For those of you about to come to China...

Plug adapter, sure. I did fine with the transformer in my laptop. However, bring a "step-down" transformer that can adapt your 110V AC appliances to a 220V AC plug. There is usually (but not always) a 110V plug in the bathroom, but it is listed as being for razors only. Most step-down transformers come with an array of plug adapters, but most outlets in international hotels can accept the Euro-style pins, the British/HK-style 3-pronged plugs, or the American-style plugs -- 2-prong only, no ground wire (in addition to the Chinese plug, which is two prongs slanted inward toward each other). Bring a plug adapter or two.

The electricity isn't too reliable and can spike.

1.6 billion people is a lot of people. A *lot*. And most of them walk everywhere. The city where my son was born is a small city in China. And it is a city of 2 million, about the same geographical size as St. Louis (population 430,000). There will be lots of people around, especially if you go to Tiananmen or the Forbidden City.

Virtually nobody lives in a single-family dwelling -- all lodging is in high-rises in the city and in multi-family apartment buildings in the country. They're used to being on top of each other.

And the Chinese drive like crazy. Imagine New York or Chicago drivers at rush hour, drunk, multiply it by 50, and you get Chinese drivers. There are no rules of the road, I don't think, other than "he who has the biggest car and the loudest horn has the right of way." When we were on a bus, we started darting into occupied lanes, came within 3" of wrecking several times, and never touched anything. Crossing the street is taking your life into your hands.

Not kidding. Didn't happen to me, but it did happen to another family we traveled with (which was staying close to Tibet). Also, the news is censored, and all stories about Tibet or anything else politically sensitive will cause a sudden temporary blackout of your TV.

Your internet will probably be bugged ... and could be cut off if you write anything politically-sensitive, and several sites back to the United States will be blocked. All blog sites are blocked, as are some news sites (you can get onto most newspapers, but any politically-sensitive story is blocked). This was an issue for me, probably won't be for anyone covering the Olympics, but the entire k12 domain is also blocked (school websites).

You have to watch what you say in public. You never know who might be listening. There is no freedom of speech or freedom of the press in China. It's possible they'll hold foreign journalists to similar standards.

They like to stare, especially at foreigners. They also like to spit, and smoke in public, which takes some getting used to.

The one thing you realize in China is the incredible lack of diversity. 95% of the Chinese population is of the Han nationality (which we call typically "Chinese"), and most of the minorities aren't in the big cities (Tibetans, the Muslim Uighurs in the northwest near Kazakhstan, Koreans in the northeast ...). We get so used to a diverse society in the States (or in Canada) that we're used to having many different races and ethnicities around. It's *really* noticeable when that's not the case.

You will usually find someone who speaks something resembling English somewhere, if you try enough. We were in a Beijing cafe one evening, the waitress gave us a 50% discount (don't know why), and couldn't explain that we got a discount. She went upstairs and found an English-speaking customer to translate. The Chinese are very helpful to foreigners, if for no other reason than you are a curiosity.

Also, if your hair isn't jet-black and you're female, get used to having anonymous Chinese men wanting to pose with you for pictures. My wife (who has lighter brown hair) probably took 10 photos with Chinese guys (with me looking on). Another family we traveled with had two blonde daughters. In Tiananmen Square, we had to almost surround them so we could get them out of there ... they must've posed with 50 different young Chinese kids in a 5-minute span.

Scam artists are everywhere. Don't change money on the street, either, unless you like getting arrested for counterfeiting.

Didn't happen to me, but another person we traveled with *brushed her teeth* with tap water and was violently ill the next day. Good thing is, virtually every hotel will give you two bottles of water every day, and bottled water is cheap (as is Coke, which is one of my greatest vices, so I was pretty pleased).

I didn't need it, but others we traveled with did. Take Pepto *before* you eat a meal (which I wasn't smart enough to do).

A few other things ... you cannot take ANY liquid onto an airplane. Check it. Security is really tight about this. Also, the luggage restrictions for carry-ons in China is 11 pounds (5kg), if you happen to take any domestic flights.

Bring your own toilet paper. Many public toilets don't have any. You can buy some (in the States) individually-wrapped at travel stores. If you can't, bring some travel-sized bags of Kleenex.

It's harder to get out of the country than it is to get into it. Customs coming in was a breeze. Customs going out was nightmarish. Didn't help that my newly-adopted son was soiling (and leaking) his diaper while we were getting scanned.

KFC is everywhere. *Everywhere.* You see McD's in Beijing in a few places and in a few other major cities, but not much. As far as Chinese chains go, avoid Xiabu Xiabu, a fast-food stir-fry joint. Cheap (my wife & I had a meal for $4 total, with beverages), but not necessarily the best service.

 

Imetay for Igpay Atinlay...

 

I'm a little shocked Jones hasn't regaled us with a story about a squat toliet. Maybe he's saving it for the magazine.

 

Wonder if his hotel has a Lotus toilet?

 

Jonesy's colon and a lotus toilet... hmmm... sad part is no one will ever notice the smell...

 

Damn. And I was coming over there to give a China gal her "one" child.

Oh, and be bold. Try the assortment of bugs on menus.

 

I can't even give Toronto a compliment without everybody's favorite smug Canadian making me regret it.

 

I heard that toilet paper does not go into the toilet... but into a basket in the stall....

True?

Yikes.

 

Relative e-mailed me this photo from Shanghai five days ago ....

 

11. Always check your Coke for pee pee.

 

Had that experience at several places in the Caribbean. Usually it has to do with a lack of quality sewage treatment plants.

You'd think a country that claims to be that developed wouldn't have that problem in its capital city.

 

Wow. Ya'll make this China sound like a real paradise.