Vietnam and 3 Months of Living in NanSha... The condensed version

Life has been anything but uninteresting.

I have definitely settled in much more and have started making my apartment more of a home. I am still working on pictures, decorations and just having "stuff" that makes the place look lived in. The guest bedroom is currently just storage, so eventually I will have to actually make it into a bedroom. But, I need guests to make that happen.
I have been to Hong Kong a few times, which is a nice break from being in a small little area here in Nansha. It's also nice to go into grocery stores and actually be able to get anything you want. Living here, in China, definitely gives you a deep level of appreciation for living in the States where anything and everything is soooo easily accessible. You don't really realize what you want or need until you are in a store, or somewhere and you are looking for something, that you come to realize you just aren't going to get. I think everyone should experience that at least once in their life. After having spent so much time over here, it still takes some getting used to, but we all learn to adjust and adapt and learn to live without.
Life is never dull or boring here. There is always something to do with people or places to see. You have to have an eye or want for adventure, but if you do, you will always be highly entertained and intrigued by the differences in people, culture, environment, food, etc. There are low-key and less entertaining nights when you want to sit at home and watch a movie or read a book, which I often do, but at least I have a place to come to that I feel comfortable in and can call home. Living on school grounds and being very well treated by the school, I could be anywhere in the world and not know it because I have a nice home.
That is definitely one of the benefits to working in an international school. The benefits, the time off, the amount of money you save, the places you can see. It's a very cushy life, if you can get past not being around family or in your home country.

The first benefit of being an overseas teacher that I took advantage of, was the vacation time and the close proximity to Vietnam.

Hanoi was definitely a culture shock. The city moves very quickly and is constantly noisy. There are endless amounts of mopeds whizzing through the streets at all hours of the day and night. You are definitely risking your life by trying to cross the road as most traffic lights are not used properly.
The shopping was amazing and definitely a highlight for me. I loved all of the different knick knacks and art I could by. The food was even better. By far, some of the best food I have ever had. We went on a food tour one night. We went to different side stalls and little restaurants around the city and tried the street food and most famous dishes that Vietnamese and people from Hanoi eat. We had three deserts, iced tea, Vietnamese coffee, Pho, fried snacks, soup, noodles... amazing!!! I highly recommend it.

I also went to the Ethnology museum and saw the lifestyles and homes of various ethnicities across Vietnam and South East Asia. It was very educational and interesting. I went to the Temple of Literature as well, which was also very interesting to see how education was thousands of years ago.

Olivia and I took a junk boat across Halong Bay and slept on the boat one night and then in a Bungalow on the water one night. We made new friends and saw gorgeous scenery along the way. The whole three days, two nights was planned for us with kayaking, cooking lessons, karaoke, visiting a pearl farm, games and other fun activities. We climbed through a cave and came out over-looking part of the bay. We swam in the unfortunately, very dirty, water. (We were not aware of how dirty it was until we saw that our bungalows' plumbing was being dumped into the water...eew).

I did reach some bumps along the way with the trip. To begin, our friend Carly was unable to leave HK and come into Hanoi because they had messed up her visa paperwork flipping two numbers of her passport...inevitably she has to stay back home. We messed around with getting a new visa and new flight, but they were all sold out. The first hostel I stayed in was a hole! I did realize that at $7/night I shouldn't expect much, but the doors wouldn't lock on the balcony and I only had a knob lock on the front door. I didn't feel like my stuff was very safe in there and I didn't want to carry everything with me. I did the first night and thought I'd just tough it out, but with the balcony door not closing, it was as if I was trying to sleep on the street outside with all of the mopeds whizzing by and the constant, incessant honking. No bueno. I woke up at 6 am and researched the nearest and more expensive hotel... walked there first thing begging for a room. They were so unbelievably nice. Held the room for me so I could check-out and come back, and then upgraded me twice. When we came back after Halong Bay, we stayed there again, and regretted to inform us that our previous upgraded room was no longer available, so they upgraded us to the Paradise Suite. It was amazing!!

I would definitely return to Hanoi just for the food and for the generosity of the people. And for the insanely cheap prices. It took us a while to wrap our brain around the fact that $5USD was 100,000 Vietnamese Deng. Or if we had changed $100 we would have 2,000,000 Vietnamese Deng. I must have spent millions while there. 

My next trip will be back home for Christmas... but before that, we are taking a school trip to a city in China Xiamen. We will be spending about 6 days around that city and to smaller cities around there in the province of Fujian. We are in the process of planning the trip with the school and students. All High School students will be traveling to a different city in China. I am definitely looking forward to it, but know it will be exhausting. 

This weekend is girls weekend in HK. A few of us are also going to see Mamma Mia as well. It should be fun and a good break away from NanSha.

Toto, We're Not in Kansas Anymore...

A few people have asked me to start writing in here again as I begin another journey teaching in China....

I have been here a week now, and find myself struggling how to put the experience into words, so I will do the best that I can.

The long journey began by checking in 5 bags into Seatac airport on July 26th with my brother and mother by my side. We had concerns regarding weight and transporting the bags from there to here. Needless to say, there was both good and bad news. The good news was that they would check my bags from Seatac to Guangzhou, the bad was that China Southern would only allow me to have 4 bags. Blake and my mother patiently waited while I rummaged through each bag trying to move items to the suitcase I would not bring, while making sure I did not exceed 52 pounds. (The limit is 50, but always bring my mother with you flying international... she can flirt her way through anything, which got me an extra 2 pounds per bag-- Love you mom :) ). All that was left were a few large picture frames and my lovely mattress pad, which later I would regret, but I will lug it back when I return at Christmas.

I made the flight from SEA to LAX with no problems. I had a 6 hour layover in LA, which allowed me to wander around a bit. But, I had to transfer terminals, which I did successfully, obviously. When I tried to go through security though, they said I had to wait until check-in opened and re-check-in, again. I waited patiently for over an hour standing in line. Checked in (the CS agent tried to re-charge me for my bags that I already paid for and didn't even have with me, her boss wouldn't allow her to, luckily), and made my way to the gate. Had some food, met other colleagues with our matching blue shirts, and then boarded the GIANT Airbus plane. I was seated on the second story in the very back, aisle seat....I figured, and posted on fb that it would be horrible, but two sleeping pills later and lots of sleep and I was ready to land in GuangZhou. From there, we collected our bags, met the director and some TA's and made the two hour bus ride to NanSha.

I was greeted by other teachers and staff who helped me carry all of my bags to my beautiful three bedroom apartment where I took a shower and went down to have breakfast.

