Nok Tok

Hi,

My husband has a potential job opportunity in Shenyang (North China) and I would be very grateful for any advice as regards taking two children to live there? One is 9 months the other is almost 3.

My main concerns are health, education and being able to buy Western groceries and baby milk that the children are used to.

I have done some research into health provision and it seems if you take out insurances (SOS and a UK based insurer) and know where to go, you will receive good care, is that correct?

I have also located an international school for my son who is fast approaching school age. I could only find one but will have some time to find more I guess but any advice would be welcome.

I am also worried about getting basic goods like bread and beans!!! And formula milk and calpol. I am also asthmatic and my son has eczema - how easily can I get our treatments for them?

I am very keen to get in touch with any expat communities in Shenyang, as although I am excited to learn more about chinese culture, I think it helps to have a bedrock of support/friendships from those who have similar expectations to yourself.

I also have a pet cat who I really want to come with us and am prepared for him to be a housecat once there. Any advice/experiences in shipping pets to China would also be appreciated.

I am very very nervous about this move but feel it could be a fantastic opportunity not only for my husband's career but also for the children but am just a bit wary as they are both still very young.

Thank you,

N

bakedbean

Hi, cannot help you with your questions as I'm down south in Malaysia and never been to China, but just to wish you all the best if you make the move. I've lived in 3 different countries in south east Asia and I know how nerve racking it can be, until you actually settle in to a place.

Hopefully someone in China will be along soon to answer your questions.

red_china

hi,
my family and I are about to move up to Shenyang (me, wife and 2 kids age 5 and 3).
wouldn't worry too much about health - as long as you get the insurance if you need anything really major done they'll evacuate you (they did with me); for minor stuff the better local hospitals usually have pretty good english speaking staff - I remember ten years ago I had to take my dad to a doctor there and they got him sorted out easily.

education - there's the shenyang international school that looks ok, daughter will be going there. our 3 year old is going to be going to creative kids kindergarten, again, looks ok. admittedly there's not the choice of schools like there is here in shanghai, but then again you pay a lot more for a school in shanghai.

there's a few places you can get imported stuff like beans and the like - Carrefour has a few branches in the town, same like Tesco. There's a shop doing imported food at Riverside Garden, and another one up by the north railway station, although a bit pricey.

hope that helps

bakedbean

Good info, red_china

Nok Tok

Hi there,

Thank you for the information.

I am very interested in the kindergarten. My son is almost three and I would like to tap into some kind of pre-school equivalent for him. Could you send the link?

So how long all together have you been in China? And where are you from originally?

There is also a chance that my husband's work could move to Shanghai somewhere down the line so be interested to learn more about Shanghai too.

We are likely to be in SY some time next month. When will you be there?

Thank you again and good luck with your move.

uk_vette

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Here is a link to Shenyang kindergarden schools.
.
http://www.google.com.hk/search?q=%E...VjovMbV59uOzBk

Now you have the Chinese results, next step,
Just under the "Google 搜索" at the end of the right hand end of the search bar, is "Google.com in English"
Click, and the results will show in English.

Hope this helps

vette

Mipik

I dont have any up to date info as I have lived there 1990-94.

Few of the things have not changed for sure:
- it gets pretty cold in winter, even with global warming still expect less than -20C for months,
- polution, this is centre of old/new industrial area, black snow will happen.
- food, one of the best areas in China as far local food is concerned, local flavours make adaptation easy.
- big part of population is ethnic Korean, another great food and restaurants, plus good sized South Korean community will well supplied shops.
- local language is almost as close to standard Mandarin as it gets so good place to learn.
- people in North East of China a famously bad tempered, this has to be seen to be believed.

Overall, even than with expat community of less than 100 (all included) it was a reasonable place to live. It probably got better.

jameshenderson

Hi,

I am living in Riverside (previously mentioned) and I have some expat friends here who have cats. It's not so unusual anymore. Maybe a few years ago they were seen as lunch :-)

...would you like me to ask them how they moved them? (actually they are Belgian)

jameshenderson

The expat community was 2,300 as of March this year. Last winter it was -32C on the coldest day, but the sun nearly always shines, so it's not depressing (just cold).

Haven't seen black snow in a long time - the air has really improveed over the last few years, but still not as good as UK (it's better than Beijing). They do still use coal powered heating stations in winter and that does blow out a lot of black smoke...

I haven't met a bad tempered local in the 10 months I have been here - I have found them all very friendly. The city is relatively safe, you can wander around without feeling awkward. Some of the older generation might stare at you (it's only interest, nothing sinister) and unfortunatly they spit alot - I don't think I'll ever get used to that.

