Organic Shopping in China

Hey Ya'll,

I know in America right now "organic" food is the big things that people are wanting. You can definitely find things here in Wuxi and the surrounding areas, but at times it will be pricy.

Here a great contact, The May Farm.

The one drawback to ordering from here is that right now the shipping fee to Wuxi is 300rmb ($49). Because of this, a dear friend of ours from Germany has graciously said she would be willing to be the contact person for anyone wanting to place an order. This way you can split the cost of shipping with others and make the price better. So browse, shop and enjoy.

The May Farm

Contact: Trixi Gudo
              trixi.urbanneck@gmx.de


Thanks Ya'll,

Belle

Dental Appointments in China

Hey Ya'll! 

I love having my teeth cleaned and it had been way to long since I had been to the dentist, until last week. Though we have a dentist here in Wuxi, I had a hard time getting them on the phone so I ended up making an appointment for Tractor Man and I at Parkway in Shanghai. 

I have been to Parkway for a lady doctor visit and for Pickle to go to a pediatrician visit. Our visit were good so I decided to try and schedule an appointment. Parkway makes scheduling appointments very easy for the most part. What is even better for me is that they take Saturday appointments, so it makes it easy for Tractor Man and I to go together. 

The Dentist office was fabulous! It was brand new and they had all new equipment. We saw Dr. Henry Zeng and I was impressed. He actually did the cleaning and examination all himself, which was shocking to me, but good. 

Parkway Health

021-64455999

203 West Retail Plaza

1376 West Nanjing Road

Shanghai, China

The dental clinic is located in the Shanghai Centre. There is a Starbucks, Element Fresh, and a City Shop Supermarket in the same location! So make an appointment and make a day out of it.

They take most insurance policies, but you can check their website for most information. 

Getting to the clinic is very easy. You can take the train from Wuxi into the Shanghai Station and then get on the metro Line 1. Take Line 1 to the People's Square stop and transfer to Line 2. Then you can get off at West Nanjing Road. From here it is just a short walk down Nanjing Road.

Enjoy!

Thanks Ya'll,

Belle

Finding a place to live in Wuxi.

Hey Ya'll! 

Finding a place to live is probably the top concern in moving to a new country. I wasn't so sure how it would work out, but Tractor Man did a GREAT job! I wasn't able to come over at all before we moved  to Wuxi since I was pregnant at the time, so he had to do it all and I personally think he did great and I tell him this often. 

In finding an apartment you normally have to go through a rental agency. Most companies on "look and see" trips will set you up with a relocation company that will get you set up with an agent to take you around to look at places that fit your needs. 

Before this time you want to think of things that you want and/or need in a place to live. This will help the agent help you find the right fit for you. So here are a few things to think about.

1. How many people are in your family and how many bedrooms will you need?
2. Do you want a yard or would you prefer an upper floor apartment?
3. Do you want to live downtown or away from the city?
4. Do you want to live close to your job (or spouse's job) or are you ok with having to drive?
5. Do you want an apartment or a stand alone house?
6. Do you want to leave near expats or are you alright with being farther away?
7. Do you prefer an apartment within walking distance to most things or are you ok being further out?


Once you find your apartment and are working on negotiations with the rental agent/landlord, you need to know what you are going to ask for. Here in China some of the things that we take for granted in America are not common here, so you need to make your requests known. This is a list of some of the things that we asked for.

1. Western style, large refrigerator.
2. Oven (specify that you want something other than a toaster oven)
3. Clothes Dryer
4. International TV
5. Western style mattress

This is not an all inclusive list by any means, but more of a start to get you thinking. Each situation is different. Enjoy the move! Can't wait to have you here in Wuxi!

Thanks ya'll,

Belle

City Shop Supermarket Delivery Service

Hey Ya'll!

Life with a toddler at home can make it difficult at times to get all of my grocery shopping done. There are days that I go without what I need because I am too lazy to get us packed up to go, even with my driver. Pretty pathetic huh? Ha!


This is where City Shop comes in! This is an Imported Goods store based out of Shanghai and they will deliver to Wuxi every Tuesday. Makes my grocery shopping (especially for cold and heavy items) much easier.

Here is the link.

City Shop Supermarket

The City Shop Delivery Man

I should warn you that most import items at this store are pretty pricey, but you can get some things for the same price as in a local supermarket. The delivery charge is 20rmb unless you spend over 300rmb and then delivery is free. This charge is the same price as a taxi ride to and from a local grocery store and back for me. 

All you need in to do in order to get your groceries delivered is set up an account. You will need your address, an email address and a phone number. If you have your address in Chinese that helps a lot, but not necessary. When you go to the website, you will see at the top righthand side of the screen a button that says "Sign In". You will then see a button that says register and you will just fill in your information. Good luck!!! 

Just some of the good things I have found at City Shop. 

Some of the things that I order from here are: 

Woolite - 94rmb - 176rmb depending on the size of the bottle

Bounce Dryer Sheets - 56rmb for a box

Milk - 26rmb for 1 Liter

Chicken - 21.50 rmb for a pack of 3 breasts

Pork Tenderloins - 34.30rmb for 0.5kg

Clorox Wipes - 54rmb

Stoffers Macaroni & Cheese - 49.80rmb

There is so much more to find. Take a look and have fun shopping! 

Thanks ya'll, 

Belle

Chang Jiang Guo Ji Ya Yuan - Expat Living at its finest

Hey Ya'll! 

