DalianDalian.com

Foreigners who have driving license issued by their home countries can apply for a temporary driving license and drive in China without having to take related tests, according to a clause in a regulation issued by the Ministry of Public Security following a quick hour-long traffic law briefing.
Your license, however, will be time-limited.Actually getting a license may be complicated because the Chinese laws say that foreign residents can have driver's licences and that an IDP ( International Driver's Permit ) converted to a local licence, possibly with an additional examination.
Sometimes you can be excused the actual driving test if you have a foreign license, sometimes not. The particular complications seem to vary from place to place and over time. Some people have been asked to use a computer, some take a written theory test in Chinese. Others get a bilingual test form, or are allowed to bring a translator, (90 answers out of 100 correct) and that takes 30 - 45 minutes. If you are able to pass this test, they will convert the license for you to a chinese license.
What you need and what happens when you get your driving license..
A) A copy of the passport page
B) A copy of the valid Chinese visa
C) A copy of the latest entry stamp in your passport
D) Original overseas driving license
E) 8 one-inch color pictures (on white background, without earrings, glasses)
F) Your Chinese name, weight and height
G) Move from one buliing to another A LOT

Prices to get a driving license are about...........................
Sorry I do have a Chinese Driving License but I didn't paid, so I can't tell you how much but I THINK it was less the 500 rmb
The official driving code is called the Road Traffic Safety Law. It applies to all vehicles except military vehicles who may not follow any rules and may not stop at a red light or go the wrong direction.
Increasingly, Chinese Police tend to accept very much on their on-the-spot judgment of the driver being sufficiently skilled and experienced to drive safely with respect to his own and others safety.In case of an accident, if it is minor as a scrape, most people just drive on, but it is also common that the failing driver pay about 100RMB or so to the other driver, and that is then the end of the matter.
If you disagree, you must not move the cars until the police arrive, which can take time. They usually check registration and licenses, and photograph the incident.
Beware of large black luxury cars because they may belong to relatives of senior party or other officials and consider themselves to be above the law.
If you suspect that the police of taken bribes, make them aware that you know about the Ministry of Supervision (which ruthlessly deals with corruption), the Olympic Committee or the Tourist Complaint Board. It can have a profound effect on procedures.

The physical condition of roads and road maintenance varies greatly. WARNING to drivers and cyclists: it is not uncommon to find an open man hole cover or large crevice on a otherwise smooth road.
On the City Roads traffic is often congested, even on the ring roads. The congestion is far more complex than that in Western countries with Bicycles, Motorcycles and an odd Horse and cart turning up

Dangers

Rule of thumb - busses never stop at the lights or slow down whilst turning. Do not assume that Chinese drivers will follow any rule you know.
Chinese drivers in general are very dangerous and drive in a highly illogical way. They adopt a highly offensive and ignorant driving style. However, this is no place for being angry for being cut off, if someone drives against the red light or on the wrong side of the road. You simply yield, and carry on as if nothing had happened because there is just too many to fight with. It is not uncommon to see cars drive on the Pavement/sidewalk (at speed).
Every car/driver has a "body language" which predicts what they will do next. It is essential to learn this "body language" and drive by it. If you are driving down a four lane road, and the lane in front of the taxi to the right of you and slightly ahead of you is blocked, your lane ahead is free, immediately assume the taxi will move left into your lane without any warning. There is no way to predict or learn the "body language".

My neighbourhood in downtown Dalian has a new little teashop that has jauntily named itself “Jocund Hut”. That’s a pretty funky name and I guess the owner got that obscure and odd adjective from an electronic dictionary, and I also wonder how many native speakers - even - know what it means.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone actually utter the word, but I know it well coz Wordsworth used it in “Daffodils”, one of the most famous poems in the English language. When speaking of the gleeful dancing daffydillies he emoted

A poet could not but be gay, / In such a jocund company

which couples, so to speak, an archaic usage of “gay” with our equally archaic “word for today.”

And I also half-remembered Conrad using it in “Heart of Darkness” for a grimly humoured description of some skulls on poles, but when I checked the quote I found

a head that seemed to sleep at the top of that pole, and, with the shrunken dry lips showing a narrow white line of the teeth, was smiling, too, smiling continuously at some endless and jocose dream of that eternal slumber.

so it was jocose, not jocund. And who the hell uses “jocose” these days? it must be even more obscure than “jocund.” I guess that’s why it’s not a “Jocose Hut” round the corner from where I live.

