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icyuen
Lurker
Joined: Nov 29, 2002
Posts: 29
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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 Posted:
Dec 27, 2002 - 05:19 PM |
 
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| Post subject: What products do expats miss most when living in Shanghai? |
I am wondering what products expats/foreigners miss most when liiving in Shanghai. For instance, I hear deodorant is something people to tell me to bring over. Is it hard to find in Shanghai?
Are there other products/services? I\'m asking in preparation of heading to Shanghai. Thanks.
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Wasabichez
PopStar
Joined: Dec 05, 2002
Posts: 1225
Location: Shanghai, China
Status: Offline
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Dec 27, 2002 - 05:22 PM |
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| Post subject: What products do expats miss most when living in Shanghai? |
Well, I have heard my guy friends ask about hair wax. They have mousse and gel but wax, if you do find it, is really pricey. Me....I don\'t use it in generous amounts, just a bit, so I can use a small container of it for a year plus. |
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Wasabichez
PopStar
Joined: Dec 05, 2002
Posts: 1225
Location: Shanghai, China
Status: Offline
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Dec 27, 2002 - 05:23 PM |
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| Post subject: What products do expats miss most when living in Shanghai? |
Oh yeah....and dental floss.
And the CoolAir (China version of AirWaves) )that they sell here are not as cool and refreshing as AirWaves.  |
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icyuen
Lurker
Joined: Nov 29, 2002
Posts: 29
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Dec 27, 2002 - 05:28 PM |
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| Post subject: What products do expats miss most when living in Shanghai? |
Thanks,
I take it these items would be great little gifts for expat friends living in Shanghai? 
Is cereal something worth bringing over? I hear that it\'s pretty expensive if it\'s imported.
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turtlespeed
Barker
Joined: June 04, 2002
Posts: 150
Location: USA for now
Status: Offline
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Dec 28, 2002 - 09:16 AM |
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| Post subject: What products do expats miss most when living in Shanghai? |
Cereals are a bit expensive but can be found at local carreford and Lotus super mall. I\'m back in the US now but if I had to go back, I would bring stuff that I can\'t find in Shanghai. Have you ever try to find anti-static dryer sheets? Western medications are hard to find if at all.
Try Watson for dental floss and deodorants. |
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Michael
Moderator
Joined: Mar 22, 2002
Posts: 5289
Status: Offline
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Dec 28, 2002 - 09:33 AM |
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| Post subject: What products do expats miss most when living in Shanghai? |
There are a few, but its much better now than it was a when i first got here 3 years ago. Mostly its not a matter of no being able to buy, as much as not being able to buy at decent price.. cold cereal as an example. US$3 in the US - $US 6-8 here and all they have on the shelves of regualr stores is corn flakes and sugar kiddie cereal crap. I now make my own granola.. which is easy.
Deoderant is an must because what they have here is fake ( fake Rolexes, fake DVD, and fake deoderant..) . One person said it even made them smell worse. My wife like to buy most of her cosmetics, creams, haircolor.. in the US.
I think I said something in another post.. but some things are.. baking supplies ( decent bread flour for instance), tortilla chips, good cookies, The biggy for me still, are clothes and shoes in large sizes.
Many times, also, it is a matter of selection. --- English language books for instance.
When we first got here, we would go back to the US every now and then and fill up a suitcase at Costco and do a big amazon order.
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_________________
Life is make believe, make it up and then believe it. |
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Wasabichez
PopStar
Joined: Dec 05, 2002
Posts: 1225
Location: Shanghai, China
Status: Offline
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Dec 28, 2002 - 10:09 AM |
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| Post subject: What products do expats miss most when living in Shanghai? |
Well, dental floss is hard to find. Not at Carrefour, not at Watsons on HuaiHai, MAYBE the one on NanjingIsetan has it, BUT I doubt it. Deoderant you can buy now. I\'ve seen the brand Fa which is pretty good. RightGuard I haven\'t seen...hehe.
Cereal, man you are paying premium price for a small box. Me....I miss Cheerios. Honey nut! |
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chairman_meow
Seeker
Joined: Dec 23, 2002
Posts: 72
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Dec 28, 2002 - 02:41 PM |
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| Post subject: What products do expats miss most when living in Shanghai? |
I have a few gift suggestions for your expat friends in Shanghai, which I have found very successful at raising a very grateful \"THANK-YOU\".
