Getting settled in Beijing

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Dear Memorial-Spaulding Community,

Ni hou from Beijing! I want you all to know I am safe and sound here. The weather is cold and crisp, and though we see news of big storms elsewhere in China (it looks just like any week in December in Boston) there is no snow here. The air is clear and sunny with no sign of air pollution. My host family is very good to me. I have my own room and bathroom. The father is Dai Guijiang, the mother is Chen Fengyan, and the daughter, who is 15 years old, is Dai Chenchun. The parents work in the Beijing People's Art Theater. He is the costume designer and she is in set design. (How cool is that?!) Chenchun will come to Newton on this exchange in September. They speak enough English for us to communicate very well and I am learning more Chinese every day. I have already met one of the grandmothers and a lot of their friends, and seen many amazing things. All of my group is happy and adjusting well. My husband will soon be joining us for two weeks. School begins Feb 25 so until then we will be getting our feet on the ground, traveling and sight-seeing.

Zai Jian from Beijing!

Mrs. H.

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Photos

with my host family
at the Olympic Complex

This is where I am living
My Home in Beijing

My Host Family
In front of the Beijing People's Art Theater

The Jingshan School
I will be an English teacher at this big school

Five teachers
at the Jingshan School

Making jiao zi
with the grandmother, Weng Shu Fen--yum yum!