Off-topic, but it's more expensive to travel from the US to Asia than within Asia itself, or from Australia to China for that matter. My parents are based in Singapore, and as long as I'm not looking for gem freshwaters I find that the savings are well worth the travel expenses. I usually get promotional airfares plus 4-star hotels in China which averages less than US$100 a night for two people. I don't think you can quite beat the satisfaction of sifting through strands and strands of pearls for that elusive perfection, though most of it is junk. Buying wholesale (not just for pearls, I do my clothes, shoes and accessory shopping there as well) definitely helps. I won't be doing it too often, but there are advantages of living in or near Asia rather than the US sometimes.
