Time flies when you're havin' fun

I can't believe I have already been in China for two weeks. It actually feels like I just got here and like I have been here for years all at the same time. Even though I am not settled in my permanent apartment, I don't know my way around, I can't understand the language, and I basically feel like a fish out of water at all times China actually feels like home to me. I am not going to say that I am jumping for joy every day and I come home just happy as a clam... But something about being here just seems right. I am doing things I never thought I would do and I am enjoying (almost) every minute of it.

I had my medical exam yesterday. I actually let the lady take my blood and even though I was nervous and wanted to cry like a baby I sucked it up and let her suck out my blood. I have never been able to have my blood drawn at home. Never. Not even once. I am too chicken.

I eat vegetables with, like, every single meal. Real vegetables. This is something I never do at home. I still have to plug my nose and try not to let the green crap touch my tongue. But not in China.

I walk every where. I have blisters and cuts all on my feet. My legs are burning basically at all moments. I am beginning to take the stairs just because I want to.

My life is really changing. I know I say that a lot... but I am just in awe of how quickly it's happening. I hope the year goes by slowly. I want to take in every minute that I have here.

Mandarin lesson:
Wǎnān 晚安 (goodnight)

I surprise myself every day

I know I have said this a gazillion times, but, it is true... I am a totally different person in China. I got my blood drawn for my medical exam today. I did it. A needle in my arm. A blood sucking needle. It went into my arm. And drew out my blood. This is quite the accomplishment for me...

We also decided to go shopping at IKEA today. I got a mattress pad so I will be sleeping comfortably once I move back from Wuhan! So in like a month I will be sleeping on a relatively soft bed! I am pretty stoked about this. It was also funny watching the people's faces as T and I brought mattress pads onto the subway during rush hour... and then carried them home.

I ate only Western food today. I didn't plan it that way it just somehow happened. We ate waffles with fruit (which was called a fruit muffin on the menu... this was misleading) for breakfast, swedish meatballs and spaghetti for lunch, and KFC for dinner. All of today's food was delicious. Also, other than getting nervous during my blood withdraw, my stomach actually felt normal all day. This was a welcomed change.

I spent the entire day with Theresa and it was nice getting closer to my new roomie =) I know we are not living together yet but I do foresee us becoming very close soon! It is nice to make new friends... this is something I never feel like I have time for in the states. We made a list of things we want to do in China and of important words and phrases we need to memorize ASAP.

Some things we want to do (in no specific order)

• Tiananmen Square
• Forbidden City
• Great Wall
• Food Street
• Summer Palace
• Pearl Market
• Liqun Duck
• 798 Art District
• Shanghai vacation
• Olympic Park
• Tianqiao Acrobatics Theatre
• Temple of Heaven Park
• Bookworm
• Fragrant Hills Park
• Beijing Zoo and Aquarium
• Chairman Mao Mausoleum

I'm sure there was a lot more on our list... I just don't remember everything! I can't wait to start crossing off some of these things.

Some new words from today

Mandarin lesson:
Duìbùqǐ 对不起 (I'm sorry) Duōshǎo qián? 多少钱？ (How much?)

What are the kids like in China?

Well, I would say they are pretty stinking cute! Wouldn't you?
















































Mandarin lesson:
Lǎoshī 老师 (teacher, pronounced- low shir) Háizi 孩子 (kid, pronounced- hi zuh)

Looks like there will be another move happening soon

And this time I will be going to Wuhan. I know I said I wasn't going to Wuhan but I have decided to go for three weeks. Specifically, June 16 until July 6. A new employee will come to Beijing June 15 and be trained and then go to Wuhan to replace me. I would like to say I am looking forward to it but I am still a little worried about how I will get around with out my American friends there to help! I am excited to learn more Chinese while I am there, get more comfortable with the culture, and teach class on my own. Other than the fact that I will have a squat toilet, the apartment will be really nice. I am excited to see it and move in and be comfortable for a few weeks. I will update more about Wuhan later. To read more on Wuhan for yourself go to: Wuhan Time

Speaking of new apartments, here is my third:

























I actually really like my new apartment. It is definitely the best of the three. It actually has central air conditioning so you don't have to be under the unit to feel it. I also have a full length mirror again, a separate shower/toilet area, a big refrigerator (not that I have food), and a semi-comfortable bed. I am going to be staying alone in the apartment until I leave for Wuhan on June 8th. I am getting more used to being by myself and even though it is not my favorite thing it is kind of nice some times. I still live close to 7-11 so I am able to venture out a little. I also live right down the street from my office so that is really nice. I enjoyed walking to work this morning and not having to have someone babysit me. I unpacked a lot of my stuff last night just so I could feel a little more like I am in a home and less like I live in a hotel out of a suitcase.

