Originally posted by TheGR8TESTOAT
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I live in East China, about 2-3 hours by bus from Shanghai. It's a smallish city (by China standards) with no train station, but it's a decent place to be, without a lot of hustle and bustle; clean streets; nice people; etc. Not at all like the stereotypes suggest. But of course, China is slightly larger than the US--and is certainly less developed, obviously--but there are pockets where it is rather not bad off at all.
China's not so expensive. Big western hotels charge more, but are cheaper compared to the US or other countries. I book hotels on C-Trip usually, and I usually go for cheapish options. C-Trip is useful because a lot of Chinese hotels don't accept foreigners (it has to do with regulations, they have to be registered to accept foreigners) but if you browse the listings on the English version of C-Trip all the hotels accept foreigners. But staying at a Western hotel, you won't have any such problems, and there are good things involved, like concierge service; and staff that is guaranteed to speak English very well.
In general, things are well cheaper than what you are used to in the US. The main exception is that some commodities are more expensive--and I think it is because these are world-wide traded goods, and it may relate to the devalued Chinese currency. But if you are bringing dollars and converting them to Chinese (as opposed to getting paid in RMB), that too is to you advantage.
China isn't hard to get around as an English speaker. In particular in the big cities, there are many people that speak English. Where I'm at not so much--but if you are on the street in a big city and look slightly confused, there's a fair chance someone will come up to you and ask in English if you need help.
Another thing. Although there is no train station in my city, the high-speed train network is very well developed now and is a very convenient way to get around, and pretty quick. The airplanes are also efficient, and not extremely pricey.
I eat out all the time, and never had a problem. But as long as you aren't going to the cheapest restaurants, you should be fine (I often go to the cheapest ones). There are some slightly expensive (though not compared to the US) restaurants, which should be no problem, and have really good food (though it can be hard to read the menu in many cases).
As far as girls, in Chinese hotels, you often get business cards for girls slid under your door, hah. I stayed the night in Shenzhen once at a Chinese hotel. I called for help to fix my TV. The guy came around to fix it, and asked if I needed a girl, lol. Perhaps I did oblige him .
Another time I was staying in Shanghai at a Western hotel on my company's expense. There was a guy outside, trying to send me to a girl's club. I said I don't really want to go to such a club, but maybe I can bring a girl here? What'll that cost me?
In the end I turned it down because I had a bus leaving at 6am in the morning, but there were other guys on the wings awaiting their own arrivals, hah.
My apartment is in front of an ally way lined with little rooms, with girls plying their trade day and night. There are spas and massage parlors with happy endings all over.
It's China, and no one really gives a ****. But it can be hard to find, if you don't know what you should be looking for or don't have any background.
I have a Chinese girlfriend now, though.
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