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…

Several teachers packed into the school van and we went on a quick shopping trip today.  For lunch, we went to a place called Noodle King – it’s a chain restaurant here.  They serve great food, especially their hand-pulled noodles – delicious.  My dad thinks I might have been born with a Chinese stomach because I am enjoying the food and quite frankly, I didn’t know how that would work when I got here. One thing that I have noticed is that I am definitely a novelty. People stare at me.  I would like to think it’s my good looks…

I am signing papers on my new apartment this morning – very exciting!  I will post pics as soon as I get in there.  Finding a place was interesting.  Thank goodness a fellow teacher, Tracy, was there to help me.  She is truly an angel. I am going to break it down for you – imagine being in an unfamiliar city with a language that is tough to understand even when the locals are speaking English, 100 degree heat and 100 degree humidity, many balmy elevator rides, unfamiliarity of the system of leasing an apartment, different money (or as I…

Everything is still pretty overwhelming but it’s also very exciting.  I still can’t believe the heat – the humidity is brutal. Any cool breeze is a surprise and a welcome one at that! Went apartment hunting and will continue to look tomorrow as well – please keep your fingers crossed for me!  Also pedestrians do not have the right-of-way… it can get a bit dicey on the streets but it definitely keeps it interesting!   For now, please enjoy some photos of Shenzhen!

Went out with a bunch of people from school last night – I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I hadn’t have been so jet lagged!  As you can see in one of the photos below, I am about to fall asleep in my dumplings (which were delicious by the way).  What was interesting was the ‘host’ at the door – when people came in to eat, the guy would literally shout, and I mean shout to ask if there was a table ready and if there was, he would push people in – it was…

My first day in Shekou has been a bit of a whirlwind.  I am pretty jetlagged but I did manage to get out and see some of the city.  The people that I will be working with have been wonderful.  I feel truly welcome. It is very hot and humid here it’s like I could almost slide down the streets – but I am just drinking plenty of bottled water!  I am posting some photos of Old Shekou for you to see.  Nothing spectacular but will hopefully give you a feel for this part of the city.  Cheers!

Well, I am sitting right now in the Hong Kong airport waiting for a ferry to Shekou.  I haven’t been out in the city yet; I can’t wait to see it.  I think it will feel more real when I actually see everything.  Now all I see is a bunch of people in an airport lounge.  I hear Chinese everywhere.  It will be nice when that starts to sound familiar. I have met some great people along the way.  This one student from Xian, China said to me in his broken English. “Humankind is so good, so many creations.”  I…