Job Discussion Forums

[Vihstadt]

Hey all,

I'm heading to Changchun next week for a year. This is my first trip overseas and I would greatly appreciate some last-minute help on a few questions. My apologies if I missed previous posts on these points.

Customs-aside from my passport, what documents (i.e. birth certificate, SS card, etc.) should I have at the ready?

Money-should I exchange anything for RMB beforehand or just bring cash and do it once I arrive?

Smartphones-I have a Motorola Droid. I've been told to have it unlocked before I arrive. Any advice on how to do this?

Anti-virus software-any recommendations? Anything I should do to prep my laptop (Dell running on Windows 7) before I arrive?

Unavailable necessities-Aside from deodorant, is there anything I should stock up on that I won't be able to find there?

Alcohol-I understand Crown Royal isn't readily available. Can I bring a bottle with me for a special occasion? If so, are there size restrictions?

Thanks in advance. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[Vihstadt]

Oops. Sorry. I think I should have posted this in the Newbie forum.

[xi.gua]

Customs: You should only need your passport which should obviously include your visa for China. You won't need birth cert or SS card.

Money: Prepare to survive at least a month without pay. Even though you have a job lined up you won't get paid immediately and it's important you can support yourself during this time. When I first came to China I brought almost 5,000rmb to get my house all set up buying everything I needed. For me, 5,000 turned out to be WAY too much. It depends on the person and your location though.

Phones: Even if you don't unlocked it stateside you can get it done in China. Just ask your FAO or tech savvy person and they'll take you to someone to get it done. If you don't wanna hassle with that you can search the internet for unlocking it or just pay someone you know.

Anti-Virus: I use Kaspersky but to be honest it's not necessary. Just take the same precautions you do back home and avoid all the super popular Chinese programs as they're always bloated with spyware. Also, if someone attaches an MP3/MP4 or Flashdrive to your computer make sure it's running, these kids seem to always have viruses on everything they own.

Alcohol: I've seen Crown Royal around, it's expensive though. I personally wouldn't bother since Baijiu (Chinese rice wine) is dirt cheap and gets you hammered way faster than Crown will. Too heavy and takes up too much space in your luggage. Plus....i've had the misfortune of bottles shattering in my suitcase and i'm stuck with alcohol drenched clothes til I can get them dry cleaned. Not fun.

Unavailable necessities: Deodorant, shaving cream, razors, antibiotics, peptol-bismol, aspirin. Enough for a year. Basically it I think. Most of China's electrical outlets are universal so you don't need to worry about a converter for your electronics. I've noticed that the hotels don't have 3 prong outlets for things like a laptop, I picked up a Chinese surge protector for like 15yuan and it so far has worked great for every hotel and electronic thingy I've had.

[Vihstadt]

Thanks, xi.gua. The school is providing a furnished apartment for me, so I'll probably just exchange a few hundred dollars before flying out.

Thanks for the advice about aspirin, etc. I'll be sure to stock up. If there is any other packing wisdom you care to share, I'd be eternally grateful. I'm trying to pack light (one suitcase and my laptop as a carry-on).

[xiaolongbaolaoxi]

A few hundred will not cut it, methinks. What the employer thinks is appropriately furnished and clean and what you think are not likely to be the same. Also, you are unlikely to get the same prices that those around you will get; it will cost you more to buy the same things, be more of a time hassle, etc. When you arrive, do not get in the mental trap of converting things back to dollars, which will seem cheap. You will not be earning a western salary, you need to keep in mind how much rmb you are earing and spending, not how much of a bargain something is in dollars that you are no longer earning.

kitchen stuff... when you arrive, you will see a serious amount of cheap stuff available. We bought a lot, and we actually ended up eating out for most of our dinners because there were cheap noodle places nearby that we loved; i recommend that you hold off on mpst of the kitchen purchases. I don't care what your employer tells you, buy your own water boiler/electric teapot. Buy it new so you know things [water] are safe. You will get sick in China, don't let the water be the reason.

As for shaving, stuff can be found, relatively easily. The nicest razors/cartridges will cost a fortune, but cheaper ones seemed to be a better value than their equivalent in America.

If you can, try to pack several care packages for yourself, ready to go... deodorant, candy that you like (that is unlikely to melt), floss, underwear, etc. You can ask someone to send them to you at monthly intervals. Invariably, they will tuck in a local newspaper, a nice treat, something related to an inside joke. Kind of a nice reminder.

Oh, bring your diploma. Yes, they have no legal standing in America, but in China, people claim that it is more important than a transcript. This problem can be solved through photoshop (apparently I have a degree in England, which means that my eight hour layover in Heathrow must have been even more productive than I thought), but I would rather stand by my qualifications rather than someone else's mouseclicks.

Aloha,

XLB

[Vihstadt]

Thanks for the advice. I'll plan on bringing more money. I'll also have my bank account in the US active and have already notified my Visa check/debit card company that I will be overseas.

Another quick question: Should I avoid bringing clothes that are "dry-clean only?" A lot of my business-casual (dress code) shirts require dry cleaning. Is that a service that is readily available?