You know I am a new person when this is my closet:




















I am in serious need of some shopping. Serious.

I got to run two events this weekend. I did one yesterday and one today. Both events had their ups and downs but I am happy to have had the experience. I at least feel a little better about song order and about the fact that I have most of the summer session songs memorized now. I think the best phrase to describe the two days is "lost in translation." No... I have never seen the movie. All I can say is that I feel like I did a lot of talking and pretty much no one knew what I was talking about. Eventually I gave up on talking and decided to just dance around like an idiot and smile at the cute babies! I feel good about the job I did and I think the kids had a lot of fun, too.

The internet here is sucking bad right now... Woohoo China!

Here are some things I learned today in preparation of Wuhan-

Mandarin lesson:
W.C. zi nar? (Bathroom where) Bu xi huan la (No food spicy) Wo yao chur... (I want eat...) Wo yao qu... (I want go...)

Pictures of Beijing apartment number two

Even though I moved into number three today... I will post third apartment pictures tomorrow.

You will notice that the toilet and shower are in the same area. Basically I sat on the toilet while I shaved my legs. Because, why not? The kitchen and bathroom are pink! China must know the way to my heart. All-in-all it was comfortable living out in Zhi Chun Lu but I am happy to be in Zhong Guan Cun which is much closer to work!


































Mandarin lesson:
Niúròu 牛肉 (Beef) Jī 鸡 (Chicken) Zhū ròu 猪肉 (Pork)

Freaking ouch

So I just got back from rugby practice. Yes... Me... Playing rugby. And by playing I really mean running like a fool and trying to avoid getting near the ball. I am so sore that it hurts even to lay on the bed. The worst part is that I will only feel worse tomorrow. I am glad that I got some exercise. I am not glad that the exercise is costing me my ability to walk or breathe normally. It was, however, nice to meet other English speakers. The players were actually very nice and supportive of my horribleness. Like I said, I am a whole new person in China. I know my Roanoke peeps are cracking up at the thought of my playing a sport.

So I am moving for the third time tomorrow. I wanted to post pictures of my current apartment but I apparently already packed up my camera cord and it is with the rest of my crap in Luyin's car. Once I get to the new apartment I will post pictures of this one and that one. I will also start taking more pictures of things. I really haven't pulled the camera out much since I've been here. I did see a 12-year-old drinking and dancing at the club the other night and I've now seen two kids peeing on the sidewalk. Yeh, things are done I little differently here.

I've been eating yummy foods. We went out for Indian food last night which I was a little nervous about. I found something on the menu that specifically said "not spicy" so I chose that one and got my grub on. It was chicken with some yummy cream sauce and pineapples. Very delicious. We also went back to the dumpling place yesterday and tried lots of yummy dumplings.

Tomorrow we are going to some kind of event for work and it is just going to be me and one of the Chinese assistants. I am excited to do some activities! I will also be teaching classes on my own next week. I get to start with babies class... you all know that I love me some babies! I am working on my enthusiasm and memorizing the order of the songs for different classes. Hopefully all will go well. I am thinking I will feel a lot better when I am doing the event tomorrow. I'm excited to be back in front of the kiddos and stop watching from the sidelines.

Wish me luck! Awesome website a coworker showed me- Nciku Some new words from today:

Mandarin lesson:
Jiejie 姐姐 (big sister) Mèimei 妹妹 (little sister) Tíng 停 (stop)

Independence

It's strange how in China I am constantly craving independence. I cannot even catch a taxi without some help. I am, however, proud of myself for making it by subway to Jill and Anna's yesterday all alone. I even got home last night (or should I say this morning since it was 4 AM) in a taxi and rode alone. I was nervous the driver might not find the place and I would be stuck saying bu jidao (I don't know) when asked where to go. I have officially been in China for a week and I feel like I have already become a whole new person. I am realizing just how much my life is going to change before I go home next year. I mean, I ate sushi last night and enjoyed it. When has that ever happened? I'll tell you one thing- people in Asia sure do know how to cook Asian food!! Who would've thought?? We went to Tairyo, a Japanese teppanyaki restaurant last night and it was absolutely delicious. We were also in a part of town that has a huge expat community so there were foreigners everywhere. It is really nice to know there are native English speakers in town.

