China Bound, Revised A Guide to Academic Life and Work in the PRC (1994) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
2. Preparing for the Trip
2. Preparing for the Trip
Pages 8-45
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 8... ...
Preparation depends on type of employment, living arrangements, and length of stay. Clearly, a scientist who will camp for several months on the Tibetan Plateau should make different preparations than the Fulbright professor who will live in Beijing's Friendship Hotel.
|
From page 9... ...
visa good for six months or less. It is now possible to get double-entry tourist visas if you plan to leave and return within the six-month period.
|
From page 10... ...
Be advised, however, that issuance of anything but a short-term (threeor six-month) tourist visa hinges on the Chinese host unit's approval and its transmission of information to the appropriate consulate, or to
|
From page 11... ...
Teachers' visas are approved by the State Education Commission, the Foreign Experts Bureau, the ministry responsible for your educational institution, or the foreign affairs office of the provincial government, depending on which higher level unit your institution falls under. Application for the visa should be accompanied by as much supporting evidence as possible, including copies of contracts (keep the originals for your own records)
|
From page 12... ...
For visits of longer than six months, it is best to have the host unit or its parent organization (for example, the State Education Commission, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, or the Chinese Academy of Sciences) issue an approval for the visa.
|
From page 13... ...
is widespread in China and many doctors recommend gamma globulin as a prophylaxis for long-term visitors. Gamma globulin is effective only for four to six months and is not ordinarily available in Chinese hospitals.
|
From page 14... ...
Your physician should also be consulted about prescribing disposable syringes to take to China, since not all Chinese hospitals use them and since even "disposable" syringes have been reported to be recycled. Some people suggest bringing two types of syringes: one for administering injections and the other for drawing blood.
|
From page 15... ...
The host organization will provide health forms to be filled out by your doctor or hospital, and a visa will be granted only when the consulate processing your application is satisfied that the forms are in proper order. Your Chinese work unit will review them again on arrival in China.
|
From page 16... ...
: 1-500-3388 or 500-3419 Philadelphia telephone: 215-245-4707 Another private company offering medical evacuation and insurance in China is: Asia Emergency Assistance PTE Ltd. Room 1010, 10th Floor, China World Trade Center No.
|
From page 17... ...
In Beijing, Watson's drug store, now at several locations, Wellcome at the China World Trade Center, and the drug store at the Lido Holiday Inn now have steady supplies of tampons. If you are subject to gynecological infections, bring your remedies along.
|
From page 18... ...
Money deposited in an American account can be drawn on checks guaranteed by an American Express card at certain branches of the Bank of China.
|
From page 19... ...
Some people recommend taking traveler's checks to cover the large expenditures and using the American Express card to get cash for daily expenses. If you do not have an American Express card or are not in an area with American Express services, plan to carry a good supply of traveler's checks.
|
From page 20... ...
New establishments are being added daily. For further information, write for the American Express booklet, Guide to China.
|
From page 21... ...
Americans going to Shanghai should note that the U.S. Consulate General there has received frequent complaints that Shanghai customs officials routinely assess and collect unusually high customs duties, particularly for supplies forwarded as unaccompanied baggage or sent through the international mail.
|
From page 22... ...
In addition, some advice for minimizing customs problems includes the following: · Bring in as accompanied baggage as many personal supplies as possible, since personally accompanied baggage usually receives the most favorable treatment by Chinese customs officials. · Heavy books and other professional supplies are best shipped separately (the foreign affairs office of the host unit is the best place to send the boxes)
|
From page 23... ...
For long-term stays, items may be shipped ahead by mail (allow two to three months for sea mail) in care of the foreign affairs office of the host institution.
|
From page 24... ...
The Chinese economy is booming now, and consumer goods that were unimaginable a decade ago are now commonplace in China's major cities. But for Americans, the small towns and villages, while thriving, may still be lacking in goods that many may consider essential.
|
From page 25... ...
China is now manufacturing many clothes that are sold in the United States, and seconds or irregulars can be found in hotel stores, fancy Chinese-run shops, and numerous outdoor free markets. Some cities, especially Beijing, even have Western supermarkets (at the Lido Hotel and the China World Trade Center)
|
From page 26... ...
In areas where winters are cold and classrooms are unheated, it is wise to observe the Chinese custom of dressing in layers many layers. Until Americans become fully accustomed to this necessity, or have suffered one too many respiratory ailments or chilblains, they tend to stop halfway after three or four rather than the seven, eighth eleven layers that their Chinese friends will be wearing.
|
From page 27... ...
