In between workshop sessions, I thought I'd put down a few things that I've noted about being here in Beijing--that I didn't quite expect...
Bring your own towels. Or at least your own washcloth. Our hotel is utilitarian but far from posh. So if you want a nice washcloth, you'll be better off bringing your own.
I've learned that it's better to bring your own toilet paper when you go out. There's no guarantees that there is going to be toilet paper where you might find yourself in Beijing.
Make sure you bring a power/voltage converter. Our room has become quite a popular hangout because we have the voltage converter that I brought.
Finally, don't assume you have wi-fi where you are. We don't have it in our rooms, but do have it in our conference room (a different building). At least we do have wired Internet access. However, I haven't been able to do video Skype with my family using my iPad because I don't have wi-fi in my room. But at least I've been able to do Skype instant messaging, so I have been able to stay in touch with my family.
It's cool to learn about different ways of approaching teaching Chinese. There's many different textbooks -- and publishers' representatives are showing off the best of their products. Lots of cool stuff to be sure...but I have to resist spending all my money on books! Well...the next session is about to start...