Hostring or being a WWOOF guest in China
Trip Start
Jan 30, 2007
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Trip End
Dec 31, 2011
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Shanghai,
Shanghai,
China
Monday, November 24, 2008
3)WWOOF中国是什么？
WWOOF中国是一个连接在中国的旅游者和住宿、工作及学习场所的组织。
4) Aims of WWOOF China
� To provide a means for people traveling in China to meet local Chinese people by living, working and learning with them, and through that process to have genuine exchanges with them.
� To provide a means for local Chinese people to have travelers come to their place, and to exchange knowledge, language, work and learning with those people.
4) WWOOF中国的目的
� 为在中国旅行的人提供和当地中国人接触的机会：一起居住、工作和学习，并通过这些接触使旅游者真正地和中国人交流。
� 为当地中国人提供邀请外国旅游者前来住宿并与他们交换知识、语言、工作和学习的机会。
5) What does "WWOOF" mean? (A history of "WWOOF")
"WWOOF" began in England in about 1970. It has now spread to about 40 countries around the world. It was and still is means for people to meet and collaborate in a down-to-earth fashion, to learn about down-to-earth issues such as growing and preparing healthy food, and healthy living, helping each other with work and learning.
5)WWOOF的含义（WWOOF的历史）
WWOOF于1970年在英国成立。现在已经发展到世界上约40个国家。它曾经是也仍然是人们在脚踏实地意义上接触并合作的方式；学习实际知识的方式，如种植并提供健康食物和健康生活，在工作和学习上互相帮忙。
6) How can we become a WWOOF China host?
To become a WWOOF China host, you must:
� Have a genuine interest in meeting and exchanging learning and work with travelers.
� Be able to provide a place for WWOOF China travelers to sleep.
� Be able to provide the WWOOF China traveler with three meals a day.
� Have some work for a WWOOF China traveler who comes to your place to do each day.
� Have some quality time to spend with the WWOOF China traveler each day to share work and learning, language, etc.
6)怎样成为一名WWOOF中国主人家庭？
想成为一名WWOOF中国主人家庭，你必须具备下列条件：
� 拥有真正的兴趣接触旅游者、交换学习和工作。
� 有能力为WWOOF中国旅游者提供住宿的地方。
� 有能力为WWOOF中国旅游者提供一日三餐。
� 每天为来到贵府的WWOOF中国旅游者提供工作。
� 每天拿出时间和WWOOF中国旅游者分享工作，经验及语言等。
7) One roof is one WWOOF China host
If you have an extended family, living in a number of different houses, and you want WWOOF China travelers to stay under more then one roof, then each one of those different houses will need to become a WWOOF China host.
7) 一间住房就是一个WWOOF中国主人家庭
如果你有很多家人，他们住在不同的房子里，而且你想让WWOOF中国旅游者住宿在他们那里，那么每个住房都需要成为一个WWOOF中国主人。
8) What kind of people will WWOOF China travelers be?
Usually people from outside China, people from USA, Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc., who want a down-to-earth means of traveling and learning in China.
8)什么样的人会成为WWOOF中国的旅游者？
通常是来自外国，如来自美国、欧洲、日本、澳大利亚、加拿大、新西兰等国家的，想在中国接触实际地旅游并学习的人们。
9) What kind of work must I have for the WWOOF China traveler to do?
As long as the work you are asking the WWOOF China traveler to do is safe, any and all work is okay. It can be housekeeping, looking after children, teaching family members a foreign language such as English, helping in a family farm, shop or business, etc.
9) 我应该为WWOOF中国旅游者提供什么样的工作？
只要你请WWOOF中国旅游者做的工作是安全的，任何工作都可以。 可以是打扫房间，照顾小孩子，教家里人外语比如英语，在家里的农场，商店或公司里帮忙。
10) How much does it cost to be a WWOOF China host for one year?
