Teacher Appreciation Day

I'm sitting here typing with a mouthful of Ferrero Rocher, a gift from one of my charming students. Today is Teacher Appreciation Day, and I am officially a huge fan. I've received candy and flowers galore; I'm literally feeling like this may be my new favorite holiday.

Aside from this delightful day, teaching English to Primary-aged Chinese students has not been all Ferrero Rochers and roses. Classrooms are hot - sometimes equipped with a fan, sometimes not. Even when they are, they mostly just blow my papers all over the floor. Two major factors contribute to the temperature in these tiny rooms. One is the lack of A/C, while the other is the sheer size of the classes. I don't have a single class with less than 50 students. Some even top 60. This brings me to the noise factor. All of the classrooms are equipped with a microphone. They may or may not be working at any given time, which means I get to scream English to a minimum of 50 students. I don't know how my voice has hung in there for so long, but I'm realllly hoping it continues to stay strong for me.

There's absolutely no way I'm going to be able to learn the names of all of the students in my English classes (aside from the most memorable ones, such as UFO and Semen - maybe Simon, but he pronounced it "Semen"). I teach all of the students in the Primary school, grades 1-6. Yes, I teach all of the students in this school. The schedule is biweekly. My first week (last week), I taught grades 1, 2, and 3. This week I'm teaching grades 4, 5, and 6. I teach fifteen 40-minute classes per week, more than double what the other teachers in the English department are teaching (but I believe I also make about double their salary).

On day one, I came home, sat down, and realized I like most everything about life in Shenzhen - minus the teaching. On day seven, I'm feeling mostly the same (but this may be because neither of my mics were functioning this morning). Some of my classes are very eager to learn and willing to participate, while others are loud and belligerent - this is true at all grade levels. It's not even about the students. I could deal with naughty kids if the classes were just half the size. But, when you have several naughty kids in an enormous class it's nearly impossible to keep them all in line while ensuring that a few of the students are getting something out of the PowerPoint you spent two hours putting together. All I can say is it's going to be quite an adjustment.

***

In the last few weeks, my right eye has developed a twitch. I'm not sure when it started - I think it may have been right after I bricked my iPhone, my desktop PC internet stopped working, and my less-than-a-year-old MacBook Pro died. It may have also been after watching hours on end of CCTV, the only English TV channel that I receive and a mouthpiece of the Chinese government. Regardless of when it started, it hasn't stopped yet - I'm starting to give up hope that it ever will.

The good news is my technological problems have been remedied. Just a few days after purchasing a new cell phone for the equivalent of ~$15, Dave was able to fix my iPhone and I was finally able to call AT&T and unlock it (unbelievable hassle). The MacBook Pro was a different story. After waiting for over a week for my contact teacher to take me to the nearest Apple Authorized Service Provider (located a single metro stop away from me), I finally just did it myself (the process, luckily, required little to no Chinese). A few days later, I received a call from this service provider, informing me that my "memory is broken". They would fix it (as it was still covered under my warrantee), and they would call me in 3-5 days for me to come pick it up. On Saturday, I finally had my laptop back in my arms AND there was a little translation error; the hard drive was completely fine. I suppose I'll never know what was really wrong with my laptop, but I'm still going to be purchasing a portable hard drive just to be safe (lesson learned). The internet issue was resolved after about a week of waiting. I kept being told that Mr. Chen (the computer genius) was busy, only to find out that he had been pretty busy that week because he was, oh, you know, getting married. So, I finally got a new router! My desktop has internet once more, and my wifi is ridiculously fast. Too bad Mr. Chen is now married; I was so I happy I could have kissed him right on the mouth. 

So CCTV isn't the only venue where I'm finding Chinese propaganda; it's in the textbooks, too. I was instructed that I should use the textbooks as a guide in planning my lessons, so I began looking through them to see what vocabulary words the students would be familiar with. Imagine my surprise as I looked through the vocabulary words for family: grandmother, grandfather, mother, father, me. No "brother." No "sister." I guess they start indoctrinating them on the "One Child Policy" pretty early on.