The last week has consisted of Ikea shopping, visa photos, medical checks, lots of shopping, exploring and long bus rides. We flew into GuangZhou which is about an hour and a half from here (with no traffic and depending on where in the city you are going.) We have also gone to ShenZhen which is also about an hour and a half, but slightly closer in distance. But, our school is located in the middle of nowhere on the southern coast of China. I rode my bike to the ocean today which took about five minutes and was closest to the water than I have been since Seattle. Hong Kong is also VERY close by, but we have to take a ferry from the terminal across the street, and are unable to do that until my passport is returned. (It is off somewhere receiving my residence permit and year long teaching visa). Once I have that, I can make weekend trips to the city for about $50 round trip. This will also be where I travel into and out of when traveling internationally. (If you want to look up my location on Google Maps, type in NanSha District, China. It is located in Guang Dong province, and is its own district, but is a GuangZhou address).

All in all, the area is gorgeous and full of palm trees, wildlife and tropical plants, animals and jumping spiders. We have had a few downpours but only one big storm. I think I have sweated more in the last week than in the last few years, but I have gotten used to the heat and humidity. 89 is now cooler weather and more pleasant than the 95 degree weather with 90% humidity that has been the average climate so far. I do not feel as though I am in China living here, and have found more locals who speak English than my entire time in Beijing. It is very helpful that I speak Mandarin, but most people speak Cantonese but understand Mandarin. There are also many other dialects too, so many locals speak two to three languages and sometime four. Linguistically speaking, this may be one of the most diverse places I have been to. (I should use this to my advantage, and hopefully will.)

School starts in two weeks, so I will try and update some more later as I explore the area more. I will try and include more photos on FB or here of the campus as it is absolutely beautiful. I have also decorated my apartment as much as I could (and would like to spend for the moment) but as I travel more, I will acquire more decorations.

If you have questions or want to know other things about the area or anything related to my experience let me know so I can find more focus in my writing.

Olympic Park Earth Hour

I made it to Olympic Park for the first time... finally. My father was lucky enough to attend the Olympics in 2008 in Beijing, but I had not been back since 2007, so had yet to make it there. I have been here 6 months already but it is quite far from where I live, and it's been cold almost since I got here.

Tonight we had an event for our students called Earth Hour. It is celebrated around the world (but never heard of it while in the states). It's a moment when all lights and electricity is to be turned off for one hour. Now we weren't able to turn the Birds Nest off, but we had activities and games for the kids. I was in charge of painting the t-shirts... which was a giant cluster of people... and hello... paint doesn't dry that fast. It ended up being extremely cold and windy. Was only supposed to last 2 hours, but after an hour and a half we had maybe 20 students. Most of the people had already left it was so cold. My fingers and toes are still numb.

It was definitely a pleasurable experience and nice to see the kids all having fun together. Also, getting to meet and hang out with many of my colleagues I have never seen before. Not sure why I got myself into working until 830 at night when I have a class at 845 tomorrow morning... but oh well. I can now say that I have been to the Olympic Park and that I celebrate earth hour--- in a non-envrionmentally friendly way, unfortunately... toxic paint, lots of paper, lighting, etc doesn't make for a ecofriendly world... it was still an experience.

                                    

This was the 3rd shot of this picture... but it was so windy the shirt wouldn't hold still and neither would my freezing hand.

Reading...

So I have made it back to Beijing. Enjoyed my four days in Hong Kong... was able to breath clean air and enjoy the warm weather. Did some shopping, wandered around, dinner with old friends. It was nice to be away, but I didn't want to leave and now dislike Beijing even more and want to move to HK even more. I was sitting around a table reminiscing about BJ after 9 years of seeing my friends and the only things I could come up with about how Beijing has changed were all negative.... hmmmm. I do enjoy the international life and always having something new to do... but I'm over Beijing. Just six more months to go.

In the meantime... while on travels and in downtime I have been reading a new book. It was given to me by a friend as a birthday present. If you are a woman or just love a good read... you have to read this. It is called How To Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran.

Some may have heard of it already... if you come by a copy... check it out. Moran is a British author who I have been heard as the Tina Fey of England. I wanted to highlight my favorite passages in the book.

"You know, when it comes to sex, you really do have to remember men are blessedly forgiving creatures. They don't care what kind of knickers you're wearing. By the time you've taken your skirt off, you could be wearing Gregg's paper bag with holes torn in it, and it wouldn't put them off. THERE ARE MEN OUT THERE HAVING SEX WITH BICYCLES. Men don't remotely care if you're wearing sexy pants or not."

The next is at a wedding.. I was similarly lacklustre at Cathy and John's wedding, when Cathy's dad gave me a tour of their beautiful, all-white house, as I trailed behind, swigging red wine.
'And this is my favorite view,' Cathy's dad said, as we reached the master bedroom, and he strode over to the window. 'On a clear day, you can see right down the valley.'
Then a bat flew in through the window, and right into my face.
I don't know if you've ever had a bat fly into your face, but you don't have an enormous amount of time to work out your coping technique. You kind of...ride on instince. My instinct, it turned out, was to scream 'WHAT THE FUCKING?', and hurl my red wine right across the world's whitest room."

Love it.... yes it's crass and sometimes over the top... but hilarious... I actually busted out laughing on the plane a few times... that's all for now...

The weather

I think it is an appropriate time to introduce everyone to the wonderful world of weather here in Beijing.

I can't find any very descriptive words to explain the changes the city has seen in the last few days with respect to weather. But, I don't think my cold/body/lungs appreciate the changes in temperature, pollution, and psychotic wind episodes.

Hong Kong was very warm and I loved being there. It was absolutely amazing and the weather stayed around the 70s the whole time we were there. When coming back to Beijing I thought to expect the worst. I found the temperatures slightly mild, still cold, but not too bad. Then I got sick and feel like I have been locked up in my headcold/apartment for forever (it was only two days but my head was foggy for a few after that).

I woke up Monday morning hearing the sound of water on the road. Having lived in Bellingham/ PNW for so long, I have grown accustomed to waking up in the morning and being able to hear what the weather was like. Strange, I know. I realized this as I lay in my Beijing bed, hearing water on the road, hoping it was raining. I miss the sound of rain, I miss rain.

Anyway, I got up, open my curtains... and there it was, snowing.... I didn't realize it had been that cold. But guess it decided to snow. For a few hours, some of it stuck... some didn't. Anyway... snow. cold. Kind over it.... so there's the snow.

Tuesday, I wake up, walkout side and its warm. I dressed for snow mind you. By the time I get to my bus and get on, I have taken off my jacket, sweatshirt, hat, scarf, gloves, and ready to take off my work shirt, but figure I shouldn't completely strip on the bus in front of all the people that are already staring at me like I am an alien. (I do get stared at a lot, not only for being white and having blonde hair, but also because I am the only non-Chinese person on the bus... and I think also something to do with my skin... people talk about it a lot.)

