How To Prepare For China, After You’ve Packed| 3 min read
How to Prepare
Being in a country whose mother tongue is not English, it would help to know some key phrases, such as hello, goodbye, thank you, where is the bathroom, numbers etc. Also, it would help to look up somethings about the area, the activities available, what types of food they have, where the best shopping places are and, though not as applicable to China, where the bad parts of town are located. For tight budgets it helps to also look up the public transportation. In China most cities have very good public transportation, and getting to know the means of transport available will make it easier to get around.
Credit cards make traveling simply a matter of finding an ATM. However, it is very important to tell the bank, before leaving, that the card will be in use in China, otherwise it will be cut off after the first use. Even if there is transport from the airport, it is best to print out the name of the hotel in Chinese. Another printout needed, is a copy of ones passport and visa. It is always a good idea to have two or three copies of both, to leave one at the hotel and the other to carry, along with the passport.
What to Expect
Many countries differ in the watts and hertz used or allowed for appliances. There is a very informative websitethat can explain these things in more depth. In general appliances in America use 120 watts and 50 hertz, in China appliances use 220 watts and 50 hertz. Thus blow driers, flat irons, chargers and any plugins cannot be used in China without a transformer. In almost any establishment the plugs will take the two parallel flat pegs, so there is no need to prepare for an alternate.
In western establishments often a western style toilet can be found. However, in Chinese restaurants and public areas the restrooms contain “squatty potties.” These look like a toilet has been pushed into the floor until the seat was at the same level as the floor, hence the name they have acquired. It can be surprising if not told about such differences, and can turn a perfectly good day trip into a bad memory. Lastly, often bathrooms will not have toilet paper, so it is wise to carry a small packet of tissue paper.
