Before setting off to an alien culture thousands of miles from home, do yourself a favor – research blogs, websites and anyone who already has made the journey about what items you’ll want to bring with you. In addition, have a few family members and friends willing to ship you care packages as needed. Don’t count on being able to order things over the Internet – lots of businesses don’t ship to China. Here are those items that I found most important:
-Western medicines, especially antihistamines, pain relievers, aspirin, cough syrup, allergy medicine and hand sanitizer; Chinese versions are likely to be ineffective or even adulterated fakes. The Western products are not impossible to get in China, but they aren’t easy to find and they are extremely expensive.
-Cooking supplies such as a serving fork, a potato masher, a coffee grinder and coffee maker. Again, the coffee supplies can be bought in China but only for a big price and with mediocre quality. The big fork and potato masher were things I couldn’t find at all.
-Personal grooming products such as shampoo, soap, deodorant and toothpaste. It’s comforting to have a year’s supply of products whose quality you trust, instead of worrying about fakes and possibly toxic ingredients.
-Clothing; if you are not a very short, skinny person, don’t count on being able to buy clothes in China that fit you. Shoes are especially critical. Make sure they fit comfortably and can handle lots of walking on uneven pavement and sidewalks. A pair of rubber boots is desirable for heavy rains, which cause Beijing’s sewers to flood into the streets in a most awful way.
-Your own computer. You won’t want to buy one in China, where it’s difficult to tell if it’s fake and will be extremely expensive if it’s not. Internet speeds in China are 10 times slower than in Japan and 50 times slower than in Korea, and to access a lot of Western sites you’ll have to use a virtual proxy network, which also slows things down.
-A translation app on your phone, such as English-to-Mandarin and vice versa, can help you communicate on-the-spot with cab drivers, sales clerks and others.
-Finally, if in doubt, follow the recommendation of this old joke: When in the P.R.C., bring Patience and Reams of Cash.
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