Wednesday rolls around.. not sure what to expect at this point. Slept in late not worrying about the time. I get outside and it's even warmer. The sun is out. It's a nice day for once. I can tell spring is coming and being outside makes me happy for the first time in a while.

Now today... Thursday. I woke up this morning to strange buzzing sound. First I went to open the curtains to see what it looked like outside, and nothing out of the ordinary. I gray (maybe a slightly orange haze) hazy-looking day. I sit down at my computer and hear the buzzing again. So I walk to my window and look outside again and realize the wind is out of control. Trees look like they are about to fall down, people are holding on to hats, shit is flying around everywhere.... then it dawns on me.... It's almost March... which means time for our Gobi Desert storms..... oh joy oh rapture. The orange haze is due to the sand being blown into the city. The wind has picked up because the weather is getting warmer which means the sands will continue to fill the city causing for an even more enjoyable pollution/sand-filled/whathappenedtothesunblueskiesclouds city. I have grounded myself for the day. I refuse to venture into the orange world out my window. (yes the photo blow has been instagramed.. so no it is not that orange... but it helps add to the effect).

On a side note... I only have 6 and half months left. Everything has been settled to start Grad school September 16th (except financial aid which I should have no problem with, but won't find out until August.) I do appreciate and love my experiences here, and love the people I am around... but I think there are other cities around the world I could find the same experience... and still be able to hear the sound of rain, see the sun and clouds.. and blue skies. I'm happy to going back home. But still have a lot to do and learn while I am here.

Ice, ice baby

Apologies for the prolonged absence. Not going to update as there is too much to right and I want to keep this short and sweet.

Today started off not so well. I did get to sleep in as I do not have class until 1. But as I was leaving my home, I had a TIC moment (this is china!!)...

As many of you know the pollution in Beijing is at a pretty much all time high. I no longer have visibility beyond a few hundred feet. The sky is no where in sight. And clouds? What's that? It's always fun trying to teach children about the weather. No one ever knows what to say when you ask "what's the weather like today?"

I looked out my window, as I do every morning to see another grey day. To my dismay, this grey was due to some sort of rain/snow/mist happening. This rain/snow/mist made the ground very wet this morning (obviously), but then the temperature dropped leaving a thin sheet of ice covering Beijing. Oh joy, oh rapture, as my mother would tell her students to say instead of a complaint. I shuffled my way to the bus missing two along the way as I didn't want to risk running and falling on my ass. When I made it to the bus stop my bus was pulling up. I got to the door just as the driver closed it. I turned around and a man yelled, "it stopped" as there was a red light a few feet away. So I once again walked to the bus door and banged on it. The bus attendant looked at me and shooed me away.

I gave up, and took a taxi, getting there before the bus. Hah!

I am currently working 6 days a week and required to be in the office at least 40 but will be working closer to 50 this week. I have a 3.5 hour class this morning and had to stay for another one at 5:45. But, luck was on my side and my class was cancelled. I was able to leave and come home earlier than expected. Won't have to be back again until 1 tomorrow but will have to stay until 8.

I'd love to post pictures of the pollution but I just can't be bothered. Just imagine a grey world of nothing. And it can't be compared to a cloudy day because at least you know it's going to rain. this is just dirt. And now that there is moisture, the dirt is raining/snowing on to us. Here's to hoping the pollution subsides and the ice melts.

Christmas in Beijing

I think I may have had one of the best Christmas' yet, but it was bitter sweet. I'll tell you how it went....

I woke up early on Christmas Eve to get a few things done. Got the key to my mothers friends house, did some grocery shopping, and got my nails done. I splurged and spent the $20 it costs to do my nails different with little snowmen and snowflakes hand drawn on. I love them. I also picked up Home Alone 1 and 2, New Years Eve, and a gift for Anna Vance--my best friends daughter. There was a specific CD to find and I originally bought the wrong one, but found the correct one which included a DVD. Bonus

Christmas Eve we all had to work until about 8pm, but everyone was in a very festive mood. One of my classes was canceled so I only had to teach the young boy, who again told me about his drinking. He said he got many presents for Christmas, and wants to go out and party on Christmas Eve. I think many Chinese use our holiday as an excuse to drink more as they do not actually celebrate the holiday. I taught him all about Christmas as he had no idea why it was celebrated. He got bored after the first 30 seconds. But he did compare our holiday to Chinese Spring Festival-- but they receive money in envelopes, I may convert to being Chinese.

After work we all (many of us. Charles, Khadijah, Allison and a few others did not come) to a bar in Sanlitun. Our Chinese co-workers convinced us to go for Christmas Eve drinks (an excuse for them to drink and celebrate our holiday), they were slightly confused when we told them that most people don't celebrate Christmas Eve by going to bars, they still don't understand what we actually do. In my household for instance, there is never any alcohol involved. Only forced into playing games by my wonderful mother, and told we will have fun whether we like it or not. (Some of these moments would be better tolerated with a nice glass of wine on hand... but then that would take the fun out of our all-so-serious, but necessary Christmas traditions.) After the bars, Sarah Michael and I went dancing for a bit and then to a Chuanr restaurant (I apologize I don't know how to spell Chuanr..) But basically it was a restaurant (or a room the size of a very small bathroom) where they cook meat and vegetables on a stick over a family. It's basically BBQ. It was absolutely amazing... I have always said that Xin Jiang Ren can make the best food. I made some friends who didn't speak a lick of English, and have proceeded to receive messages in Chinese as I gave out my number, that take my wonderful co-worker Lucy to translate for me. Google Translate is my best friend here-- and of course Lucy and Nina.

Michael, Sarah and I stayed the night at my mothers friends house as I wanted the use of an oven for breakfast. It is always a tradition in my household to make something called Skiiers French Toast. It's absolutely amazing. But, I couldn't find corn syrup. Later I found out that I could have used substitutes, but it was already too late. So I went with bacon, eggs, and blueberry muffins (that I burnt of course). I don't eat bacon or eggs here, so it was a treat, but not the same as in the States. I got a hat from Michael... which was ironic and wonderful because I realized I misplaced mine the night before, and now had a new one. Came home and Skyped with the family. That's a whole other story but it was very eventful and family-like. I got a tour of the house and my parents modeled for me. My dog was quite scared when she was forced to the computer screen by my sweet mother. She wasn't sure what was happening just looked terrified and wanted to go back to sleep.

Christmas night went to Khadijah's for dinner. I was supposed to be cooking, but ended up not cooking at all. I received kitchen clean-up duty. We had chicken, broccoli with cheese sauce, brussel sprouts with bacon and onion, mashed potatoes and gravy, lingon berry sauce from IKEA, and baked beans. It smelt amazing and tasted sooooo good. I want more already. After dinner we played the longest, but most fun game of charades ever. We laughed a lot and had a good time.

