Blog Nasi Padang - How I Ended Up in Hangzhou | From Nasi Padang to Dumplings

How I Ended Up in Hangzhou | From Nasi Padang to Dumplings

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:56 AM PST

Okay, I'll come clean, it has actually been a little over a week since I arrived in Hangzhou. But, I toyed around with the idea of a blog longer than deciding to actually make one. And, mind you, I have this habit of starting blogs and completely neglecting it after a while, but I promise this will be well-kept and updated!

Anyway, I digress. (This will happen often, sorry)

So, it still astounds me that somehow I end up in Hangzhou. Just about four months ago, I had no idea where the city is. A few Google searches later, I found out that this city is actually really quite beautiful, and it is home to one of the best universities in China. A few Google searches and aimless navigating through Zheda's website later, I sent in my application and got accepted a few days shy from the end of 2013. And so it shall be that I will spend the bulk of 2014 in China!

Why did I decide to study Mandarin in China?

Believe it or not, I have studied Mandarin on and off ever since I was in primary school. Yes, it has been THAT long, but I still haven't mastered the language. Mandarin is an extremely difficult language to learn, with thousands of characters and words. The grammar is also very different than English. I finally picked it up again while I was in university in the UK.

It was also in university that I decided that I want to pursue a career in the media industry, and I want to be based in Asia. My long-term goal is to work for a major international news organisation, and mostly their main Asia bureaus are either in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong or Singapore. Furthermore, a main requirement to work in those bureaus is to master an Asian language. Obviously, I have Indonesian, but it's only used in one country. Mandarin speakers however, are largely found in 4 countries in Asia, not counting the fact that there are Chinese communities in virtually every country in the world.

Taking that into account, I believe that studying Mandarin would be very beneficial for me in the future. And of course, it's common knowledge that China is growing, and is becoming highly influential, especially in the Asia Pacific region. So better catch up to them, amiright?

Why Hangzhou? Why Zhejiang University?

To be honest, I didn't know about Hangzhou or Zhejiang University until a friend of mine who just came back from 2 years of living in China told me about it. He mentioned that Zheda (the popular nickname for the university) is amongst the top ranking universities in China. I was also accepted into Beijing Language and Culture University, but decided against going to Beijing, because I like the idea of living in a smaller city. By "smaller" I mean less than Beijing, and by that I mean approx. 7 million people. Still a big population, but less "international", for lack of better term. Therefore, I would be pushed to use Chinese on a daily basis, and hopefully that would greatly improve my skills.

I think the whole year in itself would be a great learning experience. I don't think I can find a better way to learn Mandarin other than to live in China and be totally immersed in the culture. I'll be solely learning the language, for at least 20 hours a week for the next year and would be forced to use it in my day to day life.

I definitely looking forward to an exciting year ahead and hoping that by this time next year, I'd be able to write a whole blog entry in Chinese!

In the next post I'll be sharing my pre-departure experience plus some tips that might be useful for some of you who might want to consider studying in China!

再见!

Pre-Departure Madness and How to Avoid Them | From Nasi ...

Posted: 04 Mar 2014 05:21 AM PST

Having lived and studied abroad before did not stop me from getting that pre-departure jitters. I was unnerved about moving to a new place and surviving the first few weeks on my less than mediocre Mandarin skills. And, don't even get me started on the immigration paperworks!

However there are loads I have learned in regards to pre-departure preparations, and I thought it'll be a good idea to share some tips and my experiences! Hopefully, for those of you who are thinking of studying in China (or studying abroad in general), you'd get a bit of insight on how to avoid such madness and stress! ^^

Visa Application

I have to stress that this is the most critical part of all pre-departure preparations. And it will also be the most stressful, but only if you let it. What I wrote here are based on my experience and I suggest to do as much research as you can, especially since immigration rules would change over time.

1. Know your visa

China has a ridiculously long list of visa types. There are two types of Chinese Student Visas, X1 and X2. Long-term students studying for more than 6 months are issued an X1 visa, those studying for less than 6-months gets the X2 visa. Students on X1 visa are required to apply for a Temporary Residence Permit within 3o days of entering China, which basically serves as another visa that allows you to enter and exit China as you wish.

2. Know what you need to get your visa

This may seem like a no brainer, but it is imperative that you know exactly what you need to apply for visa by heart. You can easily find out this information through this website. However, if your country is not listed, simply go to the Chinese Embassy's website in your country.

Come to the embassy or visa application centre with your passport, completed visa application form, JW202 form, acceptance letter, copy of your passport. In some cases, they might also need a copy of your national ID. Basically, make copies of EVERYTHING. In my case, they only took copies of forms and letters, and let me keep the originals.

3. Sometimes, a physical health check is needed before visa application

This applies to some countries (not quite sure which), including Indonesia. The physical health check form is downloadable, and requires a physician's signature and official stamp for validity. The health check includes complete bloodwork (Hepatitis, Syphilis, AIDS, etc), ECG and chest X-ray. Bring copies of the health form and ALL lab results etc to the embassy along with the aforementioned documents. Keep all originals with you. Just in case.

