I'm going to be in Beijing this summer for a public interest legal-aid internship. I'll be leaving tomorrow and gone until Aug 3. I'll be keeping a travel/work blog while I'm in Beijing, over at Travel Well These Waters.
As things stand, I'm not sure what my free time/internet time looks like, since I will be working most of the day, and I want to go out and explore some nights as well. Weekends will be free at least! There are eight other interns from the U.S. working with me, mostly from other law schools, one from mine, and hopefully we'll get along well enough to go out together. :)
I'm excited about the internship, especially since it's my first prolonged stay in China (especially on my own); previously, I've only visited for fun or with family. This will be my first real experience "living" in China, and it will give me a good idea for whether it's to my taste or not, which will weigh in my considerations for future jobs (do I want to live in China? would I mind?). The big concern right now is, as it is worldwide, the H1N1 virus. Personally, I don't think it's terribly worrisome (the actual flu is not terrible and the normal yearly flu kills more), but acting governments do have to respond to public outcry and fear, naturally, by instilling certain preventative measures regarding international travel. This means that customs forms will be carefully checked, additional health inspections have been put in place, and you run the risk that if anyone on your flight has symptoms of the flu (any flu, really), the entire plane will be quarantined. I expect China to be especially wary of flights coming from the U.S. or Canada, as these countries have had the highest rates of infection outside of Mexico (China currently only has three reported cases).
My mom, who flew to China a week ago, has kept me updated on what to expect, so that at least is reassuring, going into the situation somewhat armed with knowledge. I'm a little worried about what might happen should the entire plane be quarantined, but I figure as long as I don't have the flu, no matter the delay, I will have to be released at some point...it may delay the beginning of my internship and cause more of a hassle, but it will hardly ruin my entire summer.
I'm not sure if the rest of the world has instigated such stringent health inspections for international flights, but it's something to keep in mind for anyone traveling abroad this summer. Basic preventative measures of getting the flu: same as always! Wash your hands with soap or clean with alcohol wipes, especially after being in public and touching public surfaces. Cover your mouth when you cough. Um, eat well and sleep well, because those are both incredibly beneficial to boosting your immune system. I feel like a mom, orz.
I think I should be fine - I speak fluent conversational Mandarin (does that make sense? lol) and I know people in Beijing who should be able to help out. Hopefully, after the first week there, and I've showed no signs of carrying a horrible infectious flu from the sickly West, I should be able to go out and about with no problems.
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