And then I also remembered that English was Conrad’s third language and that he was wont to use it somewhat eccentrically from time to time; a habit that led to literary critic FR Leavis’ catty comment that “Conrad’s sea smells of Roget’s Thesaurus”.

Anyways, maybe Chinese and Japanese electronic dictionaries are going to resurrect a few long dormant and/or incredibly obscure words and blazon them on the shopfronts and T-shirts of the Pacific rim. And then we English teachers over here will have to find out what they mean.

Have a jocund day!

K.

Dalian is a peaceful city, the last place I'd expect to see two forklifts having a bash at each other!

Chris posted about this last year, and I thought I'd resurrect the topic as it's quite useful. There are a bunch of places in Dalian where you can access wireless internet for free. Here's a few, and I hope that if you have some to contribute you might add them in the comments.

Hopefully we can assemble a nice useful list for everyone.
NOTE: I'm putting a [?] next to places that have had wifi in the past, but may or may not still have it. i.e. yet to be confirmed.

Brooklyn Bar and Restaurant
Didn't expect them to put wifi in a bar, but pleasantly surprised that they did. They're closed on Mondays, but are open 5:30pm to 2am Tuesday to Sunday (or when everybody leaves).

Amici Cafe
Xi'an Road, Friendship Square's Manhatten Building, Victory Plaza, Heishijiao Locations. Reliable internet access in a comfortable setting.

Starbucks Coffee
Renmin Road location, Olympic Square location, Software Park Location, Senmao Building location.

Tina Coffee Shop
Located in Peace Plaza shopping mall on 4F.

Echo Coffee
They have wifi, just ask for the password at the counter. They also have a hammock in their beer garden!

I55
This place goes on the list, though with their recent price hikes I'm reluctant to recommend them. On Gao'erji Road, just south of Renmin Square.

The following places might have wifi:

Dalian Airport
A friend of mine tells me they have it, but I have yet to confirm.

West Coast Coffee [?]
In the high tech zone, way out yonder... Update: Can someone confirm that this place still has wifi? A friend says that it did not back in July.

The Box [?]
Last few times I've gone, the wifi was hit-and-miss. Feel free to ask the staff if you can't get a signal.

UBC Cafe [?]
The city is littered with these big yellow buggers. Not a fan of UBC, but they stay open late, and they should have wifi. (Emphasis on "should") I've been in one before where it just wouldn't function. Click here to see some of their locations on google maps.

All's Well Cafe [?]
This place is hit and miss. Sometimes it's fine, sometimes it's not.  Though recently it's leaning more towards "not."

I've never applied with the PSB and other relevant authorities to get an international TV card, it's never seemed worth the hassle to watch BBC Worldwide.   The Internet has changed they was I perceive news and seek to be informed and entertained.  But I still miss being able to tune into BBC2 at a set time to watch low budget sci-fi, that part of scheduled entertainment will forever be ingrained in my habits, entertainment on demand does, to an extent, strip the expectation and suspense from the enjoyment on a show.  And sometimes it's just plain annoying not to have streaming TV to potato-out to, CCTV9 and poorly dubbed Korean dramas do not cut it.

So imagine my surprise when I stuck my head into an office to see one person watching a random Japanese game show and another watching Bloomberg TV, live, on their computers.

JLC's Internet TV is a cunningly fantastic bit of software that allows anyone to watch streaming TV from a huge amount of countries, each country has a wide amount of choice (it's not exhaustive, but the big ones are all there).  The software seems very much word-of-mouth, I've seen it little reported or blogged about.

Anyone should take care on installing any new software on their computer.  Saying that, clicking around on their website (and others) revealed nothing highly malicius and I've seen nothing suggesting their motives are alterior.  In any case, use your own judgement and not mine.  Here's the download: Download.

This tiny picture is an example of the program running.

The Spanish men’s basketball team recently provoked a storm in a teapot over an advertising photo showing them pulling the sides of their eyes…because they were off to China! Geddit? Hilarious!

And someone recently dredged up another photo from the Spanish women tennis team’s website showing some of the same high jinks:

In the fuss that has followed some interesting issues arose. The US media pondered aloud as to what the Spanish team thought they were up to by publicly insulting their hosts. And NBA superstar Jason Kidd opined that had the US team done the same they would have been thrown out of the Olympics and not been allowed back in the NBA. The Spanish retorted by calling it “an affectionate gesture” and pointing out that the Chinese themselves hadn’t seemed to have taken offence at all, insofar as to date there have been no comments by the Chinese media on the incident. Fair point!
But then the US and UK (evil Anglo-Saxons) insisted on placing the “affectionate gesture” in a context of other “Spanish gestures”, including “the monkey chants that greeted England’s black footballers in a friendly game in Spain and the blacking up of some local fans when Lewis Hamilton was competing in the Spanish grand prix.”