After leaving the bar we were harassed by some beggars on the streets. It was pretty annoying. I am sad and disappointed in myself that I could be so irritated by homeless people but they were genuinely irritating. They would grab my arm and shake a cup in my face. They would follow us around and try to get money. It was just seriously frustrating. They like hanging around that community since there are so many expats. I guess they think foreigners must have money...

There were also street vendors with some pretty interesting foods for sale. I didn't see any scorpions but I did see some beetles. Yum yum. I can't believe people actually eat these things and enjoy them. It just doesn't seem right. I have become a regular at the breakfast vendor across from my apartment. The two people that run it are very nice. They don't speak any English but they do smile and talk to me a lot. I have no clue what they are saying, of course, but they seem friendly. The woman who works there has a nephew that lives in Virginia. It really is a small world...

The places we went out to last night were very modern. The buildings were huge and beautiful. The architecture here is amazing. I can't wait to start doing some of the sightseeing around Beijing. I have been trying to get a list together of some things that I want to do before I leave. Now that I am figuring out the subway system it will be easy to find the tourist attractions. I also need to do some major shopping. I did not bring nearly enough clothes. I sure hope I can find things that fit me in this city... Everyone here weighs like 90 pounds and they are all 5 feet tall. Wish me luck.

I learned this last night-

Mandarin lesson:
Yòu 右 (right) and Zuǒ 左 (left)

Settling in

Tomorrow marks my one week anniversary in China. I moved into a new apartment today which I will only stay in until Friday. I will post pictures of the new place later. It's much bigger than my last apartment but still has its own drawbacks, too. There are two beds here which are making me more and more excited for my roomie's arrival! There is also a "more equipped" kitchen. And by more equipped I mean there is a rice maker (as if I haven't had plenty of rice) and there are a few extra utensils. The bathroom is the strangest part of the apartment. The shower and toilet are basically one and the same. You shower and the water just runs into the drain on the floor and the whole bathroom floor is soaked. There isn't a door, instead there is a shower curtain. This should be interesting when the roommate gets here on Wednesday! I also have a small balcony which is really nice. The bed is still hard but is not nearly as uncomfortable. I think I will actually get a good night's sleep tonight! This place looks much more like an apartment and less like a hotel room. I saw my future apartment (the fourth and final Beijing home I will have in a few weeks) and it is amazing. I am definitely excited about moving in there.

The bad parts of this apartment are the smell and the noise. It smells like Indian food in here. I remember when I was friends with an Indian girl in middle/high school and her apartment always smelled just like this. Also, the railroad tracks are literally right outside my window. So it is pretty stinkin' loud when a train goes by.

So, like I said, I will be here until Friday and then I will move to apartment 3 for about two weeks I think. After that move I will go to my permanent home which is really nice! I am beginning to get much more settled in here now. Last night I went out with Jill. We first met up with Anna and her friend, Christina, for a yummy dinner at Hot Pot. It's kind of like The Melting Pot but Chinese. You are given a pot with boiling sauce (mine was bree sauce and I'm not sure what exactly that means) and you order a bunch of raw food to put in your pot. We got beef, mushrooms, tofu, sweet and white potatoes, spinach and cabbage. You cook your food in your pot and then dip it in this ridiculously yummy brown sauce and then eat it up! After dinner I got to see the apartment I will soon be living in which for now belongs to Anna and Jill. Then Jill and I went out to a bar and I was shocked! There were tons of foreigners in the bar and it was an open mic night so people where singing songs I actually knew! I told Jill that I didn't even feel like I was in China anymore! We ate chicken fingers and fries and enjoyed the music and some conversation. Afterward we walked back onto the streets of Beijing and found our way to a club which was definitely Chinese. It was hilarious! The men here are the funniest dancers! It was a bunch of Asian men dancing with each other and a few women. It was pretty funny. We caught a taxi (much easier than my previous experiences) and managed to get me home! I'm glad that I now know there are fun things to do in China =)

I have now seen all forms of transportation in China. I would say the subway will probably be the best option for me once I figure out how it works. I need to find a subway map and start learning the lines. I know that I am on both lines 10 and 13. My stop is the Zhichunlu Station. The subway is totally color coordinated so it should not be hard to figure my way around. When Theresa gets here I am going to be able to explore a lot more. I am just worried about getting lost and being by myself! Here is the obstacle that I am facing with the subway:
















It shouldn't be too bad. Once I figure out which stops I need for home and work I should be pretty golden. I will learn on the way as soon as I know those two things.