Overall, Christmas was very bitter-sweet. I missed my family very much and wished I was with them, especially to see it snowing on Christmas. But, we had a good time. I think this Christmas for me was more about appreciating my family and friends. Santa didn't come and I only got tea and a hat, but it was perfect because those were two things I wanted the most. I got what was essential, what I needed. This was my first Christmas without family, but they were with my in heart. And I know that my biological father and aunt were watching over me. I don't think I have been this happy in a long time. It's nice to have that feeling about Christmas. I like giving presents and that was my goal this year. To give everything I could, whether a hug or smile, 5 jiao to a beggar, candy, a candle, or a home made breakfast and a warm bed to sleep in (Sarah), Christmas is about being with people you love, and that was what I did.

I also have my family Christmas to look forward to. Five days till I go home and have Christmas on the first with my parents and brother. Can't wait to be home. Merry Christmas everyone.

Michael, Allison, myself and Charles Christmas night. 

Smugglers for Christmas Eve-- my coworkers

Sarah, and Michael Christmas morning

The Christmas dinner spread

Allison, Charles and Khadijah-- good food and good friends.

Christmas Shopping and Hong Qiao

Went on an adventure today.... First went to Yasho to pick up some more DVD's and little Chinese things my sister requested in her list of things... Then Michael and I took the bus to Subway line 5 and then took the subway to Tiantan where Hong Qiao Market is. Bought a bunch of Christmas presents for family and friends. Bought myself a painting as well. Thank you mom :) It was much easier bargaining and much cheaper there too. I bought a purse the other day at Yasho and they started at about 800 kuai... I got them down to 100... when I went to Hong Qiao and asked how much, they started at 100... when I walked away in disbelief they went even further down to 80... wish I had just waited to get the purse.

We were there for a few hours. Took a while to get there too. Went to find my mothers pearl lady Sandy, but she wasn't there and I didn't feel like bargaining with Sandy's employees... sorry mom. After shopping, we trekked our way back to the subway. I got off at the same stop we got off at to get there and hopped on the 701. an hour and twenty minutes later, I made it home. With traffic and the new snowfall that seems to be accumulating outside, it was quite a ride home. At one point so many people got on the bus, that I wasn't sure I'd be able to get off. But i managed to.

Got home, organized all of the presents so I know who they are all for. Wrapped ones for people here and now ready to watch a movie, the snow outside, and eat dinner. Doesn't feel like it's almost Christmas, but hoping it will be a good one. I think my Christmas will come when I go home in 11 days. YAY.

Outside Hong Qiao

Me and the giant pearl

My new painting

Beijing is home

Work was good this weekend. Long days and lots of children, but I do enjoy it. We had our Christmas party for the children Sunday night. It was fun. Slightly boring but I managed to keep myself entertained. Yesterday was a rather slow day at work. I had my 15 year old VIP who almost fell asleep, but managed to keep his eyes open. He actually laid his head down on the desk at one point and continued reading. I need to learn how to be more forceful with my discipline, I just don't want to scare him. Hopefully he will be better today.

Last night was a good night. I met up with ISB people for drinks after work. Katy Wang, Sally Wang, Ellen Siu, Elana Siu, Terrance Ho, Annastiina, and Peter Luk we all there. Plus some significant others, whose company was also enjoyed. But it was nice to catch up again. Terrance, Elana her s.o. Blair, and Annastiina and I went to 1001 Nights afterward. These are the moments that make me truly appreciate being here in Beijing. I love being able to see people that we went to school with and hearing about their lives now. I feel like each person I went to school with is like seeing family again after years. It doesn't matter what year we graduated or what group of people we hung out with we always have fun, and we always have plenty to talk about. So many different stories are thrown about the table and we are all so similar but so different in many ways. I love to be able to say that I can sit at a table and be the only American, and that every person there is from a different country. But, we all have our high school in common. It's not like schools in the states where we still see each other every day and know what we ate for dinner last night. We all have so many different exotic exciting stories to tell, places we've been, people we've seen, jokes we can make to entertain ourselves. The humor is usually endless, which was definitely the case last night. A good "that's what she said" joke never gets old. And it's a shared joke world wide. I am excited to go back and finish my masters, but like I told everyone last night, I think this is where I want to be when I am done.

Here's to many more nights shared with old friends and good laughs. They seem to be endless as people come in and out of my life, and return to reminisce about teachers and events we all heard about but were entertaining rumors. This is the chance we have to know each other as adults, as our own guide in this exciting enormous world. But at every point of the world, I have someone that I can say is a friend and much like family. It's hard to keep up with everyone that I know, but I do think about my ISB days always, and wouldn't change a second of it for any other life. I'm blessed to be able to call each of you my friend, whether we hung out often, or barely exchanged words, we always have our ISB family to come back to.

Sorry for the cheesy rant, but I am kind of a softy at times. Some of you may be saying BARF, but I'm proud to call you my friend whether you agree with what I say or not.

winter wonderland

Today was nice and cold... not really nice. But cold. The snow was very pretty though despite the pollution and dirt in Beijing. I still enjoyed the snow. I didn't have any classes today, but got all my planning done for the weekend. Also, finished my essay for school. I'm hoping they will like it, I am scared to send it off. Bought a few groceries, basically just snacks and toilet paper.

I also tried to come up with more ideas for my Chinese New Year holiday. We have the 9th to the 16th off so i'd like to plan a trip somewhere. Money will be tight, but I could buy a last minute ticket. I was originally considering Shanghai because it's close, but I think I might save that for a three day weekend. Maybe sometime in the spring when it's warmer out. My Grandparents met there, so I want to try and go back to where they met. My mother has been and told me to go as well. So, I do plan to get there this year. But my next idea, which I am seriously considering, is Harbin. A co-worker, Allison is going, but staying with a friend of hers. But even if I went alone, I know it would be super cold, but I think it would be awesome.

Harbin is a place in the north of China that has a strong Russian influence. It is the main Russian exporter route to Dalian, so much of the architecture and scenery is like that of Russia. The buildings look very European. But, also the city is know for its ice sculptures and festival. I think to get a true one-time in my twenty's experience, I could take the over night train for about $30 to get there, stay in a youth hostel for $15 a night (for a nicer room of my own), and then $30 to get back over night. I think it would definitely be an eye-opening experience, and this may be the only time in my life I can go. I feel like Shanghai might be too much like Beijing, but I know there is a lot more culture in Harbin, and many things to see. It's also over my birthday so might be a nice gift to myself. Don't know if I can get anyone to go with me, but even if I went alone, I don't think I would mind. I just want a chance to see it before I leave here.