One other fun China-ism: living in the present. I'm a flexible girl. I adapt fairly easily to new situations. If you don't, China might not be the place for you. An example of this "now-ism" as it's commonly called by expats: Friday evening, I'm planning an upcoming trip with a few friends at a local bar a few stops away on my metro line. At 5:30pm, I receive a call from Spring, one of the English teachers I work with. She wants to know if I'm at my dormitory; I am not. She then informs me that we have a banquet at 6pm. I inform her that I will maybe be a little late.

Best discovery in China to date?  This website - www.nogogo.cn - is an online grocery store with free delivery in my district, Futian! They have tons of Western products, and I only spent ~$50. I was able to find things I thought I'd have to go without in China, such as organic skim milk and organic eggs. They also offer a small selection of organic produce. Their bakery is phenomenal; I got a whole loaf of freshly baked white bread for only 15 kuai! They even bake New York bagels (haven't tried them yet, but I'm planning on it soon). The delivery itself was a bit of a hassle, but overall, so worth it!

Reviews: 

Wurzener's Vanilli Bears 
When cereal is marked down from 48 kuai to 9.5 kuai, it is usually for a reason (and not just because it expires soon). What I had hoped would be a German delight akin to apple strudel has actually turned out to taste strangely similar to the cardboard box the cereal is sold in. The only redeeming quality is the adorable bear shape. Sadly, Wurzener puts the "nil" in "Vanilli." Really regretting buying three boxes just because they were on sale. (1 of 4 stars)

Nabisco Oreos - Birthday Cake Flavor
I don't eat Oreos. I never really had them as a child, and I don't particularly like the fake chocolate taste of the Oreo cookie. This is without even delving into the dangers of processed foods. Maybe it's homesickness or the fact that there are almost no Western foods in the common grocery store, but for whatever reason, I eat Oreos in China. And one Oreo stands above the rest: the Birthday Cake Oreo. Sandwiched between two lackluster chocolate cookies is a birthday cake flavored icing peppered with colored sprinkles. They still aren't healthy, but they're certainly delicious.  (3 of 4 stars)

An Arranged Marriage

Sometimes when things seem too good to be true, they are.

On Sunday, before leaving Beijing, we received our official placements! I was so happy to be told I would be teaching Primary school in Futian (the downtown district of Shenzhen), just minutes away from Dave's school. I had literally gotten all of my preferences, and I was ecstatic.

Then I got on a 24-hour train ride to Shenzhen. It wasn't nearly as bad as expected; in fact, the beds were far better than anything I've slept on in a Chinese hotel (I think I nearly slept through the night - such a luxury these days). We boarded in the evening just after 8pm, and it was lights off at 10pm. I woke up bright and early to a little tune blaring through the speakers that was the Chinese equivalent of elevator music and then spent the day playing card games, watching TV shows, and taking frequent naps. In a miraculous turn of events, we arrived ahead of schedule and were whisked away to our gorgeous accommodations, The Silver Lake Resort Hotel (quite an upgrade from the sports club in Beijing).

The next few days were a delight simply because we had nearly nothing to do and a pool at our disposal. We were also fed three meals per day at precisely the same time every day at the resort's "Western Restaurant" (just FYI, the only thing "Western" about this restaurant was the fact that it supplied forks, knives and spoons. They served us chicken feet and pigs ears for breakfast on the first day...).