My take on it all is that who cares if a bunch of greasy spics take the piss out of the chinks? I’m like so totally, yeah…whatever.

Not really! Just my little joke. Geddit?

Actually, I have a fond memory from about 15 years ago when I was living in Hungary. I was studying in a rather sleepy provincial town called Debrecen and one afternoon I witnessed a visiting schoolboy choir from Korea getting off their bus in front of the concert hall. The local lads had probably never seen real live asians before and so the Koreans created quite a crowd of little gawkers. Then one of the wee rascals thought it would be funny to pull his eyes into slitty position and this soon spread until you had a crowd of laughing Magyar boys pulling slanty eyes and pointing at their Korean guests. Hilarious!

But what made it memorable for me was the Koreans’ response. After about a minute of being taunted like that, they responded by making big round goggly eyes with their fingers and pointing back at the local kids and laughing. I loved them for that. It made me proud to have a Korean name.

Wouldn’t it be cool if the Chinese national basketball had a photo done pulling big goggly eyes next time they go off to play Spain? Not particularly, it would be childish. But that’s kind of what the Spanish athletes are guilty of, being childish…but surely not malicious or racist.

The US Olympic Track Team have been training in Dalian for the past month, training and getting sick. The 拉肚子 (la du zi) is pretty familiar for anyone new to Dalian and is highly annoying - quite different from mildly enjoyable Olympic Fever.

The proportion of the team sick is around 15%, a figure the US Olympics Committee said was typical for an international trip.

Dalian does offer a lot of culinary temptations: from some of the best seafood in China (comprehensive list) to freshly boiled dumplings to hotpot to cheap and tasty street side BBQ. But don't eat it, especially street side, assuming there's no chance it won't twist and stretch an intestine like a rubber band.

The US team are not dependent on Xinjiang chuanr and 2 kuai beers for their nutrition needs. They have a specialist chef from the Denver campus of Johnson & Wales University. In addition, long before the Beijing Games commenced, secret Olympic farms were instructed to use less/no pesticides for vegetables and raise meat in safe and sanitary conditions. The US team has probably been eating better than anyone else in Dalian for the past month.

Getting sick is normal for anyone relocating to Dalian or anywhere far from home. Even if the food is clean other factors influence sickness including:

• unfamiliar strains of common viruses and bacterias we're immune to back home,
• dirt in places we're not used to: Spit on Dalian's streets is a given and human feces not uncommon, take your shoes off when at home and wash hands whenever possible.
• Hepatitis is easily spread through unwashed glasses - drink from the bottle.

Local custom and awareness of an unfamiliar situation also helps prevent many diseases:

• tea is drunk hot therefore killing bacteria and other nasties,
• when eating a shared dish stick to the small corner or section near you - it's the height of rudeness to grab randomly from all sides of the dish,
• fruit is often served unpeeled and the skin disregarded,
• a clove of raw garlic taken during a meal is a natural protection from diarrhoea,
• and when food is served it should be thoroughly cooked, rare meat is rare here for good reason.

Most importantly, keep those hands clean.

References: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/16/sports/olympics/16food.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin, news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7245652.stm

Image: http://flickr.com/photos/cdharrison/2575008703/ (Creative Commons: Share, Remix, Attribution)

I headed up to Shenyang yesterday to see Holland vs Japan in Olympic Soccer.  Given the fact that in 2005 there were violent protests against Japan, it was not surprising that we (me and about 200 Japanese people on 3 buses) had a police escort all the way up there.

Here are some of the highlights. I have more audio updates over on PandaPassport.com as well, for anyone who'd like to check it out.

From American Citizen Services in Shenyang:

Have you registered to vote for the 2008 general election yet? If not, now is the time to do so!

The official U.S. voter assistance website is: http://www.fvap.gov. Please visit this site for the most complete, up-to-date information on voting abroad. Basic information can be found below.

All U.S. citizens 18 years or older living abroad can use the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to register to vote and request an absentee ballot. This form is easy to fill out and can be picked up and mailed from the U.S. Consulate in Shenyang, China with no need to pay for postage. Fill it out here, mail it out here. It's that simple!

The FPCA can be mailed without paying postage only by using U.S. Embassy or Consulate mail facilities or from any U.S. Post Office. If you decide to use the Chinese mail service, you will have to affix the correct postage.

