R U Ready???? I bought chop sticks - so let's go!

Hi all! It is six days until lift off! I am packing suitcases and a box to forward to Xiamen.

My first stop is San Francisco! I will be staying at the University of San Francisco. I will be training for my teaching duties in Xiamen. I hope to see my sister, Mary Eileen, who lives in the Oakland hills.

For those of you who wish to teach or visit China, there are excellent sites on the web.

Here is what I did to prepare:

1. You must obtain a visa in addition to a passport. You must obtain your visa at a nearby Chinese consulate. It is a busy place - so give yourself time. Be sure to download and fill out the application prior to your visit. You should also have a passport photo glued to the application.

2. It is suggested that you obtain shots: I had a Hepatitis A and B/Tetanus/Typhoid

3. If you travel in the summer, it will be quite warm - which is no different than Chicago! Thus bring light clothing. Do not wear all black!

I have placed some photos of Xiamen on the blog. I will place original photos on this blog when I arrive! As you can see, this is a large city - like Chicago! I checked and there is a Starbucks in the city - whew!

I will update this when I settle in San Francisco.