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| Shenyang, Guan Ya thread | ||
| Candace, June 26th, candace_lafleur@hotmail.com This is in reply to the person who recently wrote about their horrid experience in Shenyang, China or particularly, Guan Ya. I personally have never worked for or with Guan Ya, so I have nothing to say on that part. As for the apartment, well, you need to realize that it is not even a typical chinese apartment. Your apartment is usually far better than a typical chinese family of three people. If you are expecting things to be the standards of home, then you need to stay at home. What do the chinese people do in the summer for the heat? They don't all have air conditioners, and they seem to survive. Maybe it's a better idea to stop and learn from the culture, as you probably initially came here to do. They use fans. They arrange their homes according to sunlight and times of the most heat, etc… During the winter, it was not Guan Ya that keeps the heat off, it's Shenyang. True, they don't usually turn the heat on until it is very very cold. First of all, if you are from Canada, then you will be fine. Australians are allowed to complain a little. Once again, when in Rome… The chinse use extra blankets. Drink warm tea before bed and in the morning,etc… As for the mattress. If your provided mattress is not good enough for you - though if you are complaining, you have obviously never experienced a typical chinese bed, then big fluffly foamies are available at the furniture market for 50 Yuan. If you feel that things are not being done perfectly by your employer, then just get up and do it yourself. Who cares if it's in the contract? It's not in the contract that you get a soft, fluffy bed made from only hand picked goose down. They gave you a bed, they honored the contract. It's your job to take care of your own "wants". As for Shenyang in general, yes. It is polluted. Most of the heating in Shenyang is Coal. And there is an old dusty mining town nearby. And we get a lot of dust from the desert. But if you go outside the city, it has the most amazing wild animal park. Far better than the one in San Diego. Botanical gardens, the East Tomb park which is amazing! Beiling Park..etc. I think over all though, the greatest thing about Shenyang is that there aren't many foreigners. If you want a place to experience chinese culture, still have the comforts of home, eat chinese food, and hang out with your western friends speaking english everywhere you go, go to Vancouver. Yes, Shenyang is not the cleanest city in the world. Yes, it's not the richest. Yes, there is a lot of pollution, and yes, some daily habits that you encounter do seem extreme, but atleast you can come here and see how the rest of the world works. This is a real chinese experience, not like Shanghi or Beijing. There's a lot of beauty here, you just have to look a little deeper. Candace. |