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The Great Autismo!
Mar 3, 2007

by Fluffdaddy
You can get a fast train from Qingdao to Tianjin in like four hours, I took it in 2012. Food for thought...

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a7m2
Jul 9, 2012


i feel for you money ball

angel opportunity
Sep 7, 2004

Total Eclipse of the Heart
goon condolences

Moneyball
Jul 11, 2005

It's a problem you think we need to explain ourselves.
I'm rlarivee01 on WeChat for anyone that wants to offer advice or send pictures of their junk. And by that, I mean if you literally own a junk boat and are proud of it, I'd like to see.

fart simpson
Jul 2, 2005

DEATH TO AMERICA
:xickos:

What the heck

fart simpson
Jul 2, 2005

DEATH TO AMERICA
:xickos:

Magna Kaser posted:

Wait what? Do Chinese girls not have sex or something? Have I actually been in Japan this whole time!!!!!

It's a well known thing that nobody has sex in China

caberham
Mar 18, 2009

by Smythe
Grimey Drawer

fart simpson posted:

It's a well known thing that nobody has sex in China

Well if it ever happens you will get aids

Fall Sick and Die
Nov 22, 2003
I feel bad for ribbing you Moneyball. Rather than taking a fast train to Tianjin, why not just stay in Qingdao with me? I'm outside your window right now watching you crying/masturbating to the massage fliers that someone slipped under the door of your hotel room. I like your lisp as you talk to yourself, "Ninteen yearth old and never touched a puthy"

angel opportunity
Sep 7, 2004

Total Eclipse of the Heart
you guys are just being really cruel for no reason at all

Fall Sick and Die
Nov 22, 2003
This cruelty is the functional equivalent of a vaccination against a disease whose symptoms include flying to the other side of the world to engage in intercourse and thinking a girl you met on the internet is perfect

caberham
Mar 18, 2009

by Smythe
Grimey Drawer

angel opportunity posted:

you guys are just being really cruel for no reason at all

When the hotel owner/host takes you out for lunch and drinks, or getting into a cab makes you paranoid about getting robbed then you deserve to be poo poo on everyday

Moneyball
Jul 11, 2005

It's a problem you think we need to explain ourselves.
Hey I'll take all the hate. This is a forum and it happens. I just feel on my own on another planet here, so I guess my response is wild paranoia.

It's not just a random girl from the internet though. We went to school together. And actually talked before. :aaa:


I fully understand how much of a fool I am making myself out to be. Trying to move on- continue hazing.

E: Let's just end this derail. Thanks for the help and tough love.

Moneyball fucked around with this message at 17:35 on Sep 9, 2015

caberham
Mar 18, 2009

by Smythe
Grimey Drawer

Moneyball posted:

Hey I'll take all the hate. This is a forum and it happens. I just feel on my own on another planet here, so I guess my response is wild paranoia.

It's not just a random girl from the internet though. We went to school together. And actually talked before. :aaa:


I fully understand how much of a fool I am making myself out to be. Trying to move on- continue hazing.

Don't feel so bad. I actually know lots of goons who ended up in a similar situation, they just happened to had sex with girls :ohdear:

Blinkman987
Jul 10, 2008

Gender roles guilt me into being fat.
Uhhhh... I usually try to look at these situations and say "well, better to lose $X now in this lesson than $X+$Y later on in life" but it's kinda tough. I guess you'll never get fooled into uprooting your life to move somewhere with someone who sees you as a platonic friend?

This topic also reminded me that Beijing had the saddest prostitutes I had ever seen. I've seen some haggard women, but none who had to bear the burden of being a sex worker in a culture that criminalizes them AND wear surgical masks while standing on corners due to the poor air quality. Sad and counteproductive.

peanut
Sep 9, 2007


You should chill with GBM.
All the rest of y'all keep the trolling to the LAN thread.

