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So my Dad and his wife are adopting a girl from China and my sister and I will be accompanying them. We're spending about a week each in Beijing and Nanchang. Assuming I'm starting from practically complete China ignorance, what should I know about getting around? What do we need to see / do while we're there? (I think the agency has set up Great Wall / Summer Palace / Tiananmen Square / Forbidden City tours.) Any suggestions for a book to get for the plane ride?
Thanks for any help.
Posts: 148 | Registered: Feb 2000
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I don't know, but it's awesome that they are adopting. I'll see if I can look something up later on.
have they read a lot about attachment? How old is the child they are adopting? Mostly there is Lost Little Girls of China to consider, but they might have read that already. How about the Ender series? Especially Xenocide because I am reading that now... Or a phrase book of useful chinese phrases in Mandarin and Cantonese should be useful.
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My family is all Hong Kong/ Shanghai. I got so sick of the tour food. They wanted it to appeal to Americans, so it wasn't authentic- sweet and sour pork at every meal. So, if someone can recommend a good restaurant with real Chinese food, that might be good.
Posts: 1001 | Registered: Mar 2006
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Yikes, sounds like you don't have much leeway to do much outside of the tour program. Not that that tour sounds boring, in fact I'd love to see all those places again. There's nothing like Roger Moore, of 007 telling me about the majesty of the Forbidden City. Expect your tour guide to be a temporary member of the family the moment you set foot outside the hotel. If your tour guide is open to the idea try asking him/her what THEIR favorite restaurants are in Beijing and eat there. If you want to shy from authentic Chinese food and could really go for some Mcdonalds or something American they can take you to those places too.
Ask the tour guide if the Beijing night market still operates and try to go there for a few knickknacks. Make sure you bargain with the people selling if you can.
TBH Beijing will be quite a bit different then when I have visited. The Olympic preparations have changed many things there. Also be prepared for very congested traffic. If you can avoid traveling during peak hours it might be worth your while to wake up bright and early and be at the places you are visiting the moment they open, most Chinese people have NO problem getting up early.
I'm rereading State of Fear by Crichton, I really enjoy it.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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