A gas grill wouldn't produce any more smoke than an electric one. I've never had any problems. I'm not sure if they've got electric ones, but B&Q is worth checking out. It's a home supply and hardware store near the entrance to the Expo. In Chinese, it's called 百安居 (bai an ju)
I would check B&Q. I'd also recommend considering a gas grill, which B&Q sells too. You can probably find someone in your neighborhood to deliver small tanks of gas for it.
I take it you're applying for a labor permit. It's a new regulation that seems to be enforced in some, but not all Chinese cities.
If you have records of previous employment in China here, that will be enough. If you're applying to work at a big company with guanxi, a letter might do the trick.
The certificate is not for good conduct in China, but for a clean criminal record back home. The official procedure is to get the certificate from local officials in your home town, and have it notarized by the Chinese Embassy in London.
Basically they implemented the new regulation without putting much thought into how people would actually go about doing it.
All natural teas are healthy, and are alternatives to coffee. Coffee isn't actually that bad for you in moderation, as long as you don't load it with sugar and whipped cream a-la starbucks.
The genetic variations between teas are quite minimal. Most of the difference is in the processing. Try to stick to the high grade stuff, and make sure it was harvested recently (this year). In general, teas are lower in caffeine, but have other compounds with stimulating effect. They also tend to have lots of antioxidants as well as compounds found to detoxify the body. But in general, it's just good for you, while lots of beverages, such as corn syrup-based soft drinks, are probably bad.
Just try some teas out until you find a flavor you like.
I stay away from the new age herbal blends and the local flower teas, but I'm just a purist.
The best thing to do is to make sure you're covered at home (especially if you're American...). Most routine stuff in China won't end up costing much anyway. The insurance you should look for, usually an international thing, is evacuation insurance, which will pay for a med-evac in case of something really bad happening.
@Ishmael: My impression was that the Bai of Heqing were the builders, making houses in a variety of minority styles all over western Yunnan, and Jianchuan was home to the carpenters who made the best window screens and eaves decorations.
An exciting new gallery space built from an old factory warehouse in the Paoluda Creative Industry Park. Looking forward to seeing what they'll do with it.
Snapshot: A trip to Kunming and beyond in the 80s
Posted byGreat story. The temple does appear to be the Golden Temple
Snapshot: Preserving Yunnan woodworking traditions in Jianchuan
Posted byGreat article by the way.
Snapshot: Preserving Yunnan woodworking traditions in Jianchuan
Posted by@Ishmael: My impression was that the Bai of Heqing were the builders, making houses in a variety of minority styles all over western Yunnan, and Jianchuan was home to the carpenters who made the best window screens and eaves decorations.
Scientists "99 percent" certain SARS originated in Yunnan bats
Posted byFor the transmission, it was probably an infected civet that was illegally caught and shipped to Guangdong for sale in the wild food markets.
1920s China through the lens of Joseph Rock: Simao
Posted byDoes anyone have any idea where "Nakoli" is? I'm assuming, based on the picture caption, that it's a town or village next to Simao...