.
i m not living in a 4th tier city though but my district feels like one and during the week i cant or dont want to go out so far, so my previous hobby playing online game. but jk chinas internet sucks too much.
no i m creating my own website, which probably no one ever will read but kills some time, is educating and actually its quite funny.
you could also buy a musical instrument and try to learn it lol
Spend your time planning a good resume (or CV) and cover letter. The plan for the escape as soon as your contract expires. In between times, you could install a VPN and watch western movies on your PC. I am sure you can find dirt cheap back street massage parlours if that's your thing. Or just wile away time in cheap, backstreet restaurants or cafeteria watching lousy Chinese soap operas, NBA or the national 7:00 pm news with the locals.
Mmm, find older divorced or married women who are lonely.
I was in a 4th tier city before. There was about 6 foreigners in the whole city and one Mcdonalds, one Pizza Hut and about 6 KFC's. That was it for Western fare.
We would get together often in hole in the wall noodle joints and drink baijiu whilst making friends with the locals. Good fun. Obviously it depends if you're a drinker or not.
I don't see what else there is to do but drink in 4th tier cities. Sad really, I know.
For other nights get a VPN and immerse yourself in Hulu/youtube/facebook.
Being living in a 4th tier city from 2006 to 2010. Had my best time in China. 1 coffee shop, 1 decent supermarket, 1 decent bar, 1 McD to cure the chemical hunger after the bar (when it wasn't super spicy chinese food, depending on the alcool level). All what you need. Few cars on the road, friendly locals (as long as you do not do the mistake of becoming too much their friend), few foreigners, loads of curious girls (and curiosity......kill the cat). Lot of fun.
Forgot to add: MANDATORY learn to speak at least some basic chinese. It makes day and night difference.
Drink alone. Wait ... no ... I meant to say:
Learn Chinese
Play the guitar.
Take online courses.
Excercise a lot.
Not sure whether to answer this one as I don't know what tier my city is. Is there lower than 4th?
Never really stayed in a 4th tier city, but I can think up a few things for you to have fun. Read a book, go take a walk outside, play chess, go fishing eat hot soup!
happywanderer:
Eat hot soup? Is that advice from someone younger than 80?
Get a lot of haircuts, even if you are bald.
TedDBayer:
Wish I knew. Someone should write a list and location of all the barber shops. I read BJ has 5000, but I never saw one.
An internet connection becomes all important, as does a good VPN.
Honestly, I'd take up some kind of study. A distance diploma/masters if you want to to take it seriously or a hobby course off coursera or edx or such if you don 't.
Or write a book.