I'm a little biased I know since Tractor Man, Pickle and I live here, but I wanted to share our apartment complex with you. There are MANY different complexes in our area that are great for expats and there will be other posts on those places coming soon. But for now, let me share our home with you! 

Welcome to Chang Jiang International Gardens 2. 

中国无锡市新区长江北路o41号。邮编：214028. 

Located in New District on Chang Jiang North Road, we are close to so much. We have two grocery stores within walking distance or an easy taxi ride, lots of great restaurants, playgrounds and a great veggie mart close by. There are quite a few expats in our complex which I love! We have an amazing community that gets together quite often and help each other out as needed. 

One of my absolute favorite things about our complex are the guards. They do a wonderful job and are always extremely helpful and friendly. They remember faces well, even though they do not speak a lot of English. Once, I had a guard see me struggling to bring in my groceries and he came and carried them to my apartment for me. 

Our complex is made up of tall and short buildings that range from 8 floors to 27 floors.

 We live on the first floor and have a basement and a small back yard. Most of the apartments in our complex are only one level and have 3 bedrooms. 

Here is a small view of my apartment. We brought all of our own furniture with us, so the furnishings are not a typical Chinese apartment but you can see some of the rooms. 

Kitchen

My pantry area

Pantry area - other view

Second bedroom

Dining Room

Closet area in the master bedroom

Master bedroom

Our upstairs living room. 

One of our 3 bathrooms. 

We have a small backyard that Pickle loves to play in when the weather is nice. 

Our laundry room is outside. 

The entrance to our building. They have stairs and a ramp for easy access. 

The maintenance team here does a great job of keeping things clean and neat. Granted, you do need to keep in mind that we live in China and things are not always "normal" in the way things are done, but things are always neat. 

Fish pond in front of my building. 

View of our complex. 

Walkway to the street. 

Our complex also has a small playground for kids which in the spring and fall is a wonderful place to play! We are out there quite often when we don't have other plans. 

We would love to have you come and join us here in Chang Jiang Guo Ji Ya Yuan! 

Thanks ya'll, 

Belle

Wuxi weather

Having been born and raised in Southern California, I admit to having been sheltered from the "real world" of seasons! For me the only difference between winter, spring, summer and fall were the holidays that occurred during them. Our family lived in shorts and flip flops year round.

When we arrived in China in June, I quickly learned what real seasons were, as the temperature continued to climb until the end of July....and the humidity...don't even get me started. I have never experienced humidity on the level that Wuxi hits each summer. 

So, if you're moving here and wondering if it gets hot, the answer is YES. Hot and Humid. The hottest most humid months are July and August. Light airy clothes and shade umbrellas are most popular during this time, but to be honest, if you're out and about during the day, you are going to want to get home to a cold shower, ASAP. 

Just when I thought I couldn't handle the heat any longer, enter September.

September, October and November are absolutely get-your-butt outside as often as possible months. The weather is gorgeous. Somewhat clear skies, light breezes and lower pollution levels make for some really nice walking weather. 

       Friends walking home from the produce market on a nice autumn day

By the end of November, the chilly mornings often linger into chilly afternoons. It was at this time that I realized, California "winter" jackets are not the same as the rest of the world's "winter" jackets. I was  wearing the warmest jacket I owned and already cold! I bought some scarves and beanies and those kept me cozy til winter officially hit in December.

December, January, February and March are cold. Like, Midwest cold. Layered clothing is your best bet as many of the malls and shops do not have/use heaters. I remember Christmas shopping at Wanda plaza last year wearing UGG boots, jeans and a huge puffy jacket and still freezing. 

I bet you're thinking..if it gets that cold...does it snow?

The answer...rarely....but, it does. 

Check out last winter. Belle and I decided to walk to the produce market. Not one of our shining moments, but I think we both look back on it and get a good laugh.

Overnight snow storm left us a winter wonderland

      Oh, Belle..what on earth are we doing?

By the beginning of April, the ultra-warm winter jackets can be packed away in exchange for a lighter jacket or fleece pullover. The days get warmer as the month goes on, and once May hits, its back outside we go. Although the spring time temperatures are much more enjoyable than winter or summer, this is when the pollution levels seem to be the highest, with a number of days reaching "severe pollution" levels. 

And hey, if this California girl can survive Wuxi's seasons, so can you...

-Elle Lay

English speaking Vets

Our family recently had a very sick kitty and needed to find a reputable vet in town. The vet we had used to help us through the process of getting our cat over here is in Shanghai and that was just too far to drive at such short notice. We knew our cat needed help ASAP, so I asked around and everyone seemed to be telling me about the same clinic, though nobody knew the name of it.  I finally connected with someone who not only knew the name of the clinic, but also the address, name of the English speaking vet and contact number. I also found out there was a second location close to my apartment in New District.

I thought I would share the contact information here for any other pet owners who find themselves in need of veterinary services. 

Paite Veterinary Clinic- Downtown location (next to Blue Bar, across from police station)

 49号 Chongnin Road

tel:13585011204

Ask for Tina

Paite Veterinary Clinic- New District

Changjiang Bei Lu (next to Leadtoast, near Auchan)

18761523911

Ask for Snow

My husband and I felt the care was of high quality and the cost was affordable. We paid 800rmb for consult, X-ray, bloodtests and IV treatment. Don't hesitate to contact Paite for any of your needs!

-Elle Lay