We finally get to our apartments to find only one is at all liveable as the other hasn't been lived in for a year or so and the dust in Lazhou is legendary, so we set up in the clean(er) one and I pretty much spend the next week cleaning the other one from top to bottom. Once it's finally clean we move into that one, Andrew will use the other one as an office. We also start getting used to living in Lanzhou - not being able to read signs, menus, shop fronts etc. which is a bit of a shock, and also not being able to ask anybody anything, but we get very good at pointing and smiling, very quickly - our phrase book is a lifeline! We explored the centre of town with a little help from another of Smile's friends, Saffie (who is lovely), learn how to use the bus system and do a little necessities shopping. Andrew also managed to find the only dark beer in Lanzhou - a home brewed one he tells me - but only at one restaurant. Some new friends living in the apartment across the hall - Foster & Renwei also show us around a bit, taking us to a great western food restaurant in town 'the C Club' which has pizza and English tea and a steak sandwich for Andrew 😱 I also found a shop (the only shop in Lanzhou) which sells western spirits - yey for vodka! so I'm happy too 😉
I'm teaching for a year in Lanzhou, China, so here's a little about what I'm up to...
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