Gonna get to watching a movie before bed... only 17 more days before I leave for home. :)

snooowwwww

It's snowing once again. YAY. I love it. Not much yet, but wunderground and accuweather say 3 inches tonight. I was thinking how awesome it would be to have a snow day, and then remembered that I have no classes to teach tomorrow any way.... and haven't planned my lessons for this weekend.... so either way, I have to get my butt to work.

I did forget to mention that I did spend my night, after shopping, cleaning my apartment. Got laundry done. Mopped all of the floors for the third time this week. And organized all the x-mas presents I can't even wrap until I get home in case my bags get searched. Don't want to have to wrap and rewrap if they are going to open them any way.

Here's to snow. My nice smelly candle. Christmas lights. A movie. And a fuzzy blanket.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

Well, I guess not exactly. Being in China, away from family, in a country that does not celebrate the holiday. It doesn't really feel like Christmas, but we gotta make the best of it. Went and took my test this morning. I knew some answers right away and some I had to sit and think about. Treated myself to a Starbucks afterwards-- it's been about 3 weeks since I've had one, and I was drinking it every day for a while there.

Took the bus into San Li Tun and got my Christmas shopping done. Still have a few random things to get and have to figure out what to give to my secret santa at work, but I managed to get everyone else's presents. Was trying to avoid buying anything for myself, but I did buy a CD, a t-shirt, and a wiggly snowman head band thingy. Not really sure what to call it, but I plan on rocking it at the Christmas party the students, the party for the teachers, and Christmas night dinner. Along with my pin and matching earrings from my momma last year. And can't forget the Christmas socks. I saved a few of the things my mom sent last month so I have at least something new to say I got. But might just be my secret santa gift for my christmas this year, which won't even be on Christmas.

There are some super cute boots that I would like from a store here. If I have enough money by the end of the month with all Christmas shopping done, and enough money to take home, I may splurge and spend the $30 for them. They would cost probably about $200 in the states. We'll see though. I'd rather have more money to bring home.

Time to watch a movie, and upload my new music to my iPod. It's almost Christmas!!! But, even better, I'll be home in 18 days. SOOOOO excited!!! It will be a short trip, but well worth it.

The little things

I woke this morning to a very cold apartment. Not sure if I have mentioned, but I don't use my heat often. It's an air conditioning unit that sits in the corner that can also provide heat. I am not very fond of it. I miss central heating. I also am unsure of how much it is costing me, so I'd rather keep it on as little as possible. I have enough blankets on my bed to stay bundled up through the night. Plus I wear at least 3 layers of clothing to sleep in. But, when I went to open the curtains, I found snow!!!! I love snow. I just feel like it makes everything better. I feel kind of like a child who is hoping for a snow day from school. It always makes me happy.

This is the view out my window every morning.

Most of the snow on the roofs is gone now, but it is still on the sidewalks. Its supposed to snow again Thursday night and Friday. Hopefully there won't be any flooding like last time. I am not equipped to walk in rivers of water. Maybe I should invest in some rain boots....

But, it did give me a good excuse to stay in today. I finished reading a book Michael recommended. Flowers in The Attic. Was written in the 80's. Wasn't my fav. Still trying to figure it out. It was very slow. I skimmed the end of it. Which proved to be not as exhilarating as I had expected. But, thank you for the recommendation Michael. I watched the movie right after, and found that even worse. It was worth watching because I had read the book. But I would not recommend the movie to anyone. Hahaha.

I studied for a test tomorrow as well. I have to take the TKT which is the Teachers Knowledge Test to be further certified as an teacher of English as a second language. Don't think it is any use to me in the States, but I guess it doesn't hurt, and the school pays for it.

Also, spoke with Grad school some more. When I go back for my visit I will be meeting with the teacher I will intern with. I will be working at a school in Kent, so guess I will be living with the parents. Ut Oh. Don't know how that's going to work out for all of us, but I will be done in a year, so, I think if I can survive living in China alone, I can survive my parents house again. I'll let you know how I feel a year from now. Ha. I will be starting school as soon as I get back in Seattle, so I will have to try and find something in that area, maybe temporarily. I won't have much money, so it will be tight, but I don't really care as long as I have a place to sleep. I can study and get my work done on campus and then just need to crash somewhere. I have grown an appreciation of having very little when I sold everything I owned and moved to China. I do live on the bare minimum and even then I'm sure I could cut down on even more. Here's my attempt at saving money for next year, eating healthier, and succeeding my goals. I think I have found my New Years resolutions. My last one for next year is to not drink for at least 6 months. Not saying I drink a lot, don't get me wrong. Just want to push myself to have more will power. Because I know I can. If I can succeed in saving money, eating healthier, and not drinking, I can sure as well do anything.

Another door, and hole, opens

Today was an alright day. Had only one class of 5-8 year olds, in a lower level of Chinese. Basically we  teach phonics at this level. Had a kid get a bloody nose and it was just pouring out his nose. It was an interesting mix to the class.

Still have a hole in my wall from the construction in my unit. Haven't gone into complete details, but basically there is water under the linoleum. I told the owner a few times. Once they came in and said there's no pipe under the floor. It's just moisture. Or glue. ummm, no I think I'd know if it was water. So I told them again and they decided they needed to cut a hole in the wall where there is a pipe. The pipe goes vertically from upstairs all the way through the building. But there is also a smaller pipe the is horizontal towards my unit. There is no cap on this pipe. Pretty awesome. So anytime the neighbors upstairs use water, it just pours into my unit. But anyway, they cut the hole, found the pipe. Cut the hole some more. Found a lid they hoped would work (and has so far). But they didn't clean up after themselves. I had to clean everything. Then woke up this morning with a layer of sheetrock dust all over my unit. UGH. Was so gross. I had to mop the floors and disinfect everything again. My clothes were even covered in it. So now, I'm left with a big hole.

On a more positive note. As some know, I have not finished my Masters, but am close to being done. I emailed my school and asked if I could go back. They said of course and have set up a plan for me. I have a choice of going back September 2013 and be done June 2014 or start mid-December 2013 and be done end of July 2014. They suggested September, so I think I'm gonna do it then. The only thing standing in my way now, is money. Hopefully I can get financial aid. I applied today to see if I could, so I will find out. I'm expecting the worst though. I don't really have much luck, and often things don't go my way. Very pessimistic I know, but then I won't get my hopes up too often. We'll see. I will keep everyone posted. But I may be living in Seattle a year from now, back in school. YAY.

Off to bed to read another book. This one is called The Testimony. Don't remember who the author is though, but pretty interesting so far. In the last week I have finished James Pattersons Against Medical Advice, and A Christmas Sweater, can't remember the author either but he was from Mount Vernon Washington.

The original hole where the found an uncovered pipe

The uncovered pipe is above. They found a sheet in my unit to try and "soak" up the water, Yeah right. 

