Vaping in China? Well i'm here now so changed the title!

[digicig]

Me at work - trying to demonstrate the concept of 2 socks = a.... to elicit the word pair - for pair work later





Yes i can use chopsticks-ish


View from my classroom


LED's make a block of flats so much cooler at night

[digicig]

Price of a 80g bar of 60% Dark chocolate 9rmb so 160g = 18rmb (roughly £1.80)
Price of 20 marlboro = 15rmb (roughly £1.50)

So cheaper to die of cancer than get fat in China
BTW £1 = roughly 10rmb

The chocolates 'imported' - the government owns ALL the tobacco companies

Also probably helps explain why i'm the only vaper i've seen so far over here - even at 100rmb for a piece of kit that would cost 250-300rmb in the UK that's 200 of the cheapest fags

[minime]

How's it going over there are you enjoying it mate.

[gill2009]

Loving the piccies digicig 

*mother mode...you're too thin*

[digicig]

Certainly different - and get vague 'celebrity' status as one of only six westerner's (and the only barefoot one) in a city of 3 million LoL
Random folk shouting 'Hello' - possibly the only word of English they know! Miming and Advanced Charades and looking befuddled but smiling sweetly are my main forms of communication at the mo though. Interesting way of getting a replacement power lead for me laptop

Have been offered some Saturday work - which almost doubles me wages - and would include visiting some cool places like Wudan shan - the birthplace of tai Chi. so someplace i'd wanted to go, with free transport, getting paid for the privilege, and with an interpreter thrown in

I'm too lazy to get fat Gill - it takes less effort to do moderate exercise and eat satisficiently, then it does to lug around excess weight

[digicig]

Teaching English as a Foreign Language can be tough - all to easy for the students to feign indifference or lack of understanding - and their motivation to study English at all is questionable when it is a compulsory, and to them pointless, part of their course. Unless they live, or plan on living in Beijing, Shanghai or Shenzhen, where English is considered useful, most Chinese students will probably rarely, if ever, need or get the chance to use it.

But every now and again, you get a class that, although maybe not the best, appreciate your efforts

Here's to my 2nd class on Moday's - Happy to be there

[gill2009]

Lovely, happy young people.

You are doing a great job digicig...& they will love you to bits 

[digicig]

One of the most overused words in China - 'Authentic' - "You keep using that word - I do not think it means what you think it means!" springs to mind

Trying to buy ecig kit in China is definitely trickier than one would expect. Shenzhen is a 'Special Economic Zone', which gives it certain 'privileges' in trading with the West, whilst not being easy to send internally in China. So despite being the Ecig manufacturing 'Centre of the World' - that is except for China - as most companies don't or can't deliver to mainland China.

So instead of buying directly from manufacturers - which is difficult anyway when you don't meet the minimum order requirement - i gave to use sites like taobao.com (here's an example of 18650's) - so bit of a 'language barrier' to hurdle as well. And price point is absolutely no guarantee of 'authenticity' either

My first Ecig related purchase was for some PG - to dilute the 30mg pre-mixed DIY juice i brought with me - advertised as USP (US equivalent of BP). Paid a higher price assuming 'authenticity' - but although it tasted OK, seems to gunk up coils at least twice as fast as the BP PG back home.

Latest purchase a Footoon Aqua Fx - went for the mid priced option (pics of the manual and engraving looking good) - but apparently a 'clone' due to the included 3ml SS tank and installed 1.2 Ohm coil. OK, apparently as tis designed in Korea and assembled in China, the majority of the 'clones' are made in the same Chinese factory, but still....

Price point should be a good indicator, but as so much of our consumer goods are made here, there are many bargains (often genuine reductions), and 'seconds' available, that even that is disputable. Same goes for ordinary things, like my new 'authentic' 'Jack Wolfskin' 50L rucksack, 'Lexus' golf umbrella, and almost anything 'Samsung' - but generally well priced and well made, and more importantly, i'm not inhaling them!