Here's to becoming a successful Beijing alien!

Mandarin lesson:
Zhīchūn lù dìtiě 知春路地鐵 (Zhichunlu subway)

I have just about

made it through my first week of work in China. We only have a few more classes and then I get to start my first "weekend" here! What are my big plans for these two glorious days that I have off? Well... I think they include a lot of sleeping and eating and maybe some hanging out with new friends. I also have to pack all of my things back up because I am moving into my next apartment on Tuesday or Wednesday. I hope the compression bags aren't hard to re-roll. They sure were a pain in the butt the first time. I am only staying at my new apartment for three days and then moving again... Eventually I will end up in my permanent Beijing home. I think that will happen in the first weeks of June.

I have been busy training at work. Mostly what I do right now is help set up for classes and then I observe during class time. So far my favorite class is the babies class! But that is probably just because I am so in love with babies. I think I am really going to like my job it will just take some getting used to. It's always hard to be the new person when you go somewhere. I am looking forward to having a little bit of experience so that I will be able to contribute more. For right now I feel like there is really not much I can do around work. So I have been trying to memorize the Summer Session songs and get used to the lesson plans here. It will still be a couple of weeks before I am able to teach class. I didn't realize I was going to be doing so much observation before being able to jump in. I'm ok with that, especially because I do not know the songs yet, but I kind of can't wait to start teaching.

Mandarin lesson:
chee wow wow (7-11) -- i don't know the correct spelling obviously

Chinese Cuisine

I tried to take a picture of everything I ate today! I actually ate some pretty good food. I have been proud of myself for being able to venture out and explore new food options.




















For breakfast I went to a street vendor and got a fried egg pancake with yummy sauce inside. It only cost 2 yuan which is basically 30 cents.
















We went to 7-11 for lunch again and I had rice with chicken, potatoes, veggies, and an egg tomato thing. Again, it was very yummy! I even spoke a word in Mandarin to the man when I ordered. I picked it out all by myself! I also got another delicious pastry with cream and raisins. I need to stop eating these things or I will never lose weight in China.






























For dinner, Ashley and I went to a rice noodle place down the street from my apartment. I got noodles with beef and mushrooms. It has been the best thing I've eaten since I got here. I will definitely be going back to that place before I move next week! Ashley had to teach me how to eat my noodles with chopsticks. But I eventually figured it out. The worst thing I ate today was this soupy gelatin crap that Ashley got and wanted me to try. It is apparently supposed to be good for women's skin. It was not good....

I went back to 7-11 after dinner to get a snack. I got a yummy China sucker.
















I learned a few more words today... I don't know the right spelling for this one so I will just do the pronunciation.

Mandarin lesson:
Shoe a bee (Sprite)

Things I am not fond of in China

Taxis and doors

You would think here in a city of 22 million people it would be a piece of cake to catch a cab. That is just not the case. I have yet to get one without calling the company first. Instead, you go outside and have to walk to a busy street (not all streets are busy) then stand by all of the taxis that are parked on the road having conversations with each other or napping or smoking cigarettes... doing anything but working... then put your arm out every time a cab drives by then get pissed when the empty ones just ignore you and drive on. Then you stand on the street and talk to the taxi drivers about how you think they should drive you home. Then you call the company and they say to wait 10 minutes for a driver to call you. Then you wait the 10 minutes and no one calls so you call back. And after 45 minutes of being pissed off and hating your life a taxi finally comes to pick you up. Once you get in they don't know where to take you so you have to call someone to give the person directions. Then you weave through the lanes being sure to never stay in the lines. You get flung around the car until you finally arrive at your destination where you can get the hell out of that death trap.

Doors seems like an odd thing to dislike but here in China everything is a task. In order to open a door you have to press a button that is located somewhere on a wall. You have to wait for the beep to open the door which some times takes what feels like forever. Once you open the door you have the pull it to exit or push it to enter. The door never shuts on its own so you constantly have doormen yelling at the dumb American for leaving the door open and letting out all of the crappy AC.

