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Ian McCartney

@Ian McCartney

Active member

Canadian expat in China

Forum

27 posts

Contacts

5

About me

Canadian, Married

Speaks English, learning Mandarin

Registration: 06 October 2016

Activity

Ian McCartney created a thread
7 years ago

Chinese Wines under 200 kuai (RMB)

Being in China I determined to drink mostly Chinese wines until I know their basics. There are none available in my home country. Much more expensive European wines are coming into vogue at Chinese dinner parties, mostly basic Bordeaux AOC, and I ... Read More

Ian McCartney replied to a thread
7 years ago
jaynev

pollution by jaynev

We have the possibility to move to Shenzhen with our three kids but I have been researching the pollution (air, soil and water) and it seems as though the situation is pretty bad. Research shows that 40 percent of the food is polluted with cadmium ...

Ian McCartney

http://waqi.info/ Suggest you monitor your detailed location here for awhile. This will give you an idea of the are quality (AQI) situation over time. Its the 2.5 micron reading that is most harmful, small enough to enter bloodstream. The website ... Read More

Ian McCartney replied to a thread
7 years ago
Priscilla

Speaking Mandarin in China by Priscilla

Hi everyone, It is widely agreed that speaking Mandarin is essential for a successful integration in China. Do you agree? Share your experience! Do you speak Mandarin? If so, where did you learn this language? Where can one attend a language ...

Ian McCartney

The "Foreign Service Institute (FSI) Mandarin Course" is available free on line. If you want to look it over, make sure you select the FREE one from your search results, as there are some re-packager links that ask for $. Its very American ... Read More

Ian McCartney replied to a thread
7 years ago
Priscilla

Speaking Mandarin in China by Priscilla

Hi everyone, It is widely agreed that speaking Mandarin is essential for a successful integration in China. Do you agree? Share your experience! Do you speak Mandarin? If so, where did you learn this language? Where can one attend a language ...

Ian McCartney

David's (Fdawei's) post resonated with me. The debate about where enlightenment exists has taken place since ancient times in China. Nichiren, a Japanese sage who advanced a school of Buddhism inherited from much earlier teachings of ... Read More

Ian McCartney replied to a thread
7 years ago
Don_121

VPN, overcome the firewall by Don_121

Dear all, hope all is well with you. I am heading to china for a year, I heard that some of the internet sits are not accessible. I was wondering if you have any experience with free VPN and which one works in china best? all the best thanks ...

Ian McCartney

Forgot to mention, all my Canadian e-banking, stock trading, and investment on-line services work fine in China. Probably you should use a security software package with a secured login option to access such websites. My Bit-defender package has a ... Read More

Ian McCartney replied to a thread
7 years ago
Don_121

VPN, overcome the firewall by Don_121

Dear all, hope all is well with you. I am heading to china for a year, I heard that some of the internet sits are not accessible. I was wondering if you have any experience with free VPN and which one works in china best? all the best thanks ...

Ian McCartney

Expats with Corporate offices tend to go for $$$ full service VPN, I think regulation matters might be more strict for an individual than for users belonging to a registered foreign corporation or business. It's recommended to get WeChat set ... Read More

Ian McCartney replied to a thread
7 years ago
Don_121

VPN, overcome the firewall by Don_121

Dear all, hope all is well with you. I am heading to china for a year, I heard that some of the internet sits are not accessible. I was wondering if you have any experience with free VPN and which one works in china best? all the best thanks ...

Ian McCartney

The official blocking includes (but might not be limited to) all things Google, FB, YT, related Cloud services and email, non-Chinese Window's updates. My security software updates went wonky at first but later they re-stabilized. LinkedIn and ... Read More

Ian McCartney replied to a thread
8 years ago
Priscilla

Speaking Mandarin in China by Priscilla

Hi everyone, It is widely agreed that speaking Mandarin is essential for a successful integration in China. Do you agree? Share your experience! Do you speak Mandarin? If so, where did you learn this language? Where can one attend a language ...

