https://www.steamgifts.com/discussion/KNjTF/free-vpn-tunnelbear-and-windscribe
BAMP, but I don't know if Windscribe still offers free 50 GB
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Several free VPNs don't work in China. Do you know if these do?
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I just set up Tunnelbear and Windscribe with the 50GB free. I guess I'll have a chance to test them out over there in a few days either way. Thank you!
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Got no answer, but I wish afford a lifetime VPN if I could.
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Shrink everything so you can make it fit into your bag(s)!
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Well say goodbye to your health. Make sure to get a air population app to monitor the air quality (global air quality monitoring & pollution forecast), avoid staying outside/ wear a mask when its high. You will see how bad it is when it rains. The rain/fog will be black/gray as all the pollutants stick to the rain. I recommend torguard for vpn. Make sure to get and download the vpn client before going to china since when your in china they also block all the vpn sites. You can pretty much buy everything in China. Everything is cheap if you the knockoff brands (just don't expect them to last), but any real brand name stuff will cost a lot more because of import taxes. So only pack the things that can't be easily replaced. Have been to most major Chinese cities including Beijing.
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That rain sounds horrific. Thank you.
I will need to get one of the apps for sure. I'm planning to get a home purifier, and have about 34 3M 1860 masks, 15 3M 8502 masks, two Vogmasks, and a 3M 7502 with those goofy pink filters. (I'm planning for the long haul and don't want junky fake masks)
Also, I have four VPN services now that came from bundles or free year subscriptions, along with the Opera Developer browser that has a VPN. I'm hoping that one of them will work well enough to access a paid VPN service while there, if I need to not be a cheapass. Does this sound like a plausible enough plan? The VPNs are Okay Freedom, CyberGhost (think it's blocked there), SoftEther, and Speedify. I did see Torguard and will look into that more.
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Or you could wear this...
I'm curious to hear your first impression when you get there. Sorry, I can't give you any advice cause I've never been to Asia.
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I climbed Mt. Fuji in one of those! Little kids asked me for milk.
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Hey, this might be pushing it, but would you think that a working Blueair Classic 503 at 600 RMB would be a good deal? Someone is moving away and selling it off. I don't know anything about different brands.
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I never used free vpn before in china, only used paid ones like torguard and private internet access. I tried free vpn in the states and they are unreliable and super slow hence why I used paid ones. They run 50% off sale all the time costing only around $30 a year. Money well spent as they are fast and reliable. Can't really comment about in-home air purifier since the multiple times I stay in China the longest being 3 months doesn't justify me buying one. Are you moving there on your own or is it a business assignment? If its the latter I'm sure your colleagues over there could help you with that. If its on your own then google is your friend. Just got to do the research.
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I don't know any VPN since 10 years.
I assume you need vpn to lift the internet restriction china has?
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VPN if you want Facebook or Twitter access. Or even Google and Gmail. Not having Google is such a pain ... the other options, like Yahoo and Baidu are just terrible. You will literally have to move off of Gmail if that's your primary email account.
Also, do your lungs a favor and buy a good air purifier ... maybe two. I'm not kidding. This is THE most important purchase you'll make in Beijing.
Add me if you have any other questions.
EDIT: And change your store to China. Cheaper prices!
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I'm going to be checking out air purifiers very shortly after I arrive there. And I've also been concerned by Gmail access, as it is my primary account. I'm up to 6 VPNs set up now to hope at least one works!
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Cost of air purifiers is about twice what you'd pay in the US. You may be able to find better prices on used air purifiers that are sold via expat forums. I used to have IQAir (best, but probably doesn't justify the premium) and BlueAir.
I had bought a couple that were only 3-6 months old because people were leaving the country, and the price was much better than purchasing new ... and only slightly higher than second (or third) hand machines that were 2-3 years old. Make sure you get the receipts. And keep in mind that replacing the filters will add to the cost, so factor that into your comparative calculation.
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What would be relevant expat forums? I was actually looking for some. Only found Facebook expat groups, but mostly just a bunch of apartment rental ads.
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I don't know for Beijing ... it's been too long. For Shanghai there is shanghaiexpat.com. Don't know if there is a Beijing variant. Could still be worth registering there for broader China queries you have, and there may be those there who know of Beijing-oriented forums.
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I have no advice, but wish you safe travels and good luck in your new home :)
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Anything you want, including PC parts, can be bought at the same price or cheaper, only difference is luxury items that suffer from really heavy import taxes. VPN, I've been using ExpressVPN as it's the most reliable, Speedify was good for gaming but depends on the telecom company you will use. Go with an open mind, don't let yourself get trapped and become one of the laowhiners who hate China but stay here purely for the money, there is always stuff to enjoy just realise many of the small things you take for granted (manners, social patterns, food safety) might be a bit different or missing entirely.
Have fun!
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For Speedify, would you say just regular web browsing and maybe Youtube videos (720p or less is fine) would be fine? I don't think I've really ever played much of anything online, weirdly.
I packed up my entire mobo and PC except for the case and the PSU. Will just find stuff there, and I've heard there is a big electronics area in Zhongguancun, where I'll be working.
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Yeah usually it's fine for general browsing, although still a touch slower than express. It's mostly good for fixing packet loss issues.
Cool cool cool, if it's a bit pricey just go on JD/taobao once you get a Chinese bank account set up. They have great returns policies for the most part so don;t have to be too weary about the sellers sending fakes.
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eh eh you will stay better in China so ;)
Except the weather, in Beijing is not good, too many sand storms from the Gobi desert :(
I'm an expat in Shanghai, here the weather is much better, but the city is more expensive than Beijing.
And don't care too much about negative stereotypes about China, most of them are not true...
Enjoy your new life in China! lol
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As a Chinese who had been in mainland, I'd say good luck. =s
Honestly I'd rather live somewhere else.
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I can see that. I've heard a lot of negative stereotypes. I've lived in a lot of its neighbors, but I never really went to China, except for Hong Kong and Macau (and Taiwan, depending on who you ask) so it seems like the next thing to check out. Did you visit Beijing?
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I used to roll clothes kind of like that, but I think I never did it right. I got lazy and just use vacuum seal bags now. Looking forward to the night market food too.
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Good luck! Some tips I can think of at the moment: try not to drive vehicles in the city if you can avoid it (if you value your sanity). Bring a portable drive with essential portable applications with you there (even basic apps many take for granted, like internet browsers, are hard to find, at least legitimate non-sabotaged ones). Be accustomed to carrying cash and bargaining. Have a lot of backup VPN plans because they'll be much more difficult to arrange there. Be mindful of how your water and electric utilities, setup might be different than what you are used to (ex. Limited water supply, heating/cooling, etc). Familiarize yourself with public transportation. Be wary of scams in-person or otherwise (such as shady taxi cabs, travel offers, and threatening phone calls).
IMPORTANT: BE CAREFUL WHEN CROSSING THE STREET!
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I'm up to 6 VPNs now! I'm thinking I can use at least one of them and jump ship to a paid VPN if something goes wrong.
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If you can afford it (or have your employer pay for it) - keep your current mobile provider and use data roaming in China. No need for VPN this way. At least that's how it was when I visited Beijing last month.
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I have been using PureVPN, not sure how well it works in China.
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Good luck there! I've never been to China yet, but have a bump!
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Good luck with the move, I have no advice to give sadly.
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I just can't fit anything else in my bag.
Vp77X
Any advice about Beijing and VPN usage there is very welcome. Good, or bad.
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