Thanks again to both of you for your advice. It's been so hectic here getting my Z Visa/clearing out of my apartment that I haven't had a lot of time to contemplate these things. You've been a great help!

[xiaolongbaolaoxi]

Definitely avoid dry cleaning if you can... you have to be able to find the place first, which you may not be able to do. Our first (nonschool) apartment was in a neighborhood with a dry cleaner is every other building, but that was just luck (and even then, we never drycleaned anything.) As far as I know, there was no dry cleaner anywhere near the university.

I brought some suits and such, and wore them about twice a year. School dependent, but men usually don't have to dress up that much... Dockers and a golf shirt can be overdressed in some places (!). It is always easier to be more dressed up at the beginning of term and loosen up later than the other way around. However, do bring nicer shoes as it can be hard to find the quality and look you like, particularly if you have large feet. Socks seem to be pretty thin in China, so I stocked up from places like REI (ski socks) and was happy, even in a very warm season. As part of your care packages for yourself, add some sweaters and/or leggings/long johns and arrange to have them mailed to you in August/September to have them before the winter. Chinese residences and classrooms can be bitterly cold due to lack of insulation (although I had friends from northern China tell me that their homes were practically like saunas they had so many heaters running).

Wearing the same (clean) clothes frequently isn't as much as a stigma in China as it may be in America, so your wardrobe can be a lot smaller if you choose. I am a clotheshorse, so I still brought a lot. A lot a lot. If you really do travel light, look around at luggage in China (for your eventual return) so you get a sense of prices. I traveled to China with large suitcases, but ended up preferring larger backpacks or rolling duffel bags that could be carried like a backpack. As for your laptop, try to bring a larger bag than you usually use; I used to stash maps, change of clothes, etc. in case I got stuck somewhere or completely obliterated my clothes during lunch somewhere.

If you build up the cash, a wonderful thing to splurge on (later) would be a custom suit in Hong Kong.


oh, credit cards... they may not be accepted in China. We used them only at ATMS until the Chinese salary kicked in. A sister in law (Chinese native) used to use credit cards at restaurants, but they would tell her they would not honor them. Her response was "This is all I have" in multiple dialects and they would then take it (they were trying to avoid taxes). I doubt many nonnative Chinese speakers could get away with that. No problems in Macao/Aomen and Hong Kong, but in mainland China itself, a lot closer to the forget it point. It is good you have advised your cc company you are travelling, but keep it updated; turns out that one of my ccs only kept the "travelling" status open for two months at a time. Scan all important documents and email them to yourself in case you need them, including title to your car, student loan documents, anything legal. One of your first purchases in China should be a 3 in 1 printer deal, the scanner can work wonders for you.

Aloha,

XLB

[johntpartee]

Your passport is the only ID you will need.

If you bring cash, make sure it is PRISTINE (N.B.). ANY discernible wear and tear will be cause for rejection.

Credit cards away from the Big Three are not very convenient. In the few places that take them, they gotta find the machine, find somebody that knows how to operate it, plug it in and hope it works. (I thought it was kinda funny; when I got here and wanted to use credit cards, one of the Chinese teachers told me that they only take them in big cities. There are seven million people here.)

[Kysorb]

Is it really necessary to bring your degree? I am wary of taking my original out of its pretty little secure frame.

In a pinch I could always have someone mail it to me if it was ever required, otherwise I have a scan and a photocopy of it ?

[johntpartee]

I've only used a scan of my diploma. Never had a problem.

[xiaolongbaolaoxi]

This is China... One employer was adamant that I have my diploma (I only had the diploma from a master's program, not my bachelor's). That's when I found out that they had proof that I had successfully graduated from a university in England. Which was news to me, considering I had never been there.
Next employer only cared about my transcripts and were shocked when I provided my diploma.

Aloha,

XLB

[Gamecock]

Xi.gua gave good advice, but there is an abundance of shaving cream and razors in China. Every supermarket has Gillette Mach 3's, cheap disposables, etc. No need to pack a year's supply of this if you are looking to go light.

As well, if you really need aspirin go ahead and pack it, but there is a pharmacy on every corner with Tylenol (Acetametaphine) and Ibuprofen. You just need to ask a local for the Chinese translation.

[Vihstadt]

Thanks again, everyone. I really appreciate all of your responses.

[MisterButtkins]

I can't stand the razors in China. I'm back in the US right now and I'm bringing about 30 razors back with me. I can't shave without cutting myself 3-4x with the terrible razors and shaving gel here. The people I know here say the same thing. I've tried a lot of different brands and none of them work, they are all designed to cut the thin, sparse hair Chinese men have in their beards, not the thick, he-man mane I can grow. At first I wouldn't shave very often, only like twice a week, because it was so painful. I thought maybe if I shaved every day it would be easier - nope, just four cuts every day and no time to heal.

When I got back to the US I had a nice shave with an American razor and American gel, 0 cuts. Used the same razor several more times, 0 cuts. It's a huge difference in quality.

[Kysorb]

Electric beard trimmer for me, perm 5 o'clock shadow is where its at..