China's Starter Kit

Hi, I am back and now I write using my laptop, it is more comfortable for me ~ hahaha. It's really hard to write from my phone and there is a lot of Google verification step that required a lot of time because I need to use the VPN ~

So, after I moved to Chongqing (China), that's really a whole new world for me. I need to connected to VPN before I opened my daily apps on my phone and then if I want to use the China apps I need to turn off that VPN, there are a lot of changes that I need to adapt here.

So, here are some of tips and trick that you need to know before you move to China and there is a rumor that the VPNs will be banded (officially) at the end of February, OMG that will be make me crazy for a while but I am sure that I can adapt with that for sure after several months. hahaha. Let's back to the point. 

1. Use 4G smartphone

Make sure that your smartphone is 4G, I used my previous phone, Xiaomi Note 2, which said 4G phone, but not (but when my friend use this it shows as 4G *damn*). Actually, when I used the wi fi everything is okay but when I used the mobile data sometime that will be really really slow, especially when it showed as 2G signal (E), but if you don't really use that for facebook, instagram or any other apps that will be okay. But, the WeChat pay can't be use at several place because of that will be no signal if we didn't use 4G connection.

After that I decided to but a new smartphone, Mi 6, 4G+ connection but it's only sold in China so it must be connected with the Google first, if not BYE WORLD. hahaha. I have a friend who also used Mi 6 and couldn't use PlayStore. I really can't do that without any google apps. hahaha. There is also one of the minus point for China's phone is can't update your VPNs based apps perfectly, because some of instagram features can't be updated on my phone T.T

2. Download VPNs

If you are from abroad, like to update and stalking people by their SNS you really need to download VPNs. Like I said before that the VPNs will be block soon. We are still not sure about that because the news only mention registered apps and the public internet provider not the private internet provider but that only will works with the wi fi router. hahaha. What kind of VPNs that we can used and which one is the best. If you want to keep connected with the VPNs the paid ones will be better but if you only want to update and play around maybe the free one is okay. 

Nowadays, the free one is really hard to connect especially if you use the mobile data, maybe the effect of BAND THE VPNs project ~ and I used china mobile as my provider. For the paid VPNs, Astrill is really good, but it takes 180 yuan/year/id and you need to have a promotion and also that you need to buy 6 ID directly when you want to purchase with that price. The other option is VPN.AC it's cheaper than Astrill and my friend also said it's quite good and it's only 55 yuan/year :D :D it's 1/3 of Astrill price right? But, if you think that you don't really need that kind of VPNs, you can use the free one and you need to download that before you enter China. 

I used Monster VPN, Turbo VPN, and psiphon and I think they are quite good with 4G smartphone of course, when I use my old smartphone sometime they are not work really well with data service but okay with the wi fi ~

3. Download Dictionary

This is the most essential things that you need to download after VPNs!! If they said that Chinese People can speak english that a big LIE! Hufft, I took an english program here but the environment is Chinese so I need to adapt with that language barrier again. There are several apps that will be helpful, but I preferred to use Baidu Translate and Pleco. Most of my Chinese friends using google translate (translate.google.com.cn) and they didn't need VPNs for that features. I prefer Pleco but for a whole sentences Baidu Translate is better to identify what they want to say. 

For my first month in China, I prefer to use Baidu Translate because that easier to use and I really blind with that Chinese words so, Baidu help me a lot especially with the photo features and also talks features. But, after a while and I need to learn more Chinese, Baidu didn't help me a lot. hahha. Pleco help me to write and how to write with the stroke, that's really look like a big data dictionary but only for words not sentences.

4. Useful Apps

Last things that you need to know and learn is what kind of China Apps that you need to have.  I already mention several apps above but China has a lot of Apps and you need that if you stay for a long time because that will save your money and trust me nothing cheap in China. 

Social Media (that I used here):

• WeChat, we chat is widely use by people here because of their features but because WeChat don't really give all out for Chinese User, I think they only use that to communicated with foreigner and the features maybe will be not really fancy like QQ. Basically if I need to compare this apps with my normal apps, this will be a WhatsApp.
• QQ, it is more fancy that WeChat because it's more like for youngster with a lot of modification and it's also contained a really cute features and news. It's really look like LINE but because that features only applied for Chinese Apps not International QQ it's harder to use for foreigner and they don't have translation features on China QQ. 
• Weibo, if "world" has Facebook and Instagram, China has Weibo - It's totally look a like but because I don't understand what the features of this and that so I only find the update from my favorite idol (Kpop) and then translate that but if I have VPNs I prefer to see the update from my normal SNS platform. 

Entertainment & Shopping:

• Taobao, I think most of people know Taobao so well, my cousin who stayed in Singapore also know about this apps. I never heard about that before I moved to China and I really don't know how to use that because everything in Chinese. Yes PRACTICE makes PERFECT. hahha After a month I can use this apps perfectly and buy a lot of things with this apps. hahaha. It's really fun to use this apps and it's also has a lot of official store, I need to pay for the shipment fee but it's okay then spent a whole day to go around the mall and the price is exactly the same and sometimes the goods also can't be found at the store.
• Taobao additional Apps - I also not sure what the name of this apps, but this apps can provide a lot of voucher for our "targeted" product from Taobao and it also has a special features to give you a list of 9.9  yuan products, I really love to scrolls that apps. hahaha
• Mini Apps from WeChat, this apps also has their own name but because I found it on WeChat and every payment is connected to WeChat so I said this apps as Mini Apps from WeChat. It's also has 9.9 yuan features and sometime a random cheap price like a lottery but I never get that. hahaha
• JD.com, if you want to buy an electronic products this apps or website is really worth to visit. The quality is better than Taobao for electronics only but I never use this apps because I am not really interested with electronics stuff.
• QQ Music, if you love music and really like to listen from JOOX or Spotify but don't want to use your VPNs this apps will be your favorite apps. But, if you use VPNs, this apps won't work and you need to pay for that.
• Alipay, this apps it the KEY for everything ~ you can buy everything with this apps, you don't need to bring your wallet, you only need ALIPAY. hahaha. It has a lot of features but it's only for transaction I think WeChat has more and the price sometimes WeChat features is cheaper so if you like to compare the price you can compare ALIPAY with WECHATPAY :D

Productivity:

• Baidu Maps, I think every country has their own apps for this apps. China also have a lot of maps apps but because Baidu is more understandable to foreigner I prefer to use this apps. Sometime it's wrong and they said from weibo there is a rumor about Baidu but I don't care about that. 
• QQ Mail, if you want to get the update form you gmail without VPNs use this QQ Mail and register your email. You'll get the update without using any VPN.