The big day finally came: the contract signing ceremony. We had to have our bags packed in our rooms and be downstairs in our finest clothing at 10am on Thursday morning. I've never had an arranged marriage, but I felt as though the emotions I was having were those that would be common to a bride being given to a family she had never met: the uncertainty, the reluctance to leave behind the comfort of what I've come to know, and the fact that I would be signing a document binding myself to this unknown entity. Many of these feelings at least subsided as I met the woman who had come to meet me, Spring. I was presented with an enormous bouquet of flowers and lavished with praise over my "beauty" (read: pale skin). China is a pale girl's heaven. Literally everyone I've met so far has commented on how beautiful I am, and it's great for the self-esteem after my middle school years of being called the "Blair Witch," among other creative nicknames. Many Chinese women are incredibly obsessed with being light-skinned; they go so far as to wear large masks that look like what one would wear when operating a blow-torch. Most Chinese women never leave the house without a parasol or at least some sunglasses. I've often seen women walking the streets covering their faces with whatever they have handy - an enormous purse, their hands, or even a piece of paper. Luckily for me, I don't even have to try to stay this pale.

In order to start things off on a good note, I introduced her to Dave, who had come over to tell me a bit of unwelcome news. There had been a misunderstanding when making Dave's placement. Instead of teaching Juniors, he would be teaching Seniors at another branch of his school. The other CTLC teacher who is working at his same school is a "returner," which means he has preference when it comes to selecting which age group he teaches. Apparently he had a strong preference for Juniors. What this meant for us is that Dave was no longer an easy walk away from me; he is now a 40 minute metro ride away, and there is nothing we can do to change this.

So, despite this upheaval, I signed a contract with Yuanling Primary School for one year. This contract entitles me to a variety of benefits, including the guarantee of a hot water shower, a western style toilet, a washing machine, etc. I also promised to be a decent educator and go to work, among other things.

The gentleman who was part of my welcoming crew apparently had other business to attend to, so Spring told me to go and get my bags and we would go have lunch elsewhere (we would be skipping the banquet that was being held at the resort and leaving significantly earlier than I'd expected). There was nothing to do but quickly return to my room and collect my belongings, leave a note for Dave, and depart from the Silver Lake Resort Hotel with these new acquaintances.

They delivered me to the Yuanling Primary School, where I'll be living in a school dormitory for the next year. Our living arrangements can range anywhere from a college style dorm to a high-rise apartment - I believe I am solidly on the lowest end of the apartment spectrum. For starters, I do not currently have a western style toilet, but a squat toilet...which is conveniently located in my shower. In fact, I literally have to use my shower to flush the toilet. I have a tiny "kitchen" which is equipped with...a microwave. As far as the square footage goes, I'd say it's roughly 300 sq ft. It's definitely not ideal, but I've got a great location. I'm close to two metro stops, tons of parks, and the library (not sure if I could read any books there, but hey!). It will definitely be an adjustment, but I think I'm going to be really happy at the school.

Spring, despite the fact that she is not my official contact teacher, has been taking care of me for the past few days. After we unloaded my bags at the dorms, she asked me what kinds of food I like to eat. I told her that I like all foods, but I'm a vegetarian. She didn't even bat an eye at this news. She and the other teacher (whose name escapes me) hailed a cab and took me to probably one of the most amazing meals I've had in my vegetarian life (definitely the best in my whole time in China). We went to a chic and tranquil Buddhist restaurant, where the entire menu was vegetarian dishes. They ordered a feast for us, and I think I may have experienced nirvana.

After this glorious meal, Spring and I parted ways with the unnamed teacher and went to do errands. Spring is an absolute gem - so sweet, so hospitable, so helpful. During the course of the day, I got to meet her 4-year-old daughter, Coco, and her mother. Because we had to be at a meeting early in the morning, she invited me to stay the night at her apartment (I was more than happy to). I spent the evening playing on her iPad, playing with Coco (who kept asking me questions and thought I was funny, but a complete idiot) and enjoying the view from the window of her apartment on the 23rd floor. 

