Job Discussion Forums

[voodikon]

potato masher. more shoes, specifically ones that won't get soaked in the rain. tampons. index cards.

and yeah, english books, and if you use a dictionary on a regular basis, i second that too. also, if you're planning on learning chinese and don't know any already, you might want to bring a book from home as the chinese-learning books i've found here all tend to be written (as in the instructions and all) in chinese!

[Norman Bethune]

What didn't I bring to China that I should have?

A Tolerance for the ways of other Dang Laowai.

[hou de chuan ren]

Things I should have brought (I'm not there now but anyway)：

What everyone else has said...and:

An address book that is complete and organized with all details, email address and land address, so you can keep in touch properly.

All bank/insurance/loan/credit card/etc details especially including phone numbers so that your financial situationcan be managed properly and you don't end up inconveniencing someone back home to sort things out for you. (like I did haha ).

If you will be travelling, IMHO bring a sleeping bag LINER, not an actual sleeping bag, from a camping equipment store, which you can sleep inside when travelling on trains/staying in hotels with grubby linen (I personally only experienced this in really remote places, but anyway...).

A description of any serious medical condition you may have in Chinese.
Or just a translation of the name, for emergencies.

A Lonely Planet Chinese phrasebook(essential）

Pictures of home and family, friends etc.

Condoms.

If you are a woman, bring tampons if you use them, or just some for swimming, a pregnancy testing kit if that's ever something you use, and a couple of things like cystitis powder treatment and other treatments for 'embarassing' problems...Not because China doesn't have them, they do, it's just sometimes difficult to explain what you want exactly when you aren't fluent in Chinese.

And hair dye if you colour your hair, and you are not asian, because hair dyes vary for different hair types.

And maybe, see what other people think, one of those elctronic plug-in mozzie repellers, I really wish I had brought that, I didn't find one in China, only this crazy electronic tennis racquet contraption.

Deoderant.

Some really nice things from home to give as leaving gifts.

Depending on your shoe size, shoes. Womens are easily available up to EU size 38, a very occaisionally in 39, above 39 not at all. Don't know about mens sizes. If you are 39+ size and a woman, you need to bring all the shoes you need with you.

[MyraG]

My coffee grinder, Linseeds, dental floss. body oils like coconut almond oil, dont forget tea tree oil best antispectic. I have found Eucalyptus oil no problem. Vicks vapour rub, cold and flu day night tablets and girls if you take anything more than a C cup bring every bra you can, I have yet to find any even in Shanghai

I have found 245 shoes in big department stores that I can wear with thick socks. Seems as the more expensive shoes are bigger. It often takes me a while but eventually I have found everything I need.

I love the sales got myself super coo; ;eather boots that I can wear really thick socks with for the mean price of 220 RMb. Shame I live in the tropics at home.