Job Discussion Forums

gerard · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 581 Location: Internet Cafe

Hello---I recently bought a ticket to Beijing for May day(20 hours away) but am starting to wonder. Sars might be spread in the cramped air on planes. A train shouldn't be as bad but the last time I was on one the staff came around locking up the windows even though it was bloody lovely outside. I do have a "sleeper" so that should give privacy and I wont have people hovering over me coughing... Still though it's a long trip and touristy spots may be crowded.... Normally I would't worry about this any more than the train crashing but it does seem at a critical stage..Vaccines wont be ready for a month or two- if then... Just thinking out loud here nobody really knows the danger level...Are you letting this change your plans?????

Freaky Deaky · Joined: 13 Feb 2003 Posts: 309 Location: In Jen's kitchen

Yeah, I'm thinking of going to Guangzhou or Hong Kong. I've heard that it's nice there this time of year.

gerard · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 581 Location: Internet Cafe

OH well-never mind. Get back from dinner and see the holidays are cancelled. Looks like my only traveling next week will be to the liquor and VCD stores.

MyTurnNow · Joined: 19 Mar 2003 Posts: 860 Location: Outer Shanghai

I've been planning to do the Yangzi River/Three Gorges cruise before the dam comes online next month and things there really start to change.

With some trepidation I am still planning to do so if it's possible. My school's a little different then the usual private language acadamy or public school, and we'll likely be out anyway...a lot of my students are booked into an IELTS class the week after the holiday. It's a nice long holiday and a rare opportunity to travel, and I hate to think I might lose it to an aggressive blob of amino acids.

One thing about it...if the national vacation gets canceled then crowds won't be a problem...

I'm not sure the trains will be better than airplanes. They aren't quite as sealed but the trips can be much, much longer and sanitation can be much, much worse. Either one might be a good time to consider a mask.

Sleeper? Privacy??? Gerard, which country are YOU living in? Wink

TEECHER · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Posts: 47

As far as traveling on the long weekend, I too saw it as an opportunity to travel under less crowded circumstances. Since then I have heard that the university students are being told not to travel home, and events are being cancelled. can anyone tell me whether at this point, the students have been "requested" not to travel, or "ordered" not to travel? It suddenly struck me that this government which has been in denial over the last months is about to do a full shift in policy to the other end of the spectrum. I think we may see long-distance trains and buses cancelled due to government order. By the way, the Yangtze river cruise is awesome. I hope you can find a way to see it in the future.

MartinK · Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 344

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

It is official now - no one-week holiday season this year! Who regrets this? Not me - if I do get my one week off then I have at least one bunk bed in a train carriage to myself without booking three days in advance. If not, I will stay put. Usually, trains are booked out a week before the holidays, and ticket prices go up 30% (which is still better than the old 100%).

arioch36 · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 3589

Personally, I hate taking a vacation during vacation. I went to Badaling (great wall outside of Beijing) two weeks ago...You could bare walk it was so crowdwd. May holiday...forget it. I would feel a lot better going by plane. They are spraying all the trains with heavy doses of I don't want to know what. I am more scared of that then sitting on a train with an old man standing behind me, coughing on me.