We have decided that in order to develop the WWOOF China network and in order to increase the number of foreign visitors venturing to China that we will make the entire service completely FREE.
10)成为WWOOF中国主人家庭一年要花多少钱？
为了扩大WWOOFchina的中国业务，吸引更多的外宾来中国，我们决定所提供的服务一律是免费的。
11) What do I get in return for having a WWOOF China traveler at my place?
- Each WWOOF China traveler who comes to your place will help you with the work you do for approximately four to six hours per day, six days a week.
11) 为WWOOF中国旅游者提供住处，我能得到什么回报？
来到你家的WWOOF中国旅游者帮助你做工作每天达4到6个小时，每个星期工作6天。
12) How long do I have to have WWOOF China travelers stay at my place?
This is up to you. It can be just some days, or a week or two, or longer. Whatever suits you.
12)我应该为WWOOF中国旅游者提供住处多长时间？
这完全由您来决定。可以是几天，一两个星期，或者更长，根据你的方便情况来决定。
2.
WWOOFers work about 4 to 6 hours a day in return for all meals and accommodation.
What is WWOOFING?
WWOOF is an exchange program where accommodation, all meals, practical experience and learning are given to the traveler in return for him or her helping the host he or she stays with with the work the host does. Lengths of stay can be short such as a few days, a week or two, to longer stays of some months. It is a fine means to get grass roots experience in the ways of life of the local people, away from mainstream tourism. WWOOFing is inexpensive and makes possible genuine experiences of a quality not easily found elsewhere.
A Day in the Life of a WWOOFER in China
Let's call this WWOOFer a him. He reads all this general information. He sends an online Application Form via our website, and included in that process his membership fee of US$40 for his 12 month membership. He immediately received his ID and Password to get access via our website to the list of WWOOF China Hosts. He organizes his insurances. He contacts hosts and finds one that appeals to him and that is available to host him at a time he wants to go, usually but not always about one month in advance of arriving. He arrives at the host as planned. He helps the host with the work he or she does for about 4 hours a day, six days a week. In return, he is given a place to sleep, and all meals, and the learning that results from being at the particular host's place, and helping him or her with the work being done there. When he is ready to leave, he speaks to the host, arranges a day to leave, and leaves. Before he leaves, he will probably use his Handbook to arrange another host to go to, and the process will start all over again.
Memberships are for 12 Months
WWOOF China memberships are for 12 months, and members can go to as many hosts as they want to, for as long as they want to and can arrange to do with Hosts, during that 12 month period.
Timing Your Commencement
You can complete an online application form on our website now, and we will provide you full access to the WWOOF China System including full hosts details immediately.
An Ideal WWOOFER's Attitude
WWOOFing is about giving and taking, learning, and working. If you want to learn, are prepared to work, able to come to terms with circumstances to which you are not accustomed, are interested in China, the ways of the people and the language, then WWOOFing may well be for you.
One Membership for One Person
Before hosts are contacted, each person who contacts and / or visits our Hosts (including you contacting hosts on behalf of someone else) must be a member of WWOOF China. We do not have couples or family memberships.
Communicating With Us at WWOOF China
We use only e-mail to communicate with WWOOFers and people who want to join WWOOF China. We do not offer phone, fax or postal communications for general communications. You should put the words "WWOOF China" in e-mails you send us, to make sure your mail does not get lost in junk mail that goes about by the billions a day.
Your Questions about WWOOF China
Most of the questions most people have are already answered in the general information we provide. You should read thoroughly all the general information provided, before you write to us with a question. If you write to us with a question that is already answered in the general information provided, we may not answer your e-mail.
A Short History of WWOOF
Originally standing for Working Weekends on Organic Farms, WWOOF was begun in about 1971 in Europe by people who were keen to support the organic movement. The basic idea was, and still is, that a volunteer receives board and accommodation and learns organic methods of farming and other in exchange for work. Hosts and workers made new friends and enjoyed the experience of working in common in an exchange of assistance and knowledge. When the demand for longer periods occurred, the name was changed to Willing Workers on Organic Farms.