Oh, China...

It's my mom's birthday so I learned a new phrase! Note-

Mandarin lesson:
Shēngrì kuàilè 祝你生日快樂 (Happy birthday) Pronounced- Shung er qwy luh

I am still learning

Every new experience in Beijing is an opportunity to learn. I woke up at 4:30 this morning and decided to Skype some people then clean up the apartment. It's kind of nice to wake up so early because that way I have time to mentally prepare myself for the ridiculousness that lies ahead of me here in China.

Food today:
Breakfast- Special K bar and fruit snacks (as usual) and a cinnamon pastry thing from 7-11
Lunch- A variety of dumplings- pork, carrot, and mushroom from a yummy restaurant across the street from the office
Snack- A Cadbury Egg from Jill/Anna :)
Dinner- More dumplings from 7-11! They were out of most normal food because I got there so late... so dumplings it was.
Dessert- Another pastry thing with cream filling.

Thank you 7-11 for keeping me fat while in China.

Here's my dinner:
















I also went to Carrefour (the grocery store/"Wal-Mart"). It was a pretty interesting place. They sell everything from food to bikes to beds. Pretty much whatever you need you can find there. It was very busy and hot. We were gone from work for, like, two hours shopping. I got a lot of things I needed like toilet paper, water, a hair dryer and straightener, shampoo, and some snacks. I think the pictures will show you that it is unlike an American grocery store.
















They have an escalator type of thing that brings you upstairs and you can shop while you ride.











The meat is not refrigerated... And I didn't get a picture, but neither are the eggs. Hello salmonella! Oh, and yes those are ducks hanging by the heads... And cow hides in the picture on the right...











There is soooo much food inside the store! It is just stacked up everywhere. I was very happy to find the foreign food section where I picked up Nature Valley Peanut Butter granola bars! I think I will make it okay in China.

Yesterday we at lunch in a park... Here is part of the park:
















It looks pretty in this picture, but in actuality it is not really... They like to dig up trees and replant them so it is basically a dirt park once you get inside.

Here is our building. I will try to get some pictures of the classrooms tomorrow or Sunday.




















Our school is on the third floor and our business offices are on the eleventh floor (which is really the 10th). Chinese people believe the number 4 means death so there is no 4th floor. Nor is there a 13th or 14th floor. Although 4 is unlucky, 8 means rich so you want to have things with a number 8. It is cheaper to get a cellphone number with a 4 in it. Are you superstitious?

I have been looking at the advertisement every day I leave my apartment:




















Your city is as delicate as a bubble and will not pop if protected by the hands of a giant.

When Chinese people talk they always sound so angry. I don't really know why. I guess it is just the different tones but it always sounds like they are pissed at the world.

I hate taxis... More on that later. I am tired and think I will watch a movie and go to bed now.

I learned a few words today. Here's one that comes in handy when trying to order food:

Mandarin lesson:
Zhè 這 (this or that) Pronounced- je-guh (rising tone)

Want to send me mail?

Please do! Here's my addy:

8 North 2nd Street
Zhong Guancun SOHO
#305 Romp N Roll
Hai Dian District, Beijing China 100080

If you want to send me things here are a list of some things I would like to have-

• Special K Cereal bars or any other granola bars
• Any thing with peanut butter in it
• Cookies
• Mac and Cheese
• DVDs
• Cute socks
• Words of encouragement

So I had a pretty rough day at work today. I was really tired all day and just kind of not in a great mood. I am already realizing that I will have some obstacles to face while I am here but I will overcome them because I'm cool like that!

We went to 7-11 for lunch and my food was actually really yummy! I am not sure what I got... I know it was chicken of some sort. There were also veggies and things I didn't recognize. The lady put some stuff in that I didn't ask for but oh well. I am already getting really good at eating with chopsticks. I am so proud of myself!

Here is my half-eaten lunch. Yes, I had a Sprite to drink of course. They pronounce Sprite as "sprit ee." I also had a delicious chocolate chip pastry of some kind. I will definitely be eating more of those.
















We practiced the summer session songs at work and I am going to continue practicing them tonight. I will try to work on not sounding like a dying cow when I sing but I am not so sure I will be able to help it. I am worried that this will be a problem. Apparently having a singing voice is a prerequisite for this job which was not really explained very well to me.