Ian McCartney

I also agree on the importance of advancing one's Mandarin, at least speaking skill, and then hearing skill, as fast and far as possible, no matter what reason you are in China. This is difficult for many westerners, and is very daunting for me. ... Read More

Ian McCartney replied to a thread
8 years ago
Ray_hana

Best time to visit ? Is it legal to look for jobs with tourist visa? by Ray_hana

Hello There :) Am Rayhana Sudanese born & living in Egypt. Am new here Planing to visit China and look for job there.. I wonder what's the best time to visit during winter plus is it legal to look for jobs with tourist visa? Thanks in ...

Ian McCartney

When in China or anywhere it would be natural to seek you bright future, develop contacts, make real future plans. It could be disappointing not to encounter the expected opportunities and talk about beginning a process leading to a future ... Read More

Ian McCartney replied to a thread
8 years ago
Ray_hana

Best time to visit ? Is it legal to look for jobs with tourist visa? by Ray_hana

Hello There :) Am Rayhana Sudanese born & living in Egypt. Am new here Planing to visit China and look for job there.. I wonder what's the best time to visit during winter plus is it legal to look for jobs with tourist visa? Thanks in ...

Ian McCartney

I think the key would be making up-front and full disclosure about your current status to the hiring or interviewing party, so they are under no misconceptions. That should greatly reduce and risk and enable correct actions going forwards on both ... Read More

Ian McCartney replied to a thread
8 years ago
Ian McCartney

An active Expat, wintering in the Dalian area by Ian McCartney

I began my travels in China as an International exploration geologist in 1993, when the gold sector briefly opened to foreign investment. The experiences in the Southwest and at an operating gold mine in Shandong at that time remain unforgettable, ...

Ian McCartney

Harbinger Asia must be exciting and challenging. There is some overlap with my interest in mineral exploration and development, its financing, promotion, and the applicable international regulations and their application. I expect that not so much ... Read More

Ian McCartney replied to a thread
8 years ago
Ian McCartney

An active Expat, wintering in the Dalian area by Ian McCartney

I began my travels in China as an International exploration geologist in 1993, when the gold sector briefly opened to foreign investment. The experiences in the Southwest and at an operating gold mine in Shandong at that time remain unforgettable, ...

Ian McCartney

Today, with good Chinese friends, we saw "The Great Wall" at Wanda Plaza (fantasy action, quite captivating and entertaining), and gorged at the 68 RMB steak buffet at second floor. I have a card on the Green Way bike rentals, which I use ... Read More

Ian McCartney replied to a thread
8 years ago
Ray_hana

Best time to visit ? Is it legal to look for jobs with tourist visa? by Ray_hana

Hello There :) Am Rayhana Sudanese born & living in Egypt. Am new here Planing to visit China and look for job there.. I wonder what's the best time to visit during winter plus is it legal to look for jobs with tourist visa? Thanks in ...

Ian McCartney

Every season is unique and beautiful in its own way. The mood and activities change, the ratio of indoor vs. outdoor changes, people are often easier to meet and connect with when battling the elements together. Here in Dalian we have a ... Read More

Ian McCartney replied to a thread
8 years ago
Ray_hana

Best time to visit ? Is it legal to look for jobs with tourist visa? by Ray_hana

Hello There :) Am Rayhana Sudanese born & living in Egypt. Am new here Planing to visit China and look for job there.. I wonder what's the best time to visit during winter plus is it legal to look for jobs with tourist visa? Thanks in ...

Ian McCartney

This is an interesting topic. My past work experience in China is really out-of-date; we always had business relationships with state agencies who looked after our status when in country, and we were employed and paid by corporate entities outside ... Read More

Ian McCartney replied to a thread
8 years ago
Ian McCartney

GPS track sharing in China (Wikiloc, etc) by Ian McCartney

Recording and making publicly available my hiking, walking, and bicycle tracks with referenced photos and way-points is an important activity for me. Normally I use Wikiloc (ID: "mclivancouver"), but this fails to load on local ISP's ...

Ian McCartney

Well, I couldn't get Hupu, the problem might be that my Canadian LG Nexus Smartphone is pre-loaded with hard locked Google software? I can't run some apps, or they don't install, or they are only partly functional with Chinese ISP's ... Read More