In our words or the words of those before us... Things You Should Know Pack Lightly! China looks vastly different today, and Dalian is no exception. The transformation rate is phenomenal. Many whom has visited 2-3 years ago cannot find their way around because major buildings and shops have changed. Ongoing Construction is found everywhere you go. Dalian is quite modern and westernized. Most items/brands can be found if you search hard and don’t mind paying a premium. Expect non-generic and/or fake products if not purchasing from big stores. Make a Checklist of things to do every week and how to get there. Less time will be wasted on planning, deciding, etc. Don’t stress yourself out with doing as much as possible, however, because at the end of the day nobody wins with the most check marks. Rather than remembering I took a tons of pictures here, and there, and there, and … Make sure you are relaxed and enjoy each experience for what they are. Things are not as cheap as many people think (or what they used to be), especially with famous brands. Therefore, do not expect to spend like a king unless you really do want to spend a lot of money. You still have to hunt for bargains, though they are worth it. Look for more residential, less touristy areas. Act normal and casual. Foreigners are not as rare in Dalian as some think, so don’t think you will automatically be treated differently (negatively or positively). 50 lbs/23 kgs or less - two pieces weighing no more than 50 lbs/23 kgs each will be accepted free of charge OR The baggage allowance for internal flights is 60 kg. However, the domestic flights in China only allow “20 kg free baggage plus 2 pieces (less than 5 kg) carry on. You are only allowed to check one bag on domestic flights in China and that one bag has to weigh less than 20kg. You will inevitably amass a large collection of souvenirs during your stay, so remember to leave room. There is a weight restriction of about 45 lbs and you will want to leave some extra room for random things that you acquire in China On international flights you usually are allowed two checked bags, a carry-on, and a personal item (small purse or laptop). In general, there is a 70-pound weight limit per checked bag, but you'll want to confirm that for the airline you'll be flying. Budget lots of space and weight for souvenirs and gifts -- consider bringing along an empty duffel bag for this purpose. Luggage is cheap in China ($10 for a gigantic suitcase), but the quality is questionable *Note: The above info only applies to certain airlines. Double-check policies with the specific airlines which you will be taking. For us, we only had problems with United Airlines charging us for bags over 2kg. We were each allowed two checked bags, each no more than 23kg. Bags between 23-32kg were charged $50. During domestic China flights, even if our bags were overweight, they were not charged(and most only allow 1 checked in bag). Figure out Banks and Financing stuff before you end up in China. This will save you a lot of headaches during the first week. Sign up for MSN or QQ for Instant Messenging. Google talk is another option. AIM does not work in apartment or office. To Bring Check List Cameras, passports, and your wallet—these are about the bare minimum. Besides the obvious traveler’s list, here are some extra reminders Diarrhea Medication: Imodium, Pepto-Bismol, Prescription Antibiotics( comes with most university’s traveler immunization plan). Recreational items: The waiting game is played often. Snoozing, talking, and being patient are good choices. Rubik’s cube, a nice book or magazine, quirky items, cards, music, etc will get you by. A time for self reflection and thinking would also be good—you don’t always have to rush from Point A to Point B. Traveling, like life, is all about the in-between’s. Copies of Contact Info list(Names, phone #’s, addresses): The Shens, family, REU’ers, institutions (Bank, insurance company, US Embassy, etc), traveler agents, hotels and inns, airport and train stations Footwear: Sandals/Flip Flops are a must during the summer for walking casually or for touring (especially when it rains), sneakers for athletic activities and hiking. Expect them to get dirty A place to place/keep passports, airline tickets (and receipts, Dr. Shen wants them back), emergency money, copies of passport, keys Umbrella or a versatile all purpose rain jacket(the only long sleeve you will need). With shorts and t-shirts, this is all you need for Dalian weather. Toilet Paper/Tissue on you at all times. Bathrooms do not have them, casual eat-and-go places do not offer them. Phrase book—you can at least point to certain Chinese characters if you are desperate. Make sure the text is big enough for the locals to read. Most laptops do not need converters for power. Other devices probably need one. Regarding Sickness, pay attention and print out all the info the Shens give you through email. If you follow them, you will be fine. Don’t be afraid to ask your prof, graduate students, friends, and the Shens. They are very considerate for these circumstances. If you have certain allergies, plan with your group asap as most meals are eaten together as a group and accommodations in china can be tricky. Simple swiss army knife will serve you well without being bulky for most practical purposes, plus eating utensils (fruit peelers a must if you eat fruits often, spoon and fork) International Traveler Insurance Provided by the REU Program For Females: If you are picky about feminine products, you should definitely bring them. I never saw any tampons in China, so if you use those or plan to go swimming, that is a must-bring. Don't Bring Raincoats Linens and pillows – they are provided A lot of Toiletries other than ones you cant live without. Most products have a substitute that can be found here A lot of DVDs – you can get a lot of them for less than a dollar Blank CDs/DVDs – available once you get to China Too many American snacks. Most large brands like Kraft, Pepsi, General Mills, distribute in China as well so lots of junk food is available Offices can be hot, buy a fan but dont bring one. First Week To Do/To Get List Cheap cell phones once we got to China for about 30USD and a SIM card for about 13USD Pillow Towels Fans – it doesn't get unbearably hot until the end of July, but having fresh air circulating throughout the apartment is important to prevent mold Hot water boiler – you can't drink the tap water unless you boil it. A small water heater was perfect for all of our tea, Nescafe, and instant-noodles needs. Computer speakers – one of our group bought these for very little money and they ended up getting a lot of use for music listening and movie watching. There is a phone bar with cheap rates (0.80Y/minute to the States) near the Mechanics building. Face the building, turn right to walk towards East gate, in the second cluster of buildings, there is a little shack place that had a blue door Ask the head professor if you can all get cafeteria cards String - or clothesline. Good for drying laundry and probably a lot of other uses I haven't thought of umbrella - you can get them cheaply in China Cheap phone cards (54 yuan for a 100 yuan card, which lasts 34 minutes on a call to the US) are available at the small grocery market next to the entrance of the hotel at the North gate. This is the best deal we found anywhere, and you can use them from the apartment or from pay phones Set up a cleaning regimen. Some of our apartments got really dirty. Set up who will clean dishes, throw out garbage, clean crumbs from tables, etc. With the bathroom, it is important to air it out after showers. We found some mold stains on a small portion of the bedroom wall next door. Two months is a long way to go. Keep clean.