Today was a really slow day again. There were only two classes and I only observed one of them. I wish I had seen Princess class since I already know that will be my favorite. We spent a lot of time chatting in the office about different things about Romp N Roll and I am glad I could hear the viewpoints of my coworkers. I am kind of just taking everything in before I make up my mind on how I feel about it. I really can't wait to train and start leading class on my own.

Our office is pretty tight. There are five desks and when Anna comes back to work tomorrow I guess I will no longer have a desk to use in the office :(












I spent some time today people-watching from the window:
















After work, Luyin had one of the office workers take me home. We went out to catch a taxi (the first Beijing taxi for me) and it proved to be very difficult. It actually took us over 30 minutes to get one. You would think in one of the most populated cities in the world it would be easy to get a cab. That was not the case today. Ashley (which is her American name- she is Chinese) even said it was particularly difficult to get a cab today. She said it was probably because of the rain... it was barely sprinkling but everyone was walking with umbrellas. We talked to one cabbie and he said he wouldn't take us because it was too close. I live like 10km away... I think that should be a decent cab ride. I told Ashley we could take the bus but she said it was too crowded. She decided to call the cab company and get one to come pick us up. Once he came he didn't know where I lived so we had to call Luyin to give him directions. I eventually made it home and Ashley took me out to McDonald's for dinner. The fries were delicious but my chicken sandwich was so spicy that I drank my soda up super fast. The menu was in Chinese so knowing me I probably ordered the Spicy Chicken Sandwich instead of the original. I will try a different one next time. When we were walking back to my apartment we ran into a group of people exercising on the street.
















Sorry the picture is so dark... but these are the people working out! Ashley showed me around a little bit and she was very helpful. I am glad that I met her today! I think she will be a great resource and friend for me. She is going to take me shopping for some things I need during our days off next week. I will have to venture out at some point tomorrow, though, because I am very close to being out of toilet paper.

So, all-in-all there are a lot of things to adjust to. I am already missing home and I am not so happy that I am jumping for joy. But I do think that once I get to know some people and can actually be productive at work... oh and my stomach isn't majorly cramped... then I will really start to like it here!

Mandarin lesson:
Wǒ néng yǒu jī? 我能有雞？ (Can I have chicken?)

Third time's a charm

So I wrote an insanely long post last night at the apartment that was timed out by my email and deleted. So I rewrote it but then it apparently did not post onto the blog. So here I am again for the third time trying to update this darn blog.

Some things I talked about yesterday in the blog post that never was: A few things I learned on my first day in China, what I ate, discomfort, and truths.

I learned how to exchange money. You can only exchange 500 USD at Bank of China so that's exactly what I did. In the post below you can see how many 100 yuans it takes to make 500 USD. Basically, 100 yuan is like 14 USD. I was taught how to distinguish between real and counterfeit money. If Mao's collar is bumpy then it is good. Cash varies in size here, with 100 yuan being the largest bill and 1 jiang being the smallest. Jiang also comes in a coin form. The coins are like plastic pretty much. To calculate how much American money you are spending you just divide the yuan spent by 6. That way you see about hot much you are spending in USD. I feel so worldly already.

Instead of wearing diapers while potty training, kids here have "split-pants." These are literally pants with a slit from the crotch to the bottom. The kid's dingaling basically just hangs out and his bottom rubs all over anything he touches. One kid peed in a plastic cup during Art Explorers class. It was like no big deal. "Oh you have to pee? Well here is a cup. Don't worry that the toilet is right outside the door." The culture is definitely different here.

Everything stinks here. The air was so smog filled yesterday. If you are breathing with your mouth open it tastes like rotten sewage and if you breathe through your nose you feel like you might pass out. I guess you decide which way is better for you at the time. The water smells, too. I'm not really sure what exactly it smells like. Maybe bad eggs...

Many of you were wondering about the food that I am eating in China. Yesterday I had:

Breakfast- Special K bar and fruit snacks (brought from home)
Lunch- Pancake noodles with beef and veggies
Snack- Vanilla ice cream bar with a chocolate coating and chocolate crunchy thing inside
Dinner- Pork and corn dumplings from 7-11

7-11 is not a rare commodity around here. There were probably 50 people inside the 7-11 across the street from work. We had lunch there today and waited in line for awhile.

It is so hot here. Even though we have air conditioning Chinese people really don't like for it to be turned on at all times. At my apartment I am not supposed to leave it on but I really can't breathe without it on. It's just hot, hot, hot. Way uncomfortably hot. I can't believe it will only get hotter for the next few months.

