Comments on: Preparing for winter

By: Tanya

Tanya — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 10:59:14 +0000

OMG, take good care, man.
miss ya~
happy new year and hope u all fine!

By: windy

windy — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 13:47:34 +0000

BTW, I don’t know how much your payment is for the apartment, but you’d better find a better one,because the floor in the pic is too bad. and you can rent another one with aircondition.

good luck~

By: windy

windy — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 13:37:45 +0000

hello~Justin

You live in my city and study in my Colleage

You said you picked a plain apartment near the school, which school are you learning in, the North one in downtown or the one in Qianhu?

It will be rainy and much colder in the coming days.
Happy new year and take care

My msn: [removed for privacy]

By: Sylvia

Sylvia — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 21:00:18 +0000

Hi, Justin. This is Sylvia from TUT. I know most of citied in the south of China don’t own heating, you must have faced a lot of difficulties in Nanchang. I suggest you sell this heater, and buy a larger one.
Merry Christmas!! Good luck!!

By: Justin

Justin — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 05:31:04 +0000

Thanks Warwick. And thanks everyone for posting. I suppose I should say that the apartment is much better now. The weather has become a bit warmer (making a huge difference) and I’ve also adjusted. Compared to my memories of Canada, it feels like the temperature changes more rapidly in both Tianjin and China—particularly when the seasons change. One minute you’re dying from heat, and then you’re colder than you ever expected. This change in temperature gives a person the feeling it is much colder than it is. These days I think I tend to wear more clothes than a lot of Chinese people.

Actually, I don’t think Nanchang is a bad city. I think it’s an interesting city that doesn’t get enough credit. The growth here is phenomenal and it’s effects are more visible to me than when I was in Tianjin. The worst comments I’ve heard about Nanchang come from a few Chinese who are not local people.

Yes, I picked a plain apartment near my school, but that was also my choice. By putting the heater at 1/2 power, I can dry my clothes and keep my room a bit warmer. It also saves me from paying a higher rent at one of the much nicer apartments, which are usually too far from the school to be convenient. There’s a very big (and rising) middle class here and there are always new companies opening to service them. Farmers, of course, have no need for gym memberships, but there are plenty of gyms around—more than I remember in Tianjn. As I continue to learn Mandarin, I can also dispel some of the stereotypes that plague most of us foreigners.

And if anything is for certain, Nanchang will change in the next year. And the year after that. Since 2004 I’ve heard that Nanchang has changed dramatically. From ‘wooden shacks’ along Shanghai Road (next to NanDa), to a modern university shopping district. That may have been before I arrived here, but I’ve seen the changes underway at the train station. That station is going to change the first impressions of a lot of people who come to Nanchang—both foreign and Chinese.

Although it seems to surprise some people, I really do like Nanchang city.

By: warwick

warwick — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 04:58:57 +0000

Hey man, go to the 旧货市场 its just near the turning circle of Jiangxi Normal Uni, just grab a cab and tell the driver the name. You should be able to pick up many types of heaters, many are second hand and have been fixed up – i never had safety issues with things i bought there (including an airconditioner 300yuan, heater like yours 100yuan (not 330!! dems department store prices!) fans etc) when you’re haggling (keyword!) make sure you get them to give you a warrenty of sorts (usually if theres a problem in two weeks you can take it back and swap it over). Good luck, i lived in nanchang in 98, 2001 and 2003-04 and its trying at times but one of the funkier cities in China, you’re in the right place.

warwick

By: Lev Uchitel

Lev Uchitel — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 17:30:30 +0000

Hey Bud totally agree with you Its damned cold in the south with out heating there and I have been to Southern parts in the winter My good advise as usual:-)
1) Find some ceramic tiles or blocks to put under the heater to move away from the floor.
2) Try to seal the windows with something .
Don’t pay attention to some of the patriotic advices they are good when you are worm.

By: nanchanglife

nanchanglife — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:49:12 +0000

Having suffered more than my fair share of Nanchang winters I can completely sympathise. I have a radiator (similar to yours) and I’ve used it for years without a problem so i think you were just unlucky there. Adele makes some valid points (though her tone could be a bit less aggressive!) but as you’re a foreign student I doubt you have 1000RMB to rent an apartment in the city centre, and the price she quotes is way off, for an apartment with central heating you’d need to pay much much more – 1000 yuan would certainly get you a place with air-con but you’d have to pay the electricity bill!
The general rule is anywhere south of the Yangtze is warm so doesn’t need central heating! Ridiculous!

By: ADELE

ADELE — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 03:45:08 +0000

U JUST STAY IN THE CLASS AND YOUR APARTMENT WHICH DON’T HAVE HEATING. U DON’T KNOW MOST OF NANCHANG BUILDINGS HAVE HEATINGS, JUST BECAUCE YOU HAVEN’T BEEN THERE. IF YOU CAN PAY 1000RMB PER MONTH FOR RENTING AN APARTMENG IN CITY CENTRE, THINGS ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT. U MADE SOME JUDGEMENT JUST BECAUSE U R SHORT-SIGHTED