Starbucks China: Summer 2012

Posted in Starbucks on 05/15/2012 01:31 am by Claudine | Viewed 74 times

Summer has officially begun at Starbucks with the launch of the summer merchandise, pastries and beverages.  Read through and see what Starbucks has to offer this summer.

My Frappuccino Moment

image The summer frappuccino (Soy Strawberry & Cream, Extra Coffee Caramel and Low Fat Mocha) trio are back.  You can opt for low fat, healthy or strong frappuccinos to suit your lifestyle.  For healthy option, you can try the Soy Strawberry & Cream which is made up of strawberry syrup, soy milk, ice topped with whipped cream.  For a strong, pick me up, you can try the Extra Coffee Caramel which is made up of Starbucks Frappuccino Roast coffee with whole milk, ice topped with whipped cream swirled with caramel syrup.  The Low Fat option is the Low Fat Mocha which is made up of Starbucks Frappuccino Roast coffee, light milk and ice.

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Day Trip : Tianjin

Posted in Travel - China on 05/14/2012 10:32 am by Claudine | Viewed 48 times

If you would like to try the bullet train in Beijing and don’t want to go far, Tianjin is a good option for a day trip.  Tianjin (天津) is a municipality in China which is roughly 86 miles southeast of Beijing.  It’s one of the major ports in northern China with the Bohai Gulf to the east and Hebei province to the north and south.

DSC_0085Bullet Train to Tianjin

From Beijing, head towards the Beijing South Station to purchase your tickets to Tianjin.  Travel time is roughly 30 minutes and several trains leave every hour except late at night.  Ticket costs from RMB 55 (second class), RMB 66 (first class) for C trains.  You will need a valid ID for each passenger when you purchase a ticket.  First train leaves at 710am and the last train departs at 11pm.  Your destination would be Tianjin Main Station (天津站).

To return to Beijing South Station, the first train leaves at 650am and the last train leaves at 1045pm.

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Beijing China Mobile Monthly Promotions

Posted in Living in Beijing, Promotions on 05/11/2012 02:10 am by Claudine | Viewed 33 times

image China Mobile is one of the biggest telecommunications company in China offering mobile phone services.  They offer both post-paid and pre-paid plans to their subscribers.

For pre-paid plans, you can choose either shenzhouxing or mzone.  Mzone caters more to the teenagers and young adults who tend to send more text messages and download music than call.  Shenzhouxing caters to professionals who do not want to be charged a monthly bill for the use of the phone services.

For post-paid plan, China Mobile offers Gotone.  Signing up is easy as you only need to bring your passport, SIM card fee and at least RMB 500 to any China Mobile service hall all over the city.  For a prepaid amount of RMB 500, you are restricted to domestic roaming only.  For a prepaid amount of RMB 1,000, you will be able to enjoy international roaming.  If you’re not in a hurry to use international roaming, opt for the prepaid amount of RMB 500 and return to the service hall after 3 months to have your international roaming activated.

Here are some of this month’s promotions which will help you save some money from your monthly mobile phone expense:

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6 Simple Ways To Save Money In Restaurants

Posted in Money & Investment, Restaurant on 05/09/2012 04:03 am by Claudine | Viewed 49 times

If you live alone, on a business or leisure trip, don’t know how to cook or do not have the time to cook at home, you may be one of many who frequently dine out in Beijing.  Dining out daily can be very expensive but here are some simple ways to save money and enjoy a night out:

image1.  Avail of Promotions, Discounts or Coupons

Group buying sites such as tuan800.com or dianping.com can offer you discounts or coupon at restaurants.  Local credit card companies also tie up with restaurants offering discounts when using their credit card for payment.

2.  Don’t Use the Packaged Utensils and Wet Tissues

If you’re up for an adventure or think that the restaurant you’re eating is hygienic, inform your server that you will not use the packaged utensils and wet tissues.  They usually cost from RMB 1 to 5 and is added directly to your bill.

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Starbucks Mainland China Cards: 2009 – 2012

Posted in Starbucks on 05/08/2012 12:54 am by Claudine | Viewed 130 times

Starbucks opened its first door in mainland China in January 1999.  Since then, the company has been expanding aggressively in different tier 1 and 2 cities across China.  Ten years after their opening, they followed their US branches’ bandwagon and introduced Starbucks cards to their loyal customers.