Yesterday, after we finished up our errands, we did a little shopping together in the major mall area (she was convinced that I needed a handbag, so I could carry my umbrella with me at all times. I was also quickly convinced that I needed a new handbag). After this we parted ways at my dormitory, so I could "have a little rest." Dave and I had been communicating by email (I don't have a working cell phone here yet) and by my landline (provided, as stipulated by my contract), and we planned to see how bad this commute actually was. Since he is now far out of town, I opted to take a cab to his school, Hong Ling Senior Middle School. Should have taken about 25-30 minutes, but I think it took closer to 45 (and this is starting the clock after I finally managed to hail a cab). Once I finally got there, we had plans to jailbreak my iPhone so I wouldn't be so helpless. Sadly, those plans died with my laptop, which I guess decided life in China is too much to bear. We'll be taking it in to an Apple repair shop today, so hopefully it will be a quick fix...and hopefully after this, life will be back on the upswing. 

Moving Up and Moving On

The Beijing chapter of this trip is swiftly coming to a close! Yesterday morning we had to have our big bags packed and ready to be sent ahead of us to Shenzhen, so they'll be there when we arrive on Aug. 20. They had to be in the designated spot by 7:30am; it was an early morning.

Then, yesterday after my morning shower, I opened the doors to see my bathroom floor was completely flooded. The funny thing was that the water was actually coming from our janky drain under the sink, which was literally connected to the ground by a half of a soda bottle. In fact, the floor was so flooded, I could see a comb floating across the floor. We got help. When we came back at lunch time, we ran into Gina, the head coordinator, who informed us that our room was flooded, so we were going to need to pack up and switch rooms. So much for nap time. We quickly packed everything and moved up a floor. The beds in 214 were so hard that my hips hurt when I slept on my side. The beds in 301 are just incrementally softer, but it makes all the difference.

I'll be teaching my last class today! My 9th graders are not as bad as anticipated. Sometimes they're still idiots (kids writing "F--k you" on small pieces of paper and flashing it at each other. Do you think I can't see you?!), but other times they're ridiculously impressive (Given a prompt for a writing a script about going camping and finding a red bump on your leg, turning the red bump into a bomb, then presenting the script using sound effects from your cell phone). They're a bit louder than Primary students, but they also think at a higher level. They also know how to joke in English, which can be quite entertaining. They'll also be performing in a talent show tomorrow, followed by a banquet for us. I'm already having teaching nightmares. It's so strange how much life can change in such a short time. Three weeks ago I was still waitressing in a small town in Texas. Now I'm teaching English in one of the biggest cities in the world to some of the best students in China.

We've been hearing a lot lately about cultural differences. You can't even imagine how many there are. I have no doubt you'll be hearing a lot about them in the coming months.

Sometimes the idea of finally moving to Shenzhen is exciting, but it's also a bit sad. I know how to get from place to place in Beijing University, and I could even survive on Beijing's metro. I know the best places for lunch on "Food Street"; I'm really going to miss a place I like to call "Noodle Palace," and the guys at the place with fried rice are finally starting to recognize that I will never want meat. We found an incredible Sichuan restaurant up the street from the hotel - incredible flavors and family-style dining. I've paid around $5 for a tableful of exquisite dishes both times that I've gone. It doesn't get much better than this.

It's also kind of scary. Like the coordinators told us a few days ago -- we've been in a nice bubble while we've been here. Soon we'll all be dispersed across a city that's twice the size of London, with an unofficial population of 20 million people. We won't have proficient Mandarin speakers with us; we'll have to fend for ourselves. I used my limited Chinese for the first time yesterday: "liang gen xiangjiao" or "two bananas". It's so frustrating sometimes not to be able to express even the simplest things. I went to a new place to have lunch a few days ago, and it was nightmarish. They only served particular things in each line, and they were out of some things on the menu. Trying to express vegetarianism is harder than it ought to be, but there is no one word for "meat" in Chinese. I literally have to ask about each type of meat, i.e. is there pork, beef, or chicken in this? I was trying to point at another person's bowl of noodles and express that I wanted the same thing, but without beef. At least 20 minutes later, I ended up with a dish that looked absolutely nothing like what I'd asked for. I've started incorporating more Western foods into my diet, because otherwise I'd go insane.

