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What should I bring?
Less than you think. This is not a commercial tour -- you have
to carry all your own luggage! In addition, there will be a 20 kilogram
(45 pound) weight limit on the plane from Shanghai to Beijing. Theoretically,
this applies to all a particular traveler's luggage, but in 2005, the gate
agents only applied it to checked baggage. So consider 45 pounds
your absolute top limit for your checked bag, particularly since there's
a fair possibility you'll be buying souvenirs in Shanghai, which will help
push your luggage over the weight limit. Yes, you can do it!
You don't need all that stuff!
Things people brought in 2005 that they did not need:
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Rain jacket. (Yes, it rained, but an umbrella would have been a better
defense, since it can be used as a sunshade. It was too hot for the
jacket.)
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Pillow, blanket, stuffed animals
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Too many clothes
What do you need?
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Clothes for an average temperature of 77-88 degrees daytime high and 55-67
degrees nightime low.
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Information about whom to contact if you lose your credit card(s) or ATM
card(s). ATMs in China do not have letters on the keys, so you will
need to remember your PIN number in digits.
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Imodium. Most of you will get diarrhea a couple of times over the
trip. Imodium usually stops it. If your doctor will prescribe
it, you might bring a bottle of ciprofloxacin tablets, which will stop
pretty much any intestinal infection. Save these to use when you run a
fever with your diarrhea.
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If you are prone to sinus infections or bronchitis, bring a plentiful supply
of prescription antibiotics, decongestants and everything else you use
when you get sick. Shanghai and Beijing suffer from terrible pollution
and if you are ever going to get sick, you will there. Prescriptions
in China are not always reliable, so bring enough to get you through the
trip!
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Package of toilet paper or kleenex, or better yet, antibacterial wipes.
Toilet paper is not always available in public restrooms.
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Mosquito repellent
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Sunscreen, sunglasses; a hat is a good idea
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Campsuds if you think you'll be washing your clothes in your bathroom sink.
There are not many coin-operated laundries in China. There will probably
be commercial laundries available where the attendants wash your clothes
for a modest fee.
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UPDATE 4/8: The ShTU Guest House does have a washing
machine. You buy a 10-wash card at the front desk. It does not have
a dryer, but there are clotheslines on the roof. Bring clothespins.
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Battery operated alarm clock! But do not
bring one that plugs into the wall, because Chinese electricity runs on
a different cycle than ours, hence a plug-in alarm clock will always be
either too early or too late.
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Extra battery for your laptop, to extend your running time when outlets
are not available for everyone. A flash drive, even if you're
not bringing your laptop. (You can do your work or download your
photos onto a friend's laptop and then move those files to your own flash
drive.)
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China runs on 220 volt electicity; the USA runs on 110. This means
that you may need a voltage converter if you're bringing any appliances,
such as a hair dryer. Dual voltage appliances -- and nearly all laptops
-- run on both voltages, so you do not need a voltage converter for those.
To check if your laptop, etc., runs on 220 volt electricity, look at the
AC convertor. If it says "Input: 110-240V" you're fine.
You will, however, need a plug adaptor. Chinese plugs angle inward
where ours are parallel. There are often outlets that accept both
plugs available, but you can't count on it. You can get these adaptors
at www.magellans.com; in
Chicago, see the Savvy Traveler
shop.
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UPDATE 4/8: The rooms at the ShTU Guest
House have outlets that will take US plugs, but you might consider bringing
an adaptor just in case. If your laptop uses a three prong plug,
you'll need a special adaptor. See the Magellans website.
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UPDATE 4/8: Target in Dayton is selling
adaptors, too.
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A blank DVD. I'll burn copies of each person's photos for everyone
else at the end of the trip.
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Rechargers for digital camera, laptop, etc.
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Some photos of your family, your friends, UD postcards. People you
meet will be curious about your life back in the States.
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You may want to have a gift or two in case you make friends with any of
our classmates at Shanghai Normal University. The UD ISSAP t-shirt
you will receive will do for this, but if you are a member of any UD organization
(sports team, etc.) that sells a special t-shirt, you might bring one to
use as a gift. Nothing obscene please. You might think it funny,
but your Chinese friends probably wouldn't be able to wear it.
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How do I keep in touch with the folks back
home?
UPDATE 4/8: Your mailing address will be:
Room ××, Foreign Guest House, Shanghai Normal University, 100
Guilin Road, Shanghai 200234, P. R. China
Don't bring your cellphone. American phones won't work outside
of the USA, because our phone systems use a different frequency.
If you're buying a new cellphone in the next few months, by the way, buy
a "quad-band" phone that is "GSM" enabled.
The Education Abroad Office will be giving you a wallet-sized card
with an emergency number for your family to reach you. Emphasis on
EMERGENCY
here.
China is is 12 HOURS ahead of Ohio and the rest of the Eastern Time Zone.
Eleven hours ahead of the Central Time Zone. Your family should not
wake up Carlson Laoshi because they want to know if you're getting enough
to eat.
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UPDATE 4/8: The Education Abroad Office
has discovered a source which will rent you a cellphone that you can use
abroad. See www.piccellwireless.com
or the email you received from Ms. Raymont on April 1.
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Internet: Internet access may be available to us in China
and I will also try to discover where the nearest Internet cafes will be.
You can also research this yourself at www.wi-fihotspotlist.com/browse/intl/2000042/.
(Computer Experts: If you know a better source for these, PLEASE email
me with the URL.) As soon as I know our addresses in Shanghai and
Beijing, I will post them here. Once on the Internet, you can send
email; schedule a time to IM your family and friends; or use Skype (www.skype.com/),
free software which lets you send and recieve phone calls over your computer.
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GSM cell phone: You can buy or rent a cell phone that will
work in China, known as a GSM phone, via www.cellularabroad.com.
You will also need to buy a "SIM card" for China; this provides you with
prepaid minutes and it's rechargeable, so that you can charge additional
minutes on a credit card.
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Public phones: To make international calls, you will need to buy
two kinds of phone cards (available from street vendors, convenience stores,
and the post office). First, you slide an IC card (àicei
ka) into the slot on a public phone to activate it for a dial tone.
Then you punch in the access code on the IP card (aipi ka) to make
your international call. The voice should give you a menu from which you
choose "English," then follow the prompts to dial in the number behind
the scratch-off panel. The card you buy in Shanghai may not work
in Beijing, so don't recharge it right at the end of our stay!
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Alternatively, you can just buy an IC card so that you can use a public
phone, then dial the access codes for an American phone service (with English
speaking operators!) and charge your call to that company's long distance
card or to a credit card. To find out more, call AT&T Direct
(800-874-4000) or MCI WorldPhone (800-444-444) or Sprint International
Access (800-793-1153).
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What shots do I need?
A tetnus booster shot is not a bad idea and you should get a hepatitis
innoculation plus a booster. For the latest health bulletiins on
China, see www.cdc.gov/travel/eastasia.htm
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