Buying a Playstation 2 in Harbin

[frobbit]

Hi all!

I 've been in Harbin for just two weeks now, and am just starting to get settled in.

However after teaching 5 classes I just want to go home and relax, but with nothing on TV I can understand (why can't I recieve cctv 9?!) I thought it would be nice to buy a ps2 or xbox.

However after asking a few chinese staff members where they are sold and how much they are I just get blank looks....

Surely they are available?

So anybody have any ideas? If there is a place where I can buy them 2nd hand even better!

Also being very new to the city and not knowing anybody I'd love to hear from anyone else who lives here. I've never felt so out of place as a 25 year old english guy before!

xiexie

[roddy]

I spent a year in Harbin back at the start of this millenium I'm sure a lots changed, but a few bits of advice . . .

There are actually plenty of foreign teachers in Harbin - last I heard the school I used to teach at had about 20-30 of them, and that's just one school. It's just tracking them down that's the trouble.

A few places we used to run into other teachers at where . . .

At Ligong Daxue (HIT), if you go through the main gate and walk on till you reach the smelly tofu seller and turn left, there used to be a street of bars and cafes. Only really used to get lively on weekend evenings though.

Large China Telecom Internet cafe on Zhongyang Dajie. It was on the second floor, can't remember above what. About halfway up (or down) the street.

Russian cafe just off Zhongyang Dajie, next door to the northern most KFC - take a book and sit there on a weekend afternoon, you're bound to run into some other people teaching there.

'Course, all this is a couple of years out of date, so best of luck - can't guarantee the smelly tofu seller hasn't moved on. Also, it was the tofu that smelt, not the guy himself.

I really enjoyed living in Harbin - great city, friendly people, some fantastic eating.

As for the games console, I'm not sure The pirate dvd shops used to sell computer games as well, so they might be a good place to ask - assuming they haven't all been closed down.

Roddy

EDIT and can't believe I forgot to mention the nightclub 'blues', a great place to meet people and fight with them

[trevelyan]

The video game district in Beijing is right by The Drum Tower (鼓楼). You can buy new or second hand basically any video game platform, and all of it is basically modded. Games go for roughly about 7 kuai per game.

[Manchu]

I, too, was in Harbin for a while, though a bit more recently.

At a couple of the schools, they prevent any CCTV9, CCTV5 (sports), and a few other channels at well. LiGong, HeiDa, and 2nd Medical are all like this I believe... HIT also had some restrictions, but I thought they removed those. It's to prevent the Chinese students from wasting time.

When I was at HeiDa there was a simultaneous crackdown on anything fun around there. The channels were limited, the internet cafes got closed down (this was after the Beijing tragedy), even the DVD sellers stopped stocking for a while. But that couldn't stop those crazy Chinese students from staring at walls, instead of doing their homework.

For PS2, Roddy's suggestion is good. I would also go to the electronic stores in the building next to YuanDa: they have used everything, they sell mostly cellphones, but I recall more interesting things being sold there as well.

As far as bars go, my favorite place was the HIT bar, at 1098 fu hua san dao jie (next to the HIT campus). It a very chill pub-like atmosphere.

Pacers (above the BeForTime teahouse in front of HIT) is a common place, but a bit shady... and the new owner (as of early 2005) is a xenophobic dick. Though that doesn't prevent him from hiring Russian dancers or taking your money.

Blues is quintessential Harbin. Do be careful there, though.

[gougou]

It's to prevent the Chinese students from wasting time.

That says a lot about the appeal of Chinese television, if to stop people from watching, you only have to block three channels out of, what, 50?

[Manchu]

you only have to block three channels out of, what, 50?

Well, there were a lot more that were blocked, but the students I knew only complained about those three.

I always thought the "JingJu Review" station more than made up for any lack of variation. Man, I never realized how precisely Chinese opera singers have to whine and squeal.

[frobbit]

Thanks for the info.

Still not sure why I can't get cctv9, as every other channel including '5' can be got! I have my own private apartment as well...anyway I have internet, so I can get english tv that way I guess.

I live about 10 min from the plaza that has the big Carrefour on the end, and thats pretty much all I know about where I am in terms of Harbin geography!

But as my school (Harbin Star Primary and middle school) is close by I can at least walk to work and not get lost.

Everybody has been really nice (maybe on ocassion too nice!). although after our 'Teachers Day' dinner last night I never want to see beer ever again...to many "Gambeis" for my liking!

[liuzhou]

It's to prevent the Chinese students from wasting time.

Yeah! That's the school's job!

Deng Xiao Ping Theory, Morning Exercise Competitions in the evening, and hundreds of endless meetings about total irrelevancies which no one listens to.

[venture160]

hey I have been in Harbin now for 3 months, and across from my campus, Harbin Institute of Technology, (ha'{er}gong da) from the main gate (zheng men{er}) is a large multi story electronics market, they sell EVERYTHING computer and game related there, they must have PS2, if it is not there, they will be able to tell you where to find one. The basement of that place also has the biggest DVD store in Harbin, you can find everything you ever wanted there for 7 kuai. Its hard not to miss, its the only glass tall building around, as everything else is old and dirty near the campus, they also run alot of promotion stuff outside everyday, so look for the loud obnoxious music. If you have any problems feel free to PM me and I can help you

[frobbit]

Thanks for the prod in the right direction!

However just to reinforce my newness to the area, how far is the HIT campus from the plaza with Carrefour on the end?

Sorry if I'm being a little vague, but as I as said, I don't know Harbin at all!

[frobbit]

Okay!Ｉfinally found the centre of Harbin, it seems that I live about 10-15 km away from it!

I went to the department store oposite the Sofia Church (impressive building).

Anyway I was just curious to know if all items like games machines, and more specifically laptops are as expensive here as they are in England.

I guess I was under the impression that as the cost of living in China is less than back home, then electronics especially would be of a greatly reduced price.

I did some research and the lap top I'm interested in is listed at 28,000rmb!! Any advice about buying one? Is buying online a better option maybe?

[venture160]

hey, if you can get a chinese person to help you out with the chiense versions of ebay that is the cheapest, but electronics, computer electronics in China are actually a bit on the expensive side