You can also fill out the Online Federal Postcard Application (OFPCA) on . There's an option to print a postage-paid envelope that also can be mailed from the U.S. Consulate.

The FPCA must be sent to your local election official. You can find that address at this website: http://www.fvap.gov/shortcuts/find-where-2-send-ballot-request/index.html

Once your FPCA has been accepted by your local election official, you will be registered to vote and should receive your absentee ballot 30-45 days before the election.

Your absentee ballot can also be mailed through the U.S. Consulate. If it is not postage-paid, you will need to affix sufficient postage. We ask that you please plan to deliver any voting-related materials to the consulate at least two weeks before your jurisdiction's receipt deadline as mail sent via these channels usually takes 7-14 days to reach the U.S. Deliver any FPCAs or absentee ballots to the American Citizen Services office at the consulate. If you cannot get your ballot to us under this time frame, you may still be able to get your ballot in on time by mailing it through the China Post, which is generally reliable and often faster than our consulate postal channels.

On Friday, August 29th at 4:30pm, the U.S. Consulate in Shenyang will hold a Voter Registration Drive to assist voters with registration and requesting absentee ballots. Officers will be available to answer any questions you may have about the voting process. If you cannot attend this Voter Registration Drive, you may visit the consulate anytime during our regular American Citizen Services hours to seek assistance.

To RSVP for this event or ask questions, please e-mail: ShenyangACS@state.gov.

Please see the chart below for state's registration and absentee ballot return deadlines.

State NLT Deadline NLT Deadline NLT Deadline
Alabama 24-Oct-08 3-Nov-08 2400 4-Nov-08 1200
Alaska 5-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 19-Nov-08 1600
American Samoa 6-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1330
Arizona 4-Nov-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1900
Arkansas 3-Jun-08 4-Nov-08 1200 14-Nov-08 1700

California 20-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 2000
Colorado 6-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1900
Connecticut 3-Nov-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 2000
Delaware 20-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 2000
District of Columbia 6-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 14-Nov-08 1600

Florida 6-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 14-Nov-08 1600
Georgia 6-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 7-Nov-08 1600
Guam 24-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 2000
Hawaii 6-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1600
Idaho 10-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 2000
Illinois 4-Oct-08 3-Nov-08 2400 18-Nov-08 1600

Indiana 6-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1600
Iowa * * * * * 3-Nov-08 2400 10-Nov-08 1200
Kansas 31-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1600
Kentucky 6-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1600
Louisiana 6-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1600
Maine 4-Nov-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1600
Maryland 14-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 14-Nov-08 1600

Massachusetts 3-Nov-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1600
Michigan 4-Nov-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1600
Minnesota 3-Nov-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1600
Mississippi 5-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1900
Missouri 8-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1700
Montana 6-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 2200
Nebraska 17-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1600

Nevada 4-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1700
New Hampshire 3-Nov-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1700
New Jersey 31-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1600
New Mexico 31-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1600
New York 10-Oct-08 3-Nov-08 2400 17-Nov-08 1600

North Carolina 3-Nov-08 3-Nov-08 2400 3-Nov-08 1700
North Dakota 25-Sep-08 3-Nov-08 2400 7-Nov-08 1600
Ohio 6-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 14-Nov-08 1600
Oklahoma 29-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1900
Oregon 14-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 2200
Pennsylvania 6-Oct-08 3-Nov-08 2400 11-Nov-08 1600

Puerto Rico 4-Sep-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1500
Rhode Island 14-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 2100
South Carolina 4-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1600
South Dakota 20-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1600
Tennessee 6-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1600
Texas 6-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 10-Nov-08 1600
Utah 6-Oct-08 3-Nov-08 2400 18-Nov-08 1600
Vermont 29-Oct-08 5pm 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1600
Virgin Islands 5-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 14-Nov-08 1600

Virginia 6-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1900
Washington 4-Nov-08 4-Nov-08 1200 25-Nov-08 1600

West Virginia 14-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 9-Nov-08 1600
Wisconsin 15-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 14-Nov-08 1600

Wyoming 6-Oct-08 4-Nov-08 1200 4-Nov-08 1600

American Citizen Services Unit U.S. Consulate General Shenyang, China Tel: 86-24-2322-1198 Fax: 86-24-2323-1465 Email: shenyangacs@state.gov

ACS work hours: 1:30pm to 4:30pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday except for Chinese and American holidays (check http://shenyang.usconsulate.gov ).