Wednesday, September 15, 2010

And That’s When I Knew I Was In China!

Hello world!! :) I hope everyone is happy at home! I’m happy here in China! :) It’s weird... even though I’m half a world away sometimes it doesn’t feel like it! It’s a different language, culture, and all that, but sometimes it seems like I’ll just go on a little drive and end up at home! But then there are moments where I am suddenly startled back to the realization that I truly am in CHINA. Some of those moments include when:


-Being “white” was actually an ADVANTAGE in basketball!

-We saw the price tag on concord grape juice... 189 Yuan.

-Getting dairy products is a nearly impossible feat.

-Having visitors who spoke English seemed like a Heaven sent miracle!

-The lady next to me on the bus took out her phone and just took a picture of me.

-McDonald’s became one of my favorite restaurants!

-I cooked muffins and anything else you can imagine in a microwave. Apparently the Chinese don’t believe in ovens...

-I saw a little boy in a shirt with a little American flag on the front. On the back there was a bigger American flag and under it it said “Great Britain”.

-I used a squatter... and had to bring my own toilet paper.

-I tried to eavesdrop on someone’s conversation and couldn’t understand a word of it.

-Taking a warm shower became a luxury.

-I was excited to go to sleep... on my board bed.

-I booked my first hostel!

-A fish jumped out of the tank in the market and was just flopping around in the middle of the meat section... no one did anything about it!

-I rode in a “Tudza” (“Rabbit” in English... they’re little taxis around our city. They are QUITE the experience)!

-I did my first video chat.

-September 11th came and went and no one but our little group noticed.

-Three of us teachers got photographed for the local newspaper. (Ya... I’m pretty much a celebrity! HA! Just kidding!)

-We got excited because there was something worth eating at dinner in the cafeteria… 2 nights in a row. Definitely a record!

-I realized Peanut Butter has become one of the staple of my diet.

-Saying “thank you” in Chinese is more natural than English...

-I had my first formal Chinese class.

-Seeing fireworks nightly is the norm.

-Cierra, Samantha, and I were drawing pictures in the sand to communicate with someone.

-Our school asked us to pretty much run the English program… uh… ok? That’s not what we’re here for… we’ll just keep teaching, thanks! We’re not exactly qualified to run your school! Haha!

-I woke up with a swollen lip from a bug bite in the night… twice!


…And those are some of the times when I knew I was in China!

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