My bed is hard as a rock. It is basically like sleeping on a wood slab. Maybe even more uncomfortable than that. Once I get settled into a more permanent apartment I will buy a mattress pad for sure. I think this is a necessity at this point. My back is seriously sore. I also have bruises all over my body...

It is true-- about the spitting thing. People really do spit a lot. But it is not that strange to me. You can tell that someone wants to spit because they just constantly clear their throats. Once outside they just hawk a huge loogie wherever they want.

Not so true-- driving isn't so ridiculous here. Granted I haven't been here very long so I really haven't seen much driving. I have almost been run over a few times but that is just because pedestrians pretty much never have the right-of-way. There is a lot of honking and switching lanes or driving in the middle of the road. I have only been in the car with Luyin. I am sure once I ride in a cab I will be freaked out.

It is true-- this city is massive. It just goes on forever. It really is not very crowded, though. I think it has a lot to do with the area I am in. I work/live in the business district which has been termed "The Silicone Valley of China." Microsoft has offices across the street from me along with some other big businesses.

I am enjoying my time here. I am trying to just take it in and not really pass any judgment right now. Pretty much everything is different here. Once I know my way around a bit more and have a roommate I will be much happier. I like being at work since there are people I can talk to. I don't like going home because there is no one there. I am going to attempt to venture out tonight. I want to find something good for dinner. I will probably be too scared to go too far from home. I am not positive that I will be able to find my way back if I go somewhere so I will stay close.

I will blog again when I get back to the apartment about my day today. Sorry it took so long to give a real update. The pictures posted below in the previous post are of my apartment, the view from my window, all of my RMB, and my excitement over finding Sprite!

I think I will find something to do at work now... though I am not really sure what I can do.

Mandarin lesson:
Wǒ è le. 我餓了。 (I am hungry.)

Pictures of my apartment and the view... A post to come later

Day One

So my flight was delayed a few hours and I got in around 9:00 or so last night. I felt like the flight would never end. It was seriously long. Other than the fact that I couldn't understand what everyone was saying, I didn't feel that shocked originally. I got right through customs. They didn't ask any questions at all. I guess that's the good things about the language barrier. I don't know why I was so worried about getting through. I picked up my bags and met Luyin. We drove to my apartment and I got a pretty rough sleep.

I am not feeling that jetlagged but I think that's just because I got in at night so it was easy to go to sleep... especially after not sleeping on the 14 hour long flight. I don't really know how I feel about everything yet. People keep asking me what I think about China but there is really not much to think, yet. My bed is hard as a rock and it is seriously hot. I guess I will get used to it. I am assuming it will only get hotter for the next few months.

I do not have the internet yet at my apartment so I won't be blogging much until I get it. I wish so badly that I had it at the place because I really have nothing to do at all while I am there. I cleaned up this morning. I woke up twice last night but mostly slept. My phone kept on ringing... who knows who the heck is calling me. I turned off the ringer so I could still use it as an alarm and manage to get about four hours of good sleep.

I took a nice shower this morning except for I can't figure out how to make the water come out of the shower head so it comes out of this hose type thing that you hook above your head. I managed not to flood the bathroom completely which was nice.

Work this morning has been alright. I really haven't done anything but observe and just look like I have no clue what's going on. I guess that's ok. There were only three classes today and now there's literally nothing to do. Luyin said he would take me back home to sleep but I really don't feel very tired.

My roommate gets here next week and I am really excited to have some company! I don't like being alone at the apartment.

I hate cold noodles today for lunch. They are like shredded pancakes with vegetables and beef. It was pretty good. One of my coworkers ordered for me since I had no idea how to order or do anything. It is strange not being able to communicate at all. Hopefully I will pick up on that soon.

I am excited to start really working and teaching classes. I also can't wait to be in a permanent home. It sounds like the plans for where I will be placed are kind of up in the air. Luyin said I can decide where I want to go... that seems weird. He doesn't really answer my questions the way I want him to. I'm sure I'll learn how to ask and get the answers I need soon.

Well I will blog more later.

Zhijian, friends!

Mandarin lesson:
Buyao (I don't want.)