[digicig]

BTW - Chinese food is a tad different over her If you go out for a meal with folk for starters - anything ordered is for everyone to share - tables often being of the 'Lazy Susan' variety. So no sooner have you found a dish you like then it's disappeared out of reach. I never realised how territorial i was about my food, until eating in company here. I like having my chosen dish/es and 'portion' and it being MINE! (i seem to remember stabbing me older brother with me fork for 'trespassing' on me plate once )When eating out here, it's very easy to loose track of how much you've eaten, and most 'guests' seen to eat until either food runs out, or more likely, stuffed. The amount of left overs is also a tad disconcerting at times - though it does generally go to feeding the pigs. The Chinese also MUST have freshly cooked food! OK in the summer makes sense, otherwise food poisoning would be rife, but otherwise...

The food also tends to be, what me Ma would term 'Fussy Food' - with bones etc still attached - especially with fish. The flavour might be great, and i can use chopsticks, but gnawing at a bit of bone, to get a morsel of meat, seems far too much effort - as if i'm using up more calories to eat it than i'm gaining LoL

I've only had or seen chicken breast as an option in one restaurant so far, a Vietnamese place, that has subsequently shut or moved. Even in shops and markets the only chicken breast i've found is frozen, but cheap enough, so has become my staple. Me Ma also has been sending me 'Care Packages' of Coffee (Nescafe £5+ for 100g here) and herbs, spices and stock cube (Bless Her) - which ha allowed me to make the most of the supplied slow cooker for stews through the cold months thus far Again my Chinese friends and students are somewhat appalled by me cooking and then reheating the stew for the next few days LoL

[nanotm]

reading the news it seems like china is preparing to outlaw vaping due to the impact on cig sales and the losses of state taxation (non nonsense about health protection) apparently the state tobacco corporation is loosing to much ground and its the grease that keeps wheels turning .....

I don't envy you if that situation comes to fruition in the coming months, chances are they will go with the hard-line head off penalties for vapers to discourage non compliance with the state goal of self funding through fags .....

[digicig]

nanotm
ALL the tobacco companies are owned by the Government, they reckon 50% of males smoke and no state funded health care - so makes a kind of sick sense

Thing is though, i'm still the only vaper i'm seen in China - and vaping is seen as a 1st step to quitting not as a 'lifestyle choice' - a pack of 20 Marlboro is around the equivalent of £1.50 so paying even £30 for some decent kit, just isn't that attractive - let alone £8 for 30ml of 'decent' juice.

Nobody has. or probably would, bat an eye at my vaping tbh - whilst being a westerner here does have disadvantages to be sure (language and Laowai tax) we are allowed our 'eccentricities' - which is almost anything non-Chinese

[gill2009]

I love your updates digicig...please keep them coming...so interesting 

[car147]

Great to hear of your experiences and how life is in China, interesting insight into vaping over there.

Cheers

[digicig]

Some more pics: China's fast train, the 'Ice Kingdom' - huge themed 'meat loker' with the kids class, change in seasonal attire and with 'Bob' .







i1303.photobucket.com/albums/ag145/VivaVaping/20160101_145228_zpsu8izmawq.jpg

[digicig]

I should have mentioned temperature - whilst in general the temperature here is now pretty similar to the UK - Xianning definitely has four seasons! I went from the Shorts and t-shirt to long trousers and slippers in about 10 days here - just switched! Also there is pretty little heating. The basic 'heating' is provided by the Air conditioner unit - in the 2 bedrooms only, and inn the 'wet room' by heat lamps - and that's it. The A/C basically takes the edge off even at max temp so still in outside gear inside - though swap me coat for a very thick dressing gown i purchased for the purpose.

As for classrooms - In the UK i think it's 'illegal' for a classroom to be below 16 degrees C for a prolonged period - here tis 2 degrees outside, no heating in the buildings, and i walk in at 8am to find the windows open! wearing full thermal gear, including hats, scarves and gloves whilst teaching is a necessity! How the students, who are generally awoken by the campus PA at around 6.30, and whose dorms possibly don't even have the barely adequate A/C, 'survive', let only manage to concentrate is amazing! But lets just say they've at least learned that falling asleep in my lessons will more than likely lead to a 'rude awakening' - the foreign teacher shouting 'BOO!' loudly in ones ears can be a distinct discouragement for such behaviour! In the Summer i'm sure it will be the extreme opposite as temperatures can hit 40 here apparently