Deep State of Mind
Jul 30, 2006

"It was a busy day. I do not remember it all. In the morning, I thought I had lost my wallet. Then we went swimming and either overthrew a government or started a pro-American radio station. I can't really remember."
Fun Shoe
FSAD has never joined us in the LAN thread.

And I guess you didn't get stabbed in Lijiang? Good job.

Blinkman987
Jul 10, 2008

Gender roles guilt me into being fat.
I never had issues getting cabs in Beijing, but a few people warned me that it's a nightmare to get cabs during rush hour. I guess I'm just the luckiest? My flight takes off at 9:00 PM so really, I have to be back at 7:00-7:30. That means picking up a cab at 6 PM if I'm around Temple of Heaven. I read that Beijing Uber drivers call the user's phone to verify location, which is worthless for me since I won't have a local number. Any recommendations? Is going to the nicest (Western-branded) hotel in the area and asking for help with cab service still the best trick?

SB35
Jul 6, 2007
Move along folks, nothing to see here.

Dude, take the fast train to Tianjin and hangout with gbm! Maybe he'll even introduce you to some girls who will be totally impressed with your white skin and ability to say Ni hao!

Seriously, don't mope around. Go have a good time!

Aredna
Mar 17, 2007
Nap Ghost
I'm going to be visiting family in Lanzhou from the 18th-23th of September.

I have my visa (10 yr L), hotel (Lanzhou Sapphire Hotel), and plane (China Eastern - return leg already hosed) booked and good to go.

Probably missed some things skimming OP. Feel free to yell at me if so.

* Anyone have recommendations on things to do around the city during the day or at night?
* Anything that I should definitely see or avoid?
* I'll probably be alone some evenings - are there any bars known for people that can speak even broken English (or Japanese)?
* The How to Order Chinese Food site seems to be down. Anything else available?
* Is there a list of basic words I can use to learn before coming? Basic hello, thank you, taxi, numbers (for money), left, right, etc.
* Does the Pleco dictionary work offline?
* Can I rent a pocket WiFi? I'll have a 3ish hour layover in Shanghai so I can pick it up there if that will be easier than in the Lanzhou airport.

My WeChat ID is aredna99 so you all can make fun of me in group chat. I promise I won't wear my headband on this trip.

Ailumao
Nov 4, 2004

Aredna posted:

I'm going to be visiting family in Lanzhou from the 18th-23th of September.

I have my visa (10 yr L), hotel (Lanzhou Sapphire Hotel), and plane (China Eastern - return leg already hosed) booked and good to go.

Probably missed some things skimming OP. Feel free to yell at me if so.

* Anyone have recommendations on things to do around the city during the day or at night?
* Anything that I should definitely see or avoid?
* I'll probably be alone some evenings - are there any bars known for people that can speak even broken English (or Japanese)?
* The How to Order Chinese Food site seems to be down. Anything else available?
* Is there a list of basic words I can use to learn before coming? Basic hello, thank you, taxi, numbers (for money), left, right, etc.
* Does the Pleco dictionary work offline?
* Can I rent a pocket WiFi? I'll have a 3ish hour layover in Shanghai so I can pick it up there if that will be easier than in the Lanzhou airport.

My WeChat ID is aredna99 so you all can make fun of me in group chat. I promise I won't wear my headband on this trip.

- There are probably a few bars and stuff but it's not a very hopping place.
- Lanzhou is pretty close to Dunhuang which is cool, there are also some cool things to see a ways south in Sichuan and Qinghai.
- Google this I guess. I was in Lanzhou like 5 years ago so things are probably different.
- Dunno!
- Learn a few dishes, stuff like how to count and denominations of things since it's a little different in Chinese.
- Pleco works 100% offline last I checked
- You can but you shouldn't, if it works in Lanzhou it'll run out of cash really fast since you'll be roaming and you won't be able to top up easily in Lanzhou. Cell service in China is all regional.

