| Safe to travel alone??? | |
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| Jan 26, 2006 00:13 | #31   |
 | Waiting your pics and review...... By the way,which city is your first destination??? |
| Jan 26, 2006 00:29 | #32 |
| From your another thread,I think you will arrive beijing first!Right? |
| Jan 27, 2006 08:40 | #33 |
| leave your laptop at home,the best target for all the snatch theives, even the mobile phone is a prime target there are plenty of cybercafe around for you to work the computer |
| Jan 27, 2006 10:27 | #34 |
| Hi Javagurl, Hopefully, you're able to enjoy your journey to China. I'm a native person of Guangzhou, a capital of the most developed province of China, and would like to show you around as a tour guide when you're in Guangzhou. Hope see you soon! Steven Zhou |
| Jan 27, 2006 13:12 | #35 |
| To: California As soon as I am in China, I will take lots of pictures! I really enjoy hanging out in TCG and will definately post my experience like everyone else in here. Maybe I'll find an internet cafe and keep you guys updated about my trip there! To Artist: Thank you for the tips about safety! I really appreciate it. I am bringing my cellphone with me though for safety precautions in case I'm lost or something. I guess I'll just have to take real care of it everywhere I go along with the rest of my belongings. First time out of the mother's nest and I guess the phone helps link us together anywhere we go to keep the elders happy you know =) To Steven Zhou: Thank you for your proposal! However, I will be stopping in Guangzhou to visit relatives so sorry to dissapoint you. Out of my various destinations, Guangzhou is the only place I don't need help in haha. I don't mind having an internet friend though =) |
| Jan 27, 2006 20:33 | #36 |
| Hi WOCCA! I love your idea! However, I don't know how to start one... Is it from TCG or do I have to register in another website? I was thinking of writting comments on various cities I will be visiting in my profile section. Sometimes I look at people's profile and I see they make comments on vairous cities they visited. It's like a checklist. Is that what you are referring to? Or am I talking about something else? |
| Jan 29, 2006 14:47 | #37 |
| Dear JAVAGURL, and fellow Californian :) :) I have read the posts herein and I think you have received a lot of very good and useful advice !! Here's my two-cents worth !! :) :) 1. I have said this to many friends and on many posts, I feel safer in China, than I do when I am in many places in the USA !! It is MY opinion, that China is one of the safest places, for an American to travel, in today's world. In China, crime is dealt with much more directly than it is here in America. Further, look on the US State Department website, you will find crimes of violence against Americans are nearly non-existant. You don't have to worry about being accosted by some nut with a .357 in his hand, as can happen in our state and country too often. You should not have any problems, but always rely on your instincts, and use good common-sense. You will be just fine !! 2. Regarding the power converter issue....Yes, you should have a 110/115-ac to 200/250 converter. Do not confuse a 'converter' with an 'adapter'. A converter coverts electrical current whereas an adapter adapts an uncommon plug to another wall receptacle. If you have not purchased one yet, you can go to Wal-Mart, in the travel and luggage section of the store, and get a combo package of a quality converter (with hi and lo settings) and several plug adapters, for about $24.95. I have used the one I purchased three years ago for all three of my trips to China, and it still works great. I use it for my electric razor, small hair dryer, and small light weight CD/DVD player to listen to my music and also to watch my own DVD's on hotel tv's. 3. Last, regarding the cell phone: Make sure you have a 'quad' band phone (or a select few tri-bands) !! All of China is on the 900 frequency band. America is on the 800/850 and 1900 bands. Parts of Europe and South America are on the 1800 band. Therefore, you must ensure your phone is 900 band compatible, with either a quad band or a tri band that includes the 900 band service. I have found that most American phones service only for the 800/1900 band width. And most tri band phones sold in America, only add the 1800 band for Europe. It is rare to find one in America, with 900 as the third frequency. Also, keep in mind that calling to and from the USA on a mobile phone from China, can be quite expensive !! If you get an unlock code from your local US carrier, you can purchase a Chinese SIM card to insert in your phone while in China, and use a local recharge phone card to keep the costs down. I purchased a China-Mobile company SIM on line and use it when I am in China in my Cingular quad band phone which is unlocked. Please feel free to write to me (P-M) if you need more specific info on any of these issues !! Best wishes for what I am sure will be a very fun and safe travel experience in China !!!! rogerinca :) :) |
| Jan 30, 2006 07:06 | #38 |
| The ppl in this forum are fantastic. I'am amazed by the responses this thread gets and how good they are. To sum up, you should travel alone and you wil be fine. I recalled that when I made my first alone-trip to China, I was nervous and worriesome. But once I was on the way, things just worked out and found that it was so wonderful and easy! Just a suggestion. If it is your first time travelling to china, why don't you consider taking a course with a language school? Some professional and western-style language schools are popping up in china. You will have some cultural and travel experience with them while studying, and the school will take care of you. Once you know more about china and gain the confidence, you can travel by yourself in china. the people in the school shoud be able to offer you travel information if you request. I know there is such a good school in Hangzhou, China and you may want to check it out: http://www.mandacenter.com also, are you going to guangzhou? that is a place, as one has commented, comparatively speaking, not so safe as other places in China. hong kong's kcrc company runs direct train hongkong-guangzhou, hongkong-shanghai, hongkong-beijing. check out their website: http://www.kcrc.com good luck and happy exploring the world. |
| Feb 1, 2006 21:37 | #39 |
| Hi WOCCA, guangzhou and its neighboring city shenzhen were, strictly speaking, the first cities in china to open up to the world back in early 80s. the city as a result has attracted huge no. of people from all over china to work and live there. it is much more of an immigrant city than other cities. the result is the city is developing very fast and so fast the city has become really ugly because of industrialisation. its main train station is run-down, dark,and crowded. i used the station a few months back and i was jostled along because too many people fought their way just to go to the platform. i was almost submerged in the crowd. once zhujiang river and the night scene there were attractive but when i last visited it, i could only see polluted water and smell stinky water. all sorts of people converge here, and you will not be surprised by all the tricks and touting you encounter and petty crimes or big crimes taking place here. the sad thing is i was actually born in the city and i should have felt some passion about the city. but it was all lost in in its pace to become a rich city in china. my childhood memory was all i had about this city. i am now living in hangzhou and i really suggest you come here and visit. despite it is among the most popular tour destinations among the domestic tourists because of the beautiful west lake, it is not heavily touristic at all. you don't come into touting - that surprises me a lot. and there are many other good things about it. for example, you don't pay to visit the park - where else in china you don't pay to go into a park? it has pagodas, temples, lake, mountain and deep-rooted tea culture - it has the largest number of tea houses in china. i am surprised not many foreigners know about it. vow, have written so long... have a nice day. Jennysl |
| Feb 2, 2006 01:35 | #40 |
| Wow! So happy to see more input! Thank you RogerinCA, Jennysl, and the rest for giving me and all those out there in similar situations great feedbacks! This post can be helpful for those who might be traveling alone or for the first time. The best part is having people who had actually been there and done that tell their stories! Makes me feel like "If you can do it, I can too!" Again, still preparing for my travel. Been checking out stores for electrical adaptors/converters. I tried Walmart website, but didn't find the one I need. Plan on calling RadioShack...hopefully they have what I need... Also, trying to find a nice size purse to bring along. I don't want bring one too small or too big. Can't put much in if it's too small. Yet, I don't want to draw attention especially to pick-pocketers. WHAT'S SAFER: hand held? OR those strapping around shoulders? |
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