In preparation for my trip abroad, I’ve done a few under-the-hood upgrades for the site.  You can now SUBSCRIBE to my posts and get an email every time I add a post.  Type in your email to the right and sit back and wait!

So I’m beginning to examine my options for cell phone use while in China. In talking with other cast/crew members on the tour, it sounds like people are doing one of two things:

1 – Abandoning their cell phone, and using Skype (or the like) to communicate (with video!!) by means of laptop.

2 – Using their T-Mobile/Verizon/AT&T/etc. plan and just sucking it up and paying the ungodly sums of money for calls.

Here’s my plan –Convert my AT&T US plan into a prepaid account so that my phone number will be sitting here and waiting for me when I get back. They will allow me to cancel my contract without paying an early termination fee because they cannot supply me with service while in Asia.I’m going to pick up a Chinese SIM card for my GSM phone which will give me a Chinese local number. I found a nice guide to using cell phones in China. China Mobile seems to have the best rates/coverage options. Watch out for those 4’s.  Service really is quite inexpensive over there — something like $0.07 per minute from phone to phone. (My current AT&T plan works out to be about 14 cents per minute, as a reference)

For receiving calls while in China, whether on a landline or cell phone, take a look at NobelCom for picking up a calling card for your friends, parents, etc. I found a card for 1.1 cents/minute for calls from USA to China.  I got one for my parents, and it even has a local phone number for them to call!

I ran into an article over at Lifehacker about how people cope with long, trans-oceanic flights. There’s some interesting gems in there, take a look if you are planning on a 12+ hr trip.

Some of my favorite things (SOM reference unintended) to pass the time and stay sane include sudoku puzzles, podcasts/audiobooks (with good headphones you won’t hear the outside world), sleeping whenever possible, a glass (or two) of wine with dinner, getting up and moving around as often as possible, drinking a lot of water to stay hydrated, and doing some of the in-chair stretches and exercises to keep from getting too stiff.

No flight details for me yet, but I am anticipating a flight somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 hours across the Pacific. What suggestions do you have? Leave me a comment.

Just a note as to my whereabouts as I get ready for this trip ADVENTURE of a lifetime:

• Now until February 12: Wisconsin Dells, WI, training in a replacement, packing, lifeguarding, etc.
• Feb. 12 – 14: Saint Paul, MN. At my parents’ place, generally hanging out.
• Feb. 15 – 18: Tampa, FL. Beach, etc. with Dad and Brendan
• Feb. 19 – 28: Saint Paul, MN. Gettin’ ready for my trip adventure.
• Feb. 29 – March 3: Washington, DC. Visitin’.
• March 3 – 8: NYC.
• March 8 – 15: Saint Paul, MN. Final prep.
• March 16: China.