simplefish
Mar 28, 2011

So long, and thanks for all the fish gallbladdΣrs!


caberham posted:

When the hotel owner/host takes you out for lunch and drinks, or getting into a cab makes you paranoid about getting robbed then you deserve to be poo poo on everyday

I disagree. Not taking everyone you don't know at face value is a Good Thing. But refusing new experiences because of it is a Bad Thing. I never let my passport off me on holiday, that's juat common sense. At some point sure you have to leave a bag in your room or whatever but while I don't care if you steal my dirty socks, I'm not gonna take wodges of cash or expensive eelectronics abroad because I KNOW I can't reasonably keep them on me.

Basically don't take anything travelling that you can't afford to lose, and things you can't afford not to take are also things you can't afford to leave behind in your hotel room. I'm not saying be a dick and turn down local invites.

Being cautious is good good good. But if you have that much to lose you shouldn't be travelling with it. I mean sure there's always kidney theft but they can gently caress you up even in your hotel room, may as well go out and get pissed with the host beforehand.

caberham
Mar 18, 2009

by Smythe
Grimey Drawer
If you don't want to go to random invitations, that's fine as well. But don't think of random scenarios of how people will shoot stab rob steal from you and go all :tinfoil:

socketwrencher
Apr 10, 2012

Be still and know.
Any suggestions for cool, off-the-beaten path places not too far (1-2 hours) from Shanghai and Beijing? Perhaps Hangzhou?


Also, I understand that I need to show hotel reservations when applying for a visa. Does my name have to be on the email confirmation from the hotel? Thanks.

socketwrencher fucked around with this message at 18:13 on Sep 10, 2015

caberham
Mar 18, 2009

by Smythe
Grimey Drawer
Make a booking through Sheraton, you can easily cancel the reservation after you have shown proof

As for things to do, I'm biased towards Hangzhou and see some tea fields there. But parts of Suzhou is still fun to see with winding canals

socketwrencher
Apr 10, 2012

Be still and know.

caberham posted:

Make a booking through Sheraton, you can easily cancel the reservation after you have shown proof

As for things to do, I'm biased towards Hangzhou and see some tea fields there. But parts of Suzhou is still fun to see with winding canals

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll look into Hangzhou and Suzhou.

Ceciltron
Jan 11, 2007

Text BEEP to 43527 for the dancing robot!
Pillbug
Suzhou has some neat museums and gardens. Iirc, the scholar's garden and a Taiping era villa are on the street near another museum that has some neat artifacts and modern art.

socketwrencher
Apr 10, 2012

Be still and know.

Ceciltron posted:

Suzhou has some neat museums and gardens. Iirc, the scholar's garden and a Taiping era villa are on the street near another museum that has some neat artifacts and modern art.

Sounds great, thanks for the feedback. It'll be nice to get away (somewhat) from the madding crowd.

Ailumao
Nov 4, 2004

socketwrencher posted:

Sounds great, thanks for the feedback. It'll be nice to get away (somewhat) from the madding crowd.

Hangzhou is p much nothing but a maddening crowd if it's a nice day.

Daduzi
Nov 22, 2005

You can't hide from the Grim Reaper. Especially when he's got a gun.
Wuzhen or Zhujiajiao are cool little water towns near Beijing (Zhujiajiao is closer but correspondingly more busy).

Near Beijing there's Chengde. There's an old Qing-era summer palace complex there which is pretty stunning.

socketwrencher
Apr 10, 2012

Be still and know.

Magna Kaser posted:

Hangzhou is p much nothing but a maddening crowd if it's a nice day.


Yeah I suppose any place of interest will draw crowds. I'll be going in early November, maybe being off-season will help a bit. Cheers.


Daduzi posted:

Wuzhen or Zhujiajiao are cool little water towns near Beijing (Zhujiajiao is closer but correspondingly more busy).

Near Beijing there's Chengde. There's an old Qing-era summer palace complex there which is pretty stunning.

