1 week before leaving - yikes!

7 short days before leaving....reality is starting to set in, and my excitement is beginning to give way to more than a bit of nervousness.

My flight leaves on May 23rd (Monday of the May long weekend) from Medicine Hat at 5:35am. It arrives in Calgary at 6:30am. From there, I catch a 9:05 flight to Vancouver; and then finally catch the 12:00noon flight from Vancouver to Beijing. This flight is 11 hours long, and with time difference etc. I end up landing in Beijing at 2:20pm on May 24th.

At that point, hopefully someone from the college is at the airport to pick me up, and drive me the 3 hours to Qinhuangdao (which Richard - one of our international students - tells me is pronounced Chon Wong Dow).

The final cost of the flight was $1560, which is not bad considering stupid Air Canada charges $300+ to fly from Medicine Hat to Calgary.

Last Friday I finished up my visits to the health clinic to get a dose of Dukarol ($80), and now have all my shots, my Chinese Travel Visa, and Passport.

I also ordered my cash last Thursday, and should get it tomorrow or Wednesday (China's money is called RMB...which is pronounced kind of like "uond".....and $1 Cdn dollar is worth approximately 6.5 RMB). The bank needed 48 hours notice to get Chinese currency brought in, and I was told that $1000 Cdn should be enough to cover my meals and entertainment for the 5 weeks (including a couple of "weekend trips" to other parts of China). The low amount is partly because E&A college provides me with my accommodations plus pays me a small stipend that will help subsidize my costs a bit.

I will start packing soon and need to be done by Thursday as we hope to go to the cabin over the long weekend. Just for interest sake, below is a list of the items that Gis and Joan (College instructors who went to China last year) recommended I take with me.

Tomato Paste, Can Opener, Chicken Stock, Hand Sanitizer, Rubber Gloves, Vegetable Peeler, Deodorant, Coffee/Tea, Salt and Pepper, Towel, Universal Adaptor Kit, To go Cups, Pepto, Imodium, Tylenol, Polysporin, Deet Bug Spray, Vicks, Dish Towel and Cloth, Cleaning Rags and Solution, Sets of Sheets and a Pillow Case, Cup, Bottle Opener, Scissors, Toilet Paper, and Detergent for Clothes and Dishes

.....kind of an interesting and diverse list of stuff!?!?

In summary, the count down is on!