Extreme Bargaining in China
Bargaining in China is an expected part of your shopping experience. While I have visited other cultures, they did not seem as extreme as what I experienced in China. So be prepared for a very unique experience. We had a few minutes at the famous Pearl Market in Beijing to do some shopping. There were […]
Restrooms in China
One of the major concerns I had before the VIPKid Field Trip was the restroom situation. First, in case you haven’t heard, the majority of the toilets in China are what we lovingly deemed “squatty potties”. In actuality, they are more like urinal type holes in the ground. Some can be quite fancy, but most […]
The Great Firewall of China – Using Your Phone in China
Since China’s government is very careful about what information the citizens can access, internet usage is censored and monitored. Sometimes, this is jokingly referred to as “the Great Firewall of China”. Many sites and apps that we take for granted here in the United States are either severely limited or completely blocked. I will list […]
Tipping in China
For the most part, gratuity is not accepted in China. Our tour guide explained to us that she had seen Americans leave a tip at the lunch table, and the waiter chased them down the street to give back their money. It is not culturally acceptable to give a tip for service. If you had […]
Is something happening in China? What is wrong with my bookings?
Today I have seen these questions repeatedly on the ESL groups I am in. I will say, last night/this morning was the worst booking frenzy I have experienced so far. I had only 3 bookings and 9 cancellations! What is happening in China? Well, this week is the beginning of the “winter holiday” for Spring […]
What to Pack for your China trip in Winter
The biggest variable for what to pack is your clothing. First of all, that is a broad statement. It is the same as saying “what should I pack to visit America in winter”. There are many more variables that you must take into consideration. Our trip visited Beijing, Shanghai, and my son and I took […]
Help Getting your Chinese Visa
In order to travel to China, you must have a Chinese visa. There are several companies that help you with this process. Typically, I am comfortable with doing my own paperwork, but we had a slight problem. In order to get your visa for China, you must have at least 3 months left on your […]
Day 8 – On our own in Shanghai
This was the departure day for most of our group. My son and I however had added on a few days on this trip to see Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland. We had reservations this night for Toy Story Hotel at the Disneyland Resort. We had found a friend who had the same itinerary […]
Day 7 – Tour of Shanghai
This day was a very long, but exciting day. We visited many of the main sites in Shanghai. We started the morning by walking along the Bund. This is where we could take iconic photos of Shanghai. This area is extremely popular with the tourists, but it is much more busier at night. It was […]
Day 6 – Free Day and Shanghai VIPKid Meetup
This day was a free day for most of the day until we had our Student Meetup that night. I will have an article specifically about the Student Meetups. We were not really given many options or information about this day. Many of us had chatted about going to Shanghai Disneyland before the trip and […]