The next post will be coming from Shenzhen after a delightful 24-hour train ride!

The Honeymoon is Over.

I am having a mad craving for a tuna fish sandwich. On wheat. Toasted. Samantha - your homemade bread. Chances of this happening: slim to none. It's August 12, which means that I've been in China for ten days. I'm already over Chinese food. This is not good.

In a wonderful turn of events, Dave declared last night to be "date night," and we went out for dinner at this great pizza place up the road from us called Tube Station. One of the coordinators told us about a special pizza they serve - Peking duck pizza, to be exact. There was no way we were leaving Beijing without sampling it, and it did not disappoint. We ordered a medium, which was enormous (even by American standards), but we still managed to finish all but one slice. It was topped with slices of Peking duck breast, hoisin sauce, scallions, and a bit of cheese. East met West in a beautiful culinary masterpiece. Another vegetarian hiatus, but I was in heaven.

Yesterday was also the first day of new classes. I had been teaching Grade 5, but I will now be teaching Grade 9 for the rest of my time in Beijing. It is quite a change, with some positives and some negatives.

Positives:

We can talk about more advanced topics, i.e. the environment and conservation, rather than birds.
I. Don't. Have. To. Speak. So. Slowly.
I get to have little power trips when I use authoritarian rule to keep kids in line.

Negatives:

Junior high boys are idiots. They like to write about poop, they're loud, and they smell.
It's next to impossible to get them to be quiet.
The notorious pre-teeen bad attitude seems to be universal.

I really tried to make that list even, but I couldn't. It's no secret; I can't stand junior high kids.

Luckily for me, I've already been told that I'm definitely going to be teaching primary. Even if I weren't a really good fit for it, the fact is that most of the available positions are for primary school teachers. I'm incredibly excited about this. For me, the most rewarding part of teaching is seeing real, marked progress, and I feel that this is most pronounced in primary-aged kids. Plus they're adorable.

So, the Great Wall! I finally got to see it in real, living color! The section of the Wall that we went to was fully restored, yet not mobbed with tourists like other parts of the Wall. They had a little ski lift that you could ride to the top and an alpine slide that you could ride down. I'm trying to be frugal, so I opted out of the ski lift and decided to walk up...wow. I don't know how many steps I climbed, but I was glad I'd been doing CrossFit OTB all summer; it was brutal. Then, the Wall itself is really wavy and also has a ton of steps, so they were basically never-ending. I wish I had more to say about the Wall, but I was honestly so caught up with the steps that it was difficult to enjoy or admire it. I also had insane motion sickness from the two-hour bus ride there, but I am pleased to say that I was able to avoid vomiting on yet another major world landmark (for those of you who remember my little incident on Machu Picchu). What I will say is that it is massive. If you take a moment to think about the enormity of it and then consider that it was build by thousands of laborers by hand, it will really blow your mind.

Even though we were a little bit exhausted from climbing all over the Great Wall, we were determined to make the most of our first day off. We're lucky enough to be conveniently located just a little over five minutes away from the Summer Palace, a sprawling park and palace on the fringes of Beijing. It was absolutely breathtaking. There's a huge, pristine lake flanked by willow trees and carpeted with blooming water lilies. It was perfect weather; people were flying kites everywhere. The architecture is stunning and modeled in pagodas, covered walkways, and - of course - the palace itself. And there were tons of Chinese tourists, many of which asked my friend Polly and I for pictures. Always charming. I'm having to use Dave's laptop while we're here (only one of us can be online at a time, and I don't want to spring for a second ethernet cable), so I'll update with pictures as soon as I get to Shenzhen (which will be on the 20th!).