Why People Go WWOOFING
Everyone is different, but a reccurring theme is people who want to have genuine experiences with people and places, at a grass roots level, away from main stream tourism, in a inexpensive manner.
Safety
More than anything else, consider your safety first. You go WWOOFing entirely at your own risk. WWOOF China does what we can to ascertain that hosts are decent people and that their place is a safe place, but we can't and don't guarantee it. You should ask questions when contacting hosts in an effort to ascertain for yourself that the host will be a suitable and safe place for you. You might ask for example, how many people live at the the host, are there other WWOOFers there now, is the host in an isolated place or are there neighbors and other people close by, how many WWOOFers they have had to date at their place, what kind of work they do, what motivates them to be a WWOOF China host, ask of the hosts interests and hobbile, ask of the hosts occupation, ask about the host's family members, etc. You might communicate back and forth a number of times in order to see if the situation the host is offering is what you want and that you feel safe about going there. When visiting a WWOOF host, you should take all the precautions you would take when visiting someone you do not know. If you are traveling alone, make sure you can leave easily if things don't work out the way you expected them to, and don't be dependent on the host for transport. WWOOF China does not know all hosts personally and does not have the resources to visit the hosts in our listings. If you have a complaint to make about a host for any reason, please contact us immediately. When you go to a host, do not do any work the host may ask you to do if you do not understand it, are not familiar with it, if it is outside your competence to perform. or if it seems in any way as though it may be dangerous to you. Consider your safety and well being first and foremost, above anything else!
WWOOFING is a Do-It-Yourself Thing
If you feel worried about going WWOOFing, insecure or unsure about having to check on hosts yourself before you go to them to make sure they are safe, then you should strongly consider not going WWOOFing at all, and instead participate in a form of travel and experience that is more organized with tour people and others to oversee and check daily events, accommodation, etc. WWOOFing is a do-it-yourself means of travel and adventure. WWOOFers contact Hosts themselves and make plans with those hosts. The WWOOF China office does not get involved in the plannings and goings on between WWOOFers and hosts.
Visas
You cannot use your WWOOF China membership as a means to be eligible to obtain a visa of some sort for China. It is your responsibility to obtain any necessary visas. WWOOF China cannot assist with visas in any way, including answering questions about visas, providing papers or letters of introduction for visas, and the like. There is always a possibility that you will be held at the point of entry and returned to your home country if you arrive without the correct documentation. Please direct all your questions about visas to the Chinese visa office in the city where you live, or you might ask your travel agent. We do cannot give advise to WWOOFers or would-be WWOOFers on how they can get a particular visa for China. Many people who go WWOOFing in China from outside China, go using a normal tourist visa.
Insurance
WWOOF China membership does not include insurance of any kind. We strongly recommend you take out comprehensive and quality insurance to cover yourself for health, accident, travel costs, theft, and liability. Hosts may or may not have insurance and you will be wise to assume that they don't and arrange you own.
Travelling in China
We suggest that you buy a travel guide for China and find out as much as possible about China before you visit. The following points may seem obvious, but it is surprising how many people don't realise that in other countries:
Many people do not speak english, and some who say they speak English may only speak it to a limited extent.
If you do speak some Chinese, you may not speak it well enough to understand what people say to you, nor they understand what you are saying to them
Telephones work differently and use different ringing sounds.
Banks and post offices operate differently, and there may not be money exchange or cash machines that will accept your bank cards. Cheques other than travellers cheques are usually not accepted, and cashing travellers cheques often involves a service charge. It is your responsibility to obtain any necessary visas and work permits before making travel arrangements.
Your Membership Material
Immediately after we have received a completed online Application Form and payment from you, you will be sent automatically and immediately your own personal ID and Password to all you to login to the WWOOF China website and get full Hosts details.