The hole as it looks now

The covered pipe finally. It had been open and water just poured on in.

Got a long two days ahead of me. Full load Saturday and Sunday. Will write more next week.

Beijing Bus Rides

I guess it's a little soon to post. But my attempt at riding the bus was quite an interesting one. For me at least.

So, I made my goal for today. I tried riding the bus to work. Made it out the door dressed in two pairs of pants, my rocking Christmas tree socks, three shirts, a wool jacket, scarf, hat, mittens, and of course my tennis shoes (which do not provide the amount of warmth I need. They are meant for running, not walking in freezing temperatures.) On the way to the bus stop, about 50 meters away, I contemplated over and over whether or not to just stop one of the 50 cabs that had passed by when I see bus 677 coming up behind me. My instinct was to start running. The tennis shoes must have missed a jog on the pavement. (The owner of my apartment told me Liu qi qi- 677 to Ying Fu-- my office). So here I am running. The bus stops, I'm catching up, and it starts to take off. I slowed to walk and was about to give up, when it stopped again. I made it!! YAY!

I get on the bus, swipe my card like a good little citizen. And begin the journey to work. I recognize every stop we take. Except, instead of turning right towards work, we kept going straight. I figured we would just turn right at some point and come back around. But, we kept going straight. I had a feeling I was in trouble. I kept checking the signs to see which stop I needed. I knew that my office was on 广顺南大街 (guang shun nan da jie)-- I checked the bus sign again and saw the 广顺桥南 （guang shun qiao nan) basically the guang shun south bridge... I figure, this must be the bridge right by work. We get to a main intersection and I find a landmark that I know-- a very large rainbow. I'm relieved to know that I am aware of where we are. Now if we just turn right.....nope, we turn left. Keep going further north away from my school. It was time to get off the bus. As I got off, you must swipe your card again... I thought I did, but it didn't make the nice beeping sound. I think it might eat up 1 kuai on my card instead of the 0.4 jiao it should have. oh well. So, I flagged down a cab and made it to work, on time, thankfully.

I was hesitant to try the bus again to get home, but I checked the schedules, and checked them again, and again to make sure I would get the right one. And I did. There are only three buses I can take 656, 621, and 976. That will be engrained in my head (and written on my hand) from now on.

Classes were good. My wonderful VIP was wonderfully boring today. But he didn't fall asleep, thankfully. I had my small star green class. We had a new student, which made it awkward and challenging. The four kids and I are used to our systems and the know all of the words I teach, with a new student it mixes up the group and I will end up having to play catch up with him for the rest of the course. The four children are also very well behaved and cute as pie. This one seems to be the little trouble maker. The first thing he did when he walked in class was stand up on the table and start rolling around. My very well behaved children looked at him like he was crazy and didn't speak one word to him. I included him and tried to be warm and comforting, but he wasn't having it. He just wanted to play, which is probably what his mother told him he would be doing in class. That is not the case, and many a children come in balling and continue balling thru class because they "thought they were going to a play group that would be all fun and games and now they are stuck with this weird white woman who has blonde hair and doesn't look like mommy or any of my teachers or my mommy's friends and talks funny and I don't know what she's saying and I keep telling her I want my mommy and want to leave and she doesn't know what I am saying, she keeps smiling at me but it isn't funny and I just want to go home wahhhhhhhhhh." That was the mind of a 2-4 year old in my class.

Time to have a drink and enjoy my Friday evening. May stream a movie online as I have nothing else to watch and I can watch brand new movies right from my very own home. Night.

Life in Beijing

I am always having trouble figuring out what to write on my blog. I want to find something interesting and fascinating to write about. But, so many different things happen in just one day that I get lost in lots of little things trying to find the big things. hmmm. So, thank you to my co-worker Khadijah, who has just inspired me. We just became fb friends because I found out she had a blog and was interested. Thought I'd take a look at it and see what she wrote about. Another friend of mine, Sarah has a blog too. She captured perfectly what I was looking for her in recent blog-- check it out-- it's HILARIOUS (http://onlyanoceanghost.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/how-to-lose-friends-in-china/)....

But anyway, I've recently and in the past few years have always thrown around the idea of writing a book. But I can't grasp a big enough idea to write as much as I would need. I think I have so many thoughts and ideas that I need to start much smaller. Work with the little ideas and grow from there... so back to my inspirational coworker Khadijah... she writes her blog every few days or so. She writes very little, sometimes only includes a photo. She talks about what she did that day, how work was, how her students are, any tid-bit of information she wants. So here's to the start of something new, that hopefully I can be consistent with. It will take a while at first because I always feel as though I need to explain myself, but if you keep up with what I write, I won't repeat myself, hopefully. Just bare in mind that I can be sarcastic, try to be funny, and often exaggerate. I try not to when I explain my experiences here in China as some things are really just that crazy, but I think a little exaggeration always adds to a story, it makes it fun and interesting... so here I go. 

A lot has happened since I last wrote, but I am going to start small and keep adding from there. and it should all make sense in the end.... or make no sense at all... but life isnt always about making sense of everything-- you have to enjoy the little things.

I'll start with last night because it was fun. A few of us coworkers went to a place called Helen's after work. Ill have to take photos and post sometime. Words don't always do justice. Happy hour was until 9 so we enjoyed rum and cokes for about 10 kuai ($1.50) and beer (pi jiu) for 5 kuai (less than a dollar). They have amazing burgers too, which is rare to find here, and are decently priced at 22 kuai (about $4.00). I left around 10:30 knowing I needed to get in bed before things got carried away, after all I do work at 2 in the afternoon on Monday. Yesterday just happened to be a very stressful day, so I needed to give myself a break.

Today, was slightly eventful. I was woken by my agent (the friendly Chinese man who speaks English and helped me find my apartment--he will be strapped to me until I leave as he does all the communicating with the owner of my apartment and the property management company) who texted me about my elevator card. You can no longer take the elevator upstairs, you now have to have an electronic card. He brought me the card, which he went out of his way to do, I thank him again from the virtual world. I happened to ride the elevator down with him because I needed to go to the atm and in the lobby of my building there was a flock of women yelling and screaming at the security guards. Weber (my agent) told me they were posting signs and yelling at the guards because they think the elevator cards are illegal and that the elevators are public property. I made it to the atm and back in five minutes to see more guards and very official people standing in the lobby. One lady was standing in the way of the elevator. I just gave her the "I'm innocent and naive" look because I'm a wai guo ren (foreigner) who has no idea what you are saying and is trying to get home. she politely stepped out of my way.

In the meantime, my agent had checked my floor in the kitchen (whole other story involving water under floor boards where it shouldnt be...) They will be working on it Wednesday at which point I will be stuck at home and will explain.

