Travel Preparations Blog Post #1
It is hard to believe that I am just two days shy of two months before I leave for Guangzhou CHINA! Last time I was in China was back in 2012 when I was studying at Fudan University in Shanghai. Well as most of you might know, China is a special country; despite their restrictions with the internet. I had to tweak my digital gear, especially for this trip. Over the past few years, I have been a huge advocator for Google and Android. Unfortunately I was fearful of using my Nexus 5X in China because so many of the services rely on Google (which is currently blocked in China). The Great Firewall of China is not the only reason why I decided to switch back to team iPhone ( BTW make sure your iPhone or other smart phone is unlocked to work in China); I was also disappointed in the app stability of some apps (mostly geared toward education). I would often have problems with certain apps like Plickers, QuickKey crashing or just acting less reliable on Android. My goal for this trip is to bring as little as I can and maximize the utility of the things that I am bringing.
Now I am sure some of you who know China are already thinking, there are ways to get around the Great Firewall of China. Yes, I am aware of these tools. My goal is to settle long term in China and I do not want to utilize these tools. Technically they are banned in China. I feel as though I am a guest in a foreign country, I should obey the laws of the country. I would expect nothing less from someone coming from another country to the USA. I am also going to be fairly close to Hong Kong, so if I desperately want to access my Google Account or Facebook, I can just wait until I arrive in HK. Apple has gained a lot of popularity across China and most of their services will continue to work in China. I believe in online backup (services like dropbox, one drive, etc are also blocked in China) and iCloud is currently not blocked in China. I also like how Apple integrates so well with everything. Before I switched back to Apple, I was using a Acer Laptop with Ubuntu and a Google Nexus 5X. I am also a photographer and would often use my Mac Mini for certain software tools not available on Ubuntu. I decided to switch back to Apple because I would rather bring one laptop as opposed to my previous setup. A lot of my friends have questioned me on why I purchased a Macbook (it only has two ports: a USB C and a headphone port). Well the simplest reason for this purchase was the size and weight. Luggage restrictions on most airliners from the USA to Asia are two luggages that can be checked in at 44pounds or 20kgs, along with one carry on. One of my goals is to fit all of my electronics into my carry on luggage.
Anyway those are the electronics I plan on bringing with me to Guangzhou. I also have some convertor plugs, because they use a different plug in China/ HK. Though I have never really had a particular problem with plugs in China/ HK. Most of the apartments or places I have stayed have convertors built into the outlets, but it is better to be on the safe side. Electronics (good quality electronics) can be quite expensive in China. Western or Japanese goods can be considerably more expensive in China as opposed to the USA.
branhow.com 