Air Travel

The day of my flight there was a huge impending snowstorm. On my way to the airport it had already begun to snow lightly. When I arrived at the airport, three hours before my flight, there was a long line for check-in. After getting my boarding pass, I checked in my luggage; I carried two bags both about 22.7 kgs (50 lbs). One bag actually weighed slightly more, but they let me pass regardless without paying extra money.

After going through security, I waited at the gate for about an hour before taking off. Looking outside the window, I saw that it had begun to snow more heavily. Unlike other airlines, Korean Air did not cancel its flights. I was a bit anxious taking off because of the storm; I was concerned with the visibility. But, everything turned out great.

The twenty-hour trip to Beijing felt so short. I slept through half of the trip unintentionally. When I woke up I ate what was served and watched Inception, Despicable Me, and Avatar: Special Edition from their movie selection. The movie and music choices were good, but the food was delicious! There was very little turbulence, and any turbulence we experienced was very brief. There were no screaming babies or children. It was a lovely flight. I recommend Korean Air to those traveling in or to Asia.

Tip: Keep your passport, cell, and cash in a money pouch under your clothes when you travel.

Immunizations

I went to the CDC website to find out which vaccines were needed for China. There were no required vaccines.

This is a list of the vaccines the CDC recommends:

1. Hepatitis A
• High prevalence 
• Transmitted via 
• Person-to-person contact
• Contaminated water/ice
• Shellfish from contaminated waters
• Uncooked fruits and vegetables
2. Hepatitis B
• High prevalence
• Transmitted via 
• Blood
• Blood-derived fluids
3. Typhoid
• High prevalence in South Asia
• Transmitted via
• Water contaminated by infected person(s) feces
4. Polio
5. Japanese encephalitis
• Low prevalence
• Transmitted via
• Mosquito bite
6. Rabies

Of these vaccines, I already have the Polio and Hep B vaccine. So, I was only concerned with receiving the Hepatitis A and and maybe the typhoid vaccines. But, your doctor will inform you of which vaccines you need depending on what region in China you'll be traveling to.

Today, I visited the travel clinic, and received the Hep A, Typhoid, as well as the Flu vaccine all in one arm. The doctor tried giving me medication for malaria, but I turned it down.

The muscles in my arm are so sore, I can barely move it. The nurse kept telling me to relax the muscles in my arm, but how can one not tighten the muscles in the arm when one's arm is repeatedly jabbed with a needle?


Tip 1: When visiting the travel clinic, make sure to bring a copy of your immunization records beforehand. Also, carry a copy when you go abroad, just in case.


Tip 2: Make sure to schedule your appointment with the travel clinic at least 1-2 weeks before your travel date, so that the doctors have time to check whether the vaccine was effective.

AGAIN, BE SURE TO VISIT A DESIGNATED TRAVEL CLINIC

check maps.google.com or  http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/content/travel-clinics.aspx for your nearest travel clinic.

Vaccines

A few days ago my sister called me to tell me that I should get vaccinated before going to China. So, I called my primary doctor to schedule an appointment for vaccination and a general check-up. As it turns out I was suppose to see a travel clinic, and not my primary doctor to receive these vaccinations.

Where I live there aren't many travel clinics in the area. I called the hospital nearby and luckily they do have one. But, it's only open one day a week and at very particular times.

The CDC recommends getting vaccinated at least 2 weeks before traveling. And now, I probably won't get vaccinated until 1 day before traveling.  I don't know if that's good or bad. Or if it's worth it in that case...

Learn from my mistake, find a local travel clinic either through maps.google.com or http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/content/travel-clinics.aspx and try to schedule an appointment ASAP!

Visa

Everything is ready to go! ...except my belongings. My room is a mess, I still need to pack. But no worries here, because today I set up storage with collegeboxes.com. They'll ship me boxes tomorrow and come to pick up my stuff next week.

Then, tomorrow morning, I have to go to the Chinese Embassy to apply for a Visa. Their website can be confusing. As a student, I would assume that I would need the "Student visa  (X visa)", but because I'm only there for one semester I need a "Business visa (F visa)". I believe the processing time for the X visa takes longer.

We shall see...

Chinese Visa Information: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/ywzn/lsyw/vpna/rap/t710627.htm

Acceptance!

I'm going to CHINA for sure!! I received my acceptance letter back in mid-October. I applied to two scholarship programs, and I was recently granted one scholarship, but I'm still waiting to hear from the other. 

I've also booked my flight. 

I'm excited, but nervous. I don't speak Mandarin, and I know nothing of the culture. But, it's not too late for me to catch up. After final exams, I think I'll spend my winter break reading about the nation and learning basic Chinese.

Passport Book

I applied for my first passport book on September 8th. I thought the process would be difficult and tedious, but to my surprise it was quite the opposite.

The Process for First Time U.S. Applicants

1) Go to the website below and to find a local facility (typically a post office) that accepts passport applications.

Passport Facility Search: http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/
Where to Apply: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/where/where_4851.html

2) I brought my driver's license, social security card, and birth certificate to the Post Office. I also made copies of my driver's license and social security card, in the case that their copy machine was down, which it was... They submit your birth certificate with the passport application so make sure it is certified/the original because copies will NOT be accepted.

3) On my way, I visited a local CVS Store to take and print my (2) passport photos for about $10. I forgot to bring my coupon to get $2.00 off, but a link to the coupon can be found below:

Coupon Link: http://www.cvsphoto.com/passport-photos

4) I filled out Form DS-11 at the post office, made the oath, made the payment, and submitted the application. The payment can either be debit or money order, no credit. I paid for expedited service, and I received my passport in 8 days!  So simple and fast.

For more information on how to obtain your passport please visit the government link below:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html