CERS Rules:
Money and finances:
Allergies, Medicines, Toiletries:
Vaccinations, Immunizations and disease:
Sensitivity
Communications
- Food and Drink: food and drink are provided during your stay with us. This includes three meals a day, water and tea.
- Water Bottles: please respect the nature and avoid waste. Bring your own water bottle.
- Cleaning: you are responsible for cleaning your room and helping with cleaning the common areas. Our sites are not hotels, there are no maids or room cleaners.
- Bathroom: please do not throw any trash into the toilet. Toilet paper has to be put in bins provided due to constraint of septic facility. Put all refuse in trash can. Toilets can get clogged very easily and turn into a sanitary disaster.
- Showers: there are showers, but hot water is limited, so please be in your shower times.
- Laundry: there is only one laundry machine and dryer at our Zhongdian Center, so please be sensitive to this by limiting your laundry, combining loads, and timing it when the machines are not in heavy use.
- Table cleaning and dish washing: we need your help to clean the tables after every meal and wash the dishes at times.
- Save energy: switch off the lights when you don’t need them. Insects will flood your room if you leave the lights on all the time! Pay attention to the amount of water you use. We provide enough bottled water, but finish one before you open another one.
- Dogs at Zhongdian Center: please do not go close or try to pet the leashed Tibetan mastiffs. They can be very fierce to strangers.
- No Smoking: every CERS worksite is non-smoking. No smoking at all is allowed inside the property.
Money and finances:
- The Chinese renminbi (the people's money), also know as "RMB" or "kwai" is exhanged at a rate of approximately 6RMB per USD.
- All program-related expenses, meals, and transport are covered by the program. If you need additional money for shopping, withdrawals can be made at ATMS. Please make sure to your bank know that you will be in China.
- It is very normal that your first night of sleep at Zhongdian is restless.
- Your first 2 days, you will find yourself out of breath and feeling a bit ‘bleh’ but soon after you will be feeling great!
- Drink plenty of fluids, but no alcohol.
- CERS carries oxygen tanks, portable oxygen maker & compression chambers as high altitude safety precaution.
- A prescription medication may be used to combat the feeling of nausea, headache, dizziness, sleeplessness and loss of appetite associated with altitude sickness, (Not recommend unless absolutely necessary). Consult your doctor.
- If at any time you develop a persistent cough that will not go away, with nausea and disorientation, tell one of the staff immediately. These could be symptoms of a more serious condition called HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema.) This is very rare though.
- Expect to adjust your activity to a slower pace and less strenuous exercise for the first 48 hours.
Allergies, Medicines, Toiletries:
- If you are allergic to any food or have dietary constraints, for example certain nuts, fruits or drink, please make sure you let us know in advance.
- You must bring a full stocked personal first-aid kit. Do not forget prescription items and your own favorite remedies.
Vaccinations, Immunizations and disease:
- Follow the directions from your doctor regarding your health while on the program.
- The areas are not known to have rabies-infested dogs. Do not try to make friends with street dogs.
- Marmots (very common on the Tibetan Plateau) can carry diseases but do not pose much of a threat unless you handle dead animals. Best advice: avoid dead marmots.
- Mosquitoes are dangerous – they can carry a host of illnesses, including malaria, dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis. Always take caution by wearing long pants and using insects repellent. Consult your doctor about the vaccine for Japanese encephalitis.
Sensitivity
- It is good to be aware that each culture is different and has its own sensitivities. For example, Tibetans love to joke and tease each other, but jokes of a sexual nature are considered very embarrassing in mixed company or in mixed age groups.
- Some minority groups are especially known for considering it their duty as a host to make their guests drunk. Foreigners sometimes feel pressured to drink to excess. Feel free to exercise your right to say no firmly and with conviction.
- Chinese table manners are quite different from the west. For example, when you are a guest, you should always wait until someone invites you to eat before starting in. On the other hand, slurping your noodles is considered good form, and is something that Westerners have to get used to. When in doubt, watch the host.
- These days, China is a surprisingly open and exciting place to work. However, there are some issues that are better not to discuss in public. Bringing them up will only make your local friends uncomfortable, and might put them in a difficult position with authorities. Similarly, while you can freely bring in literature of a religious nature (e.g. a bible) for your own use, please do not plan on handing out any such literature to others. It will likely only cause problems for them.
- Illicit drugs are very illegal in China and there is even the death penalty for drug offenses. Please do not jeopardize your stay with CERS by violating this strict prohibition.
Communications
- Internet: public areas at Zhongdian Center have Wifi, but most bedrooms do not.
- Sensitivity: Certain topics are not permitted to be discussed online in China. As a result we ask that during your time with CERS you to refrain from posting the following topics anywhere online: politics, religion, anything criticizing your host country. Please also be aware, after leaving China, your posts can still have a direct impact on those people in your photos or whom you mention. Please be conscientious of this at all times.
- Bring a good spirit, with tolerance, and a desire to help and contribute to the entire trip. Living in close quarters with others for extended period of time can occasionally be hazardous to your peace of mind, but tolerance by all can make it a fun and rewarding experience