Nok Tok

Hi there,

And thank you everyone for the information.

Well we are now in the process of packing and panicing in no particular order!!!

Taking our cat has been fraught with dilemas but I am finding more and more people who have taken their pets to Shenyang. But yes James, any more information would be great. I have been told that our cat has to arrive within 14 days of our arrival, can you ask your friends if this is true? Also I am looking to use Globy Pets, do they have any experience with this company? And if I do have to get him into China within 2 weeks of our arrival, we have to find somewhere for him to stay until we find an apartment. I am very nervous about this as I am sure there is not a huge range of boarding facilities as in the UK. Could you also kindly ask your friends if they know of anywhere he could stay for at least 3-4 weeks in Shenyang. I have asked for Globy Pets help with this too. Finally, I have been advised by GPets that in order to avoid 30 days quarantine in Beijing, the cat will have to fly through Shanghai with a 24 hours stay in quarantine then flown up to Shenyang. Is this right that even though he will simply be changing flights in Beijing, he will still have to stay in quarantine there? Does anyone know what the quarantine facilities are like in Beijing? It is good to know though that residents at Riverside have pets as this is somewhere we want to consider living.

Sorry for the bombardment of questions! And thank you and everyone for their time. It is much appreciated.

Mipik

Sounds like quite a growth over 20 years.
Still a rather small number.
Does it include foreign students, Koreans and Japanese expats?

I was being gentle ....

Please take as real Dong Bei Ren or people from North East deserve their reputation as bad tempered. Shenyang would be relatively safe. If you want absolutely safe go to Tianjin, to get into a fight there you have to start one.

But you will.

Takes a while.


To be honest I have been wandering how has Shenyang changed.
I shall try to arrange a visit there to check it out.

Mipik

Nok Tok,

It might sound very brutal.

You should not make decisions about long term future of your family based on the cat. Think what is really important.

Cat would not make his/hers decisions in life based on people to start with and it is just a pampered pet temporary living with you.

If you go through all the trouble and expense of moving the cat to Shenyang/China please check if you will be allowed to bring it back to UK at all later.

If you want to have a cat in Shenyang, I am pretty sure it will cost you a couple of quid to get one locally.

Nok Tok

Thanks but no thanks for your advice on taking my cat to Shenyang.

You are clearly not sentimental about animals but I am and you have no right to judge me for it.

And for your information, our decision making process about whether to go to Shenyang or not, is and never has been based soley on whether our cat can come with us. My first and foremost consideration in all of this, has been for the welfare of my children and my husband so how dare you suggest that I am putting an animal before my family.

I thought the purpose of this forum was to provide a friendly exchange of information and an opportunity to meet up with like-minded people. I think you are using it as an opportunity to provoke and judge others and would suggest you find a more appropriate kind of social network to do so.

uk_vette

.
Hello Nok Tok,
When I read Mipik's post, I understood entirley what Mipik was saying.
I can understand you are a "cat" person, but don't let that cloud your decision.
To be honest, the cat should be the least of your concern, and if I was moving my family to Shenyang, then I would not take the cat, no matter how attached to it.
Can't you leave it to a friend, or a relative, ?
Understand, that if your cat should ever escape the apartment, there is every chance you will never see it again, it won't know where it is, totally lost, the thoughts of the possible demise of the cat will haunt you for a long time.
Nobody is judging you, we are just saying how it is.
If and when you arrive in Shenyang, and settled, then maybe you could send for the cat later?
When you have lived in China, as long as me, and others, then you will also realise the comments we give, are given through experience, not through any malice or that we don't like cats, it's just the way it is.

V..

Nok Tok

To Mipik and UK_Vette,

Please understand the cat is not dictating my decision to go to Shenyang or not!! You are all assuming that this is the crux of my decision and it is not!!

And V, I was judged by Mipik with the statement You should not make decisions about long term future of your family based on the cat. Think what is really important. This is presumptious and infers that I would put an animal ahead of my children which is frankly insulting.

And yes V I have considered leaving him with a friend or relative.

And yes Mipik I have also looked into the procedures for returning my cat to the UK.

Whilst I do appreciate that you and Mipik are entitled to your opinions and your experience dictates not to take my cat, others have been far, far more positive about doing so. Whilst it has been a hassle, their cats/dogs are contented and well cared for.

These posts are really not helpful. All I am looking for is information from people who HAVE taken pets abroad and what their experiences are, then I can make an informed decision that is best for us all but either way we are going to SY which if you had read my posts properly you would know.

But many thanks for your pearls of wisdom, its just a shame you have to be so negative.