There are NO index cards here. If you are going to teach or learn, bring them.

toothpaste, moisturiser/toner, body lotion, koala and food supplements. They are of crap quality here.

Thanks for all the advice! really very much appreciated :) I was getting a bit anxious, thinking I'd have to tote around a pharmacy in my purse :P

And some of the travel advice sites I've encountered are often a mix of bizarre (actual quote: "Chinese people don't sweat, so bring your own supply of antiperspirant") and the crazy-neurotic (actual quote: "Before leaving, I sewed silk sleeping bags for my entire family! :D :D ). SOooo yeah- I can't thank y'all enough :)

@mPRin two months' supply of Tampax! yikes! Thanks very much for the heads-up- things couldve got yucky :)
@tigertiger yeah, I do a lot of reading on the ipad- downloaded the 4 Chinese classics & thoroughly enjoying Dream of Red Chamber (hong lou meng)
@blobbles Vegemite! Of course- I'm a toast addict so hoping that there's a decent bakery/good bread... know any?
@Alien Since I'm doing Mandarin at Yunnan Normal, I thought bringing my academic stuffs couldn't hurt. Also sort-of considering doing a Masters, though I'll have to look into course content/English & Chinese taught courses etc etc.

I'm really looking forward to the experience -mostly having to speak Mandarin all the time- and immersing myself in the culture etc. Some things already are a bit of a shock, for eg., no confirmation of enrollment email from the uni yet! I dont want to nag the hell out of them, but the laid back, minimal 'hand-holding' is very different!

Any one else have any super culture-shock moments?

There are Wicker Baskets at various points around the city that can help you with your bakery needs. You can also get good bread at other cafe's, French Cafe, Slice of Heaven and As You Like.

You might also want to hook up a VPN before you come, if you like to look at Facebook/Youtube/Google etc.

You will have a culture shock moment the first time you see a mother holding their son while they are taking a dump on the pavement in front of you!

No probs!
It's kinda true most Chinese people don't use deodorant.. I don't know why they don't seem to sweat.
If you're studying at Yunnan normal you'll be right near Wenlin Jie. Great street for all things foreign. Bars, bakeries, Western restaurants.

And a culture shock moment when you see the public toilets!
A VPN is essential if you like to read world news.

Thanks- will definitely look into a VPN. I use gmail and watch a lot of al Jazeera ( I think they got booted out of China a while back?), so it's a must have for me.

@blobbles was that the mum pooping or the baby?! Cos I've actually seen such a thing take place in beautiful downtown Liverpool: mother just takes off her kids' nappy and lets him do his thing...
@mPRin yeah, I've heard Wenlin Jie is the place for foreigners, will be nice when I'm feeling homesick.
Wonder if there's any science behind the sweating less? Or perhaps just to do with diet/size or something?

A bit apprehensive re. the squatty potties- again, have seen all manner of devices for sale for Westerners to use (seems we have a real problem with blowback :P ), but I'm sure I'll manage.
Any advice for (or previous threads) regarding sim cards?

Sim cards are easy to come by, just go in the China mobile shop, they are everywhere, pay 100RMB and you get 60RMB of credit and internet (around 250MB) which costs about 30RMB

I would bring the basic meds. Especially pain killers and diarrhea tabs. You can get them here, but when you need them the first time, the last thing you want to do is 'trot' down to the pharmacy.
I should have been a bit clearer on this point. You can certainly replenish your cookies here, but on the journey in come stocked with some snacks.

About the sweat thing. Chinese do sweat, although seem to feel the cold more, so perhaps sweat less. But the big thing with body odour, and there are some stinkers here, is pubic hair. Not so abundant on the average Chinese body, and so fewer chances for bacteria to breed.

One thing about squatty potties- if you've never used one, try practicing squatting position at home for couple of days to stretch your muscles and tendons- I guess you hardly sit in such a position at home, and it might hurt for the first couple of days...