Maybe a copy of GQ, Loaded, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire or some other glossy magazine - even remembering to buy the local newspaper at the airport on the way out. Chocolate/candy from home is always a welcome gift. Maybe some seedlings for Basil, Mint or enother herb. You might also consider a cook book whose recipes don\'t rely on an oven! My friends back home sometimes send me a CD of latest tunes or better still a DVD/VCD with my favourite music. If you can handle burning your own compilation, even better.
I haven\'t had problem getting personal hygeine stuff here, though Panadol or some other reliable Aspirin can be hard to find (my last trip home I bought back 500 tablets and held my breath during customs). My partner, an American, always likes a tub of Noxsema (?) and I\'m happy with a fat jar of Vegemite.
Which country are you coming from? |
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icyuen
Lurker
Joined: Nov 29, 2002
Posts: 29
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Dec 28, 2002 - 02:50 PM |
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| Post subject: What products do expats miss most when living in Shanghai? |
Thanks for the great ideas.
I\'m coming from Canada, but mentioning Vegemite tells me you\'re Australian? It\'s actually quite tasty, and I have some Aussie friends in China that looked desperately everywhere in the city that they\'re living in for some.
Besides spending more than just a few kuai at Starbucks, are good coffee beans hard to find for home use? |
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chairman_meow
Seeker
Joined: Dec 23, 2002
Posts: 72
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Dec 28, 2002 - 03:09 PM |
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| Post subject: What products do expats miss most when living in Shanghai? |
If you were my friend and you brought me some Lavazza Gold or Illy, I\'d be eternally grateful  Throw in one of those whatsits used for creating froth for lattes and capuccinos for good measure.
Good beans are not impossible to find, though the selection is limited and the prices are very high.
As for Vegemite, I have found very small jars on sale at criminal rates. Your friends could try the expensive imported food store at Portman in Shanghai, otherwise I have seen it at Park n Shop and Carrefour in Guangzhou. |
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Anonymous
Guest
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Dec 28, 2002 - 05:30 PM |
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Don\'t worry, almost everything you can find. I packed so many unneccesary toiletries. I would bring make-up though, it\'s expensive here. |
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parkerfairfield
Ranter
Joined: July 10, 2002
Posts: 501
Location: SF Bay
Status: Offline
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Jan 02, 2003 - 09:13 PM |
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I\'ve racked my brain ... and the best I can do is:
a) computer stuff is expensive - at least compared to the states ... I ended up having a \"normal\" part brought in from the USA cause the cheapest I could get it here was US100, when it costs US 50 in the USA (and it\'s made in china!)
b) large clothing ... size 13shoes are \"huge\" ... I\'vefound them at 1 store (Sogo at Xu Jia Hua) and at the Xiang Yang market on Hui Hai .... and I\'ve yet to find Michael\'s tailor - so I\'m on dress shirts from the US only.
Good luck!  |
_________________
Check out my blog for an update -- www.ParkerFairfield.com/blog/ |
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Anonymous
Guest
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Jan 02, 2003 - 09:28 PM |
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| Post subject: What products do expats miss most when living in Shanghai? |
| Quote: |
| computer stuff is expensive - at least compared to the states ... |
You must bargin and you get it same or even cheaper then is U-SS |
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Anonymous
Guest
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Jan 02, 2003 - 10:52 PM |
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I miss these: 1) deodorant that is also an antiperspirant - not just a good smell but also functional. 2) candy that contains Salmiac, i.e. ammonium chloride. Ikea sells some L?kerol candy in small boxes, but I\'d like something much saltier. 3) lotion/cream/stuff sort of dermics that would contain Hydrocortisone - I guess such exists but I haven\'t looked around. 4) an online ticket service for all major events, concerts, exhibitions etc., 5) web based bus route finder, 6) buffet-type restaurants; there was the Hartz chicken buffet a couple of years ago but it disappeared(?). -JLo- |
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IamChinese
Seeker
Joined: Dec 27, 2002
Posts: 42
Status: Offline
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Jan 06, 2003 - 07:22 PM |
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| Post subject: What products do expats miss most when living in Shanghai? |
In the countryside I missed western toilets most. I am gifted with a very productive de-ballasting system, in combination with my liking for hot and spicy, sometimes I had to rush to a safe place. But we wetsrners are not built like Chinese, something in our hipjoints is different, so few of us can actually position themselves right on the standard Chinese \"hole in the ground\" toilet. Also, unlike France in the past, there are no handles or bars to keep yourself from falling backwards. One time I was holding on to a tiny door, when suddenly the lock came apart and the door swinged open, making me land on my back in the hole, under the amused eyes of a few local men. THEN I really missed a western toilet! In the small town I lived in, after that event, I learned where all the western toilets were (exactly five!) |
