Bin wieder heil aus der Inneren Mongolei daheim angekommen! Mir hat es richtig gut gefallen und ich waere gern noch ein bisschen laenger geblieben. Aber gut, ich fang lieber mal wieder von vorne an. Der 1.10. ist in China ein ziemlich wichtiger Feiertag. Am 1.10.1949 wurde naemlich die Volksrepublik China gegruendet. Die Mathegenies unter euch merken jetzt auch, dass China dieses Jahr also einen runden Geburtstag feiert. Der 60. Jahrestag wird ziemlich groß gefeiert. Schon im August haben Studenten auf dem Campus der UIBE in Peking fuer die große Parade trainiert und ueberall haengen riesig [View Full Entry]

---

---

I never made it to the sand dunes or grasslands of Inner Mongolia, but the capital city of Hohhot was extremely interesting. We set off on a Friday night for a location further north, but by the time we had bought our tickets, all of the beds had been sold out, and only seats were left. We spent the whole night and the rest of the next day sitting in seats that couldn't recline on a crowded train as it wound through the country side of China (although there were some pretty areas, that last part might sound much more majestic [View Full Entry]

---

---

I finally saw Transformers 2 last night, it was incredible! The movie was only in Chinese and did not have subtitles... but still, so awesome! I just wish I knew what they were saying. Oh well, I guess that means I have to see it again when I get home. -Kaye [View Full Entry]

---

---

Jaycee left today. [View Full Entry]

---

---

Monday morning the teachers at New Times, the managers, and the foreigner jumped into a bus and drove an hour south to the Er Long Shi Tai national park. The park is surrounded by farmland and is beautiful. The drive seemed short, we were telling jokes and looking at the beautiful scenery. As per my CIA/parents conditioning when I was a baby I wanted to sleep the minute I got into the bus, but Caroline wouldn't let me. So instead I studied Chinese and told some clean jokes. And Sym, if you're reading this, the giraffe in the refrigerator joke from [View Full Entry]

---

---

I've been meaning to write this post for a while, but have been procrastinating for various reasons. One of the most interesting things that I have encountered while in China is crossing the street. If you are reading this in the States, while sitting on the couch, you may laugh thinking that it is more complected than waiting for the signal to turn. Instead, in China, it's more like the 100m dash. What follows are a few guidelines that have been compiled by the people I've encountered while in China. 1) Wait for a native to begin crossing the street, and [View Full Entry]

---

---

As you may have read, I have been experiencing some stomach issues. On Monday I had the day to myself. No students, no school, no class. This was probably a good thing because I was feeling horrible (to say the least, and to keep the blog PG). Around 8 pm I was finally hungry enough that I rolled out of bed (after waking up at 9am and spending the day on the computer) to attempt to make it to the KFC around the corner. Side note: I fully understand how detrimental KFC was going to be on my system, but the [View Full Entry]

---

---

I just realized that I have been in China for a month... it doesn't feel like it. Also, I am officially back in Hohhot, where I will remain until I return to America in November. I made a rather stupid decision a few days ago, I drank the water out of the tap. I was feeling a little thirsty and it was late. I thought, "What the heck?" I filled my bottle with cold water, took a few swigs, and went to sleep. The next morning I looked at the bottle in the sunlight and saw yellow sediment that had collected [View Full Entry]

---

---

Today, rather than my usual English class, I took my college-age students out on a field trip. Or, more accurately, they took me on a field trip to Hohhot's newer history museum. The museum is only a few years old, and gigantic. It's a must see if you are interested in the history of Inner Mongolia. But, the best part is that the museum gives away 3,000 free entries each day. All you have to do is walk up to the counter and ask for an admission ticket. Who can beat that? The three floors attempt to cover all the history [View Full Entry]

---

---

So I finally had a day off. This English speaking contest has thrown everything off. I haven’t had a day off for 9 days, so I’m going a little batty. But, the school decided to give us today off and some of the teachers took me to Da Zhao Temple. So, at 9:30 this morning Caroline, Seven, Wendy, Emma, and I took the bus to meet Addison at the Temple. If you ever find yourself in Inner Mongolia, and anywhere near Hohhot, you need to see Da Zhao Temple. If you don’t mind the bus, route 58 goes right to Da [View Full Entry]

---

---