EASC Study Tour 2006
Topic of the Week
Welcome to the "Topic of the Week" series! Each week we will discuss areas of interest or things that need your attention in preparing for the Study Tour to China.
Week 15: Final Words Before Departure
Welcome to the final topic of the week! Now that school is over or winding down, I hope you're getting excited about our approaching departure for China. The study tour “little red book” (2 copies) was mailed to you last week, so if you haven't received it yet, you should get it soon.
I (Anne) will be very busy with a music workshop June 11-15, so you may not get a quick response from me to your inquiries from now until we meet in Chicago. You can e-mail Jessica ( jdziewec@indiana.edu ) or call 1-800-441-3272. Someone will get back to you as quickly as possible.
Reminders:
Topics of the Day: Don't forget to e-mail or mail your Topic of the Day sheet (maximum 1 page—can be 2-sided) to Jessica before we leave and bring 24 copies with you to distribute on the assigned day.
Curriculum template: Please e-mail your completed curriculum template to John Frank no later than June 20. If you cannot e-mail it, or if you need a hard copy sent to you, please let Jessica know as soon as possible.
Reading Assignments: All reading assignments should be done before we leave.
Baggage
Please do not bring more than one checked bag. Remember that China domestic flights have a 44 pound (20 k) weight limit for checked luggage. There is a 5 kilo (11-pound) weight limit for carry-on luggage (one bag) in China. As long as you have only one carry-on bag, it isn't too large, and you aren't listing visibly, I don't think they'll say anything (but I make no guarantees). However, I wouldn't push it too much! If you exceed these weight limits, you will be responsible for any extra fees, which will be applied on each domestic leg.
Don't forget that you will be responsible for moving your own luggage through airports and loading it onto and off of buses and trains. For those of you flying to Chicago, your first test will be getting yourself and your bag through the airport and to the Hilton on the 20th. Those from the Chicago area will have your opportunity on the 21st when we go from the Hilton to the airport. If you can't manage your bags at that time, there is a post office at O'Hare and you can mail things home. Don't think that it will get better in China —it won't! It'll be hotter and more humid, and you'll accumulate souvenirs.
Remember that in China, we may be asked to take our bags to the front desk the night before departure for domestic flights, and that all openings must be secured. Bring along a couple of small, cheap locks for this purpose. In this case, the bags will be transferred to the airport by truck, we'll go by bus, and our bags will be waiting for us at the airport when we check in for our flight.
Passport: Don't forget it! It's not a bad idea to make a copy of the front page and your China visa and bring those along-but keep them in a separate place from your passport.
Dress Code
Just a reminder on the dress code. Level 1 is no dress code-wear whatever is appropriate for your day's activities. There aren't many of these days. Level 2 is for group sight-seeing. No shorts or jeans; dress as a representative of your school, NCTA, Indiana University, and the United States. Footwear should be comfortable, as these days usually entail a lot of walking. Level 3 is for professional outings-school visits, the US Consulate in Shanghai, etc. This should be the best you've got in your suitcase, but make sure you still have comfortable footwear. My Level 3 “ensemble” is a skirt (below the knee, not tight) with a shirt that I can also wear on level 2 days, and a pair of flat slip-on shoes. Men, please bring a tie, but you can wear it with a short-sleeved dress shirt if you wish. Don't bring a jacket; it's not necessary.
I was looking back at my photos from the 2004 study tour to China, and no adult male or female is wearing shorts nor are any of the women wearing skirts above their knees. A few children in the rural village we visited are wearing shorts, but most are not. So think conservative, and if you bring shorts (I'm bringing one pair) remember that for someone of your stature in society (a teacher), conservative clothing is expected. You don't have to be like the Chinese, but you will be treated with more respect, even as a tourist, if you conform to their ideas of appropriate dress.
You are welcome to bring your study tour t-shirt with you, but not obligated to do so. We hope that you will wear it at home so that people will ask you about your experiences!
You might want to bring a sweater; air-conditioning, particularly in Hong Kong, can be cold (as can airplanes!) On the other hand, expect hotel room air-conditioning to sometimes function at less than what you might consider to be adequate cooling power. That way you'll be happy when it works well!
Don't forget your umbrella. If we're lucky, it won't rain much, but then you'll be happy to have it to keep the sun off!
Gifts
Please remember that you are each responsible for bringing one gift to be presented in China as a group gift. Please do not bring more than one item. Remember, you will be responsible for carrying your own gift until we need it, and the person who receives it may also have to carry it for some time.
Chicago Orientation: We'll meet for dinner at 5pm sharp at Andiamo, the Italian restaurant on the first floor (down at the far end from the check-in lobby) of the O'Hare Hilton. After dinner we will meet in a conference room to go over last-minute schedule changes and curriculum plans.
Meals not included
For budgeting purposes, here's a list of the meals for which you'll be responsible. As long as you don't want steak with all the trimmings, you should be able to get by on $10 a meal easily, and quite possibly much less. Breakfast is included every day, so eat heartily and you won't need lunch!
June 24 Dinner ( Beijing )
June 25 Lunch, Dinner ( Beijing )
June 26 Dinner ( Xi'an )
June 27 Dinner ( Xi'an )
June 28 Dinner ( Xi'an )
June 29 Lunch, Dinner ( Shanghai )
June 30 Lunch, Dinner ( Shanghai )
July 1 Dinner ( Shanghai )
July 2 Lunch, Dinner ( Shanghai )
July 3 Lunch, Dinner (lunch may be included) ( Nanjing or Suzhou )
July 4 Dinner (Shenzhen)
July 5 Lunch, Dinner (Shenzhen/Hong Kong)
July 6 Dinner ( Hong Kong )
July 7 Lunch ( Hong Kong )
July 8 Lunch ( Hong Kong airport)
Last updated: 06/12/2006
URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~easc/studytour/accepted/
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