Starbucks card introduced in China are different from other countries.  They can’t be given as gift cards as they don’t hold any value.  Cards are purchased and comes with a matching sleeve.

Here’s a look of the different cards which were issued and how it evolved since they were introduced:

 

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Movies This May in Beijing

Posted in Movies on 05/05/2012 04:57 am by Claudine | Viewed 54 times

Blockbuster movies in Beijing are usually delayed or never shown.  This month, here are the list of movies showing in the big screen across town.

imageInseparable (May 4, Friday)

Inseparable stars Kevin Spacey, Daniel Wu and Beibi Gong.  Daniel Wu plays Li, a young man who works as an artificial limbs designer and who is going through a difficult time, his parents having died in a car crash, his wife Pang (Beibi Gong) having suffered a miscarriage, and his boss putting pressure on him to lie at an upcoming hearing about a malfunctioning product. The film begins with him attempting suicide in his apartment, only to be interrupted by neighbour Chuck (Kevin Spacey, an American ex-pat who apparently makes a living by playing the stock market. The two forge a close bond, and Chuck pushes Li to overcome his problems and renew his relationship with Pang through a variety of odd methods, including dressing up as superheroes and trying to take down corporate criminals.

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Social Insurance for Foreigners in Beijing

Posted in Working in Beijing on 04/29/2012 08:40 am by Claudine | Viewed 94 times

imageIn July 1, 2011, the Mainland Chinese government introduced a new Social Insurance Law which includes participation of all foreigners working in China.  For Beijing employees, this law has been implemented since October 15, 2011 and all payments are made retroactively.

The Chinese social insurance system is consists of five insurance payment:  retirement, medical, work-related injury, unemployment and maternity.  Both employees and employers must pay the contributions.  The employers will deduct the employees share from their salary and will pay both contributions to the local bureau.

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Marathons Around China in 2012

Posted in Health & Medicine on 04/14/2012 07:06 am by Claudine | Viewed 84 times

As Spring hits across China, more and more people are enjoying the weather and are taking to outdoor activities to exercise.  If you feel competitive, why not sign up on one these marathons across China and join the rush.

image

Here’s a list of marathons across China till the end of the year:

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Pingyao, Part 2: Getting There and Around

Posted in Travel - China on 03/24/2012 05:09 am by Claudine | Viewed 73 times

DSC_0361 Going to Pingyao from Beijing is quite easy.  You can opt for train, plane, car or bus.  We initially plan to take the train but opted not due to hygiene issue.  So how did we go there?  We opted for bus.

By Bus

Since there were 20 of us in the group, we opted to rent a bus to take us there and back to Beijing.  Due to the Chinese New Year holidays, bus rental was at a premium.  We rented a 39 seater bus for RMB 11,000 exclusive of the driver’s meals and accommodation.

The drive took roughly 8 hours with several pit stops for lunch and bathroom.  Luckily for us, it wasn’t icy and road conditions were good.  It was actually smooth driving to Pingyao.  The view, nothing worthwhile.

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Pingyao, Part 1: The Plan

Posted in Travel - China on 03/23/2012 04:47 am by Claudine | Viewed 47 times

DSC_0375As Chinese New Year came early this year, I opted out of going back home to relax and unwind.  Instead, with some friends of mine, we went to the place where “Raise The Red Lantern” was filmed, the ancient county of Pingyao in Shanxi province.

Initially, we were thinking of doing a combination of Datong and Pingyao.  However, with kids in the group, we opted for Pingyao only due to its cultural significance and being a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Here’s the plan:

  • Day 1:  Beijing to Pingyao by bus.  Visit Qiao Family Courtyard.  Check-in at Yide Hotel.
  • Day 2:  Go around the ancient town.  Return to Beijing by bus.

Simple right?  The bus ride was boring and it cannot enter Pingyao itself.  We had to transfer to an electric cart to go around the city.  The downside, it’s too cold to enjoy the scenery.

I’ll tell you more on my next few posts!

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