It has been difficult to blog since internet is sparse with not living in a permanent place. We will hopefully get internet tomorrow. In the meantime we have been living off of a sim card on one of our IPhones.
To update you my husband, Denny, and I recently moved to China to teach English with Kings, English for Kids. While we are receiving training for teaching we have been living on the 18th floor of a penthouse flat an apartment building in Tianjin, China.
Day 4 in China: Since we have arrived to China “time” has been slowing down. Denny and I are know time will speed up shortly after we’re settled in Qingdao (our signed teaching location) and after training but in the meantime time is snailing by. The language barrier (all day) as my husband puts it sounds like constant death metal. To me the constant confusion just gives me a headache to the point I sometimes just try to tune it out. Please imagine reader my position of being dropped in a foreign country not knowing any of the language. That means not knowing how to read. Basically the equivalency of a five year old child without a parent. Finding a simple item like prunes was a task at the grocery store. I still don’t even know if China has coconut or almond milk (but then again I can’t be hard on myself because this is only day four; I must be patient).
The ADVENTURES the past four days:
I stunk a picture of Denny giving his passport to the security guy!
LAX has charger stations for your phones, laptops or whatever electronic devices. LAX also offers free slow Wi-Fi. Hey at least they offer it. =) I was a happy camper.
Our last moment (for at least a year) of standing on American soil. Boarding China Air.
What it looks like on an international airline. it was three-four-three seats across. A kind man moved for Denny to sit by me. PTL
This is what was in front of my seat. It made me squeal for a few minutes. This was my first international flight that offered movies, tv and games that I could personally choose from. The location of our plane on the map sadly didn’t work during our flight.
An example of the movie button.
PAC MAN!!!!!!I was so excited but the operating buttons weren’t the best functions for this game.
1st Day in China (for this adventure)
Beijing Airport on arrival to China.
It was about 7am Beijing Time. Denny needed some coffee….he settled for Starbucks.
Our driver and translator from the school driving us to Tianjin.
The view down the street from our apartment in Tianjin, China.
Day 2: I woke to loud bangs in the distant. I learned that Chinese people shoot fireworks off for funerals in the morning. Later that day Denny and I went to the grocery store. We were in line to check out. Two of our items were bananas and a watermelon. A cultural moment. In China you are to go to a labeling stand to get the fresh produced weighed and priced. The sales clerk did pointing to get this message across and put the items under the register. Apparently we didn’t want the fruit. =) Denny and I then remembered that Chinese don’t have customer service like we do in the USA.
Standing at an intersection. Jaywalking at it’s finest. In China people at some point cross the street diagonally.
For our teaching position we had to get another physical here in China.
Travel Healthcare: a place for locals leaving or foreigners entering China to get physicals. As a woman, the x-ray was the scariest part of the exam.
The printing of the picture that went on my physical. I thought the printing process was the coolest!
the final product
The Chinese scale; it looks like an alien’s hovercraft is above Denny’s head.
DAY 3:
While getting street food one night Denny and I saw people burning paper on the streets. We had no idea what was going on. We asked a local who spoke some English and they explained that they burn “money” a paper that has holes in it to the deceased. They call it Ghost Day. That is my best understanding so far.
Do you know anything about this “Ghost” Holiday? If so, please tell me more.
What does this look like to you???
The “Money” for the Chinese Ghost Holiday.
This is what it looks like on the streets of China during the Ghost Holiday.
This is a beautiful picture that captures the Chinese culture.
Our adventure so far has consisted of a jam-packed-cube of many cultural moments within four days. In a year I will know so much about the Chinese culture.
Do you know of any Chinese holiday or customs that are coming up?
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