I’ve been back for a little while now, and I feel like I should write a few quick notes which might help you if you are going to go to China.

Nice, neat, and quick – here are my few tips for China:

To get around the firewall:

– If you’re going to stay for awhile, find a VPN router for your computer

– To text around the firewall, consider getting either Whatsapp or WeChat on your phone. The former lets you text over wifi, which saves you money on texting. WeChat is the Chinese texting system, which again you can use over wifi.

 

General Travel Tips (not just for China, though mostly for China):

– Make a color photocopy of your passport/visa, laminate it, and present that if someone demands ID. Should you get pressed further, demand to go into a hotel or nearby business. Don’t give your passport out on the streets. This is a note for all travel, but I really like having a laminated copy of my passport on my personage

– It’s best not to drink the water anywhere if you can help it. Shanghai and Beijing are technically fine for brushing teeth, but buy bottled water.

– Avoid ice unless you can verify where it’s from.

– Buy a mask. You might never use it, but then again you don’t want to be in Beijing when there’s a toxic smog warning

– No raw veggies or fruit for short stays

– Wear slippers in hotels. Just wear them because the floors are not what they appear…they probably have a residual saliva film on them.

– Ladies: Tuck a 100rmb note in your bra and never acknowledge it.

I guess if you’ve been reading my blog, then you know more of the nuances of living abroad. These notes are just the nitty-gritty for newcomers.

 

Now that I’m back, I imagine I’ll be more reflective of my time abroad, and wondering about where I’ll go next.  Since getting back, I’ve done some conventions, did a fight workshop in Philadelphia, and will be going to Florida in a few weeks. So, busy!

The next post I’m going to do is shameless product placement. Be advised.

Thank you for following me on my stay in China – I’ll be far more verbose when I’m not so tired. I promise 🙂