4. What if I get lost?
Take the hotel business card with you
Take the telephone number of our
Chinese translator/guide with you
Ask someone for help – someone
(especially younger people) will speak
English, unlike in 1974
5. In meetings
Ask questions
Be polite
Remember, it’s tiring for interpreters
Take notes (can compile a summary
for use in our reports to BCFL, VDLC
and individual unions)
Perhaps we could do a conference on
China or a series of presentations
upon our return
6. Light luggage
We will be on and off planes, trains,
buses and vans so please pack lightly
7. Print your plane ticket
and take it with you for
check-in at airport
Copy your passport
photo page and
your visa page and
stick copies in
various places
Keep your
departure card (get
it with arrivals card
in Beijing)
8. Electricity
220 volt (we use 110)
Chargers and plugs for cameras,
computers, cell phones:
You probably won’t need a transformer
because most have built-in systems
now
9. Hotel Rooms
Where is the light
switch?
Use your key card in
the slot by the door
Many light switches,
TV, radio, etc. have
controls in the bed’s
headboard
Do not rely on hotels
for wakeup calls
Bring an alarm clock
10. Optional: to bring
Optional: camera, charger, small
computer, ethernet cord, plug in
converter
If you bring a cell, remember to turn off
the internet function because of roaming
charges
Hotel rooms will have soap, shampoo
and hair dryers. But a few may not
have hair dryers (if you need one, it
must be 220 volts).
If you use hair conditioner, bring it.
11. To give away
To give away, business cards, union
pins, pens and small presents
Can get Canada pins and BC pins
from MPs/MLAs
12. What about money?
There are ATMs
everywhere
Can change CAD
dollars or
withdraw money
at airport
Don’t bring
travellers’
cheques
Credit cards are
accepted some
places
13. It will be hot and humid
Room temperature is no less than 26 degrees
Outside temperatures will be 30 and more
Wear a hat or carry an umbrella outside when
sightseeing
Wear cool clothing such as short sleeved
shirts
Wear sandals but shoes must be comfortable
for walking
You will need jacket and tie for formal
banquets but rest of time dress casually (not
shorts)
Bring sunscreen
14. What about the water?
Drink lots of water but
don’t drink the water
Don’t drink the water out
of the tap
But drink lots of bottled
water or boiled water –
use the kettle in your
room
Speaking of drinks,
watch out for mao tai –
sorghum liquor – white
lightening
15. What about the food?
It will be great at banquets
Wait to be seated (Irene and Joey first)
At banquets, pace yourself
Does anyone have any dietary issues?
Coffee is relatively rare outside of
breakfast buffets so you should bring
instant coffee and powdered milk and
sugar if you need it
17. When you can, sleep
On the plane, on the bus, on the train
It’s about 11-12 hours to fly from
Vancouver to Beijing or Shanghai
The time change is difficult
When it’s 8 am in Beijing, it’s 5 pm in
Vancouver, the previous day
18. What to buy in China?
Best to delay most souvenir shopping
till Shanghai because you will have to
carry it
19. What about
translation?
They will have generally good translation
which will be accurate as possible
We will have Xinying Hu who teaches in the
Labour Studies Programme at SFU
Please remember to speak slowly, use short
sentences and pause
20. We will all sometimes
be
Tired
Hot
Overwhelmed
Irritable
But if so, please complain to me, not to
our hosts
2009 trip to Shandong
21. What if I forget
My toothbrush, socks, tie, etc.
You can buy anything you need in
China
But please remember that each minor
shopping trip causes delay
22. Important to be prompt
Every time you forget something and
run back upstairs to your hotel room, it
delays things
Chinese are prompt
23. What to read about
unions in China?
If you have a chance, read this book:
Tim Pringle: Trade Unions in China:
The Challenge of Labour Unrest
Book review:
http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi
/viewcontent.cgi?article=3135&context
=ilrreview
