What to bring to shanghai

After being in China for a week now, I have reflected upon what I was glad I brought and what would be helpful for future participants of this program to know while packing and preparing before coming to Shanghai. I formulated the following lists of ideas that will hopefully be helpful to others. Charlie, the Program Director, also sends out an important document outlining 7 things you MUST DO before coming to China and a list of FAQ's. This is the document he shared with us; future ones may be updated.
 
Luggage:

• I brought two large suitcases, one carry-on suitcase, and one backpack. (I did not pay any extra fees at the airport for this much luggage.)
• One whole suitcase was really dedicated to my toiletries and snacks.

 
Things that I am glad that I brought:

• Comfortable walking shoes – You walk EVERYWHERE! You won't wear heels; you will wear tennis shoes, flats, and flip flops. The roads are not beautifully paved, and given the distances that you walk, you will want comfortable shoes!
• Favorite toiletries – If you have a favorite toothpaste, shaving cream, makeup remover, shampoo/conditioner, soap, razor, lotion, Q-tips, makeup brand, etc., BRING IT! There is a drugstore and Walmart type supermarket, but they might not necessarily have your brand. I brought 4 months’ worth of makeup removal wipes! It felt odd buying so many at the time, but I am glad that I did!
• Familiar medicines – Advil, Nyquil, antihistamine, Benadryl, Tylenol, TUMS – whatever you use regularly, bring it!
• VPN – We purchased ExpressVPN. Get it while you are in the States. It’s a headache if you try to get it here.
• Unlocked Smartphone – Be sure that your Smartphone is unlocked before you get here. Students who have not done this before arriving have spent more than an hour trying to get their SIM cards inserted into their phones.
• Mobile charger – If you are outside the Jia for a long period of time (which is very common), your phone will run out of battery. Having a mobile charger is helpful for this reason.
• Hydrocortisone cream – There are mosquitoes here, and I have been bitten at least five times in one night. I had brought two tubes of hydrocortisone cream, and that has saved me!
• Umbrella – The Jia has extra umbrellas, but I was glad that I had my own. It has rained a little bit in our first week here.
• ATM card for international withdrawals – Be sure that your ATM allows you to withdraw money from a bank in China. We had not set up our passcode beforehand and did it online once we got here, but it’s a good idea to make sure this is all set before you get here.
• Favorite snacks – If you have any favorite snacks, I suggest bringing them. I brought a lot of KIND breakfast bars, snack pack Pringles, travel size nuts, and specific candies.
• Towels – You can purchase towels at the market, but it couldn’t hurt to bring a couple of bath towels, hand towels, or wash cloths.

ELECTRONICS/TECHNOLOGY:

• Your regular U.S. plugs to charge your phone or computer WILL work so you won’t need adaptors or converters for these items.
• The faculty apartment has a blow dryer. I purchased a flat iron for my hair for about $10 at the local market. 
• Do not bring your own blow dryer or curling iron! It will not work in the outlets here. You can purchase these items at the local store for a reasonable price.

 
BANKING:

• We did not exchange any U.S. currency before we came and were fine.
• Students and faculty are all taken to banks in the first day or two so that they can withdraw Chinese currency from the ATMs. It is easier to access Chinese money via ATMs instead of exchanging U.S. currency. Be sure that you are able to access money using an international ATM card!
• Students will also receive digital disbursements for meals. This will be deposited into their personal checking accounts.
• Most, if not all, financial transactions are done using cash or paying through the WeChat app. Credit cards are also accepted but not as common.

BEDDING/TOWELS:

• The Jia provides sheets and pillows, but students have also gone to Carrefour (the local market) and bought their own soft blankets and pillows. That is not necessary, but they found a deal, and wanted to buy some extra sheets, blankets, and pillows. 
• In the faculty apartment, bedding (duvet and sheets), pillows, and towels are provided. But if you have a favorite towel, it wouldn't hurt to bring 1-2 bath towels with you and maybe some wash cloths. Again, you can purchase them in Shanghai as well if you feel like you need some after you get settled into the apartment.

BIKES:

• Faculty have access to two bikes that the Jia owns so faculty do not need to rent bikes or purchase them. Just ask the staff for the key and the combination to the bike locks.
• Students will use the rental bikes throughout the city or they can purchase one after they arrive.

APPS:
These are the apps that I recommend downloading before or during the program:

• WeChat – for texting and paying
• ExpressVPN – allows you to connect to sites that are banned in China (like Google, Facebook, etc.)
• Ofo – bike rental app
• Mobike – bike rental app (a little nicer than Ofo)
• DiDi – the Uber of China

IDEAS FOR FACULTY:

• Coffee - The faculty apartment has a coffee maker and filter. I wish that I brought at least one bag of ground coffee. You can purchase coffee at the local store, but I haven't been too impressed with what I bought.
• Brownie Mix - For house church, I thought it would be comforting to bake some brownies in our apartment. The mixes here are very expensive so I wish that I would have just thrown a couple of boxes of baking mixes in my suitcase.

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