There is something that I have witnessed several times which I am told is quite common here is Shekou.  I didn’t really want to write about it, but I realized it’s a must. It’s important to carry an umbrella around right now because it rains often.  One minute it’s sunny, and the next the sky has opened up and it’s pouring.  The drainage around the city isn’t so hot and when it rains, there are lots of puddles.  This is where the concern lies. It’s normal to see small children using trashcans and/or the streets as public toilets. Small children…

Okay, so I got my hair done last night and it cost me a pretty penny but this guy knows Western hair and that’s not the norm around here.  We end up going a bit blonder for me and he did a really nice job – I am dead seksi with my new do… however, I digress. The hair appointment was in Futian, which is about 40 minutes outside of Sheko.  It ends up taking about four hours to create this blondeness.  As a side, I have learned that everything in China takes a longer so it’s about 10PM by…

Okay, after living in China for a few weeks, there are some things that are just so China to me. So in my head, I started saying, ‘That’s so China.’  But here’s the thing, it’s kinda like ‘forgetaboutit’ because it has different meanings depending on the context and delivery.  I will try to demonstrate. When you almost get into an accident in a taxi but make it: That’s so China. Translation: I am happy to be alive and my friends and I will laugh about this later. When you almost get into an accident in a taxi but make it: That’s…

Tonight I had my first ‘China’ meal.  Pigeon.  When I first looked at it, I thought it might be quail or a small chicken.  Nope, pigeon. When eating with others, I want to be a good sport and try new things, but anyone that knows me, knows that my stomach is in charge.  I mean that quite literally.  If I could liken it to any character, it would have to be Oscar the Grouch.  It’s always grumpy and moody and the first to tell you when something is wrong.  You get the idea. I have learned to be very careful…

My partner in crime, Tammy, and I went to Walmart Saturday afternoon.  We virtually ignored the warnings to steer clear of this establishment on the weekends, but we were feeling pretty refreshed.  You see we had spent the afternoon getting pampered.  We had mani/pedis and our hair done – all for about $25 US.  We were feeling very relaxed and had time to stop by Starbucks for a small treat.  We were generally enjoying the day.  Until Walmart. The store was very crowded and noisy.  However, it wasn’t the amount of people that made this particular trip overwhelming.  It was…

Last night was the first time that I woke up and truly did not know where I was.  I was having great dreams too but it was a tad freaky to have no idea what I was looking at.  I finally got oriented and feel quickly back to sleep. I don’t have too much to report as I have been working like mad.  It’s pretty much been 10 to 11 hour days just trying to get acquainted with all of the new school materials and procedures.  However, my class is wonderful – I have 15 students.  Fifteen. In some ways,…

This morning was an organized school trip to a market that I simply cannot remember the name of – but it is where all of the fake stuff is!  It is a huge building located right on the border of the New Territories  (Hong Kong) and it houses five floors of shops including fabric, jewelry, purses, DVDs – you name it, you can probably buy it or have it made there. It’s a tad overwhelming in that it is teaming with people and every inch of space is crammed with shops.  As you walk through, the sales people call out…

Okay, this afternoon was the new teacher medical exam.  I am just going to say that it was strange, a tad uncomfortable, and well, very China.  One thing I am learning about China is there is a lot of hurry up and wait. It’s almost like there is a flair for the dramatic here that I wasn’t expecting.  But I digress-back to the ‘exam’. Please keep in mind that before getting my Visa to work here, I had to get a several tests and a physical exam; it’s standard for a foreigner that wants to live and work in China. …

Today the school organized a trip to an old part of Shenzhen and I finally brought my big girl camera.  For clarification purposes, I live and work in Shekou, which is a suburb of Shenzhen.  Anyways, we went to visit one of the many fabric stores, which is bursting with all types of materials. The great part is, you can purchase the fabric and have ANYTHING made for cheap.  Some other teachers purchased some soft cotton for sheets for about $12 US and it will probably cost about $5 to $10US to make. A couple of us are already planning…

Cars are still relatively new in China and it’s pretty evident by the driving here.  At some points, it’s pretty intense as bikes share the road with cars and the drivers only obey the red lights – I am not kidding.  People here seem to drive like they are riding a bike: if something is in your way, you just swerve to avoid it-don’t worry about the car in the next lane.  It seems as if these drivers here really don’t believe in lanes. Now that I think about it, I kinda don’t know why they even bothered to paint…