1. BCFL/VDLC
2014 Trip to China
June 3rd
Helpful Hints

2. Where are we going?
What to expect

3. We’ll visit
 Beijing
 Shanghai
 Shandong Province

4. What if I get lost?
 Take the hotel business card with you
 Take the telephone number of our
Chinese translator/guide with you
 Ask someone for help – someone
(especially younger people) will speak
English, unlike in 1974

5. In meetings
 Ask questions
 Be polite
 Remember, it’s tiring for interpreters
 Take notes (can compile a summary
for use in our reports to BCFL, VDLC
and individual unions)
 Perhaps we could do a conference on
China or a series of presentations
upon our return

6. Light luggage
 We will be on and off planes, trains,
buses and vans so please pack lightly

7. Print your plane ticket
and take it with you for
check-in at airport
 Copy your passport
photo page and
your visa page and
stick copies in
various places
 Keep your
departure card (get
it with arrivals card
in Beijing)

8. Electricity
 220 volt (we use 110)
 Chargers and plugs for cameras,
computers, cell phones:
 You probably won’t need a transformer
because most have built-in systems
now

9. Hotel Rooms
 Where is the light
switch?
 Use your key card in
the slot by the door
 Many light switches,
TV, radio, etc. have
controls in the bed’s
headboard
 Do not rely on hotels
for wakeup calls
 Bring an alarm clock

10. Optional: to bring
 Optional: camera, charger, small
computer, ethernet cord, plug in
converter
 If you bring a cell, remember to turn off
the internet function because of roaming
charges
 Hotel rooms will have soap, shampoo
and hair dryers. But a few may not
have hair dryers (if you need one, it
must be 220 volts).
 If you use hair conditioner, bring it.

11. To give away
 To give away, business cards, union
pins, pens and small presents
 Can get Canada pins and BC pins
from MPs/MLAs

12. What about money?
 There are ATMs
everywhere
 Can change CAD
dollars or
withdraw money
at airport
 Don’t bring
travellers’
cheques
 Credit cards are
accepted some
places

13. It will be hot and humid
 Room temperature is no less than 26 degrees
 Outside temperatures will be 30 and more
 Wear a hat or carry an umbrella outside when
sightseeing
 Wear cool clothing such as short sleeved
shirts
 Wear sandals but shoes must be comfortable
for walking
 You will need jacket and tie for formal
banquets but rest of time dress casually (not
shorts)
 Bring sunscreen

14. What about the water?
 Drink lots of water but
don’t drink the water
 Don’t drink the water out
of the tap
 But drink lots of bottled
water or boiled water –
use the kettle in your
room
 Speaking of drinks,
watch out for mao tai –
sorghum liquor – white
lightening

15. What about the food?
 It will be great at banquets
 Wait to be seated (Irene and Joey first)
 At banquets, pace yourself
 Does anyone have any dietary issues?
 Coffee is relatively rare outside of
breakfast buffets so you should bring
instant coffee and powdered milk and
sugar if you need it

16. Shandong 2009

17. When you can, sleep
 On the plane, on the bus, on the train
 It’s about 11-12 hours to fly from
Vancouver to Beijing or Shanghai
 The time change is difficult
 When it’s 8 am in Beijing, it’s 5 pm in
Vancouver, the previous day

18. What to buy in China?
 Best to delay most souvenir shopping
till Shanghai because you will have to
carry it

19. What about
translation?
 They will have generally good translation
which will be accurate as possible
 We will have Xinying Hu who teaches in the
Labour Studies Programme at SFU
 Please remember to speak slowly, use short
sentences and pause

20. We will all sometimes
be
 Tired
 Hot
 Overwhelmed
 Irritable
 But if so, please complain to me, not to
our hosts
 2009 trip to Shandong

21. What if I forget
 My toothbrush, socks, tie, etc.
 You can buy anything you need in
China
 But please remember that each minor
shopping trip causes delay

22. Important to be prompt
 Every time you forget something and
run back upstairs to your hotel room, it
delays things
 Chinese are prompt

23. What to read about
unions in China?
 If you have a chance, read this book:
 Tim Pringle: Trade Unions in China:
The Challenge of Labour Unrest
 Book review:
 http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi
/viewcontent.cgi?article=3135&context
=ilrreview

24. Questions and
comments?
 Please feel free to send me an email:
 cathywalker856@gmail.com

25. Thanks very much!