Your Email Address
Be mindful of the e-mail address you type into the onlline Application Form, check it, and be sure it is correct. If you make a mistake with it, your application will NOT go through.
Joining While Travelling
No problem - the web has no boundaries.
Hosts can be All Kinds of Places
Hosts can be farms, family homes, small businesses, and more. WWOOFers should understand that hosts are sometimes running a business while being a WWOOF host. The work done at some hosts can be demanding and WWOOFers should be prepared to adapt to the hosts' ways.
Membership Card
We have no membership card system in place at this point in time.
Handbook Only Available via our Website
The WWOOF China Handbook is not available in paper format. It is only available via our website.
Emergency Travel Money
You will be wise to make preparations in case you have an emergency. The most common way WWOOFers do this is to travel with a credit card that has sufficient available credit. The sorts of situations that you may have to deal with could be for example, a member of your family falling seriously ill and you wanting to fly home immediately to be with them, or you falling ill yourself or having an accident and needing to pay for medical bills. In the case of you wanting to use your health and accident insurance, you will usually have to pay for the costs yourself first, and apply to your insurance company to be reimbursed later. Some people ask, how much money will I need while I am WWOOFing, and this is hard to say. Your main expenses are the cost of transport to hosts. Your food and accommodation costs covered by the hosts who has you at their place.
Will I Find a Host for Me?
Hosts can be busy and some hosts are in demand more than others for reasons of what they do, or their location, and it can be that at such times a given host will be unable to accept you. However we have not known of a WWOOFer who could not find a host somewhere to take them.
How Long will it Take to Find a Host?
This depends on variables such as, the time of year, the host you want to go to, whether the host already has a WWOOFer, the nature and quality of the your communications to the host, the work the host is doing, etc. Most WWOOFers it seems find a host in a week or two. WWOOFers should remember that WWOOFing is a do-it-yourself adventure, and an exchange between host and WWOOFer, so it can on occasion depending on circumstances take time to find a host. WWOOFers should not expect to find a host quickly, or to fit in with a set timetable of plans or fiscal limitations, as one woud if paying for a package tour or homestay of some sort, where the WWOOFer is "the customer" and the host's job is to work to satisfy the needs of the WWOOFer. Please be prepared to flexible and take a host that might not be your first preference. Be patient, and ask yourself firstly, what value you can bring to a host, and secondly, what is in it for you. The latter should be a product of the former.
Do I Need to Speak Chinese?
No, most hosts speak some English and many WWOOFers are from outside China using English to communicate.
How Much is Membership
$40 American dollars, or the same in any other currency.
Can I Change my Membership Commencement Date?
You cannot change the commencement date of a current membership. The only option open to you membership renewal.
How to Contact Hosts
E-mail is fast and convenient and many Hosts have it.
Your Communication to Hosts
We recommend you write in concise point form, to make it easier for then if they are non native speakers of English to comprehend your communications, in the following format:
Your name
The date you wish to start WWOOFing at the host's place
The period that you wish to stay
What is your purpose to go WWOOFing to this host's place Something of your own history, interests, knowledge Something of your own history, interests, knowledge
How Early to Contact Hosts
If you have the time, it is probably better to plan ahead in order to make it more likely that you can stay at the places you prefer. Some hosts like it and others prefer not to commit so far ahead. Ideally a few weeks to a month is ideal time in advance to make plans with hosts.
Cancelling Your Plans with a Host
If due to unforeseen circumstances you must cancel your plans to visit a Host, please be sure to contact the Host promptly to inform them. Please do not cancel flippantly.
Problems with a Host
If you have problems with a host, please tell us right away and write to you with what we find out.
Refunds
We do not give refunds under any circumstances, so please read and understand about WWOOF China before you join.
Tell Your Family Where You Are Going
Please ensure you tell family, friends and those who will be interested in you and your well being while you are away, where you are going, the name and contact details of the host(s) you are going to, and be sure to update this information to them as you move about.
