China Travel Guide 3

[mama squeak!]

Thanks, akthung! I'll check the places you mentioned. My Mom in-law's birthday's coming up and she loves silk. 

Talking about fake cashmeres, hubby bought a couple of scarves at the Silk Market. Of course, he knew they were knock offs since super mura and they weren't as light and warm as his real ones. 

[akthung]

even the good cashmere clothes are well....of very common designs. I'd rather go for branded ones like Boss.

A lot of the stuff kasi from these markets we have na in Pinas, greenhills or china town. but of course they have better selection and cheaper. if you have a heart to heart talk with them, you can buy bulk at far cheaper prices.

as for silk, mas magaganda pa yung nakikita ko sa malls (chinese companies/brands).

[kiara_yao]

how cold is it now in Beijing?  We are planning to go there by march or april for vacation.  Anything new in Beiing? Thanks!

[akthung]

well its been getting hotter and hotter by the week. nasanay na kami ng mga kasamahan ko sa -12 to -15c, kaya naiinitan na kami sa 1c.

better check the internet forecast a few days before you leave and add a few degrees for wind chill.

the new year was good. officially its one whole week off. but people start to leave Beijing a few weeks before the new year week. the week after the new year week was kinda slow too. i guess dahil tinatiming nila ang mga leave nila to coincide with the new year para mahaba.

of course may mga sales at that time and the whole Feb 9-15 eh puro fireworks sa gabi, depende sa tao at sa capability nila to spend. we played with firecrackers too. hehe

but other than this, same old Beijing...

[theflygirl]

Tagging along on hubby's flight to Beijing on 22March. Still have to get my visa, though. I knew I should've secured my NBI clearance sooner! Some colleagues were at the Badaling part of the Wall last 25th and it still snowed a bit. Hoping I catch some wintry weather pa when we get there.

[mama squeak!]

^mauuna lang pala ako ng one week sa yo. I've asked hubby to apply for my visa with their office liaison. This will be my 4th Chinese visa so no need na for NBI clearance. I thought you went na before?

[london]

^^ no need for nbi clearance. kahit first timers no need na.

[theflygirl]

@mama_squeak-I went somewhere else instead. Hehe. Yup, their liaison ofcr will be fixing my visa applic. Just preparing everything. Same crew hotel ba?

@london-really? They changed na ba? My friends who went there before all passed NBI clearances. Hmm, so maybe that's why the office LO didn't put it on the requirements list. I thought maybe he forgot about it lang.

What's there is only applic form, photo, hotel, tkt, bank statement 6mos, bank cert at least 100k adb and nso marriage. Non appearance. Am i missing anything else?

[akthung]

Tagging along on hubby's flight to Beijing on 22March. Still have to get my visa, though. I knew I should've secured my NBI clearance sooner! Some colleagues were at the Badaling part of the Wall last 25th and it still snowed a bit. Hoping I catch some wintry weather pa when we get there.

snow isn't an indicator of "cold". it usually snows when it's close to zero.

last dec to early january, masaya kami pag nag snow. kasi mainit. better to be at zero or neg 1 than -12 with wind. and kainis ang snow lalo na with sa style ng China sa pag linis

[mama squeak!]

I prefer the weather to be cold wag lang mag-snow or humangin. Maganda tignan ang snow specially kung bago. But once natapakan or nadaanan 

[vain_kixie]

agree, super dirty and slippery. I like it when it just fell too.

I don't like wind too. Hay I remember when we were climbing the Great wall, super lakas ng wind.
Scary.

[london]

@theflygirl

yup, that's it. though not sure sa nso marriage certificate cause i'm still single haha
for those who were issued visas before, application form, pics and rt ticket lang. pwede mo na rin isama hotel voucher.

[mama squeak!]

^Add ko the embassy also requires applicants to include the passport(s) with the old Chinese visas issued before. Akala ko enough na to submit the photocopies of the old visas kailangan din daw makita yung original.

[london]

^ for me, photocopies lang okay na. recent application was lat nov 2012.

[theflygirl]

@akhtung-yep, it's not. I like snowy days better than the cold, windy ones. Mas masakit sa ulo. Like a previous trip to Mt. Charleston in Nevada on a snowy day without jackets on was warmer than last Nov's cold n windy (no snow) trip to Seoul. Had a real bad headache there.

@mama_squeak-PM'd you with an inquiry.

[mama squeak!]

^^That's weird! My husband's office called me up last Friday and the travel agency was asking for my passport with the old visas kaya pinadala ko today sa kanila. Di daw mapa-process application ko without the original old visas.

Now that I remember when I applied twice in 2010 and 2011, pinadala ko yung mga old visas ko. All my applications are coursed through a travel agency. Not sure kung personal application.

@theflygirl, sure sis antay ko PM mo.

 

[supladitang cute]

I called the agency. They don't need na raw my COE and NBI clearance.

[cheskacutie]

Hi girls!

How's the weather in Beijing now? is it still winter or going spring already? What do you suggest for the attire? Do we still need thick jackets and scarfs? sorry I need to ask cos we'll be leaving next week for a tour. OUr visa was granted last Friday 

Hope to get suggestions too on places to visit for a 4 day stay in Beijing.

Thank you!

[mama squeak!]

^Still cold. Check mo na lang the weather forecast a few days before your departure. I'll be leaving tomorrow and the weather forecast is just like my October Europe trip last year. So I'm bringing my light wool pea coat, cashmere sweaters, scarf and cashmere lined leather gloves. In case it really gets cold I'll also be bringing extra leggings for under my jeans. This time though I'll just be wearing my hiking boots, no more na my leather ones.

[cheskacutie]

^ thanks for the tip sis mama squeak! just hoping it's not too cold when we visit Great Wall:(