Chinese cities boast good tailors, and many Americans take advantage of the high-quality Chinese silk and wool to supplement their wardrobes. Ask friends, both Chinese and Western, for advice on good tailors, remembering that the cheapest are not usually the best.
|
From page 28... ...
Also, large sizes are often difficult to find, especially in Chinese department stores. Men who wear extra-large clothing (size 44 or larger)
|
From page 29... ...
Small restaurants offer a wide variety of China's cuisines, with nutritious fresh vegetables and well-prepared fish. Be attentive to sanitary conditions in the small private establishments; some people report stomach upsets after eating at some of the outdoor stands or less-sanitary small restaurants.
|
From page 30... ...
so a transformer is needed with enough capacity to handle tape recorders, radios, and any other appliances that must be converted from standard American voltage. Many people recommend buying a transformer in the United States or Hong Kong since they can be difficult to find in China.
|
From page 31... ...
Chinese-made blow dryers are also widely available. Used appliances can be resold at Friendship Stores and certain other stores (ask your Chinese hosts)
|
From page 32... ...
. id, -- -- r Battery-operated laptops and notebooks are now the most popular choice of researchers in China, and they can be brought in as baggage with no problems from customs officials.
|
From page 33... ...
Some people recommend buying one in China, where the prices, particularly in Beijing, are now only somewhat more expensive than in the United States. Advantages of desktop computers include the larger, easier-toread screen and the fact that many Chinese work units use them.
|
From page 34... ...
If, however, you bring in a desktop computer that is registered with customs officials, you are technically supposed to bring it with you whenever you leave China, even for a short visit, unless you get authorization from your work unit to leave it behind. People who have had to get such authorization report that obtaining it can be extremely time-consuming, and the documents are not always accepted by customs officials.
|
From page 35... ...
RADIOS AND TAPE RECORDERS A small AM/FM worldband transistor radio is useful for language practice and for news from outside China. Beijing Radio offers a special Chinese-English program (for schedules, see China Daily)
|
From page 36... ...
Videocassettes are a special case. Technically, they cannot be taken in or out of the country without inspection and special permission; however, some researchers report that customs officials have not even bothered to examine videocassettes that they are carrying.
|
From page 37... ...
If your stay in China will be relatively short, you might want to rent a bicycle. In large cities, the rental shop is often found just opposite the Friendship Store; personnel at tourist hotels or local China International Travel Service offices can provide information on rentals in other areas.
|
From page 38... ...
GAMES Board games can be fun for relaxation with friends, both Chinese and foreign; and word games like Scrabble and Password provide novel ways of teaching English. Puzzles, too, can be useful for long winter Sundays and they make thoughtful gifts for Chinese friends with families when you leave.
|
From page 39... ...
As restrictions on contact with Chinese friends continue to ease, relations have become more casual. Today you can simply ask a Chinese friend for advice about gifts and courtesies.
|
From page 40... ...
Moreover, Chinese customs officials may want to examine videotapes being taken into the country and may confiscate lanes deemed to be Domoaranhic or politically sensitive. r ~ -I- -- r RESEARCHERS Researchers should take an updated resume, offprints of relevant publications and books, and copies of major papers (with Chinese abstracts, if possible)
|
From page 41... ...
Hong Kong is a good place to purchase excellent tape recorders at reasonable prices. Calculators are easy to buy in China.
|
From page 42... ...
Most returned teachers recommended that you write ahead to your host unit for details on what books and equipment will be available, because the availability of books and equipment varies considerably from school to school. "Key" universities with substantial government funding ordinarily have better teaching aids than smaller, locally run schools.
|
From page 43... ...
Duplicated articles about current events from The New York Times, Newsweek, Foreign Affairs, and other periodicals are avidly read by students and are a good form of language instruction because of their sophisticated vocabulary. You may also want to clip articles of current interest from magazines and newspapers to use as the basis for class discussions.
|
From page 44... ...
Be sure to read the preceding sections on equipment and review the customs regulations on tapes and films. If you plan to donate equipment to your Chinese institution when you leave, be certain when you arrive to have your unit register it with Chinese customs officials as a duty-free educational item.
|
From page 45... ...
PREPARING FOR THE TRIP 45 well as pictures taken in your neighborhood, such as supermarkets, city and street scenes, farms, parks, schools, subways, and airports can be of great interest to Chinese students who have had little opportunity to glimpse everyday life abroad. Returned teachers also stress balancing "the good and the bad" when discussing life in the United States.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.