Trying Times

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So this is proving to be a lot more difficult than I had anticipated. Most of you know already, but I am having a hard time getting settled in here. My apartment is alright, I have a room mate for another week (then I will completely lonely...) and I bought some stuff last night to clean the place top to bottom (it's dirty...) I've been thrown into teaching without much training at all, and am trying the best I can. I know that it will come with time, but it's hard to face right now. My schedule is frustrating. Although I do not work more than 6 hours a day, I can start work at 730 AM and not get home until 830 PM. Next week I am teaching full time (full time on my contract is 24 hours a week) if not more. I haven't had a day yet just to stay home and rest.

I haven't been sleeping well, and don't have much appetite.. but I am still getting used to the time difference (we are 15 hours ahead of time here, by the way) and the heat (30-35C daily wih 85% humidity). My bed is like the floor so I sleep on the couch in the living room with the AC on.

There are some interesting things I have seen in China so far though, so concentrating on the positive, I will share some things. Not many people speak English and a lot of people stare. The traffic here is madness, and everyone honks their horns for no reason but there are rarely accidents and no one flips the bird. Power line repairs are done by two men holding a ladder steady while another works on the lines without gloves. Workers have temporary homes on the sidewalk, and actually set up little houses with beds. Lots of people have dogs. I haven't seen a lot of bugs. When the mosquitos bite, the bites are HUGE and RED, nothing compared to Canadian skeeters. There is garbage EVERYWHERE. The streets here are always under repair. Everyone rides bikes or scooters. Fashion is somewhat ridiculous. I was told that if you wear shorts here, people will laugh at you, but you should see the short shorts the girls wear!!! I heard the Eagles playing on a radio outside of a hair salon (reminded me of you dad). Open markets are neat, there is one on my road before 830. In the grocery stores, they have big tanks of live fish, catfish, turtles, lobsters, frogs, etc. It stinks. The toilets are all just holes in the ground and there is never TP unless you bring it with you (my apartment has a Western toilet). Kids are CUTE. I met a little girl who collects fingernails (her own and other peoples). I think of all of the pre-packaged snack foods we have in Canada... it's the same here except things are really different and everything is labelled (obviously) in Chinese. I tried seaweed as a snack, it tasted like the ocean. People fall asleep on the sidewalk and sleep there all day.

I can't think of a lot else... I haven't been exploring much yet. Not until I settle in and get a bit more comfortable. I would download pictures, but I'm not quite sure how and I don't have the time to do it on days that I am working.

I miss everyone at home terribly. It is quite a different feeling, knowing that I am putting myself through this pain and hell voluntarily.. when I could just decide to come home anytime. I know that I have to give it a chance, I knew to expect this frustration, but it is difficult. I miss Katlin especially, but email him often. I miss my entire family so much. More than they know. I talked to all of them on the phone for a bit today, which had me in tears but helped a bit.

There is not much else to say right now. I have a class to teach at another building (half an hour by taxi) in at 4, but I have to be there at 3. I think tonight I will clean my bathroom and fridge and do some bed laundry.

Thank you to everyone who has been sending email. The connection to home is what's keeping me sane right now. Send as much as you like. Send things that will cheer me up and make me smile. I check my email pretty much everyday, and am on MSN a bit. The time difference is 15 hours (we're 15 hours ahead of Kelowna).

I hope everyone at home is great, and knows that I miss them terribly. I keep reminding myself to take it one day at a time, and just to breath. Dad, Jimmy Buffett has become my mantra.

I love you all.

Laura
xoxoxoxo

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