Dalian 2005

alian Summer Research Program 2005

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Preparation

If you have never been out of the good ol' USA you'll be in for quite a cultural shock once you get to China. Now don't let this deter you from going on the trip because it's a valuable experience. By the end of the trip you'll appreciate all the small things in life like TOILET PAPER that you took for granted in the US. Here are a few tip/hints on what to bring and how to survive while you're in China. You can also check out past years' websites for more ideas.

Toiletries:

As mentioned above, toilet tissues are not something commonly found in Chinese bathrooms nor are paper towels and soap. We would recommend that you invest in a few travel packs of toilet paper, wet wipes or hand sanitizer before you come. You don't have to bring a lifetime supply, but enough to hold you over until you learn your way around the city and can pick up some more later. Also bring a bath towel, deodorant and any hair products if you're particular about that sort of thing.

Medicine:

There is a very good chance that you will get sick in some shape or form while you're in China, and there is nothing more frustrating than being sick and not being able to get medicine. Of course there is Chinese herbal medicine, but if you prefer something more hard core come prepared. Some examples are Imodium A.D, Pepto-Bismol, Sinus Med., Anti-itch cream, Drowsy Cold Med., Tums, fiber/calcium pills, etc.

Mold:

If you stay in the dorms there is a very good chance that your clothes, suit cases or shoes may begin to mold. Heck given time you may even begin to mold. Don't despair. Just pack light and don't let things clutter and everything will be ok. Also check on your things regularly and if there are signs of molding throw it in the wash. If at all possible look into finding anti-molding spray or small desiccants to absorb the moisture out of your clothes should they clutter.

Weather:

All I can say is if you burn easily make sure that you bring some strong sunscreen. Check under the clothes section for more tips.

Digital Mania:

It's convenient to have a laptop with you to dump pictures on, play games on, and listen to music with. It's really up to the individual. This could be helpful to carry info and articles related to your research over to China and back (but then again, a jump drive could serve this purpose). Only one person in our group needed to use her own laptop for work. Cameras are a must and sharing pictures will give you about 20 copies of each shot. Also, you might want to load up on batteries and bring them to China with you since the Chinese ones have low life expectancy. You can plug your computer and phone charger (I used my phone for a clock/alarm) directly into the wall without a converter. Adapters are available at every store in China and are cheap. CD/MP3/Ipods are nice to have as well, though you can buy these cheap and at regular prices in China and then you'll have cool Chinese characters on them.

Gifts:

Even though you haven't met your mentors or grad students yet, I guarantee by the end of the trip you'll want to leave them with something a little special. I suggest giving them something with your school logo like a mini bean football, t-shirt, Frisbee (gifts like Frisbees and footballs are great because they actually don't have those in Dalian), hacky-sack (they have something similar, I like to call it the bird ball, but it would be neat to have our version).

Clothes:

Though maybe obvious, try not to bring a lot since you'll probably acquire a lot of things that will take up room in your suitcase even if you think you're not doing a lot of shopping. Also, don't bring clothes you rely on a dryer since dryers don't exist in China. It was a little cool in Dalian to begin with, but that won't last. Maybe bring one sweater and a pair of jeans but the rest suited for warmer weather. For the presentations just look presentable- khaki's, nice shirt, skirt, sandals, even jeans- there were no complaints. Ask Hung Tao or Hayley if you're still unsure. If you're an open-toed person, bring socks for roller-blading and walking around the apartment. Bring one pair of sneakers and as many sandals as you think you can go through.

Miscellaneous:

Well for random things to bring, I suggest a small, light, portable phrase book that has tones and possibly characters as well (this way if you still can't pronounce it you can just point). A travel guide book is nice for some to do things, but again try to get in contact ahead of time so you don't buy the same books.