Tomorrow we get to see a Chinese acrobat show in the evening; our next day off isn't until the 19th (the day we leave for Shenzhen). We're all counting down the days. I, for one, am ready to be done living out of a suitcase.

xx

A First Time for Everything

My First Chinese Paparazzi Photo

Beijing University (where I'm studying and teaching) is essentially considered the Harvard of China. People on the subway have been very impressed when I happen to forget to take off my lanyard that sports the Chinese characters for "Beijing University." People come from across China to tour the campus (which is absolutely gorgeous), which means there are many people milling about who have never seen a person who is white...or a person who is black, or has red hair, or is over six feet tall. Many of my fellow teachers had already been photographed with tourists, or - better yet - photographed on the sly (not so slyly). Two days ago, I was finally given my chance to be the subject of a Chinese paparazzi photo. On my way into Chinese class, I passed by a young girl who asked me directions to a particular building. After I did not know, she promptly asked me for a photo. I'm lucky that she caught me early in the day, while I still looked fresh (read: before I was drenched in buckets of sweat). She told me it was beautiful. It was a good start to the day.

My First Chinese Squat Toilet

After I had walked into a restroom on my first day and quickly remembered the monster that I was dealing with (I was hit in the face with an odor that would peel paint), I vowed to put off using a Chinese squat toilet for as long as possible. This was not something I was able to stick to for long, given the 1.5L of water I'm drinking per day. I finally succumbed a few days ago, and though the stench was heinous, I survived. However, my worst fear is still losing my balance and catching my fall on my hands on the floor of a squat toilet.

My First Teasing at the Hands of a Chinese Kid

I have a student whose name is Jerry. I don't know why I like him. He never does his work, he's loud, and two days ago, he made fun of me for saying "Peking duck" rather than "Beijing roast duck." Literally mocked me to my face. Sadly, I'm sure this is the first of many such instances that will be occurring over the course of the next year. My pride is going to suffer.

My First Ventures Off-Campus

As I've mentioned, our training schedule has been ridiculously busy. However, after getting over my jet lag (for the most part), I've finally had the energy to do something more than come home, shower, and collapse into bed every night, nursing my blistered feet. A few days ago, a small group of teachers decided to walk to the metro and go to Tiananmen Square. There is no better way to understand how incredibly massive Beijing is. From our hotel by Beijing University to Tiananmen Square was an hour by metro, with one transfer. The metro itself is quite new. The trains are clean and modern (lightyears ahead of NYC, DC, or Chicago). Each car has multiple TV screens that show news and advertisements. When you pass through long stretches of track, advertisements appear outside the window of the car as you speed by. Riding on this metro is like something out of a Ray Bradbury book.

Tiananmen Square was quite a sight. Besides being huge, it was very crowded. The focal point was a large picture of Mao - we were not able to see his enormous mausoleum, which was on the other side of the square. Even if I didn't feel like this was much to see, it was still great to get out of the hotel.

The next night, a small group was planning to go to the Silk Market. This small group turned into about 20 people very quickly. Dave and I got separated from the group at the metro station, so we went up to Silk Street to try to find the market and reconnect with everyone. We were unsuccessful. However, Dave went into a hotel to ask for a map and to find something nice in the area for us to see. The hotel clerk directed us to a location called "The Place," which was a huge outdoor mall. The really impressive part of "The Place" was the enormous TV screen above our heads. It was flat and stretched out at least as long as a football field - insane. I found it to be completely needless, but definitely gave an impression of abundant wealth (which I imagine was its purpose).

Tonight a few friends and I went to the Temple of Heaven and the Pearl Market. Lesson learned: do not go to the Pearl Market if you do not plan to walk out with pearls or jade or something else beautiful that you suddenly will find very hard to live without. I was very pleased to have the opportunity to practice my bargaining skills, and I got what I considered to be a great deal on a string of black pearls (Mom, be jealous, they're incredible. Hopefully they're real). The lady tried to rope me into buying some jade, too, but I know I'll be able to find it in Shenzhen. Loved the Pearl Market. Upon arrival to the Temple of Heaven, we found that we could not buy tickets to see the Temple itself - just the grounds. This was by no means a total loss. The temple is so huge that you can see it from almost any point on the grounds. In fact, the gardens and architecture alone were worth seeing.