Also, make sure to do the physical check and ALL labs in the same place. I did my blood test in a different lab than where my doctor practices, simply because it was logistically more convenient for me to do so. The visa centre turned me away and I ended up having to do the physical check over again and paid more. Such is a hassle one would want to avoid.

Once all the visa hassle is over though, you basically could relax. It took them a measly 4 days to give me back my passport.

4. Bring ALL copies and original documents with you

…and have them on your carry-on during your travel to China. And by documents I meant your JW202, admission notice (THESE TWO ARE VERY IMPORTANT AS IT IS REQUIRED FOR REGISTRATION IN UNIVERSITY), health form, lab results, etc. You never know what they might need when you go through immigration. They usually just stamp your passport and let you enter. But, as I said, just in case.

Keep those documents safe at all times. If you are on an X1 visa, you will require the documents to apply for a Temporary Residence Permit. I haven't gone through getting the permit yet, but I will update this blog as soon as I've done so.

Other Tips

1. Pack Smartly

You're packing the next 6 months or a year of your life into a suitcase and/or rucksack. It is imperative that you be efficient with your space and weight. There are LOADS of tips on how to pack smartly. One of the most common suggestion is to roll your clothes instead of folding them. Apparently, that's what flight attendants do when they have to fit 10 days worth of clothing into a carry-on. However, I must stress that, contrary to popular claims, rolling your clothes doesn't necessarily mean it will be wrinkle-free. I guess it depends on the material of your clothes as well. But it really do save space though!

My attempt: stuff socks and tights in shoes!

Also, most important tip: don't try to bring your whole wardrobe. Yes, ladies, that means leave those shiny heels behind. We really don't need that many shoes. We will survive! *weeps at my favourite black heels*

Despite packing light and smart though, always make sure you bring everything you need. It helps to make a detailed checklist and cross them out as soon as you've put it in your suitcase. This helps to not be tempted to put more in!

2. Pack for all kinds of weather

Most of the mistakes international students' make when coming to China is expecting it to be a sunny paradise. Imagine their surprise when arriving into Hangzhou in 8 degree Celcius weather and constant downpour. The weather fluctuates quite extremely in China, so better pack for all kinds of weather. I mean, it's March and it's still pretty much freezing. Plus, most Chinese dorms don't have a central heating system, so your room gets chilly. You would be thankful to have that warm sweater to sleep in at night!

3. Prepare yourself!

By prepare I mean learn some Mandarin before getting to China. I really don't think it's a good idea to come to China being very clueless about the language. Get a phrasebook for common situations, download flashcards or apps, or if you're keen, get a textbook and start learning beforehand!

Because I was a funemployed graduate, I had A LOT of free time in the two months I was home, so I decided to take lessons to refresh my Mandarin. If you do have an ample amount of free time, it's worth to find a tutor or join a class. You'll at least get the basics and will be able to say ting bu dong when you get to China. Also, if you have learned beforehand like me, refreshing your Chinese is a great idea so you could get on to a higher level rather than starting completely from the beginning.

4. What will I not be able to find in China?

I'm glad I typed question into Google before I left. There are always a couple of things that are just close to impossible to find in some countries. Best example: tampons. It doesn't seem to be the popular feminine product of choice in Asian countries. I wept as I walk up and down the aisle frantically looking for tampons when I moved back home to Jakarta.

Some bloggers have compiled a list of things that are rather hard to find in China. Amongst those on the list aside from tampons are deodorants, skin products (that will not bleach your skin) and medicines. And so far, I'm glad I took that advice because I have indeed had trouble finding deodorant, even at the biggest Watsons or WalMart.

5. Get a VPN subscription

The only reasonable way to get past the Great Firewall is to get a VPN subscription. The only reason why I can make and keep this blog is because I got myself one. I personally used StrongVPN, and paid $55 for a year's subscription. There are loads of choices for VPN providers, and they offer different prices and packages.

What is this VPN thingy I'm rambling about, you ask? Well, I'm no techie, so here are some links I consulted to truly understand what it actually is, how it works and VPN provider comparisons. But, seriously though, do get it! I mean, how else are you going to ~~upload pictures and make people at home jealous~~ stalk people you secretly hate on Facebook while you're in China?

6. Research, research, research!

Find out as much as you can about your new city and your new university. Chinese Forums is a very helpful website to gain insight from current students of language programmes in numerous Chinese universities. The forum really helped me a lot to clarify information, because sometimes the university staff are just not good with giving clear info. Also, it's a good place to find future classmate, arrange a meetup when you get to the university and explore the area together. I mean, it's always a good feeling to have someone who is on the same boat with you, rather than having to figure out EVERYTHING on your own.

Expat forums and city guides are a good place to get information about exciting stuff to do and see in the city. Most of the time, there are also locals who are active in the forum, and maybe getting in touch with them would answer some questions about the city. And hey, maybe you might also find yourself a language exchange partner!

In a nutshell, the pre-departure stage will always be pure madness. There's just a whole lot of preparations to be done, and the anxiety of going to a strange place truly does not make it any less frustrating. But, I didn't let that get the best of me. Despite the amount of researches and preparations that need to be done, it's best to just be excited for what the future will hold for you.

So I guess if I could give one last preparation advice: just prepare to be surprised!

Blog Nasi Padang

Wednesday, 12 March 2014