First flight alone

So the flight from Dulles wasn't bad. It went by pretty fast. It was actually only an hour long. I wish I could say the same for my next flight. I'm sure it will be pretty wretched. I can't even wrap my head around the 13 hour flight I am about take. It seems impossible. I will be in China in like 14 hours.

I am one of very few white faces that is getting on this flight. I already feel lost. The language barrier will be worse than I thought.

I paid $15 for a water, yogurt, and pretzel at some French shop. The yogurt was seven bucks... I say for that price it should have been heavenly. Instead it was more like dairy soup with bitter blueberries... I threw it away.

It's happening. Holy crap.

Mandarin lesson:
Wǒ xīwàng wǒ de xiāngzi zài dǐdá zhōngguó de tóngshí, wǒ. 我希望我的箱子在抵達中國的同時，我。 (I hope my suitcases arrive in China at the same time as me.)

Fear of flying

Here I am at the airport just waiting for my 12:32 departure. Is it ok that I'm scared half to death of flying? Who will hold my hand? Will my neighbor care if I hyperventilate and vomit on him? Gosh... I sure hope not. What kind of crazy person with a fear of flying moves to China?

I can't believe I packed all my bags and stayed under the 50 pound limit. I ended up checking two suitcases and I am carrying on one suitcase and a bag. I have tons of American snacks like mac and cheese, rice krispy treats, fruit snacks, thin mints, reese's cups, and many more. I hope these last for a while. What the heck will I be eating in China?

This whole move still doesn't feel real. And here I am waiting at my gate for my flight to Beijing. Well, pit stop in Toronto and then onto the motherland.

I will blog again in Canada. And I'm sure again in China.

Fingers crossed for safe travels.

Check out Nick and I:














Pretty cute, huh?

PS- Welcome to follower number 17 :) I feel so popular!

Mandarin lesson:
Wǒ hàipà fēixíng. 我害怕飛行。(I am scared of flying.)

Attempting

to learn a small amount of Mandarin. My two favorite things: YouTube and Google Translate. I have also been using the Lonely Planet dictionary and a few other ones I can't think of the names of.

Want to learn to colors in Mandarin?



Learn along with me =) I am starting to understand the different tones... not that I can really use them or know when to use them. But I am working on them. Basically there are a bunch of tones and one word can carry four or five different meanings depending on the way you say it. There's neutral, rising, falling, and rising-falling.

Mom is yelling at me to leave. So, zhijian!

Mandarin lesson:
Fěnhóng sè 粉紅色 (pink)

WooHoo

Blogger is back up and running! I was definitely starting to get nervous. Considering I leave in three days and I need to be able to tell all of you wonderful 16 followers of mine about my adventures once I land in Beijing!

I will be blogging while flying but will not be able to post until I land. I figure I need to take up as much time as possible during my 24 hours of traveling.

So the following competition is still on. Wait, was it a competition? Sure, why not? Click the FOLLOW button immediately!!! I will be back later for a real update. Much has happened today. But I am too tired to type.

Mandarin lesson:
Gǒu 狗 (dog)

Welcome

Wow! I have three new followers since yesterday! I am so impressed :)

Nick just informed that for every 100 people in the world, 21 of them live in China.

For the rest of you 79 percent NOT experiencing the Chinese culture, click FOLLOW!

Mandarin lesson:
Wǒ bù zhīdào (I don't know)

In a nut shell

It has been a totally ridiculous day. Tomorrow is already Thursday. I will be going to NoVA on Sunday. I will be on a plane on Monday. I will be in China on Tuesday. Where the hell has my life taken me? Stress basically defines me. I suck. I didn't start meditation today and now I'm too tired and have too much bad juju or something. I will pray that I can start meditating tomorrow. Maybe I should do an hour to catch up from today. Or maybe it doesn't work that way. Maybe I am just rambling on about nothingness just to fill the blogosphere air. Who knows.

Welcome to my 11th follower- Shannon! I always get so excited when I see someone new decided to click the "Follow" button. It's basically a party every time I see someone new! So, if you are reading this and you do not "follow" then look to the top of the right sidebar RIGHT NOW and click FOLLOW =) You just need to have a Google or a Yahoo account. Or I think some other sorts of accounts work too. Does that sentence even make sense?

I have much to do tomorrow. And I still have to work in seeing a few friends, stopping by two elementary schools to say goodbye, and finishing my long lists of things to do/buy so I can mark those out of my owl notebook.

Mandarin lesson:
Zhīfáng (fat)