Oh, and a short side not-- I had to go to the atm to get money out because I ordered a rice cooker online (it was cheaper than buying it in the store) and you pay for the items when they are delivered not when you buy it online... very strange. It never made it to my house today because I had to leave for work. But my friendly Chinese coworker talked to the delivery man and told him i'd be home tomorrow morning. We will see what happens.

Made it to work early to get some stuff done. I have all my lessons planned out for the week so it didnt consist of much. But our office is being audited in the morning so we have to make sure we dot all of our i's and cross all of our t's.

I taught to VIP classes today (VIP's are one-on-one teaching). The first is a 14 year old boy who wants to go to High School in San Francisco but needs to pass the TOEFL exam to get in. He was falling asleep in my class as he was talking to me. I had to stop him and ask him if he needed to take a walk because there is no sleeping in my class. (He has done it before... i wasnt that mean about it). He said he did, so we took a ten minute break and finished up. I still don't feel he will pass the TOEFL but I am doing my best. I try to let them know that he needs more work, but oh well. I'm trying and doing the best I can.

The second VIP is the child from hell. I apologize for that comment as i do not literally mean that, nor do i hate the child in any way shape or form. she is a cute little girl. But as spoiled as spoiled can be. She busts out laughing in the middle of class for no reason. She has been working on the same book for over a year because she is so hard to control. She got on the floor today and started rolling around under desks. I finally found her weakness "Do you want me to go get your mother Pearl?" NOOOOOOOO. It worked every time (I did have to use it every 5 minutes) but it got us through the hour and the 3 pages we did. (we should have done 5 pages that we were trying to make up from last weeks histerics. But, oh well. That hour is over and is only once a week.

Came home after work and turned on my Christmas lights-- i love them. Watched Greys Anatomy and ate a piece of my American candy (supposed to be saving it all for Christmas but theres so much and I can't resist).

Tomorrow will be a new day. I have the same boy VIP from today and then a Small Star Green class, four of my favorite 3 year olds. I'll try to get a picture to post tomorrow night. Tomorrow is my Friday-- YAY. Hopefully the rice cooker will show too... hmmm. oh and my other goal is to take the bus to work. I have been taking taxis which only cost about 10 kuai ($1.50) but since I am trying to save money for home I'd rather only spend 2 kuai (less than a dollar).

Wrote more than I wanted to, but I promise I will write less and less but more often... maybe. :) Enjoy your day, or night.

Cultural Adjustment

"You don't understand the basic assumptions of your own culture if your own culture is the only culture you know...Everybody operates on certain basic assumptions, but very few people know what those assumptions are....the only way you find out is by contrasting the way you look at something to the way it is looked in another culture." Alan Watts, The Tao of Philosophy.

It has been over a month now since I have written. Life seems to just pass me by. Sometimes the easiest way to document my time is to take an excessive amount of photos. I have been trying to find some inspiration but maybe I have had writers block. There is so much to say but voicing my thoughts is harder than it seems sometimes. And I probably could go on for hours. So I figure I will start with culture...if there is one thing someone wants to experience in life the most, and that thing is culture, take yourself to the opposite side of the world from where you are, and you are certain to find that.

I'm still in the adjustment period here. Trying to find my bearings constantly. Getting around, where do i buy a swiffer, im not eating dog, sorry, my hot water needs to be turned on at least an hour before i want to shower, there are no dryers here so if i wash a load it will be at least another 24 hours until I can wear the same thing-- the best part about that (not) is that I wear a uniform for work, and they only gave me two shirts that don't even fit very well. I made it work, but HAD to get another one.

But, I have to back up a bit. In our TEFL course we took, the teacher, taught us from a book called Teaching English in China by Robert Wyss and Emily Thrush PhD. They described to us the stages of cultural adjustment. Now, I am not sure where the theory comes from, so I cannot speak to that, but I do know, and have seen us (the group I took the course with) are all experiencing these stages.

There are only 5, so bare with me. The first is the Preliminary Stage-- this is the period of time right before you leave your home, or wherever you are moving from. A pretty basic stage. The second is Initial Euphoria... when I would post or talk about how much I loved China, when I first got here, was my initial euphoria. I do love living here, but it definitely takes time to adjust to your surroundings. Which leads to the next stage Irritability and Hostility... need I say more? Euphoria and Hostility stages are interchangable and can last for an extended period of time-- sometimes up to 3-5 years. My experience with the hostility stage was and can be emotional. It is very frustrating when you are trying to deal with Chinese banks and they cut off all money you have. Trying to communicate with someone who can speak 5 words of English, and not speaking enough Chinese to express my frustration is very exhausting. Some days you walk around and just want to be able to get everything done in your native language because that is what you are used to and know best. When someone doesn't understand you completely makes you want to start screaming and yelling, and burst out crying all at once. When this happened to me, I just kept having to take deep breaths. I also called a few people in my group to vent and seek guidance. We ended up getting it sorted by going to another bank. Evidently (which I had partially seen while I was there talking to the teller, but also realized later) was that the first teller didn't like the fact that I was female and American. He wanted me to provide excessive amounts of documents showing that I could live and work in China, and all I needed was to change the pin on my debit card. At the next bank, I handed the woman my passport and card and two minutes later she handed it back and I was good to go.

There is also an adjustment to be made with food, nothing is the same as the states, shopping, transportation, renting an apartment, cooking, sleeping, bathing, anything you can imagine.. it all has to change when you move here. But it is the way in which you handle it that proves whether you can live abroad or not. You must be adaptable-- but while trying to adapt, there are hiccups. We are so used to our ways that it's hard to make the permanent transition. You half expect to wake up one day and everything is back to the way it was. But, that's not going to happen. Have patience. I feel I have moved out of the Hostility stage, not completely, but there was about a week of anger and frustration and homesickness, but I over came it. Which leads to the gradual adjustment period. You slowly transition into accepting your surroundings. (On a side note, these stages usually last much longer for most people. People who moved here the same time I did might still be in the Initial Euphoria stage. I have seen some hostility from some of them, but not much of it.) I made it through the stages quicker because of having lived here before. It is much different because my parents and Boeing aren't here to take care of everything. So it is an adjustment. But thats the best part of the experience.

The next stage is Adaptation and Biculturalism-- basically you reach this stage when you no longer feel like a "foreginer" -- I think it took me about 5 years to get there last time I lived here, so it will be a while. It can take up to 5 years to get there. The last stage is the Re-Entry phase--- this stage occurs when you go back to where you came from.

Now if that made any sense, I experienced this moving back to the States after living here for 8 years. now, it wasn't as drastic because I didnt have communication problems. But I had a lot of adjusting to do. I don't know if I ever got out of the foreigner stage though. I think even on the day I left I was still feeling that way.

