China Summer:
International Volunteer Workcamp
July 27-August 21, 2008
Information for Prospective Participants
Frequently Asked
Questions
There are several issues that participants
will need to be aware of before leaving for China. These include the following:
- Participants should have a spirit of adventure about
living in another culture and the challenges that entails. Language
difficulties are part of daily life in the workcamp, and participants
will have to adjust to Chinese food, Chinese-style beds, and life without
air-conditioning in a hot climate.
- We will eat primarily Chinese food prepared by local residents. There
will be vegetarian options at each meal. A supply of boiled well water
for drinking will always be readily available.
- Participants from the United States will teach English
language classes, and other classes based on local needs and individual
skills.
- Summer can be very hot and humid in Hunan. To help
deal with the heat, we will not work in the early afternoon, taking
a long siesta to avoid activity during the hottest part of the day,
and electric fans (but not air conditioning) will be used.
- Participants are responsible for contacting their
doctors, or other authorities regarding all recommended shots and other
medical advisements. The University of Pennsylvania’s Hospital
has a Travel Clinic that can advise you and administer all necessary
shots. Ask particularly about shots for Hepatitis A and B. Hepatitis
B requires a six-month series of shots. Plan accordingly and START
EARLY. Contact us with any questions.
- All participants will be required to submit a medical
form before departing for China. There is a local clinic nearby and
modern hospitals in the city of Changsha (two hours away). In addition,
all participants should have adequate personal medical insurance.
Planning this workcamp is a “work in progress.”
There are likely to be revisions in some of the planning included here,
both during this year and during the workcamp itself. Participants
must be willing to be flexible and open-minded as to travel, activities,
work projects, and the living situation.
- All applications will be reviewed by a committee
with representatives from Westfield Monthly Meeting, Philadelphia Yearly
Meeting and American Friends Service Committee. The committee will make
the final decision on approving applicants.
- Each participant needs to make a strong commitment
to prepare for the trip. We want you to arrive as informed as possible.
If you have never studied Chinese, you should make an effort to learn
some basic spoken Mandarin Chinese. We also can recommend additional
reading, movies etc… so participants can learn about China’s
history, culture,society, and politics before the trip.
Frequently Asked Questions About
China Summer
Q: Q: In addition to the
$1500 cost of the trip (2008) (plus airfare) and costs related to visas
($100), passports ($97 if you do not have one), and inoculations, how
much money do we need to take for our travels?
A: The amount of money people
take for the trip really varies, based on how many souvenirs you want
to buy or extra spending you will do during our time spent in the cities
such as Shanghai and Changsha. It is recommended that you do not buy too
much simply because of having to carry everything with you. Generally
speaking, you really don't need much money at all. All of your eating
and housing costs are covered and the American dollar is strong in China.
Taking $250 or $300 extra for free spending was more than enough for many
of us who went last year.
Q: How do I get a Visa
to visit China?
A: Click
here to download a visa application and instructions from the Chinese
Embassy
Q: Who can go on this workcamp?
A: High school students,
college students, and adults are all welcome to participate. The minimum
age is 16.
Q: Will we be using chopsticks
for all of our meals? Should we bring forks along if we are chopstick
challenged?
A: Yes, we will be using
chopsticks for all of our meals. Even if you can't imagine surviving without
a fork at the moment, you will quickly become a pro at using chopsticks.
Q: Do we need to take mosquito
nets? How should we prepare to limit annoyance by mosquitoes?
A: No, we can provide nets
if they are needed. It is strongly recommended that you bring a mosquito
repellent that has a high concentration of "deet", and light
material pants and long sleeve shirts to keep mosquitoes off of you. The
mosquitoes tend to be active only in the evenings, but there are a lot
of them. Bringing the items listed above will make your evening a lot
more pleasant. Having your covering clothing be lightweight is important
because the temperature will still be very warm in the evening.
Q: Should we bring along
water bottles? Water filters?
A: We will boil well water
for drinking. Bringing a water bottle is a good idea. You may bring water
filters if you wish, but last year most people did not use them.
Q: Will there be email
access?
A: There will be one internet
connection at the school, but access will be quite limited.
Q: Will there be phone
access at the school?
A: Yes, there is a phone
at the school and once there, you can give your families that number for
emergency use. There is limited access to the phone for personal calls
in the evenings.
Q: What about the "facilities?/How
is nightsoil handled in Xiaoshicun?
A: There are a total of
6 toilets in the school. These are composting toilets that use sawdust.
We will need to deposit all the waste to the composite pile that was built
in a previous year.
Q: How will we bath &
wash our hair?
A: There are 4 shower rooms
in the school. Each participant may take a short shower every day. Last
year, when it was not possible to take showers at the school for a time
because of a drought, several student's families generously allowed us
to shower in their homes.
Q: How will we wash our
clothing?
A: There will be a small
washing machine in the school, and we will take turns washing our clothes.
Q: I assume that the clothing
we take should be lightweight, and should be quick to dry - so probably
cotton is not a great idea?
A: Thin cotton clothes will
be fine
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This page last updated
Saturday, March 1, 2008
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