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International Workshop “Design for Social Interaction in Public Spaces” (Oct 2015, Taicang) – Checklist

Before you leave for China, please check this list .

Things to bring with you:

  • Passport + flight ticket
  • Laptop. bring your power, wired network and display adapters. You do NOT need a power plug adapter — Chinese sockets can usually host EU and US plugs.
  • Arduinos + sensors + actuators (as many as possible) in your check-in baggage. Do NOT put them in your cabin luggage.
  • Cardboard modeling tools in your check-in baggage. Do NOT put them in your cabin luggage. Check http://desis.id.tue.nl/tools/cardboard-modeling/ for what these tools are.
  • Share the load of the equipment (projectors, raspberry PI’s , coffee etc). You will be contacted by Mathias. If not, please contact Mathias.
  • Foreigners in the Netherlands: your residence permit. – It is your visa to travel from and back to the Netherlands.
  • By now you should have Jun Hu’s Chinese mobile number. if not, email him for the number.
  • Print out this address — this is where you should arrive and we will spend most of our time there. Just in case you are lost:
    Capture
  • Have’t print out the above address yet? print it now.
  • Google Maps (and other Google services) do not work in China. If you need Google Maps to find your way, better do your homework in the Netherlands, print out the maps and routes, or save the screen copies for your reference.

Dates:

  • You shall arrive at the workshop on Oct 25 or earlier, leave from the workshop on  Nov 7 or later.
  • The workshop is a full time activity (at least 8 hours a day), except the weekend in between.
  • Please do not try to negotiate about the arriving and leaving dates. Okay, some of you did. But she promised to sing.

Airplane ticket:

  • Please keep the boarding passes (a digital copy or a photo copy would also be okay). We need them to reimburse half of your plan ticket. No boarding passes, no reimbursement.
  • Please keep the boarding passes (a digital copy or a photo copy would also be okay). We need them to reimburse half of your plan ticket. No boarding passes, no reimbursement.
  • Important things need to be repeated for three times – past experience says that repeating twice was not enough : Please keep the boarding passes (a digital copy or a photo copy would also be okay). We need them to reimburse half of your plan ticket. No boarding passes, no reimbursement.

Travel permit

  • You need to file a travel permit at the Education before you leave for China.
  • You can get an empty from from any secretary in the department.
  • Travel purpose: TU/e DESIS Lab International Workshop in China
  • Cost Center: 510045
  • Project number: 10018770
  • Print out the travel permit, and get it signed by Jun Hu, or in Jun Hu’s absence, make a digital scan of the travel permit, send to Jun Hu for digital signature. Then print out the signed copy, bring it to the finance department.

Train

  • You might have to take the train. If you have booked the train online, you might have to retrieve the paper tickets at the train station, most likely manually at the service windows – prepare some extra time for a long queue. It might be possible to retrieve the tickets from the ticketing machines with you passport, if you have used your passport when booking – but it is unlikely according to my experience.  The paper tickets are needed for (automatic) control at the gates, not only for entering the train, but also for leaving the station at the destination. Keep the tickets during the entire journey, or you will be paying again + some fine.
  • When you are in Shanghai, unless you live in the train station, you have to prepare extra time for the traffic to the train station. Take metro whenever possible – taxis will make you nervous when stuck in the traffic.
  • The Chinese trains work differently from the Dutch ones – you need to arrive earlier at the train station for security control, for retrieving your paper tickets, for finding the right gate and platform for your train. The timetables might confuse you as well. When looking for your train, you first find out your train number, then destination and time, and finally the gate or platform number. Destination-time-platform system does not work there – you need to pay attention to the train number as well. It works more like a flight schedule.
  • But one thing is the same – trains will not wait if you arrive late.

Health

  • You might want to check with your doctor which vaccinations are needed. The destination area is south-east China, around Shanghai.
  • Do NOT drink tap water in China.

Money

  • Make sure your bank card is activated for withdrawing cash in foreign countries.
  • It would be cheaper if you withdraw cash from an ATM in China. Mastro and Mastercard work on many ATMs in China.
  • In Shanghai Pudong International Airport, before you enter the boarder, you can already find an ATM.