April 19-20 Orientation Weekend

Hello everyone,

You should have already received this information via e-mail, but here it is again for your reference. The Chinese visa application can also be downloaded here by clicking on the attachment icon below the post.

-Miranda

April 19-20 Sudy Tour Orientation Weekend at USC - MANDATORY for all participants.

WHERE AND WHEN
We will be holding the orientation the weekend of April 19 and 20 in our office conference room. Our office is located on the second floor of the Figueroa Building on campus. See http://www.usc.edu/about/visit/upc/driving_directions/ for driving directions and a campus map.

We will be meeting from 9 am to late evening on Saturday, and from 9 am to late afternoon on Sunday. We will provide overnight parking and accommodations for Saturday, so please plan to arrive directly at our office before 9 am on Saturday morning.

GETTING HERE
Southern California participants:
You will need to arrive in our office by 9 am on Saturday. Parking in an adjacent structure will be provided. You may want to make carpooling arrangements on the web discussion forum. Please let me know by Friday, April 11, whether you intend to arrive solo or via carpool.

Northern California participants:
We will provide and arrange for your airfare. Please let me know ASAP the airport you wish to depart from. You will be booked on an early morning flight in order for you to arrive at our office by 9 am. I will try to place you on the same outbound flight so that you can take a shuttle or taxi to our office together. You will need to pay for the shuttle/taxi, for which you will be reimbursed.

ACCOMODATIONS
For Saturday night, we will be providing you accommodations at the Radisson Hotel, conveniently located directly from our office. You will be staying in a double room with another participant. You may want to get acquainted and make roommate arrangements on the web forum. If no preferences are given to me by Friday, April 11, we will make the arrangements.

FOOD
On Saturday, we will be providing breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as refreshments throughout the day. On Sunday, we will be providing breakfast, lunch and refreshments. If you have any food allergies or restrictions, please let me know.

WHAT TO BRING
1. $400 in CASH – This is the remaining portion of your participant financial contribution
2. YOUR VALID PASSPORT with at least one blank page – If you have not already done so, please send me your forrmal name, birthdate, passport number, date of issuance, and date of expiration. WE WILL HANDLE YOUR CHINESE VISA APPLICATION FOR YOU, so it is necessary for us to have your passport in hand to bring to the Chinese consulate.
3. TWO PASSPORT PHOTOS – Costco is a good place to get these done
4. COMPLETED CHINESE VISA APPLICATION – Please download the attached Chinese visa application form and fill in all applicable sections (some information has already been completed for you). It is an interactive .pdf form, so you can type directly in the application. When printing, select “Fit to Printer Margins” in the drop-down “Page Scaling” menu or the application will print as the default 11” x 17” size. Sign and date at the bottom of the application, and bring the original hard copy with you.