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jenming
FooJay
Joined: Dec 20, 2002
Posts: 1675
Location: Right where you wanna be
Status: Offline
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Jan 11, 2003 - 01:05 PM |
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Here\'s one thing that I\'ve run into that I just cannot find here. Lysine. L-Lysine in pill form. I\'ve found a vitamin supplement drink that contains about 150 mg of lysine, but that\'s way less than I\'m looking for. You see, I am someone who gets canker sores on a fairly regular basis, and dosing up on Lysine is the only thing (besides painful patience) that works to get rid of them. I have to take like 3000 mg a day when I\'ve got a sore. I\'ve been having guests and whoever I can bring it in from the US. |
_________________
unzip;strip;touch;finger;mount;fsck;more;yes;unmount;sleep |
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shanghai-ed
Seeker
Joined: Jan 02, 2003
Posts: 45
Location: San Francisco, CA
Status: Offline
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Jan 12, 2003 - 11:50 AM |
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| Post subject: What products do expats miss most when living in Shanghai? |
Are size 13+ shoes by men considered freakish or something, or are they just rare amongst chinese males? Oh well, I have size 13 now and I\'m 15 years old......uh oh
Mike |
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shanghighman
Seeker
Joined: Feb 17, 2003
Posts: 54
Status: Offline
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Jan 17, 2003 - 06:27 PM |
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full sized washers and dryers, furnaces for heating system and real Mexican food!! |
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Anonymous
Guest
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Jan 18, 2003 - 01:52 AM |
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Hey Mike, you\'ve got a lot of growing up to do. We don\'t get to choose our physical characteristics, intelligence and major personality traits, okay? Thought you\'d have known this by now.... |
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yu888
Board Deity
Joined: Jan 25, 2003
Posts: 18038
Location: ZhongShanParkArea SH
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Jan 25, 2003 - 10:13 AM |
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| Quote: |
Are size 13+ shoes by men considered freakish or something, or are they just rare amongst chinese males? Oh well, I have size 13 now and I\'m 15 years old......uh oh
Mike |
I think Yao Ming wears a size 12+ Nike... |
_________________
Thoughts & updates about Shanghai On my Blog for more details:Random Thoughts about Living in Shanghai...and more |
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fuit!
Newbie
Joined: Jan 25, 2003
Posts: 1
Status: Offline
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Jan 25, 2003 - 08:32 PM |
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| Post subject: What products do expats miss most when living in Shanghai? |
:casstet: FAKE DEODORANT? wow...
i came from shanghai.
i\'m sure you can find dental floss in most of the Watson\'s. i used to buy there.
COSMETICS, better not to buy in shanghai, it\'s overtaxed.
or maybe cheese. you can find something in Carrefour, but expensive as well.
a loaf of bread, it\'s definitely good gift for those who miss good bread there.
your CDs and books...hard to find international CD in Shanghai. i don\'t like DVD things...what else? ... |
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hvalle
Newbie
Joined: Dec 22, 2002
Posts: 4
Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Status: Offline
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Jan 25, 2003 - 10:15 PM |
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| Post subject: What products do expats miss most when living in Shanghai? |
Hi guys,
Have followed this discussion with great interest. I\'m about to hit Shanghai in 2 weeks time and all posts have been extremelly useful. However, I was wondering what could I bring as small gifts for my soon to be chinese friends? Question is a little bit tricky as I\'m not coming from US or Europe but from Brazil. I will probably bring some small handcraft exotic items but other than that, what ordinary items would you bring? Case anyone needs anything Brazilian, let me know...
rgds,
hvalle
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Anonymous
Guest
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Jan 26, 2003 - 01:52 AM |
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Money! ... just kidding . I\'m from US, what kind of gifts are prized in Shanghai? Anything from Costco?
Thanks. |
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LosAngeles
Newbie
Joined: Jan 07, 2003
Posts: 7
Status: Offline
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Jan 26, 2003 - 03:31 AM |
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Hi Hvalle: What part of Brazil are you from? I\'m suppose to go down to Sao Paolo in July to visit a friend there. |
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Anonymous
Guest
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Jan 26, 2003 - 04:54 AM |
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How about acidophilus tablets? |
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