Thanks, these sound great. One of the people I'm going with mentioned Liugou for their famous tofu.

Ailumao
Nov 4, 2004

socketwrencher posted:

Yeah I suppose any place of interest will draw crowds. I'll be going in early November, maybe being off-season will help a bit. Cheers.


It will! I would say Late Oct/Nov or early March is the best time to visit.

I lived in Hangzhou for 2 years and still have nightmares about not being able to get anywhere ever because the CBD of a several million person city was right next to China's biggest domestic tourist attraction through a masterwork of urban planning.

HZ is nice besides the crowds, Nov shouldn't be very chilly yet (8-12 or so), and west lake will still be there. I suggest maybe trying to hit up Huangshan which is a bit of a ways from HZ but really nice and wouldn't be crowded at all that time of year.

Jeek
Feb 15, 2012
What about Hangzhou + Shanghai? Would 5 days be enough for both places?

socketwrencher
Apr 10, 2012

Be still and know.

Magna Kaser posted:

It will! I would say Late Oct/Nov or early March is the best time to visit.

I lived in Hangzhou for 2 years and still have nightmares about not being able to get anywhere ever because the CBD of a several million person city was right next to China's biggest domestic tourist attraction through a masterwork of urban planning.

HZ is nice besides the crowds, Nov shouldn't be very chilly yet (8-12 or so), and west lake will still be there. I suggest maybe trying to hit up Huangshan which is a bit of a ways from HZ but really nice and wouldn't be crowded at all that time of year.

Hangzhou is definitely in the cards. I'd love to got to Huangshan but not sure if there'll be enough time.

socketwrencher
Apr 10, 2012

Be still and know.
I like to travel light. Is it easy to find same day wash-and-dry places?

Also, about 25% of the people I know who've been to China recently had the ol' diarrhea issues. They only drank bottled water and drinks but food seems like a crap shoot. Any inside tips?

Waci
May 30, 2011

A boy and his dog.
Bring Imodium.

socketwrencher
Apr 10, 2012

Be still and know.

Waci posted:

Bring Imodium.

Will do- thanks.

kenner116
May 15, 2009

socketwrencher posted:

Also, about 25% of the people I know who've been to China recently had the ol' diarrhea issues. They only drank bottled water and drinks but food seems like a crap shoot. Any inside tips?

Stop worrying and learn to love the laduzi.

Ceciltron
Jan 11, 2007

Text BEEP to 43527 for the dancing robot!
Pillbug

socketwrencher posted:

I like to travel light. Is it easy to find same day wash-and-dry places?

Also, about 25% of the people I know who've been to China recently had the ol' diarrhea issues. They only drank bottled water and drinks but food seems like a crap shoot. Any inside tips?

I usually recommend bringing impodium, pepto bismol and oral rehydration salts. Travel like you expect to get food poisoning- bases are best covered, even if you don't use them.

VideoTapir
Oct 18, 2005

He'll tire eventually.

socketwrencher posted:

I like to travel light. Is it easy to find same day wash-and-dry places?

Also, about 25% of the people I know who've been to China recently had the ol' diarrhea issues. They only drank bottled water and drinks but food seems like a crap shoot. Any inside tips?

The simplest thing would just be to eat halal.

Street food: If you have seen with your own eyes that they're using clean oil AND you watch them cook the food right in front of you so you know it hasn't been sitting AND you know it's cooked adequately to kill bacteria, you can eat it fairly confident you're not gonna get sick.

VideoTapir fucked around with this message at 05:58 on Sep 13, 2015

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a7m2
Jul 9, 2012


VideoTapir posted:

Street food: If you have seen with your own eyes that they're using clean oil AND you watch them cook the food right in front of you so you know it hasn't been sitting AND you know it's cooked adequately to kill bacteria, you can eat it fairly confident you're not gonna get sick.

i've never done any of this and i've not been sick

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