OT: I may be going to China!!

[SusanL]

We went last year but it was only a business trip. If we can swing it, business first, then a few days for us to visit! I need to research to determine where we will be going. Anyone have any suggestions? I can't wait to go back.
I know, I know, I have researched that business travel has been posted as safe by the US government if you follow the listed regulations.
Anyway, I hope to hear some suggestions! We start off in Hong Kong {which I loved) to Shanghai, then Quidong, a tiny village. Back to Hong Kong, then we can go where ever!
TIA!

[kwormann]

Susan, what "teacher-business" do you have in China? How do I get a trip like that - tee hee.

Anyway, I am so jealous....I cant wait to travel someday...have a great trip!

Kim

[KValley]

SusanL-

How exciting!! My favorite travel guides are published by Lonely Planet- check out their website at www.lonelyplanet.com (http://www.lonelyplanet.com) They do an excellent job with "off the beaten path" sorts of places and really go into describing the history, socio-economic conditions, cultural highlights, along with the more traditional guidebook fare (lodging, food, sites).

I suggest you check out the Center for Disease Control website (www.cdc.gov) for information on recommended inoculations and any health precautions for travel in rural China. Shanghai and Hong Kong (as you know) are hyper-modern cities with all of the western amenities, but conditions will change dramtically outside of an urban setting.

Bring small gifts from home (tee shirts, coffee mug, maybe specialty foods, trinkets) to present as gifts to colleagues or to barter with.

Oh, I could go on and on (I work in study abroad and prepare students for long term overseas experiences- I could write a book on this!!)- but it sounds like you are in for an amazing time! I can recommend some great books on understanding Chinese culture from a U.S. perspective- let me know if you are interested.

Keep us posted http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Julie

[This message has been edited by KValley (edited 04-26-2001).]

[adb]

Kind of an obvious suggestion but it doesn't sound like Bejing is on your itinerary. There are a lot of great sites to see there -The forbidden city, summer palace, Tinanmen (sp?)square, etc. Although it may seem a bit "touristy" there is something very cool about standing on the Great Wall (and it makes for an incredble picture)- the place that I visited it was about 1 hour outside of Bejing by bus.

I have no idea if this still exists since I was there in '94, but I was staying on the campus of the People's University of China (I think that was the translated name) and on Friday nights a huge crowd would gather in the park just inside the gate to speak English. I had some amazingly frank and open conversations with Chinese people that I will never forget. In '94 the Tinannemen incident was fresh in everyone's mind.

I am so jealous that you are going to China! I spent 3 months traveling around the world and China and Israel were the two places that I would definitely want to return. Unfortunately, I never got to see rural China which I am sure would be a totally different experience.

[Susan]

How wonderful, Susan! It is my DHs dream to go to China! He has been studying the language and has read so many books about China.

Julie ~ I am interested in the names of those books you mentioned. Could you please post them? I love Lonely Planet too! I have purchased several of their guide books for my DH. Love their show too!

~~Susan~~

[KValley]

Hi Susan-

Here are some cross-cultural communication reference recommendations

Encountering the Chinese: A guide for Americans, by Hu Wenzhong and Cornelius L. Grove;

Turning Bricks into Jade: Critical Incidents for Mutual Understanding among Chinese and Americans by Mary Margaret Wang, Richard W. Brislin, Wei-zhong Wang, David Williams, and Julie Haiyan Chan.

Communicating with China, edited by Robert Kapp

The first is the most a propos- the others are really training guides. These are all available through InterCultural Press: www.interculturalpress.com (http://www.interculturalpress.com)

Check out this website from the Department of Geography at SUNY-New Paltz. It's an EXHAUSTIVE list of web resources on China:
http://www.newpaltz.edu/geography/links.html#asiachina

Now I REALLY want to go! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Julie


[This message has been edited by KValley (edited 04-27-2001).]

[Susan]

Thank you, Julie! I am printing out your list to share with my DH.

~~Susan~~

[SusanL]

Thank you one and all!! If I don't get to go, I will be terribly disappointed! I keep trying not to get too excited but after reading your comments, I am raring to go!! (If DH can schedule this trip after school lets out, I can go with him.)
I have downloaded this thread and will share it with DH at breakfast ( I couldn't get on this BB at all yesterday http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif )
Susan- What dialect is your DH studying? We would have had to learn 3 to be able to converse in the cities and towns that we were visiting!
It is so fascinating to see a culture so different from ours, one really appreciates what we have and don't!

Thanks again!!

[SusanL]

Thank you one and all!! If I don't get to go, I will be terribly disappointed! I keep trying not to get too excited but after reading your comments, I am raring to go!! (If DH can schedule this trip after school lets out, I can go with him.)
I have downloaded this thread and will share it with DH at breakfast ( I couldn't get on this BB at all yesterday http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif )
Susan- What dialect is your DH studying? We would have had to learn 3 to be able to converse in the cities and towns that we were visiting!
It is so fascinating to see a culture so different from ours, one really appreciates what we have and don't!

Thanks again!!

[SusanL]

Thank you one and all!! If I don't get to go, I will be terribly disappointed! I keep trying not to get too excited but after reading your comments, I am raring to go!! (If DH can schedule this trip after school lets out, I can go with him.)
I have downloaded this thread and will share it with DH at breakfast ( I couldn't get on this BB at all yesterday http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif )
Susan- What dialect is your DH studying? We would have had to learn 3 to be able to converse in the cities and towns that we were visiting!
It is so fascinating to see a culture so different from ours, one really appreciates what we have and don't!

Thanks again!!

[Susan]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SusanL:
Susan- What dialect is your DH studying? We would have had to learn 3 to be able to converse in the cities and towns that we were visiting![QUOTE]

At the moment he is studying Mandarin. He chose to start with Mandarin since it is the "offical langauge" but does intend to learn other dialects too. He is quite ambitious!
<<from http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/north_east_asia/china/culture.htm
China's language is officially Mandarin, as spoken in Beijing. The Chinese call it Putonghua. About 70% of the population speak Mandarin, but that's just the tip of the lingusitic iceberg. The country is awash with dialects, and dialects within dialects - and few of them are mutually intelligible. Of the seven major strains, Cantonese is the one most likely to be spoken in your local Chinese takeaway. It's the lingua franca of Guangdong, southern Guangxi, Hong Kong and (to an extent) Macau.>>

I have only learned a few basic words in Mandarin. It is difficult for me to begin any diligent study while running after a toddler and a crawling baby! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif One day soon...