But anyhooooo--- as for me. I am working and teaching. I have a busy schedule but weekdays I don't work until 2 so i have time to get things done or go places. I have decided that I will make the most of this year. I don't know if I will still be here a year or two from now, (I do hope to be, but life happens sometimes). So given a year, I want to see and experience as much as possible. I hope to start saving money as well, so if I am here next year, I can spend more time traveling. I want to see the world. And I will be here to share it with whoever wants to experience it with me.

(On an end note I do want to give credit where it belongs, but my bibliography skills are rusty-- so, the book I got my ideas from is Teaching English In China, by Robert Wyss and Emily A Thrush PhD. Written in 2007.) 

Back In Beijing...

I tried to write earlier either upon my arrival, or right before I left but couldn't find the time. I was also unable to access facebook or the internet from my computer. I have finally figured out how to use the wonderful world of technology over here.

As most of you have seen, I have arrived safely. It has definitely been an indescribable experience coming back. I have considered walking around with a notebook in hand in order to write down the strange quirky things I see in the world of Beijing. It's so much different than the states, especially coming from a small town in Washington. I have had to adjust to not having a car but relying on public transportation. Subways and Busses are the way to travel, but they can be so jammed packed at times that you feel claustrophobic. You don't really have a choice when you are trying to get from point A to point B. Every morning I go to school I have to walk to a subway, take it five stops away, walk to a bus station, ride that for three stops and then walk to the school from there. It can be a very overwhelming experience.

I don't really have a point of reference with this blog at this point but wanted to let everyone know I am alive. The last week I have met everyone in my group-- there are 19 of us taking a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course and then we are split up into groups were we will be teaching at various schools. I was introduced to my colleagues at my school and saw some of the students. I will be working mostly with 3 to 6 year olds-- I didn't realize that 3 year olds had even a full vocabulary in their native language let alone could start to learn a second language, but never too early to start I guess. Plus, this is China. (You may see this phrase used a lot, sometimes there are no words to describe what happens here as it is so foreign, all you can really say is "this is China"-- or the newly acquired "it's different". Not bad, not good, just different.)

I have spent a few days and nights wandering around to explore and to try and get my bearings around here. I carry a map everywhere I go. It is quite strange but because everything has changed so much and I spend a lot of time in places I never really did before, I never know where I am. The city is huge!!!

I also had the wonderful experience of trying to, and successfully finding an apartment. The first day was quite interesting as this short little Chinese man met me at my hotel. I followed him to the Subway, 2 metros and 8 stops later we got off where we met two more men. I was told to get on the back of a scooter and rode around Beijing looking at various apartments. I was not impressed with what he showed me and felt ripped off. The next day i decided to find a new agent and started making calls. I met up with this very nice man (no scooters included-- but a taxi ride to the building)-- where he showed me 3 units. The first I wasn't too impressed with as the kitchen had been built inside the bathroom by the owner because he wanted to save space. How sanitary. The second was gorgeous but was expensive, and the third was the size of a box. We went back to the original and while the agent called the owner it was taken (thankfully as I didn't want to cook where my toilet was), so we went back to the second, I met the owner and with my wonderful Chinese skills (exaggeration) she fell in love with me and dropped the price and hired me to tutor her children. While it will never compare to living in an apartment in the states-- my main requirements were a toilet (some may have holes in the ground), a shower not over the toilet (very common here), a washing machine (most people hand wash clothes and it is rare to find dryers), a refrigerator (a luxury only foreigners usually require, most keep their food hanging outside to keep cool). Apartments are furnished so I needed a bed too. My place has a bonus of a couch, a tv, internet, cable, an electric stovetop AND a microwave (YAY). I also have a large bathtub with a shower. I am glad to have found a place so I have something to call home.

I will be moving in on the 25th as my hotel is paid for until the 26th. I have the 25th off, two days of work the 26th and 27th and then a week break from the 28th to the 4th. Looking forward to some time to settle in and have a break. I might make my way to Shanghai or camp on the Great Wall. The adventures at this point are endless.

I think that is enough for now, plus I have to get to homework. I will try to find some more exciting stories to share. This includes only a small fraction of what I could tell, but apartment hunting is worth sharing. But it is something one can truly only experience themselves. You have to see it to believe it-- Pictures will come, I promise.

pre-China jitters

So, I promised many of you I would keep you up to date once I leave the country. In effort to not repeat myself, I thought it may be a good time to start a blog. That way, if you choose to read it you can, if not, then don't. But, I will try to write as often and as much as I can. For all of my international friends, this may seem amusing to you, but coming from a small town in Washington, it's a lot to take in, understand, and go back to.My intention of writing this is to keep my Bellingham/Washington friends informed, but also describe what Beijing is like now to those of you who left long ago that I graduated with. Remember this is all very foreign to anyone who has never been to Beijing. But also remember that many of us have spent years living there and may know no different. I have two audiences to work with, and want to try and inform, possibly entertain everyone.

As many, or all of you know, I am moving to China. In T minus 21 days I will be boarding a plane to take me to the other side of the world. I accepted a position working at a company in Beijing teaching English. (For those of you who don't know the location of China, I have included a map below). Now, I have heard good things and bad things about this particular job, but my contract is only a year. I may end up finding another position while over there, but for the time being I will be employed with this original company. I depart September 11th at 2 in the afternoon from SeaTac. I will arrive in Tokyo on September 12th. Switch planes, and then fly to Beijing. My arrival time is 22:50. I will be picked up at the airport and taken to my hotel where I will be staying for two weeks. Now, this is a 2 star hotel, but it includes free breakfast :). Whatever, that consists of, I am not sure. I currently have a return set for November, but not knowing when I can take vacation, this will change. It may not be until next August.

Having grown up in China, I am excited to be going back, but also a little jittery at the thought of such a large place, and knowing so little about the changes made. I have begun to pack, clean, throw away everything. On September 4th I will move in with my brother as I have sub-letted my unit. I am getting rid of almost everything. I can travel with only 2 50 pound suitcases and a carry-on. This doesn't leave room for much, and I don't know when I will get back. I figure everything is so cheap though, that I will take clothes and find the rest on arrival. I will be given a cell phone by the company, but only with a few minutes on it.  I may or may not have internet to begin with, but hoping Starbucks will be at my rescue with a free wi-fi connection. Facebook is blocked, but I hear there are ways around this.

As the day gets closer I am more excited to board that plane, but also sad to move on from the last 8 years in Bellingham. It hasn't quite hit me yet, but as my owners and tenants find out, I realize the vastness of my choice from the eyes of people that have never been outside of this town. It's eye-opening even for me.

With that being said--- I have never blogged before and will next time try to make this more entertaining. I will include photos, color etc. I am very much looking forward to the next step in my life.