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anonymous
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Q: Things to bring from home when living in China?

12 years 19 weeks ago in  Business & Jobs - China

 
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Posts: 1076

Emperor

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There are a few items which are important to have here in my opinion which are extremely difficult to find.

1.  Clothes - if you are of a smaller stature, you won't have much trouble buying these, but if you take a western "large", good luck trying to find something.  Also many of the clothes you can buy here are of poor quality and may last only a few months before they start unravelling at the seams.

2.  Shoes - same comments as above.  If you need anything larger than a US size 10 or Euro size 43-44 (for men - not sure on women's shoes) it can be difficult to find.

3.  Deodorant - almost non-existant here.  You can sometimes find spray deodorant (which isn't good) or roll-on (which I hate, but better than nothing).  Stick deodorant is extremely difficult to find if at all (for men and women).

4. Medications - especially if you require prescription meds!  Tell your doctor that you will be in China for a while and to give you a script for a year supply.  They will do it unless it's something like vicodin or other narcotics.  Many medications are available here (and their cheaper local counterparts), but some of them require a prescription from a doctor in China.

5.  For women - TAMPONS.  Extremely difficult to find except for certain shops that sell imported goods and usually only in bigger cities, but even those only carry 1 or 2 brands and it's not a guarantee that they will be in stock when you need them.  Pads are available everywhere.

6.  Baby goods - if you have a baby or small children, be sure to take a healthy stock of products you may need (especially formula).

7.  First aid kit - some things are strangely difficult to find, like good quality band-aids, antiseptic ointment, bug repellent (there are local brands, but they aren't very good) and other things like that.

Other than that, also bring some things you feel you can't live without like snacks, kitchen spices (some things are very difficult to find here, like dill weed), coffee, etc.

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12 years 19 weeks ago
 
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Governor

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These are good suggestions. It is also a good idea to bring the address where you will be staying written in Chinese.

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12 years 19 weeks ago
 
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skin care products (lotion, soap, shampoo, arm deodorant), toothpaste , mouthwash, condoms , lube (seriously the stuff here will give you a bad rash) oh wait pointing out this fact makes me a racist

nevermind:

You're best to figure out a good, local condom solution....

12 years 19 weeks ago
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12 years 19 weeks ago
 
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Mainly, bring a great sense of humor and a lot of patience. All that physical stuff listed above is mere window dressing.

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12 years 19 weeks ago
 
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Up to date vaccinations, and enough money to get back home if you need to... as well as enough cash to tie you over for your first couple of months here if you're coming for a job. Remember, you won't get paid for a month, and you are expected to pay up 3 months rent, plus the deposit, before you move in. (fortunately, no gas, electricy, water deposits... but you will need to sort out internet).

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12 years 19 weeks ago
 
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Governor

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I am English 6 foot few extra lbs size 46/47 shoe depending never had a problem buy all my clothes on line always find my  size

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12 years 19 weeks ago
 
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My parents thought I was crazy when I bought a bunch of bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, etc. because my suitcases would be heavy. Hey, I'm not regretting it. Besides, my suitcases will be lighter and more empty on the way home. I like to use natural products, my favorite brand is Burt's Bees, and I knew there was no way I'd find anything like that in China. Considering that some research says that what you put on your skin can get absorbed as much as if you ate it, I'm a little careful of what I use. Ok, I forgot another bottle of body wash, so I will run out. The only thing I would change is that maybe I brought too much clothing.

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12 years 19 weeks ago
 
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