(no subject)

[ellarien]

I stayed up way too late last night, surfing web travel tips for Beijing, the website for the Beijing airport, and Babelfish's rendering of the Beijing Customs website. (Apparently their plan for getting ready for the 2008 Olympics involves a 'multi-horse whip'; also it is a firing offence for customs officials to be involved in smuggling asylum seekers, whereas taking bribes, nepotism, inappropriate remarks and giving away secrets may or may not be, depending on seriousness.)

So, of course, my dreams this morning were of the airport-anxiety kind, involving labyrinthine concourses, lost belongings, and flights missed by hours if not days.

It also doesn't help that I have a very tight connection in LAX on Friday morning.

Jitter. Jitter jitter.

Comments

[intertext.livejournal.com]

If it's any comfort to you, the Beijing airport, at least when I was there, was emminently civilized and hardly distinguishable from any other busy international facility. They have so many foreign business and other travellers going through that they don't really pay much attention (beyond the usual these days). You'll like it in China, except that at this time of year it may be hot, but it's hot where you are. It'll be hot and humid, though. Have some Peking Duck in one of the Peking Duck restaurants off Wangfujing St. - it's sublime. The Great Wall is 110% worth it. The Forbidden City is worth it. If you have a chance, go to the Summer Palace - it's beautiful, and you can escape the heat a little bit. Have a great time!!!

[ellarien]

Thanks for the encouragement!

I'm sure I'll enjoy it once I get there, but I'm a slightly nervous traveller at the best of times, and this is the longest and strangest journey yet. It would help if I wasn't travelling alone -- there will be people I know at the meeting, but not my closest colleagues.

[intertext.livejournal.com]

The other thing is, unless things have changed a lot, the Chinese are VERY good hosts, to the point of being overwhelming. If you've been invited, the chances are you'll be met, escorted to your hotel/guesthouse, shown around the conference center etc., have tours of local attractions laid on and probably banquets and such as well. I hope I'm not raising your expectations, as it's best probably to be prepared for everything, but you may be pleasantly surprised.

[ellarien]

I'm not expecting red-carpet treatment; it's a big rolling international conference, and my invitation was from the organizers of a scientific session, not the local committee; it just means I get a bit longer to talk, not any actual perks. (Like being asked to be on a con panel as opposed to being guest-of-honour, I suppose.)