Friday is the long awaited trip to the Great Wall, and I could not be more excited!

Blue Skies in Beijing

I'm looking out of the window of my shabby hotel at Beijing University, and the blue sky is dazzling. When I arrived on Thursday, it was already late - no chance to see that famous Beijing smog. Somehow, I've witnessed not one, but two days of blue sky!

After a looong delay on my flight from Chicago to Beijing, I am finally here. There was no time to rest or get bearings or even get over this delightful jet lag. After getting in around 11pm Thursday night (after originally being due in at 2:40pm), I was beyond exhausted. Naturally, we all met at 7:30am the next morning for orientation, beginning the whirlwind which is TEFL Training at Beijing University. Day-to-day life is now consumed by TEFL courses, Introductory Chinese class, and my Grade 5 class of about 20 students. The day starts at 8:30 and ends at 5:30. This will be the story of the next two weeks.

My teaching partner and I teach the last class of the day; the kids are just as worn out as we are after six hours straight of intensive English classes. One of my favorite things so far is learning the kids' "English names." Each child has an English name that they chose for themselves or were given by a past English teacher. They are often very unusual and/or adorably outdated by American standards. Some of the names from my class include "Singer," "Tony," "Leo," and "Dada." Today I had my first class, and I felt like it went very well. The theme of the day was travel, and my partner and I formed a lesson talking about vacations. Tomorrow's theme is animals; we are teaching about birds.

I wish I had more time to explore Beijing. We're running almost non-stop for the next few weeks, and I don't know when I'll have time to see the sights! The only breaks we'll have are next Friday, when we spend the day at the Great Wall, and on August 20th, when we go to the Forbidden City (and then leave for our 24-30 hour train to Shenzhen). I have, however, gotten to peruse of some of Beijing's street food. Every morning (parked right next to the KFC) I find dozens of carts with a variety of specialties. So far, I've tried tea eggs (eggs hard boiled in tea) and some kind of savory crepe with a spicy sauce and filled with egg, green onion, cilantro and pork cracklin's. Vegetarianism has taken a hit due to my poor delivery of key Mandarin phrases, such as "I don't want pork."

I'm proud to announce that the Mandarin will be improving in the coming weeks! I'm enrolled in an intensive language study of introductory Mandarin, and my professor is excellent. Today we worked on pronunciation; there are so many different sounds, and I literally feel like I'm having to train my mouth to work the way I want it to.

I'm off to celebrate the end of the first day! Lots of love to all xx

On the Road Again

This is it! After more than a year of planning and dreaming of moving far away, I'm finally on the cusp of leaving. Destination: Shenzhen, China. There I'll be teaching English for the next year and traveling every chance I get. Hoping to make a significant dent in my travel wish list.

One of the most frequent questions I've been getting as I've told friends, family and acquaintances that I'm picking up and moving halfway across the world is, "What made you decide to do that?" I thought I'd take a moment to answer this for anyone who's still curious.

When I think back on my four years in college, there is no doubt where I've learned the most; it's when I've been traveling. Whether it was Brussels or Washington, D.C., I learned more about how the world works by just being part of it...not sitting in a classroom reading about it. I've been lucky in that I've gotten to see a lot of the world, but there's so much more I still want to see. I don't want to be closed in by the four walls of a cubicle at some entry-level job (assuming I could find one in this economy), nor do I want to sign myself up for another few years at a university getting a degree in something I may or may not even use when it's all over. Teaching English in China gives me the opportunity to A) live abroad and travel, B) teach, C) learn Mandarin, and D) earn a paycheck (so I can keep traveling). I can't think of anything I'd rather do.

So, follow me here as the next year unfolds!