Things to take with you to China

So if you decide you’re going to go to China for any good length of stay, here is a list of what to pack and bring with you.

1) Clothes. I know this goes without saying, but if you are going to China because you will working there, bring atleast a weeks worth of clothing for your chosen job, along with your regular around the house clothing. Do not listen to folks who say clothing is cheap in China. It is cheap to get clothes here, but they are of low quality and not comfortable material to wear. The stuff we are used to is more expensive here than in America. The other problem is finding it in your size. Unless you are short and skinny you’re going to have difficulting finding anything in your size. Men have a little more leeway in the skinny department, but if you’re taller than my friend Jake you’re going to have to do some hunting. And when you do find it, be ready to spend some money. So bring plenty of clothes.

2) Drugs. Well, medicine. Anything you normally take as well as your favorite over the counter stuff. When you get sick the one thing you won’t want to do is try to hunt down a pharmacy that will understand what you are trying to say to them. You also won’t be happy about staring at a bunch of boxes all in chinese wondering which one has the stuff you need it. Bringing a good supply of what you know works for you is a good idea.

3) Your favorite snack. Some things you can get over in China. M&Ms;, Snickers, Dove Chocolate, and Oreos are the main four I’ve regularly found. There are also chips over here but not in any flavors we’re used to other than classic American. Still with chips you should be able to find something similar to what you like. So if you really like Reese Pieces, its your number one favorite you should bring a box of it with you and stretch it out.

4) Deoderant. I brought a years supply with me, which was smart as the other guys here in town have stated that they can’t seem to find any, even at the Walmart that is an hour and a half away from us. So if you don’t want to stink, bring the stuff.

5) Feminine Products. Ladies, the women over here are, as I’ve said, short and thin. As such the products they use are designed to handle a smaller need. You’ll want to bring a supply that will get you through the period you’ll be staying. Plus a little extra as stress and jet lag may cause your time to last longer than normal.

6) Reuseable Earplugs. No matter where you sleep its going to be loud. Either at night with all the traffic honking their horns, or in the morning when folks get up and start doing exersizes or construction. So if you want to get a good nights sleep, bring earplugs.

7) Baby Wipes. Or some type of wipe. The public bathrooms don’t have toilet paper for either the men or the women. So if you plan to use them, you’ll want an initial supply going into the country. We have been able to find these in grocery stores, but you’ll want some to start off with coming in to get you by until you find some in the stores.

8) Converters for anything electronic. The Chinese use a variety of power outlets, so bring atleast one full set of converters. Now the powerstrips I’ve seen for sale are setup to work with America style plugs. Just make sure the item you plug into it has a built in adapter to work with the voltage. Luckily, most of the items I’ve brought over have their own adapter, so this hasn’t been much of a problem.