I'm new here, please be gentle!

[monte]

This is my first posting here even though I have been visiting here for several months.

November 5th I leave Ketchikan, Alaska traveling to meet the woman of my dreams in Zhanjaing, PRC for the first time.

 

I've seen that, generally speaking, your group at CDL is a caring, supportive group and I have appreciated the bits of info I have gleaned from all your postings.

 

I guess at this time I really don't have questions, it is more like a great, overwhelming amount of general anxiety.

 

Depending on how things go this trip I plan to be a frequent visitor and possible contributor to these pages, but, any advice you can offer would be appreciated, keeping in mind of course that I have absolutely no idea of what I am doing.

 

 

[Guest Se_Lang]

Welcome, I also am new here, it is a great group except for the few loose nuts. See the thread titled "check list" by PJ so you know what to do when there, If you decide you want to marry her. Other then that just relax and enjoy the trip China is great.

[MoonCarolCafe]

Hello, and welcome aboard! I'm new here too. You have never been to China before? A bit of advice:

- No, your bed is not faulty. The mattress really is that hard.

- The pretty ladies standing in the middle of the street at night are not directing traffic.

- Broccoli-- It's what's for breakfast!

- Bring your own toilet tissue, or clean-wipes, or something, or you will end up using your hand.

- Restaurants like to charge you for napkins.

- Study a map of the city you are about to go to.

- Bring a pen with you on the airplane, you'll need to fill out a declaration when you land in China.

- Yes, they ARE talking about you.

- Neck/Leg/Belt pouch! And thier cash won't fit properly into a USA-spec wallet. Ignore the little bills and loose change, unless you enjoy keeping track of fractions of pennies.

- Consider introducing your MeiMei to the wonderful world of cotton socks.

[frank1538]

November 5th I leave Ketchikan, Alaska traveling to meet the woman of my dreams in Zhanjaing, PRC for the first time.  

 

Welcome to the group. It will be a wonderfully strange and exciting journey, not just to China, but also through the mazes of the government.

 

Incidentally, are Zhanjaing and Zhanjiang two different cities? My fiancee lives in Zhanjiang, in southern Guangdong Province.

[monte]

Thank you all and no they are not different cities. Just one of us spelled the name wrong in the first post. (look, I told you I didn't know what I was doing)

[frank1538]

Hello, and welcome aboard!  I'm new here too.  You have never been to China before?  A bit of advice:

- No, your bed is not faulty.  The mattress really is that hard.

- The pretty ladies standing in the middle of the street at night are not directing traffic.

- Broccoli-- It's what's for breakfast!

- Bring your own toilet tissue, or clean-wipes, or something,  or you will end up using your hand.

- Restaurants like to charge you for napkins.

- Study a map of the city you are about to go to.  

- Bring a pen with you on the airplane, you'll need to fill out a declaration when you land in China.

- Yes, they ARE talking about you.

- Neck/Leg/Belt pouch!  And thier cash won't fit properly into a USA-spec wallet.  Ignore the little bills and loose change, unless you enjoy keeping track of fractions of pennies.

- Consider introducing your MeiMei to the wonderful world of cotton socks.

I couldn't help but laugh at these. How true!!

 

I still have a little trouble eating dinner for breakfast, but I do like the Chinese broccoli, and the dim sum is usually varied enough so I can eat a bit lighter if I need to.

 

Jingwen keeps a jar with coins in it. It weighs about 20 pounds and contains about $1.50 worth of Chinese coins. Let's see. 10 fen to the jiao. 10 jiao to the yuan. 8+ yuan to the dollar. We're talking real money here.

[Dave G.]

......keeping in mind of course that I have absolutely no idea of what I am doing.

 

 

 

Remember the scene from The Shawshank Redemption?

 

FRESH FISH....FRESH FISH!

 

Seriously, welcome to CFL. Great place for info and venting.

 

I agree with everything written here so far. Get to know yourself now because when you get back from the Orient, you'll never be the same again. Not different...just better. Hope that makes sense.

 

Remember that their values are 180 degress different than ours. What is up, is down. Black is white. Even bad is sometimes good. When you can figure this out, you'll never see life the same way again. It's wonderful.

 

Last point: When you go through all the necessary adjustments to fit into her world, don't forget what it will be like for her to adjust to yours. In fact, knowing that JM will be here in a month cost me a night's sleep last night. In my mind's eye, I see her at SFO after she passes through immigration. From there, I know I need to be mindful of the culture shock she and her son will likey experience. Having spent two months in China this year, I can sort of guess what the issues might be. At least I know she'll never have to squat again.

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[monte]

Again thank you for your warm welcome,

 

A question did come to mind; Ruwei has told me that we need a week to register our marriage if we do marry and that we must now register a marriage at the provincial capital, Guangzhou. Anyone know about this change, it supposedly took effect the first of October??

 

While not absolutely sure about getting married I am going with all proper authenticated paperwork for marriage.

[Mick]

Welcome to Candle Monte. Hope to hear a lot from you in the futuree.